Reasons I love this dessert

Yet smiling does not stop with the melt in your mouth goodness of this dessert. Busier than ever, I love a dessert that may be quickly mixed in a bowl, baked and topped with magic will make me smile every time. Add in the fact that ingredients are common and always on hand makes for a great last minute dessert recipe.

Simply stated if you desire a dessert to wow your guests with presentation look no further. Serve this dessert in a martini glass with a scoop of Creole Cream Cheese ice cream. Creole cream cheese adds more tang and a bit of sweet that plain cream cheese does not.

Recipe for Creole Cream Cheese Ice Cream

Chef John Folse offers recipes to make creole cream cheese and his version of this lovely ice cream. If short on time, Blue Bell offers this flavor and it will pair beautifully with richness of Mimi’s Nutty Fudgy Indulgent Pecan Bar.

Top with a sprig of fresh chocolate mint and a tiny drizzle of dark coffee liqueur over white Creole Cream Cheese ice cream. With this served in a martini glass, how could your guests not be in love with this dessert? Easy to make and elegant to serve. You may not want to share our secret.

Hopefully dessert or chocolate is not on your list to abstain. With most of us trying to watch our food intake daily, it helps to serve a small dessert loaded with lots of rich flavor. Yet, Mimi’s Nutty Fudgy Indulgent Pecan Bar is a perfect size for serving to a dinner party, bridge, bunco or canasta group.

With this in mind, Alexa shout out to The Archie’s for song Sugar Sugar. Do you remember this song written by Jeff Barry and Andy Kim? Song spent 4 weeks as number one in 1969 and 22 weeks on Billboards top 100. “Pour a little sugar on me, oh yeah.”

Finally, if you want a sweet treat, try this recipe. Let me know what you think, I would love to hear from you.

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With a busy schedule this weekend, I needed a dessert that would allow me to cook one recipe with a dessert yield for two different functions.  Multitasking is a great skill but I am only one woman. A girl needs to take a shortcut when its available. Chocolate Heavenly Bite Mini Tarts were the answer to a prayer. At this stage, I need every answered prayer I can get, even the chocolate covered ones.

I love any excuse to pack a picnic of any type. Include libations of choice, appetizers, dessert,  mix in a few friends and we are ready to picnic. No basket should be without the proper napkins, antibacterial wipes, wine opener and utensils. Recipe for a great afternoon with crisp air for the  outdoor concert. With chairs or blanket it is a perfect way to relax.

Halstead Amphitheather’s New Live at Five Series

September has started to introduce the cooling off period of our long hot Summer. Roman Street was playing their Spanish guitars to a packed crowd at Halstead Amphitheater.  The Live at Five Concert is a great outing for all ages. People mulling about while chatting with friends, little ones romping, and smiles all around as the sound of music filled the air.

I could not help but smile at the ease of it all. All of us no matter what our differences are enjoy good friends, food and music. As I scanned the crowd everyone looked happy they were outside, sharing time and food with each other.

Ideas for Picnic including Chocolate Heavenly Bite Mini Tarts

In my basket, I packed portable snacks that make sharing easy in an outdoor setting. Black seedless grapes that are the sweetest and pair perfectly with cheese from Sweet Home Farms. Remember, carrots or celery make a perfect vehicle for transporting hummus with chopped jalapeño into your mouth. Every little calorie savings helps offset the increased calories that comes with wine or cocktails.

Libations are necessary at a picnic, right? In addition, to adult beverages, every outdoor picnic needs a dose of chocolate.  Because of their size  serving utensils are not required which is perfect for a picnic. Chocolate Heavenly Bite Mini Tarts are easy to pop in your mouth.  I hope that you enjoy the dessert. Serve it as needed for your entertaining no matter the occasion.

Alexa Shout out to Roman Street. These guys are easy on the eyes and oh so talented.  Perfect music to cook by when you need upbeat with out the heavy metal banging. Later, y’all.

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As I review the recipes on my site, I have discovered my favorites, sweet and spicy. Sweet and spicy are delicious on their own but they certainly may be paired together for a succulent bite. The recipe focus today is cheesecake, chocolate and coffee. I have enjoyed learning how to  combine ingredients to blend flavors and sharing them with you. Of course, the best part is eating them.

My dessert marries together addictive ingredients that are hard to say no to chocolate and coffee. The farm fresh eggs add a delicious addition to the addictive pair.  Farm Fresh eggs are healthier for you to eat and taste better. Check the link for further information. If you live near a local farm, pick up fresh eggs. You won’t regret it.

This is an easy cheesecake to make in your home. A cheesecake is a great dessert to make ahead for company. The topping aids the flavor and assists if the cheesecake cracks a bit. The small amount of pecans and ganache are just enough to take this cheesecake to another level. It has just enough chocolate to satisfy without going overboard.

I hope that you enjoy my version of Cafe’ Cheesecake with pecans and chocolate. Each time that I make a cheesecake, they magically disappear. On my site you may also find a St Germain Cheesecake. It is a simpler version of this cheesecake. Both cheesecakes would be a great dessert  choice to serve for your next dinner party , event or St Patrick’s Day party.

In conclusion, this recipe pairs well with a cup of chicory coffee or your version of Cafe au lait. Enjoy!

Shout out to Alexa for Tina Turner.

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I am sure that I am not alone when I say that Banana Pudding is one of my early food memories. Banana Pudding was certainly a dessert standard growing up in the South. No matter how you refer to your Grannie, Grandmother, Nana, Nano, Giggy,  Bubbie, Mimi,  Mee-maw or Maw-Maw, I bet she made a Banana Pudding.

My pistol of a Grandmother that we called Grannie, made a traditional Banana Pudding.  Any time that she gathered her large brood, it was probably included on the menu. Her brood consisted of ten children, which in my estimation is a shockingly large number. Of course, I am a fan of “one and done”.

I’m truly unable to comprehend how you manage that number of children and maintain sanity. My Grannie managed her ten without the modern conveniences that parents have access to today like  Xanax or Valium. I think it is an amazing challenge to love and manage a single child let alone more than one. Raising ten children, boggles my mind.

My Grandparents raised their children on a small income that they clearly managed well. The meals at their house were always delicious no matter how simple the ingredients.  I am sure that Banana Pudding was on the menu due to the low-cost. I am certain that it was a standard in most homes due to the economical ingredients and ease of availability:

eggs
salt
sugar
milk
flour
bananas
Vanilla (AKA Mimi Magic)
wafer or cookie

Clearly, I am not the only fan of Banana Pudding. Tennessee hosts a National Banana Pudding Festival every October to raise money to support local nonprofit organizations. The heart of the festival actually has a “Puddin’ Path” along with competition, Art & Crafts, Music, and more.

I always loved my Grannies version of her dessert. I hope that you enjoy my twist with  chocolate and peanut butter.

It has been a long day. Shout out to Alexa for Billy Idol. I need some pep in my step.

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