June 3, 2005

By LAURA H. EHRET / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News

The old saw about not judging a book by its cover was never truer than for Icebox Desserts. Don't expect Cool Whip and Jell-O concoctions, although looking at the collection of molds, puddings and gelatins on the cover might lead you to believe that's what's waiting inside.

Icebox Desserts
By Lauren Chattman (The Harvard Common Press, $17.95)

BOTTOM LINE: Elegant simplicity with the occasional recipe using Sara Lee pound cake thrown in for ease.

Instead, Icebox Desserts is a sophisticated cookbook with quality (don't read high-concept) recipes backed by quality ingredients.

That's not to say they are necessarily complicated: Some, such as White Chocolate and Orange Mousse, call for only four ingredients. Caramel Banana Pudding Parfaits are author Lauren Chattman's simplification of traditional banana pudding. Those parfaits have only six ingredients, and one of those is water.

On the homier side are the puddings. Coconut-Tapioca Pudding With Caramelized Pineapple gets a tropical flair from coconut milk and a topping of fresh pineapple laced with rum.

There are also recipes for cakes, pies and a few miscellaneous goodies such as panna cotta and fudge. A handful of the recipes offer variations, and tips and suggestions are sprinkled throughout. Here's one you gotta love:

Spread chocolate on the inside of one of a pair of sandwich cookies to be used in an ice cream sandwich to pump up the chocolate flavor.

A smattering of the desserts are made with store-bought pound cake, Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafer Cookies and premium ice cream. And, yes, there are gelatin desserts. But instead of Jell-O, they are made with unflavored gelatin and flavored with ingredients such as fresh peaches, fresh ginger or raspberry-flavored tea. Or try the Champagne Gelatins With Grapes, which are stunning in the simplicity of nothing more than sparkling wine, gelatin, water, sugar and grapes. But Ms. Chattman does press home the point that the grapes need to be peeled. Sigh.

Your mother and grandmother never made icebox desserts like this. Here's a chance to outshine them just a bit.

Laura H. Ehret is a Lewisville freelance writer.

Coconut-Tapioca Pudding With Caramelized Pineapple

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
¼teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2 ½ cups canned, unsweetened coconut milk, stirred well
½cup sweetened, flaked coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 ½ cups cored and peeled fresh pineapple, cut into ½-inch dice (from about 1/4 of a small pineapple)
¼cup dark rum

Directions:

To make the pudding, whisk together the tapioca, granulated sugar, salt, eggs and coconut milk in a medium-size heavy saucepan. Let stand 10 minutes without stirring to swell the tapioca.

Richard Michael Pruitt / DMN Like most of the recipes in this book, Coconut Tapioca Pudding With Caramelized Pineapple gets a boost from quality ingredients.

Bring the tapioca mixture to a boil, whisking constantly, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, whisking constantly for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the coconut and vanilla. Let cool for 10 minutes.

Spoon into 4 dessert goblets or ramekins. Cover the surface of each pudding with a piece of plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.

Just before serving, make the topping. Cook the butter and brown sugar in a medium-size skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Add the pineapple and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully add the rum (it will bubble up) and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid is reduced to a thick syrup, 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Spoon some of the pineapple and syrup over each portion of pudding and serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.