Oct. 14 is National Dessert Day. I do have a bit of a sweet tooth, so that’s a great excuse to indulge in one of my favorite desserts. One vivid childhood memory that remains in my mind is of going to visit my great-grandmother in a nursing home in Grenada.
For the first 10 years of my life, I was an only child. I was also the only grandchild on both sides of my family. My paternal grandparents lived in Canton, and I spent every other weekend with them. One Sunday we traveled to Grenada to visit my great-grandmother and have lunch in the dining room. When we arrived, the tables were covered with beautiful tablecloths, fine china and fragrant flowers. What really caught my eye was that every place setting had a slice of lemon icebox pie — one of my favorites — ready to be eaten. Yep, you eat your dessert first at the nursing home! I never really knew why that happened, or perhaps it was a Sunday treat. All I knew was that these people knew how to live.
My better half has unbelievable willpower when it comes to eating. When he makes up his mind to cut out sweets, he sticks by it. You could put his favorite dessert right in front of him, and he wouldn’t touch it. Actually, he would rather have another plate of meat and potatoes than something sweet. Not me, if I’m getting full, I stop to make room for dessert. If a restaurant has caramel flan or crème brulee’ on the menu, I’m ordering it! I made flan once, and it seemed like a lot of trouble. I even got the kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar on top.
Go ahead and mark your calendar for National Dessert Day on Oct. 14. It will be a great excuse to indulge in your favorite dessert. You’ll be glad you did.
Hope you will enjoy two of my favorite dessert recipes. Thanks for reading.
MINIATURE CHEESECAKES
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
5 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Line muffin tins with paper liners. Mix the above ingredients until smooth. Fill cups 2/3 full. Bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes.
Mix: 2 cups sour cream
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Mix ingredients and pour a spoonful on top of cheesecakes, and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Cool and refrigerate.
Top with your favorite fruit topping or this delicious praline sauce.
Praline Sauce:
4 tablespoons butter
1½ cups brown sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1 small can evaporated milk
¾ cup chopped pecans
Melt butter in a saucepan, and add sugar and corn syrup. Bring to a boil. Then remove and cool. When slightly warm, add evaporated milk and pecans. Mix well and refrigerate. Heat in microwave before serving on cheesecakes. This sauce is also a great topping for ice cream.
CHOCOLATE 4-LAYER DESSERT
First layer:
2 cups flour
2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup chopped pecans
Mix all ingredients, and press into a 9-by-12- inch baking dish. Bake at 300 degrees for 25 minutes, and light brown around the edges.
Second layer:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup Cool Whip
1 (8-ounce) cream cheese, softened
Mix all ingredients well, and spread over crust.
Third layer:
2 (4½-ounce) package instant chocolate pudding and pie filling
3 cups cold milk
Mix according to package directions and pour over second layer.
Fourth layer:
Top with Cool Whip
Spread Cool Whip to finish the fourth layer. Top with chocolate curls or chopped pecans.
Refrigerate to set before serving.
(This is also good by substituting lemon pudding and pie filling for the chocolate.)
