Knock "em Dead Dessert

Winchester

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When you really want to serve a dessert that is so over-the-top yummy and looks fabulous, what would it be?

I'm already thinking ahead to Christmas dinner dessert. One of the desserts will be our white coconut cake. And there will be cookies. 

But for the other one? (And I do need another dessert because Rick and our DIL think that if humans were meant to eat grass, they would have more than one stomach....like cows, whatever that means. But in other words, they will not touch coconut. At all. And I refuse to go without the coconut cake!)
  • Cheesecake?....I can made a decadent cheesecake, but I hate the stuff, although I am the only one in the family who won't eat it. But I always make a cheesecake.....and it always goes over well.
  • Trifle? I made a delicious trifle a few years back with fresh strawberries and a home-made angel food cake.
  • Pie? What kind of pie? Something really special.
  • I've also done tiramisu, which the family really liked. They also liked my Charlotte Russe.
  • Another kind of cake? That seems like overkill cake-wise. And did I mention that I refuse to go without the coconut cake?
No mincemeat. No fruitcake. No pumpkin pie. 

What do you serve when you want something really, really special?
 
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Kat0121

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When you really want to serve a dessert that is so over-the-top yummy and looks fabulous, what would it be?

I'm already thinking ahead to Christmas dinner dessert. One of the desserts will be our white coconut cake. And there will be cookies. 

But for the other one? (And I do need another dessert because Rick and our DIL think that if humans were meant to eat grass, they would have more than one stomach....like cows, whatever that means. But in other words, they will not touch coconut. At all. And I refuse to go without the coconut cake!)
  • Cheesecake?....I can made a decadent cheesecake, but I hate the stuff, although I am the only one in the family who won't eat it. But I always make a cheesecake.....and it always goes over well.
  • Trifle? I made a delicious trifle a few years back with fresh strawberries and a home-made angel food cake.
  • Pie? What kind of pie? Something really special.
  • I've also done tiramisu, which the family really liked. They also liked my Charlotte Russe.
  • Another kind of cake? That seems like overkill cake-wise. And did I mention that I refuse to go without the coconut cake?
No mincemeat. No fruitcake. No pumpkin pie. 

What do you serve when you want something really, really special?
I'm not a cake or pie person and I am with you 100% about cheesecake. No thank you. 


Mincemeat? Fruitcake? pumpkin pie? Oh that's the trifecta of awful. 

Chocolate mousse. YESSSS.  So simple yet decadent.  Chocolate mousse in a cream puff?  


Hello there! 


 

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I've had mincemeat pie-I like it. but I don't bake. So no I have to say we do things simple. Strawberrys in angel food cake cups and cool whip. My version of strawberry short cake.

We LOVE cheesecake here. I don't have the ability to pay attention long enough to bake so I probably would screw it up. I do on occasion bake snickerdoodle cookies but only from the package. I tried home made one year for Christmas and YUK. They STUNK.

So no I don't bake anymore.

When I was young-oh 14 or 15? I used to cook this heaven chocolate cake at my moms because she had this old gas stove=and those make the best cakes..oh I used to melt the semi sweet chocolate and add those other ingredients and wait for that to bake..then make home made choc frosting..it was a recipe I found in family circle type magazine..I can't remember what year it was or what issue...but it was like tasting heaven. It was just moist enough but held together...god I don't know what my problem is anymore..I just don't have enough ambition to do complex cooking anymore...oh and Job says don't cook any sweets...I should try to at least brush up on my skills...some century when I am home...but I enjoy reading your cooking adventures Winchester. I have learned a lot from you.
 

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I have never had it but I always thought a croquembouche would be a showstopper.  I have only seen one made on Food Network.  It's actually just creme puffs and they use caramel to put it together.
 
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Winchester

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@Kat0121, I've made a lot of cream puffs and eclairs with a variety of fillings and glazes. They're really easy to make. I'd probably have to fill them no more than an hour or so before serving them, simply because the filling can make the crust soggy. That could be a hassle when I'm already doing a big meal as it is. Even filling them in the morning might be tricky. I could do a test run with filling them several hours ahead of time; Rick certainly wouldn't complain. I would love them with chocolate mousse; DIL, not so much as she's not a chocolate fan at all. Maybe I could make a few with peanut butter mousse instead. It's a thought. Thank you.

@foxxycat, everybody in my family loves, loves, loves cheesecake. Last year I think I did a strawberry swirl cheesecake; the year before that it was a cherry cheesecake, both from my Junior's cheesecake cookbook. They went over very well. I don't get the whole cheesecake thing, but not everybody gets coconut either, so it's a wash. Thank you.

Oh @Denice, you had to show me that, didn't you? You know, I could do that. Yeah, I could. It's just cream puffs. Wow. Gorgeous. My biggest problem would be making it look so pretty. I could do that. But again, it's put together the morning of, and boy, that could be a hassle. Thanks!  
 
