A formal meal includes a succession of various courses such as starters, the main course and desserts at the end of the meal. A dessert includes the sweets such as cakes, pies, pastries, fruits, candies, ice cream and cookies, or a strongly flavored food such as some types of cheeses. Given below are some of the interesting easy to make dessert recipes.

Banana Cream Pie

Ingredients
2 cup milk
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup white sugar
3 egg yolks, beaten
4 bananas, sliced
1 piecrust, baked
1 ¼ tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp butter

Preparation
Add flour, sugar and salt in the saucepan. Add milk gradually in it with a gentle stirring. Cook the mixture over a medium heat, stirring continuously, until it becomes bubbly. Cook it for about 2 more minutes and remove from the heat. Add a small quantity of this hot mixture into the beaten egg yolks. Immediately add this egg yolk mixture to the hot mixture. Cook it for about 2 minutes with a continuous stirring. Remove the mixture from the heat and add vanilla and butter in it. Stir the mixture continuously to achieve a smooth consistency. Decorate the top of the pudding mixture with the sliced bananas and baked piecrust. Bake it at 350F for about 12-15 minutes and chill it for an hour.

Strawberry Ice Cream

Ingredients
1 quart of fresh strawberries
¾ cup white granulated sugar
1 ½ cup of heavy cream
3 tbsp light corn syrup
3 egg yolks

Preparation
Heat the heavy cream in the saucepan over a medium heat, until it starts to bubble. Then keep the saucepan aside. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, corn syrup and heavy cream together in a large bowl, until they mix well. Add hot cream slowly to the egg and sugar mixture, whisking continuously. Pour the mixture into the saucepan and heat it, until it becomes thick enough to coat a spoon. Don’t allow it to boil. Make a puree of fresh strawberries in a blender. Strain the cream/sugar/egg mixture and pour it into the strawberry puree. Mix it well and refrigerate until cold. Fill the ice cream maker with the custard and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Serve the strawberry ice cream with a slice of pound cake topped with almond slivers and whipped cream.

Apple Coffee Cake

Ingredients
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/3 flour
2/3 cup butter
½ cup sour cream
1 chopped fresh apple
2/3 tsp baking soda
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
Raisins (optional)

Topping
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup flour
½ tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp butter

Preparation
Mix together sugar, butter and cream in a mixing bowl, until it becomes fluffy and light. Mix egg, vanilla and sour cream together and add into the mixture of butter, cream, and sugar. Make a mixture of baking soda, flour and salt and add it into the creamed mixture. Blend it well. Mix all the topping ingredients, until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. Place half of the batter into a greased round cake pan. Sprinkle chopped apple and raisins and half of the topping mixture. Then add remaining batter, sprinkle the remaining topping mixture over the top of the cake. Bake it at 350F for about 25-30 minutes.