Americans are realizing that our food portions are out of control, but we like our dessert. A new food trend in many restaurants is the mini-dessert. The mini-dessert is served in tiny portions- each only a bite or two. Guests can have one or two guilt free or can try several that tempt them. This trend can be easily duplicated for your next party or event. The trick is to have a choice of small desserts with a variety of flavor choices.

The most challenging part of this food trend is finding suitable and attractive serving dishes. Consider those tiny crystal glasses that you’ve probably never used for puddings and pie fillings. Bar cookies and pie can be cut into small squares and alternated on a large platter. Have attractive dessert dishes nearby.

Here is a recipe to get you started:

Tiny Lemon Meringue Parfait

1 package store bought meringue cookies

1 package vanilla wafers, crumbled

Filling:

5 egg yolks

½ cup sugar

grated rind of 1 lemon

6 to 8 tablespoons lemon juice

1 ½ cups cream, whipped

1. Beat egg yolks until thick. Add sugar, lemon rind and juice. Cook in double boiler until thick.
2. Cool and fold into the whipped cream until well mixed but still streaks of each exist.
3. Into a small glass such as a small wine glass, place a layer of vanilla wafer crumbs.
4. Put the filling mixture into a piping bag, or place in a ziplock bag and clip the corner. Use the bag to pipe the filling mixture onto the cookie crumbs.
5. Refrigerate. At serving time, top each with a meringue cookie.

The combination is like a single bite of lemon pie. You could use a similar presentation using key lime pie filling or even banana pudding. The idea is to give your guests just a bite of flavor. Ideally you will offer several choices of flavors or a mixture of small desserts. Guilt free!

Are you interested in more lemon pie recipes and other southern dessert recipes? Sign up for our newsletter at Southern Sweet and Desserts and get traditional southern recipes delivered to your email regularly.

Diane has just finished a free cookbook of her favorite southern recipes. Download Easy Southern Favorites today. These recipes are guaranteed to have them begging for more. Best of all, its free!

Diane Watkins is a traditional southern style cook. She enjoys cooking, teaching, and writing about good food and family. For more information on southern cooking and recipes visit her website at Easy Southern Cooking

The strawberries are in their full glory. I’ve made jam, we’ve eaten strawberry shortcake and strawberries and cream. How else can we enjoy these beautiful berries before their season is gone? As I rummaged through my old recipes, I found this one for Fresh Strawberry Pie. It is an old favorite that is easy and pretty.

Choose ripe, unblemished berries for this pie. Make the glaze first so that it has time to cool as you prepare the cream cheese and strawberries. You want to cool the glaze enough so that the berries do not cook, but do not chill it or the Jello will set and will not pour. Plan to serve this beautiful pie the same day it is made to enjoy the beautiful berries at their freshest.

Fresh Strawberry Pie

1 baked 9 inch pie shell

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

3 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 quarts strawberries, sliced

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons light Karo syrup

1 cup water

3 tablespoons strawberry Jello mix

pinch of salt

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1. Make the glaze for the berries by combining the sugar, Karo syrup, salt, and cornstarch and water. Stir and cook over medium heat until thick.
2. When thick, remove from the heat and add the Jello mix. Stir well and set aside to cool.
3. Beat the cream cheese with the powdered sugar, spread carefully over the bottom of the baked pie shell.
4. Arrange the sliced strawberries over the cream cheese mixture.
5. Pour the cooled (but not cold) glaze over the strawberries.

This recipe can be made with other berries as well. Try blueberries, raspberries or blackberries. You would choose the appropriate flavor of Jello, of course. Serve the pie as it is, or garnish each slice with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprig of mint.

Are you interested in more old southern dessert recipes? Sign up for our newsletter at Southern Sweet and Desserts and get traditional southern recipes delivered to your email regularly.

Diane has just finished a free cookbook of her favorite southern recipes. Download Easy Southern Favorites today. These recipes are guaranteed to have them begging for more. Best of all, its free!

Diane Watkins is a traditional southern style cook. She enjoys cooking, teaching, and writing about good food and family. For more information on southern cooking and recipes visit her website at Easy Southern Cooking

Lemon Meringue Pie is one of the classic southern recipes that should be made at home. It is easy to make and the flavor of the homemade version far out shines the store bought or frozen variety. The lemon meringue pie recipe consists of 3 parts: the pie shell, the custard, and the meringue.