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Kat0121

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@Kat0121, I've made a lot of cream puffs and eclairs with a variety of fillings and glazes. They're really easy to make. I'd probably have to fill them no more than an hour or so before serving them, simply because the filling can make the crust soggy. That could be a hassle when I'm already doing a big meal as it is. Even filling them in the morning might be tricky. I could do a test run with filling them several hours ahead of time; Rick certainly wouldn't complain. I would love them with chocolate mousse; DIL, not so much as she's not a chocolate fan at all. Maybe I could make a few with peanut butter mousse instead. It's a thought. Thank you.

@foxxycat, everybody in my family loves, loves, loves cheesecake. Last year I think I did a strawberry swirl cheesecake; the year before that it was a cherry cheesecake, both from my Junior's cheesecake cookbook. They went over very well. I don't get the whole cheesecake thing, but not everybody gets coconut either, so it's a wash. Thank you.

Oh @Denice, you had to show me that, didn't you? You know, I could do that. Yeah, I could. It's just cream puffs. Wow. Gorgeous. My biggest problem would be making it look so pretty. I could do that. But again, it's put together the morning of, and boy, that could be a hassle. Thanks!  
Or white chocolate mousse 
 

blueyedgirl5946

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I don't serve many desserts because I eat gluten free. I do have a wonderful recipe for pecan pie. It is not the traditional sticky, syrup recipe. People fight over it when I take it to church. So I serve that sometimes. I have a pineapple pie recipe that I can put in a gluten free graham cracker crust and eat some of it. I also like to bake apples. I remove the core, fill the center with pieces of butter. Then I stuff in some brown sugar or pour in some honey. I put them on an apple baker and cook them in the oven. Served hot with vanilla ice cream, they are wonderful.
 

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Winchester Winchester

I'm with your family on this one. I HATE coconut. Bleck.

I LOVE cheesecake though.

I saw this recipe on facebook, Carmel Apple Pie bombs! They look sooo good. I bet they'd be great served with ice cream too.
[VIDEO][/VIDEO]


I saw another recipe on facebook, they are little cheesecake cupcake-things with sugar cookies or snickerdoodles as the crust.

 
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blueyedgirl5946

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Coconut is wonderful. I have a recipe for Sour Cream Coconut Cake that I used to make. It is made and then put in the refrigerator for three days before eating. It was truly a "Knock 'em Dead" dessert.
I don't eat coconut now though because it messes with my stomach. But I still think about this cake. :lol3:
 

denice

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I like coconut.  I think coconut is one of those things that people really like or they really don't like.  I don't think there are a lot of people in the middle who either can take it or leave it.
 

Kat0121

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I like coconut.  I think coconut is one of those things that people really like or they really don't like.  I don't think there are a lot of people in the middle who either can take it or leave it.
I like coconut but I don't love it. I like it in things like the Girl Scout Samoa cookies or in a pina colada but I would never eat a piece of coconut cake or pie or anything like that. It has to be in a supporting role and not the star of the dish. 
 

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[*] Trifle? I made a delicious trifle a few years back with fresh strawberries and a home-made angel food cake.
Christmas in England would never have been complete without trifle. I love it. But it should be made with ladyfingers.

I like coconut but I don't love it. I like it in things like the Girl Scout Samoa cookies or in a pina colada but I would never eat a piece of coconut cake or pie or anything like that. It has to be in a supporting role and not the star of the dish. 
I love coconut. Especially in macaroons.
 

Kat0121

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Christmas in England would never have been complete without trifle. I love it. But it should be made with ladyfingers.
I love coconut. Especially in macaroons.
Trifle...   


No angel food cake for me either. I hate it. I've never been a fan but watching what Sandra Lee did to them on her Semi Homemade Cooking show that used to be on Food Network destroyed them for me forever. Here she is making a Kwanzaa cake out of one. 
   The reviews and comments  on this "recipe" were so bad that FN pulled it off their site. They were hilarious. 


 

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I don't like agel food cake either, especially strawberry "shortcake" on angel food cake. If it's not made with shortcake it's not strawberry shortcake! :lol3:
 

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Do you like to bake?  I don't know if your family is into chocolate, but when I was growing up, Christmas wasn't Christmas without my Auntie Dorothy's Christmas Yule Log that she made with some sort of german sweet chocolate filling.  Another favorite was a Chocolate Christmas Bombe, do a google serach on Gordon Ramsey's Christmas bombe and you can see what I'm talking about.  I cannot eat sweets or carbs anymore, but oh I do think about these cakes every holiday season.
 
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Winchester

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I love to bake, but am leery of even trying to make a Yule log! 
 I think it would be fabulous, but I can't see me doing it.
 

miagi's_mommy

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We always make peanut butter balls (also known as buckeyes), cookies and peppermint bark for Christmas dessert. I mean they are more like treats but I enjoy making them with my mom. :)
 
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Trifle...   


