You MUST know by now that we at Wandering Educators are foodies. Yes, it is true. And when a great cookbook comes across our desk, well, elation (and great food) ensues. One of my favorite cookbook authors is Abby Dodge - we shared her Around the World Cookbook for kids here (and use it quite often). Abby's one of those writers and cooks who can truly share the essence of a recipe - and MAKE YOU WANT to make it immediately! She's written for a plethora of publications, including some delicious desserts in a recent Bon Appetit (which we tried, naturally). She's a great teacher, shares her love of cooking and food in a variety of ways - radio, her blog, other publications, and more. Abby is the kind of educator we love - passionate about what she does, and an expert in sharing her passion and creativity with others.

Well, Abby's new cookbook is ANOTHER winner - Desserts 4 Today is the title, and as you may guess, all the recipes have only FOUR ingredients! Not only is this brilliant for time and speed, but also for when you are in a different place and might not have access to your full cupboard at home. If i were to take one cookbook overseas, THIS would be it. Imagine the brilliance of your dessert repertoire with this secret weapon in your kitchen.

We were lucky enough to sit down and talk with Abby about her new cookbook - and snagged some Fantastic Recipes (with photos!) to share, as well (thank you, Taunton Press). Here's our favorite cookbook author, in her own words (and recipes)...

WE:  Please tell us about your book, Desserts 4 Today...

AD: Desserts 4 Today is a collection of 125 recipes each one made with only 4, yes, FOUR, ingredients. These sophisticated yet easy to make desserts are all bursting with so much flavor that you'd never guess that there are only FOUR ingredients. There are no complicated techniques to master or hours of prep work to do. Additionally, each recipe has a "Switch-In" section allowing you to swap out ingredients that you don't have, don't like or, in the case of fruit, aren't in season. In the "Gussy It Up" section, I also include hints for extra finishing touches for those moments when you have extra time and/or interest but, rest assured, these desserts are stand-alone fabulous.

 "D4T" desserts whip up quickly and have small yields ~ who needs a ton of leftovers hanging around to tempt you ~ and are presented in a fun, friendly way to help make dessert making be as much a part of your cooking life as pasta, burgers and baked potatoes.

Toasted Walnut-Apple Butter Tartlets
Serves 6

walnuts
coarsely chopped, 1⁄2 cup

granulated sugar
1 tablespoon

premade pie dough
1 sheet, thawed

apple butter
1 1⁄4 cups

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease 6 muffin cups.

2. Put the walnuts and sugar in a small bowl and stir until blended. Set aside.

3. Carefully unfold or unroll the pie dough onto a work surface. Using a 31⁄2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 6 rounds. Using your fingers, line the prepared muffin cups with the pastry rounds, pressing into the bottoms and up the sides of the cups. Spoon the apple butter evenly into each cup (about 3 tablespoons per cup).

4. Bake for 15 minutes. Scatter the reserved nut-sugar mixture evenly over the filling, then continue baking until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, about another 15 minutes. Set on a rack to cool slightly, about 10 minutes, before serving.

Switch-Ins
In place of the walnuts, switch in the following:
• pecans, coarsely chopped, 1⁄2 cup
In place of the apple butter, switch in one of the following:
• pear butter, 11⁄4 cups
• peach butter, 11⁄4 cups

Gussy It Up
Serve the tarts with a scoop of ice cream, Classic Sweetened Whipped Cream (page 180), one of the caramel sauces (page 179), Easy Butterscotch Sauce (pages 178–179), Boozy Hard Sauce (page 178), or Vanilla or Citrus Glaze (page 180).

WE:  What inspired you to write this book?

AD: In all my books and magazine stories, my main goal is to focus on pairing strong and intriguing flavor combinations while still using solid baking techniques. With this book, my goal was  to make dessert as approachable and easy as possible in hopes that more people will embrace making fresh desserts for their family and friends.

Desserts 4 Today – or D4T for short -  came to life because I was looking for a personal creative challenge plus I wanted to do a limited ingredient dessert book without using mixes.  I figured that with only 4 ingredients and, for the most part, ones that most folks might already have on-hand, folks would be inspired by the flavors, easy preparation and small yields.

Nutella Fudge Brownies
Makes 12 Brownies

Nutella® spread
1⁄2 cup

large egg
1

all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons

hazelnuts chopped,
1⁄4 cup

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup mini muffin pan with paper or
foil liners.
2.Put the Nutella and egg in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth and well blended. Add the flour and whisk until blended.
3.Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins (about 3⁄4 full) and sprinkle with the chopped hazelnuts.
4.Bake until a pick comes out with wet, gooey crumbs, 11 to 12 minutes. Set on a rack to cool completely. Serve immediately or cover and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Switch-Ins
In place of the hazelnuts, switch in one of the following:
• ground cinnamon, 1⁄4 teaspoon (add with the flour)
• peanuts, chopped, 1⁄4 cup

WE:  Why only 4 ingredients?

AD:  When I work on a new book concept, I always think of the title along with the concept. Titles are so important in this business. So, knowing that I wanted a short ingredient book, I began to think about numbers and  all the cool, lucky things that the #4 gives to each of us (four seasons, four leaf clover, the Beatles- aka The Fab 4, July 4th, etc) and the title just came to me. Besides… Dessert “5” Today or Desserts "3" Today just doesn’t make any sense, does it?

Blueberry Yogurt Panna Cotta
Serves 4

gelatin
unflavored powdered, 2 teaspoons

blueberries
2 pints (12 ounces each), rinsed and dried, divided

granulated sugar
1⁄3 cup

plain yogurt
(preferably Greek style)
1⁄2 cup

1. Have ready four 6-ounce ramekins and make room in the fridge.

2.Pour 3 tablespoons water into a small cup or ramekin and sprinkle the gelatin on top. Let sit until the gelatin is moist and plump, about 3 minutes.

