Parev (non-dairy) dessert that will keep (24 hours) and travel well?

September 24, 2014 11:06 PM

I've been invited to Shabbat dinner at a colleague's house and been tasked with bringing a parev (neutral-- doesn't include dairy or flesh) dessert. Any suggestions? I'll be making it Thursday evening and will be able to store it in a fridge until I serve it. A caveat: I'd prefer something that is 'naturally' parev or better parev rather than something where I'm using a ton of margarine or oil to make an inferior pie crust but will make an exception for a really amazing dessert!
posted by hellomiss to Food & Drink (22 answers total)

Best answer: This apple cake is seasonally appropriate, delicious, and better the next day. Not fancy but will hold up well and is very good.
posted by charmedimsure at 11:52 PM on September 24, 2014 [4 favorites]

Mousse made with silken tofu is almost shockingly good and it keeps really well. There's also this mousse made with just chocolate and water.
posted by nerdfish at 12:28 AM on September 25, 2014 [3 favorites]

Apple crumble is perfect. Just make it with either margarine or coconut oil instead of butter. Delicious. Best with soy vanilla ice cream. You can also do variations like apple and rhubarb, apple and pear, pear and quince... pretty much any fruit!
posted by Athanassiel at 2:01 AM on September 25, 2014 [3 favorites]

This orange cake is my go to recipe when I am cooking for my dairy (and gluten) intolerant relatives. It's gorgeous - moist and delicious. Note that recipe lists marscapone and cream in the ingredients list, however these are only there to be served on the side, so can be omitted completely without altering the cake.
posted by arha at 4:39 AM on September 25, 2014

Avocado chocolate mousse served with fresh berries

http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/34700/dairy+free+avocado+chocolate+mousse

...best served chilled!
posted by Under the Sea at 4:41 AM on September 25, 2014 [1 favorite]

ps, omit the chocolate and add additional cocoa powder to taste.
posted by Under the Sea at 4:42 AM on September 25, 2014 [1 favorite]

strawberries dipped in melted dark chocolate - just bring the two ingredients and the guests can do it on site.

wonton wrappers fried in vegetable oil, then lightly shaken in a paper bag with some powdered sugar, optional droplets of fruit syrup on top, also fun to do on site.
posted by bruce at 5:18 AM on September 25, 2014

Coincidentally, yesterday I made the apple cake that charmedimsure suggested, and three people asked me for the recipe. Its really good and very easy.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 5:20 AM on September 25, 2014

I came here to suggest apple cake, but charmedimsure already did. We cut the apples for the top into wedges, rather than chopping them, but that was 'for pretty'.

An even simpler apple cake (provenance unknown):
4 C dice apple
2 C sugar
2 C chopped nuts
1/2 C vegetable oil
2 eggs, beaten
2 t vanilla
2 C flour
2 t baking soda
2 t cinnamon (or 1 t cinnamon, 1 t nutmeg, 1/4 t cloves; or apple pie spice; allspice/mace/nutmeg)
1 t salt

Mix all ingredients. Pour into 9x13 pan. Bake at 350F for 50-60 minutes

Also, this applesauce cake. Add raisins/dried cherries/chopped cranberries/nuts as desired.

There's always kugel. (I have a parev version (egg only) if you're interested -- most I've seen use dairy.)
posted by jlkr at 5:28 AM on September 25, 2014 [1 favorite]

Apple cake is standard. Shortbread cookies are also good. I like these:

2 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1 cup butter
½ cup instant dissolving sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 cup finely chopped Toblerone bar
pinch salt

Beat butter with sugar until fluffy. Stir in chocolate and vanilla. Add flour and salt, stir until blended. Add Toblerone to dough. Drop onto pans, form into mounds, and press ½” chunk of bar into each mound. Bake for 30 minutes at 300. Sieve icing sugar over cookies.

(Toblerone is pareve.)

We also have this cake a lot (not because we keep kosher but because the cake is good.)
posted by jeather at 6:05 AM on September 25, 2014

If you find yourself wanting to buy something instead of baking, Stella D'Oro cookies have long been the gold standard for store-bought parvae deserts.

Fancy sorbet is also a good choice.
posted by Itaxpica at 6:18 AM on September 25, 2014

You might do some googling for vegan baking. There are many great recipes out there that would satisfy your needs.
posted by ocherdraco at 6:24 AM on September 25, 2014

Yeah, apple cake will be standard and timely right now, but in a last minute panicked pinch you could just bring a tin of macaroons.
posted by poffin boffin at 6:30 AM on September 25, 2014 [1 favorite]

(nb not the same thing as little colorful sandwich cooky "macarons")
posted by poffin boffin at 6:30 AM on September 25, 2014 [1 favorite]

My grandmother's Mandelbread (like Jewish Biscotti) is probably the most popular cookie I make. Oil is the original ingredient, not a substitute.

3 eggs
1 c. Sugar
1 t. Vanilla
1 t. Almond extract (optional)
3/4 c. oil
3 c. Flour
1 T. Baking powder
Dash salt

Optional: chopped nuts, chocolate chips

1) cream eggs and sugar well

2) add remain ingredients, mix until stiff

3) refrigerate an hour or overnight

4) preheat oven to 350F

5) form dough into flat logs, approx. 8"x2". If using nuts or chocolate chips, mix those into dough before forming logs. (This way you can make plain/nuts/chips out of one batch of dough if you want a variety.)

6) line baking sheet with parchment paper and bake logs 25 minutes.

7) remove from oven, slice logs into 1" diagonal (biscotti shaped) pieces. Flip the slices on their side and bake an additional 5-10 minutes.

These freeze well and are even great right out of the freezer.

If you want to get fancy you can even dip half in melted chocolate.
posted by Room 641-A at 6:39 AM on September 25, 2014

Oh, you can make the logs longer than 8"; I happen to have a small oven.
posted by Room 641-A at 6:40 AM on September 25, 2014

I immediately thought of pecan pie as satisfying all your specific needs, but don't have a recipe to share. Pecan pie keeps well for many days and travels easily.
posted by CrazyLemonade at 8:31 AM on September 25, 2014

Pie crust can be made quite well with vegetable shortening. Apple pie would be an excellent dessert. I don't put butter in mine, just a little lemon juice. Coconut Macaroons are another traditional choice, easy and tasty.
posted by theora55 at 8:35 AM on September 25, 2014

depending on the main dish, a Moroccan orange dessert might be an idea: thinly sliced oranges sprinkled with cinnamon and maybe a little sugar. It sounds too simple, but it just isn't.
posted by mumimor at 4:00 PM on September 25, 2014 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: I'm sick and won't be attending but made charmedimsure's apple cake recommendation. I didn't make it in a bundt and added a honey ginger glaze (for a sweet new year etc etc). My family confirms that it is delicious!
posted by hellomiss at 4:48 PM on September 25, 2014 [2 favorites]

Macarons are pareve (depending on what you fill them with, of course). They're fantastic to bring to a dinner.
posted by yellowcandy at 10:50 AM on September 26, 2014

For those looking at this in the future, while the toblerone cake looks delicious, toblerone contains dairy and thus is not pareve. It is usually kosher, though.
posted by mosessis at 4:16 PM on September 27, 2014