Easter Dessert

Ah yes. My favorite time of year . . . dessert making time. My SIL #1 and I were chatting yesterday about our love for the holidays. We, as a family, are not religious folk, but we celebrate hard just like the rest of them. We enjoy the holidays cuz is just an excuse to get together with our families (which in all honesty, we do anyway), plan an elaborate meal, and I challenge myself by making a dessert for the entire party. A few years back, our parties consisted of 6-8 people, give or take two. One was born, one passed away, etc. Now more recently, we've added about 6 more people! So making dessert has been quite the challenge. Do I make two pies? Do a make a large cake? What about cupcakes? I've been making dessert for about the past 5 years. My ex-bf hated sweets, but enjoyed pies so that was the first thing I made one Christmas, an apple pie and it came out pretty well. From then on, I was hooked. One Christmas for gifts, I made cookies and chocolate bars. As the years have gone by, I've slowly increased the degree of difficulty. For Kelly's Halloween party, I made a pumpkins spiced cake (so good, must make again!) and I was impressed with myself. Last easter, I made a Almond Cake with Lemon Curd sauce and fresh berries. Most of the recipies I'd get from magazines like COoking Light, Bon APpetite and Counttry LIving. NOw, I get most of my baking recipes, as well as just food, from daily plog post from the woman there on the right hand side, and then some. It's really broadened my horizons with baking and helped challenged and focus myself on the end result.
This past Sunday, I came a cross a dilemma. What was I going to make for 17 people, 4 of them children? I didn't qutie want to slave over the oven, and a couple weekends ago, I made a super rich tart (see previous blog) so I wasn't really going for super sweetness. On the "Goey" website, I came a cross a simple Easter ice cream recipe called Toffette-Tortoni It's just little cups of ice cream and cream with Sees Candie Toffettes mixed in the middle. I got to my SIL #1's house early and was welcomed by a little assistant. And I must say, he was a very good assistant. He measured out the things I needed and even pounded the nuts with a rolling pin while I caramelized the almonds.

After doing all the prepping and the whipping, I had to scoop it all into little cups and put it all back in the freezer and these were the results.

It's fun playing a 50s house wife. Signing off for now!