3.Pile 11⁄2 pints of the blueberries, the sugar, and 3 tablespoons water into a medium saucepan. Cook, stirring, over medium-low heat until the sugar is dissolved and the fruit is soft and juicy, about 3 minutes. Pour into a food processor or blender and process until smooth, about 30 seconds. Taste and add more sugar, if needed.

4. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium mixing bowl, pressing on the solids (you’ll have about 21⁄4 cups). Discard the remaining solids. Add the gelatin to the hot blueberry mixture and stir until well blended. Set aside to cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the yogurt until blended. Skim the foam from the top and pour the mixture into the ramekins. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve or for up to 3 days.

5. To serve, run a small knife between the custards and the ramekins and dip the bottoms into hot water (see page 184 for more info). Quickly invert each onto a serving plate and shake gently to loosen the panna cotta. Serve with remaining fresh blueberries sprinkled on top.

Switch-Ins
In place of the blueberries, switch in the following:
• raspberries, 2 pints (12 ounces each)

WE:  Was it hard, to narrow it down to only 4 ingredients?

AD: Once I settled on the title, I embraced the challenge! That said, it's important to note that this is not simply a 'gimmick" cookbook. Each one of these 4 ingredient recipes (and their "switch-ins) pack big time flavor and serve up sophisticated desserts for every skill level. These recipes cover a wide variety of distinct flavors and textures and span a multitude of cultural influences.

Sadly some desserts just can't be done with 4 ingredients so I had to eliminate things like cakes, cupcakes, breads and coffee cakes.

Minty Melon Sorbet
Serves 4 to 6

granulated sugar
1 cup

melon
small, ripe,1 (4 pounds)

fresh mint
finely chopped, 2 tablespoons

fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon

1. Have ready an ice cream maker. Put the sugar and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Set aside to cool completely or refrigerate for up to 1 day. For faster cooling, set the bowl over a bowl filled with ice and stir occasionally until well chilled.

2. Cut the melon in half, scoop out the seeds, and cut the flesh into 1- to 2-inch chunks. Pile the melon into a food processor and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Add 21⁄2 cups of the fruit purée to the sugar syrup along with the mint and lime juice, and stir until blended. Set aside to cool completely, then refrigerate until chilled or for up to 1 day. For faster cooling, set the bowl over a bowl filled with ice and stir occasionally until well chilled.

3. Arrange a 4 1⁄2 x 8 1⁄4-inch loaf pan in the freezer, making sure it’s level and secure. Pour the chilled mixture into the ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Serve immediately (it will be soft) or scrape into the chilled loaf pan, cover, and freeze until firm or for up to 2 days.

Switch-Ins
In place of the mint, switch in the following:
• dried lavender, chopped, 1 teaspoon
In place of the lime juice, switch in the following:
• fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon

Change It Up
To make a granita, arrange a 9 x 13-inch baking dish or 9 1⁄2-cup rectangular plastic container (Ziploc®) in the freezer, making sure it’s level and secure. Follow the directions for making the mixture. Pour the chilled mixture into the baking dish and freeze for about 2 hours. After that, every 30 minutes, stir, smash, and scrape the mixture with a table fork until the ice crystals are loose and frozen.

WE:  What are your favorite recipes from the book?

AD: Oh man... I hate this question -- it's like asking me to pick a favorite child! So, I'll answer it this way.. With the holidays coming up, I'll be serving up the Grown-up Chocolate Bourbon Balls, Apple or Pear Tart Tartines, Chocolate Decadence for a Crowd, Peppermint Meringue Cookies, and Maple Glazed Figs with Hazelnut Mascarpone Cream and many more.

Rum-Raisin Bananas Foster
Serves 4 to 6

bananas
ripe, 4, peeled

unsalted butter
4 tablespoons, divided

brown sugar
1⁄2 cup, firmly packed

rum-raisin ice cream
1 pint

1. Cut the bananas on a sharp diagonal into 3⁄4-inch slices.

2. Put 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet. Melt over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until bubbling. Add the banana slices, cut side down, and cook, turning to brown both sides, about 1 minute per side. Slide the skillet from the heat and, leaving the butter in the skillet, transfer the bananas to a medium bowl. Cover loosely with foil.

3. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, the brown sugar, and 1⁄2 cup water to the skillet. Bring to a boil, scraping up the nubbins on the skillet, over medium-high heat and cook until the sauce is brown and bubbling slowly, about 2 to 21⁄2 minutes. Slide the skillet from the heat. Put the bananas back into the skillet to reheat and toss gently in the sauce. Serve immediately with rum-raisin ice cream.

Switch-Ins
In place of the rum-raisin ice cream, switch in one or both of the following:
• French vanilla ice cream, 1 pint
• pound cake, 4 to 6 slices, lightly toasted

Gussy It Up
• Stir 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon into the sauce along with the water.
• Serve with sliced pound cake, angel food cake, or soft ladyfingers.
• Substitute 2 tablespoons dark rum for 2 tablespoons of the water and proceed as directed.

WE: Thanks so much, Abby, for this delicious - and inspiring - book! We have already made many of the recipes, and they *always* turn out. They have been the highlight of several gatherings, to date.

For more information, please see:
http://www.abbydodge.com/

Photos and recipes from Desserts 4 Today, published by The Taunton Press, 2010
Desserts courtesy of Desserts 4 Today: Abigail Johnson Dodge
Photos courtesy of photographer © 2010 by Kate Sears

note: We received a review copy of Desserts 4 Today. Thank you!