Food and Beverage Blog

French ice cream sundaes might include any combination of flavors, sorbets, syrups, nuts and even alcohols. There really is no limit. However, there are some popular combination that you are quite likely to find on the menu if you visit an ice cream parlor (glacier) in France. These classic sundaes are easy enough to reproduce at home. Add on a fancy French name, and you will have an elegant dessert ready in no time.

If you do decide to serve your dessert with a French touch, do not forget to top it with one or two rolled “cigarette” or fan shaped cookies. Their slightly sweet, crispy crunch is the perfect accompaniment to a cold and rich French sundae.

(more…)

We all love dessert, but sometimes we have to make changes in our lives for our own good. Eating healthier is one of those choices. With diabetes, obesity, and heart disease at an all time high, it is time many of us started making better food choices.

This does not mean we have to give up on desserts entirely. Many recipes can easily be adapted or changed to make them lower in fat and calories. This does not always mean you have to sacrifice taste, either. By taking the time to pay attention to what you eat, you can have your cake and eat it, too.

There are many recipes that make it simple to reduce the sugar, fat and sodium content. If you are baking a cake or a sweet bread, try using only half the butter, oil, or shortening they ask for and replace the other half with applesauce or pureed bananas or prunes. Sugar can be cut in half or even reduced to a third of what the recipe wants. Replace the missing sugar with spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, or cloves. Vanilla or almond extract also work well. Salt can simply be reduced or eliminated in many recipes that do not require yeast. Savory foods can be enhanced by herbs in its place.

You can always change how you cook your dessert. Fried desserts are going to cost you more in health than those that are baked. You can also use smaller portions. This is an excellent way to lower your caloric intake of fat and other unhealthy ingredients.

Just because you want to lose weight does not mean you have to lose flavor. Take a look at your favorite dessert recipes and see what you can alter. Of course, you can always try something new.

There is no denying that here in America, we love our desserts. We are always happy to try anything sweet. Yet, as time has passed, we have developed a few favorites we turn to over and over again. These desserts have become American classics; it does not matter where they originated. We have claimed them for our own.

Ice cream, chocolate cake, apple pie, and cheesecake are all dessert favorites in the USA. With such traditional choices, it is no surprise that many cannot choose which of these holds the number one spot for themselves. Each of these desserts has had a long history, and none were invented in the United States; nonetheless, they continue to hold the top few spots.

Vanilla is still the number one ice cream flavor, followed closely by chocolate. Chocolate cake is still the favorite of most people. Apple pie conjures up images of Americana, like baseball, swinging under a tree and playing fetch with the dog. Cheesecake, well, it is one of the most classic dessert choices of all time.

Let us take a look at one of these desserts: chocolate cake. This decadent favorite can be made simply, with a molten center, or so rich you are not sure which way is up by the time you are finished. Whatever type is your personal favorite, you cannot go wrong with chocolate cake.