Desserts Archives - Page 4 of 8 - The Sparrow's Home

Grandma Lena’s Ginger Snaps

September 14, 2017 by Susan 2 Comments

Ginger snaps. Sometimes called molasses cookies or molasses crinkles…it’s a classic recipe, just like my grandma used to make!

Of all the smells that came out of my grandma’s kitchen…from sugar cookies, to dumpling soup, to raised doughnuts…these ginger snaps might just be my favorite.

There is some debate among the family as to whether in their ideal form they are chewy or crispy. I find them delicious either way, but my preference is chewy. Having said that, I am also forgetful, and so invariably, I end up with some crispy cookies as well!

Berry Crumble (or Cobbler or Crisp)

July 12, 2017 by Susan 4 Comments

Not quite a crisp. Not quite a cobbler. I’m calling it a berry crumble. It’s Delish! So easy because it can be made with frozen berries.

It’s been causing me some stress to decide whether to call this recipe a cobbler or a crisp. I’m no food historian, and I don’t happen to be up on my precise cobbler vs. crisp definitions. Cobblers have always seemed more ‘cakey’ to me and crisps are more…well, crisp.

That’s where my problem comes in here. The delicious topping for this dessert starts out much like a traditional crisp recipe, but there’s one main difference that makes it almost like a cookie topping.

It’s really delicious. It is crisp. But it’s also kind of chewy. I really love it.

And with that eloquent description, let me tell you how to make it!

Homemade Ice Cream Anyone Can Make (Because You Don’t Need Any Special Equipment!)

June 14, 2017 by Susan 4 Comments

You don’t need special equipment to make homemade ice cream. This easy recipe can be customized to make your favorite flavor. It’s the perfect summer treat!

What are the lengths to which you will go to enjoy your favorite ice cream? My husband, being from the south, is a big (BIG) Blue Bell Ice Cream fan. We don’t have Blue Bell here in Minnesota. (Boo, Minnesota!) When we visited my mother-in-law in Texas, we toured the Blue Bell factory. And can I say, touring an ice cream factory is a great way to spend a day.

Visiting Tennessee in April allowed us to indulge all week long. (And we did! At one point our freezer had 5 containers.) We even packed a cooler full of ice and Blue Bell to bring home…no kidding. In case you’re wondering, Pecan Praline is our favorite, and the kids would probably say Birthday Cake.

And while it’s no Blue Bell, I’m here to tell you today how you can make homemade ice cream in minutes. Minutes! Well, minutes is all the time it takes to mix it up…of course there are a few hours of freezing time.

Caramel Cake (Or Brown Sugar Cake, if You Think You Don’t Like Caramel)

April 25, 2017 by Susan 12 Comments

The frosting is what makes this caramel cake divine. It is an easy, cooked icing that cools to a hard shell and melts in your mouth.

Caramel cake. Every year for his birthday. Caramel cake. Then one year my eldest determined he “didn’t like caramel”. So we had “brown sugar cake” for his birthday that year. Same recipe I’d used every other year.

Have I told you my kids are picky?

Sometimes I sneak things in. Like in my super healthy rich and delicious chocolate pancakes, and this chocolate mousse. Other times, I just call something by another name. For a time:

Tomato soup was “SpaghettiOs with no noodles”
Nutella was “chocolate spread”
And anything with bread or a crust was “(fill in the blank) pizza”

I even had a jar of pureed dates in the fridge that my kids ate for an entire summer because I called it “caramel.” Ahh the power of suggestion.

We’re back to calling caramel cake “caramel cake” again, and it’s still my son’s pick for his birthday cake every year. (He turns 18 this year! Yikes!) Sadly, my husband and I will be out of town at a conference on his birthday, so we’re celebrating early this year.

Cinnamon Stick Cookies

April 5, 2017 by Susan 4 Comments

Your family is going to love these cinnamon stick cookies. They’re easy to make, chewy, and the icing takes them over the top.

I haven’t shared a cookie recipe in awhile. We love cookies around here. (Like I really need to say that…is there anyone who doesn’t love cookies? BTW, we also love sunshine and puppies).

These cookies were a big hit when I started making them for study groups that we hosted. And they’re really easy..a slightly different method than most cookies, but easy!

Mug Meals: A Happy Little Cup of Yum

March 22, 2017 by Susan 8 Comments

I’m kind of obsessed.

It was one of those nights. I was just ‘checking a few things’ before going to bed. An hour later…

Well, an hour later, I had watched an hour of videos by the most charming Irish woman, Gemma (who I was pretty sure was going to be my new best friend), and had about a dozen recipes bookmarked and visions of tasty mug meals dancing in my head.

I made it my mission over the next few weeks to try a bunch of her recipes so I could share them with you. There’s a bit of a learning curve, to be sure. After all, cooking in the microwave is quite different. And I did find some ways to tweak her recipes to make them work for me. But all in all…two thumbs up!