This recipe uses a pre-baked pie shell to make it easy, however you can make your own if you prefer. Use a pastry shell, not a graham or cookie crust so that the meringue will seal properly.

For meringue recipes, I prefer to use pasteurized eggs. Pasteurized eggs have been pasteurized to kill any germs and are safe for foods such as meringue which may not otherwise receive enough cooking. Pasteurized eggs are available at most supermarkets these days, but if they are not available in your area, you can substitute the powdered pasteurized egg whites which can be found in your baking section. (Substitute only for the whites, not the yolks.)

Bring the egg whites to room temperature before beating. This will encourage whipping and result in greater volume in your meringue.

Serious cooks keep a copper bowl to beat their egg whites in, but I make meringue just fine in my ceramic bowl. I wouldn’t use plastic, because the bowl must be absolutely clean. Any trace of oil or grease that might cling to plastic will keep the whites from beating properly. This applies to your beaters, also. Make sure they are perfectly clean.

Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe

1 pre-baked pie shell

Filling:

3/4 cup sugar

5 Tablespoons cornstarch

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup cold water

3 egg yolks from pasteurized eggs, save whites for meringue

1 cup boiling water

2 tablespoons butter

grated zest of 1 lemon

Meringue

3 egg whites from pasteurized eggs,

3 Tablespoons sugar

1. Combine sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and cold water in a saucepan.
2. Add the egg yolks. Blend well.
3. Add the boiling water, bring back to a boil and simmer for 1 minute.
4. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon zest and butter.
5. Pour into pie shell.

Make the Meringue:

1. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Stiff peaks will hold their shape when mounded.
2. Gradually add the sugar, one spoonful at a time. Beat until combined and no sugar crystals remain.
3. Spread on top of the pie. Spread the meringue to the edge of the pie so that it seals with the pie shell.
4. Bake at 325 degrees until golden brown.

I hope you will try this lemon meringue pie recipe. It will quickly become a family favorite.

Are you interested in more lemon pie recipes and other southern dessert recipes? Sign up for our newsletter at Southern Sweets and Desserts and get traditional southern recipes delivered to your email regularly.

Diane has just finished a free cookbook of her favorite southern recipes. Download Easy Southern Favorites today. These recipes are guaranteed to have them begging for more. Best of all, its free!

Diane Watkins is a traditional southern style cook. She enjoys cooking, teaching, and writing about good food and family. For more information on southern cooking and recipes visit her website at Easy Southern Cooking

These two bar recipes are two of my favorites. They are both fairly easy to make. If your kids like peanut butter, the Peanut Butter Bars recipe is almost sure to be a hit with them.

Peanut Butter Bars

A favorite from when I was a kid. These are similar to the Reese’s ® peanut butter cups. The promise of these for dessert always helped persuade me to eat more of my dinner! Might work with your kids too!

Mix together all of the above ingredients except the chocolate chips. Press the mixture into a 9 x 13 inch greased pan. Let it set in the refrigerator to cool. Melt the chocolate chips and spread over the top for frosting. Cut into bars. Store in the refrigerator to help them keep longer.

Carmel Bars

This was always a favorite around our house. Gooey caramel with chocolate and the crunch of nuts on top. And justified as somewhat healthy, after all, there is oatmeal in it. Something with oatmeal can’t be all bad for you. It was always a hit at bake sales, potlucks, and picnics. Of course, that was provided it made it out of the house. With five kids in the house, one of us usually managed to at least pick at it before it ever got to it’s destination.

Combine caramels, cream, and butter over very low heat. You can also melt them in the microwave. Heat just until melted. (This is important because it tends to burn otherwise.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt the 1/2 cup butter in the microwave. In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Mix well. Put 3/4 of the mixture into a 9 x 13 inch pan. Pat down until it makes a firm crust. Bake crust for 10 minutes in the oven. Take out of the oven and pour the caramel sauce over the crust. Sprinkle the chocolate chips, pecans, and the remaining crumbs over the top. Bake for 15 minutes longer. Let it cool and cut into bars.

With a passion for baking and anything sweet, Jill Seader enjoys sharing her baking recipes and stories. She also invites you to share your own stories and recipes on her site. Happy Baking!

