Sugar For Your Sugar

 Valentin'es Day is right around the corner.If you haven't found anything worthwhile and you're creative then think of homemade sweets.EVen a cake or trifle can be a lovely gift for after dinner.

This is the chocolate day. As I've written in past Valentine's Day posts you can make chocolate treats.One recipe I have't mentioned is homemade fudge. The easiest is the three ingredient one that involves microwaving dark chocolate chips, condensed milk and vanilla extract. A better version is one that has butter. This gives the candy a richer flavor and creamier texture. What's going around now is Dubai chocolate. This is a dreamy mix of pistachio  , shredded phyllo  and sweet syrupmarried to chocolate created by a Dubai housewife. Shew as looking for a new kind of candy to satisfy her sweet tooth and came up with . Now there are fudge recipes galore with it.It;sMilk chocolate layered with pistachio cream and there is a crunch supplied by Kadayif pastry. You could also make Dubai truffles too for a tasty treat for after dinner. If you're sugar isn;t a coca addict there is the CHinese rtnghulu recipe which has all sorts of fruits dipped in molten sugar syrup. This s hardens to a clear crackly coating, sort of like a candy apple. Two to three strawberries are stacked on a skewer and then dipped into the hot syrup.They're then plunged into a bowl if ice filled water.

Cakes and trifles make for a sweet treat after a romantic meal. Tiramisu is perfect after a dinner for risotto This is a layering of rum soaked ladyfingers with marscapone cheese. There is also zabaglione or sabayon between the layers.This so a boozy custard made with sugar, Marsala wine and egg yolks. Marscapone is whipped with whipped cream for another layer and then it;s all assembled, not unlike an icebox cake. Dust with cocoa powder and even chocolate shavings fro a really decadent treat.Another layered choco treat is Death By Chocolate ,You can make individual cups of it .Cube any chocolate cake and layer it with chocolate pudding and whipped cream. Both the cake and the pudding can be made from scratch but if you don;t have time then a store bought cake and Jello pudding will do nicely, Cool Whip can be subbed in for the real thing.Layer it this way- cake pudding and cream. Add some strawberries or raspberries on top for a tasty variation. 

Give your sugar some sugar this Valentine's Day. It could be homemade candy or a decadent trifle. Enjoy these sweets together.

Easy Spring Desserts

Believe it or not , the blustery ,cold Spring weather will give way to warm days and high temps. That means easy desserts , perfect for barbecue and picnics. Good-bye to elaborate winter sweets, it's time to create effortless afters.

One of the easiest desserts is pudding pies and tarts. Jello has recently come out with a line of all natural puddings, made without any preservatives and dyes. They're call Simply Good and that's an apt description of them. They'd make perfect fillings for any pie or ice box cake,Pudding pies are a snap to make. Buy an already made crust (you can make them yourself if you're that ambitious) and fill with one of the Simply Good packets. These usually take two cups of milk but for a thicker , more set filling using only a cup and a half. Then it's just placing it in the fridge to set. One tasty combination is banana pudding in an Oreo crust .For a fancier take , decorate with puffs of Reddi-Whip and shaved chocolate. The last is an easy embellishment.Use a micro grater and dark chocolate  and grate a dusting over the pie's surface. You can do the same with a chocolate filling too. Another easy idea is individual tarts .Use the small sponge cakes , usually found in your grocery's fruit section. Fill first with an even layer of chocolate or vanilla pudding then add a second layer of sliced strawberries or peaches. If you;re using vanilla  pudding, lace it with brandy for a fun kick.

Another spring dessert idea is trifle. True , this treat is often associated with Christmas or New Year's but it can easily made for warmer days.Use fresh fruits such as strawberries and blueberries, layered with vanilla pudding or for a fruitier fix, use the banana flavor. An even cooler and tastier treat is an ice cream trifle, perfect after the first barbecue of the season. Take store bought cake, whether a sponge or pound cake tear into pieces and place in the bottom of a trifle bowl, Lberally sprinkle with brandy or sherry . Fill with French vanilla ice cream and cut seasonal fruit.,Top with berries and serve right away. Want something more decadent to chase those burgers and ribs? The try an ice cream version of Death By Chocolate.Use store bought chocolate pound cake, add a sprinkle of chocolate liqueur  such as Godiva and then a layer of chocolate ice cream. It can either be topped with more liqueur or syrup and Cool Whip. You can add either a layer of strawberries or cherries. For a simple and elegant English  dessert, think the inelegantly named Eton Mess. A favorite of William and Harry (and possibly Kate and Meghan). it's a simple mash up  of crumbled store bought meringues, any kind of whipped cream and fruit. It can be made as a trifle or as individual parfaits.

It's Spring. That means easy meals followed by easy desserts. They're a snap to make, and fun to eat.