A Dessert Party and A Dessert Fast
I decided to go 27 days without dessert. I must be nuts. My Twitter friend @lamHookem gave me the idea and was my inspiration. Leticia was going through the holiday season without sweets. I don’t know how she did it. She even baked for others and didn’t even sample. Leticia has lost over 90 pounds and two years later she is still maintaining it. This post will inspire you too!
I need to detox from the holiday indulgence. Also, I want to see if it will make a difference with my weight. I LOVE dessert. I’d have something sweet every day. This isn’t good if you have a high probability of getting diabetes. I’ve already had gestational diabetes once and was borderline two times after that.
Today is Day 7 of no sweets. I’ve eaten a lot of grapes and strawberries. I haven’t been too strict, because I still eat cereal and bread (a post about this later.) Those two things are not the same as ice cream, cookies, or a slice of cake.
Dessert Party
Before this no dessert phase, I hosted a Dessert Party for my book club. This is the only picture I have from that night. Aren’t these the signs of a good party?
This is what I made:
- Oreo Cheesecake Bars. I liked that I could make these a day in advance. I didn’t add enough butter to the oreo crust and it created a lot of crumbles. Also, I would have made the chunks of oreo larger in the cheesecake part to make them sweeter. They weren’t bad, but I probably won’t make them again.
- La Bete Noire. This is a flourless chocolate cake with a ganache frosting. The name of the cake is translated into “The Black Beast.” It is very rich. You have to eat it in very small portions. Overall, I liked it. I will use a better grade of chocolate next time, because you can really taste the chocolate. I used bittersweet chocolate for the cake part and semi-sweet for the ganache. I loved that I could make this night before and it keeps in the fridge. If another occasion rises I would love to make this for another group. It’s a fancy dessert that is easy to make and serves many portions.
- Carrot Cake. I used Sigrid’s recipe from the Pioneer Woman website. Ree made hers in a sheet pan in the blog post, but the original recipe calls for a bundt pan. I think bundt cakes are easier to bake and serve. Also, as a friend astutely noted, bundt cakes allow for more surface area for icing. Oh, this icing is to die for! It is one of those recipes that makes me wonder “Did this really come out my kitchen?” I had loads of frosting leftover so I served it as a dip for strawberries. I think that bowl was almost licked clean. I WILL be making this cake again. Easy and delicious.
A few other ladies brought stuffed mushrooms, chocolate chip bars, and butterscotch bars. It was a wonderful selection to suit anyone’s tastes.
Now that I have reminded myself of the sweets I am missing, I am getting back to my dessert fast. It ends on my birthday in February. I am definitely looking forward to my present to myself – a good piece of rich, dark chocolate.