No angel food cake for me either. I hate it. I've never been a fan but watching what Sandra Lee did to them on her Semi Homemade Cooking show that used to be on Food Network destroyed them for me forever. Here she is making a Kwanzaa cake out of one. 
   The reviews and comments  on this "recipe" were so bad that FN pulled it off their site. They were hilarious. 


Sandra Lee used to border on the ridiculous. With her tablescapes. her cutesy alcoholic drinks, her lies about Le Cordon Bleu (she originally said she was a graduate, but then it came out that she wasn't even there for a year) and that Kwanzaa cake, there was no way for her to ever be taken seriously. She said part of the Kwanzaa cake fiasco was actually because of the control of Food Network, and that very well may have been the case. But it did a number on her reputation. I know people who really liked her, but she was never seriously considered a cook or a chef....maybe a Martha wanna-be.

I love angel food cake, but never from a mix....it has to be home made. To me, the mix has almost a chemical smell and taste; I can't explain it. Rick's mom always made her own angel food cakes and they were wonderful. I agree that strawberry shortcake has to be made with shortcake! It is what it is! 


@Primula, I would never make a real trifle without ladyfingers. Rick's mother used to make her own ladyfingers....I buy mine. 
 That strawberry trifle recipe said to use store-bought angel food cake, but I made mine. I didn't use ladyfingers in that. When I make tiramisu, I use ladyfingers.

@Raina21, those apple pie bombs look pretty good! Especially with caramel!

@Miagi's_Mommy, I've made buckeyes....yum. I've also made a brownie-type buckeye that is out of this world good. Other than cookies, our Christmas treats usually consist of some sugared pecans, almond brittle, some kind of fudge, homemade marshmallows (decadent, I tell you, decadent!), and, sometimes, Alton Brown's White Trash (which is insanely addictive!).

My grandmother used to make sugared popcorn, which is dry-popped popcorn with a red or green sugar syrup poured over, while stirring the popcorn. We grew up with sugared popcorn; I'm sure it's not good for you at all, but we loved the stuff. After Grandma passed away, I made it for quite a few years. Oh, and taffy. Grandma made taffy. I've never tried my luck at taffy.

Mom made black walnut taffy; everybody loved the stuff. I don't like black walnuts, so I wouldn't eat it. She and I made sugared popcorn. And she made the best fudge. 
 I have her recipe somewhere and I should probably get it out.
 
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Kat0121

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Sandra Lee used to border on the ridiculous. With her tablescapes. her cutesy alcoholic drinks, her lies about Le Cordon Bleu (she originally said she was a graduate, but then it came out that she wasn't even there for a year) and that Kwanzaa cake, there was no way for her to ever be taken seriously. She said part of the Kwanzaa cake fiasco was actually because of the control of Food Network, and that very well may have been the case. But it did a number on her reputation. I know people who really liked her, but she was never seriously considered a cook or a chef....maybe a Martha wanna-be.

I love angel food cake, but never from a mix....it has to be home made. To me, the mix has almost a chemical smell and taste; I can't explain it. Rick's mom always made her own angel food cakes and they were wonderful. I agree that strawberry shortcake has to be made with shortcake! It is what it is! 


@Primula, I would never make a real trifle without ladyfingers. Rick's mother used to make her own ladyfingers....I buy mine. 
 That strawberry trifle recipe said to use store-bought angel food cake, but I made mine. I didn't use ladyfingers in that. When I make tiramisu, I use ladyfingers.

@Raina21, those apple pie bombs look pretty good! Especially with caramel!

@Miagi's_Mommy, I've made buckeyes....yum. I've also made a brownie-type buckeye that is out of this world good. Other than cookies, our Christmas treats usually consist of some sugared pecans, almond brittle, some kind of fudge, homemade marshmallows (decadent, I tell you, decadent!), and, sometimes, Alton Brown's White Trash (which is insanely addictive!).

My grandmother used to make sugared popcorn, which is dry-popped popcorn with a red or green sugar syrup poured over, while stirring the popcorn. We grew up with sugared popcorn; I'm sure it's not good for you at all, but we loved the stuff. After Grandma passed away, I made it for quite a few years. Oh, and taffy. Grandma made taffy. I've never tried my luck at taffy.

Mom made black walnut taffy; everybody loved the stuff. I don't like black walnuts, so I wouldn't eat it. She and I made sugared popcorn. And she made the best fudge. 
 I have her recipe somewhere and I should probably get it out.
In the Kwanzaa cake episode, she did similar cakes for Christmas and Hanukkah. If I remember correctly, she dyed the canned frosting for the Christmas cake green and then did light blue for the Hanukkah cake. I doubt FN came up with that. Oh the tablescapes! Those were something else. As if everyone has time like that to spend in the craft store. 


DH used to love angel food cake and I have made them from scratch too. I still have the pan. I don't like AFC for the same reason I don't like meringue. They never lose the flavor of all those egg whites. 
 
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