Love giving gifts but hate the pressure of finding the perfect thing Are you afraid that the receivers of your gifts only take out your present when you stop by? There’s only one way to ensure that the recipient of your gift will not only love it, but also that you will never have to see it again: give them an edible gift. However, you can’t give just any gift of food; just as with chia pets and paper weights, people have different tastes in such matters. What, then, is the best edible gift, enjoyed and consumed by all? In a word: cheesecake.

Believe me. I have never encountered a person who didn’t like cheesecake. Even those who profess distaste for cheese and cake in their lesser, individual forms are the first in line when cheesecake is made. Not only is cheesecake the ideal gift for any recipient on your list, it is also the easiest to send. Order a cheesecake on the internet, selecting from a multitude of flavors and styles including New York cheesecake, sugar free cheesecake, and, of course, turtle cheesecakes, and have it delivered to that special person you have in mind.

Just imagine their delight when they open up your package to discover that, not only is it not another Christmas Tree sweater with twinkling lights, but that you have sent them a rich, creamy, delicious cheesecake—exactly what they wanted! Perhaps your wonderful gift will become the centerpiece in their next family gathering; or maybe it will be eaten before anyone gets a chance to see it. Either way, you know that next time you come to visit, you will only hear praise for such a delightful gift.

Gift selection is hard. Take the hassle and pressure out of the equation and get something you know your special someone will really want: Cheesecake!

Visit http://www.EliteCheesecakes.com for the finest in cheesecakes, such as berry cheesecakes or cheesecake samplers.

Are you afraid of the annual responsibilites when it’s your turn to host the next family get together? Sure, it’s food and fun for all of your guests but for you it’s hours, maybe days of tiresome effort in the kitchen beforehand and hours of thankless tidying after everyone goes home. What if you could throw a party and have fun at the same time? Well here are some useful recommendations on how to save both your time and your sanity next time you play host to a party.

• You are not obligated to present your visitors with a full scale dinner! Whether your guests are friends or family, they will be satisfied with company, drinks, appetizers, and/or dessert. If a full meal is a family or holiday tradition, why not go pot-luck and have your relatives bring along their favorite dish while you prepare the coffee and a tasty cheesecake for desert? Have your relatives pitch in. Just because you’re holding the event, doesn’t mean they can’t help out too.

• As for that mouthwatering cheesecake—forget late hauls to the bakery!—purchase a cheesecake online and have it delivered to your door on party day. No need to take precious time away from the other household preparations; purchase several cheesecakes in advance and check “dessert” off of your to do list.

• What about post-party clean-up? One way to cut down on how many dishes used by your guests (in an appetizer or buffet situation) is to use identifying markers for their dishes to keep them from reaching for new ones each time they misplace their own. Many savvy hosts acquire wineglass rings that, once placed around the bottom of the glass, serve to identify the glass as theirs. Likewise, distinctive plate ware will aide your guests in identifying and keeping track of their plates.

• If it’s summertime, an outdoor party is always the best idea. Moving the party outdoors will drastically cut down most of your post-party cleaning. If you happen to live in a rainy climate like myself, ask your guests to remove their shoes before entering your place. This suggestion will not only make cleaning easier once your guests leave, it will also go a long way towards keeping safe your wood floors and carpets from pesky party damage.

Feel free to put some of these ideas to practice to hold on to your valuable time, energy and sanity next time you host a party. And, before the party is finished, don’t forget to snag a bite of that cheesecake! Your guests will be able to enjoy themselves more when the host in enjoying himself too.

Visit EliteCheesecakes.com to find a variety of delicious cheesecakes that will make your proud. Try the New York Cheesecake or any of the nearly thirty choices.

If you love eating ice cream, why not make your own? Making ice cream at home is a wonderful experience for people of all ages. With so many modern ice cream makers sold in the market, you can have any ice cream flavor you want.

Below are some reasons why you would want an ice cream maker at home.

You can find strawberry, raspberry, blueberry and other berry flavors. There are cookies and cream, mocha, cappuccino and other chocolate flavored ice cream. A wide selection of ice cream containing different nuts and fruits are also available. You name it and it’s very easy to find the flavor you desire in any market. But with an ice cream maker at home, you get to choose the right mix of fruits and other ingredients to have what you exactly want.

Since you have the right to choose the ingredients you want in your ice cream, you gain healthier options. If you have an allergy to some things like nuts or additives, you can avoid them and substitute them with another ingredient or just do without them.

When you have an ice cream maker at home, you are sure that you are always eating fresh ice cream in all occasions and without care on eating how many servings you want.

If you want a fruit flavored ice cream, a homemade ice cream is still better than a commercial one. You can really pick fresh fruits and decide on how fruity you want your ice cream to be. If you want to chew some whole strawberries in your ice cream, so be it. If you want your mangoes or pineapples chunkier then you can just add some in your recipe.

Making your own ice cream is a great experience. Have fun with your family and friends and involve them while making your favorite desert. Teach your kids how to make their own ice cream and ask them for their ideas and what flavor they want to make. Then let them do their ice cream sandwiches.

You don’t need to order ice cream whenever there’s an occasion to be celebrated by the family. You can even bring your homemade ice cream to a friend’s party. Let them try your new recipe or a popular flavor that they love.

With all these reasons, you are now convinced to have your own ice cream maker. But with so many to choose from, how would you know when you are getting something that works well?

When buying an ice cream maker, choose one that is electrically operated. Then consider two things - size and convenience. A common ice cream maker holds about 1-2 quarts of ice cream. It has refreezing bowls and is very handy and efficient to use. Choose an appropriate size of an ice cream maker depending on how much ice cream you can normally consume so that you don’t have to do another batch. Remember that the colder the freezer, the better it is for your ice cream. There are some machines that have good mini built-in freezers although they may cost more. So depending on your budget, buy one the best that you can buy.

With all the good reasons convincing you to buy an ice cream maker, why wouldn’t you want one? Nothing beats the perfect ice cream that suits your taste. So start having fun making every ice cream you fancy in the comfort of your home

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Growing up in Midwest America, there is one thing that always brought a smile to my face: soft serve ice cream. I was and remain a very healthy individual, but there was something about this delectable dessert, covered in those scrumptious wonders known only as “sprinkles” that I couldn’t resist. But from an early age, I always wondered, “How is soft serve ice cream made?” And, perhaps more importantly for me at that time, how could I possibly buy once of those magical devises?

But wait. What does this personal anecdote possibly have to do with Margaret Thatcher.

I’m getting there. But I digress.

Many years later, while I have shook off the shackles of my soft serve infatuation, I still wondered. It turns out that the story of soft serve ice cream has an interesting origin involving one of the twentieth century’s greatest Cold War politicians, Margaret Thatcher. In the mid-20th century, she worked on a chemical research team in Britain, uncovering a method of dramatically increasing the amount of air in ice cream—allowing manufacturers to use less of the actual ingredients and reducing their costs per serving significantly.

Does that mean that my lust for soft serve ice cream was hot air? Well, maybe, but I dug further.

Generally speaking, soft serve ice cream is a slightly different form of ice cream that is dispensed from a machine instead of by hand. Significantly lower in fat content than traditional hard ice cream, soft serve is produced at a warmer temperature than ice cream, resulting in a special property that can explain its unsurpassed taste. By having a warmer temperature, the human taste buds can actually detect more flavor.

As you may have guessed, the proper combination of temperature and air is fundamental to the taste of the finished product. Soft serve produced with lower amounts of air results in a icy, heavy tasting product. On the other hand, soft serve produced with higher amounts of air typically taste creamier, smoother and lighter. Generally speaking, the air content should optimally be between 35 percent and 45 percent of volume. Like traditional ice cream, soft serve ice cream must be frozen quickly to avoid crystallization.

Now that I’ve finally unlocked the mysteries of the magic ice cream machines, I’m off to satisfy my sweet tooth. Thank you Margaret Thatcher.

About the Author

Jason is a free lance writer and ice cream addict. His infatuation extends to his professional life where he does occasional work for Pacific Valley Dairy, a St. Louis-based dairy mix manufacturer. Pacific Valley Dairy produces more than 40 varieties of ice cream supplies and ice cream mixes including custard, soft serve ice cream, sherbet, sorbet and gelato. Jason resides in St. Louis where, surprisingly, he remains relatively thin despite his sweet tooth.