FIRST FRIDAY WITH THE CREW--Let's Prep to Celebrate EAT AN EXTRA DESSERT DAY

Nan's Books

I know that there are some CRAZY holidays. But I really like September 4th. It's Eat an Extra Dessert Day! Who wouldn't like that holiday?

So I asked the crew what dessert they would like to have on this fabulous holiday. Now I'm thinking that there shouldn't be any calories in talking about the desserts. And looking at them.  And maybe just giving them a sniff.  Oh heck--life is short.  Have an extra dessert.

So -- here's the dessert I would like to have--Creme Brulee! I love custard and this always brings back memories of sharing the dessert with my sisters and my mother.  I love to crack the crust!

REGAN WALKER

Regan's Books

Rosa Regale

 For me, dessert-lover that I am, there are many choices but I think one of my very favorites is flourless chocolate cake served with chilled Rosa Regale sparkling red wine. If you have never tried the combination I promise you it will not disappoint. Some like flourless cake because it's gluten free but I say why waste all that chocolate goodness with flour?

Flourless chocolate cake

It's also my favorite dessert to serve for Valentine's Day. But why wait?

 

ANGI MORGAN 

Because it's Labor Day Weekend here in the US I'm teasing you with a labor of love desert. I've made these cookies for almost two decades now. I make them large enough that eating a second cookie is like an EXTRA dessert.

While my daughter was in high school, one of her friends even created a Facebook page for them. (Seriously...you can find the recipe there.)

Angi's Books

Who can turn down a fresh-baked cookie? 

The best thing about baking cookies--or anything really--is the smell. It's wonderful walking back into the house. My mouth is watering for some melty chocolate. Here's a tip: always double the recipe so you can give some EXTRA away. Wrap them in heavy duty foil, but fold those edges and crease creating a foil pouch. I used to keep shoe boxes to slip the cookies in for traveling. (Don't gross out...clean aluminum foil lined the boxes.) The fresh from the oven cookies would stay warm for hours.

ENJOY AN EXTRA DESERT THIS WEEKEND ! And if you need something to read . . .

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AVRIL TREMAYNE

Oooh, I love the sound of Eat an Extra Dessert day - and I have so many favorites to choose from. I'm probably mostly a cake person, though, and I am also very into retro food, so I'm going to go with Pineapple Upside Down Cake. I made this for my husband for his last birthday, and if I say so myself, it was quite, quite delicious. I love the fact you have to turn the cake upside down to find the divine gooey pineapple and cherry layer - although there were some tense moments, hoping it actually worked!

~Avril's Books


JAN SCHLIESMAN
From Memorial Weekend to the 4th of July, the Schliesman clan is addicted to fresh strawberry pie! (We've been known to eat it for supper!) The recipe is really easy:

Jan's Books

--graham cracker pie crust
--1 qt strawberries, cleaned & halved
Boil until clear:
--1 cup water
--1 cup of sugar
--2 T corn starch
Then add 1 small box of strawberry jello
Pour jello mixture over the berries and refrigerate 2-3 hours.

My hubby makes this better than me, so I let him. This picture was taken in June when we were making a special delivery to our oldest daughter. She was overdue with our first grandchild and needed a little pick-me-up. Of course, she shared it with us:)


LIZBETH SELVIG

Lizbeth's Books

Well Miss Angi Morgan stole my favorite dessert, so the first thing I'd do if I could on Eat An Extra Dessert Day would be fly to Texas and grab some of her chocolate chip cookies. Seriously, if I were stranded on a desert island (that's one 's') and could only pick one dessert (two "s's") I would wish for choco chip cookies. As for this year's EAEDD holiday, it's not so hard to pick my next 352 favorite sweets (you can keep your salt--please pass the sugar!); it's picking one that's difficult.

What I'll go with is my family's homemade chocolate sauce. It's super simple; you'll never find anything remotely close in any jar or can or store; and you can put it over anything from ice cream to brownies to angel food cake to strawberries. Plus, when it's cold from the fridge, you can eat it with a spoon, and it's just like fudge. I don't even remember where the recipe came from--I copied it early in my marriage onto a piece of small notebook paper and have been using the tiny scrap ever since (even though after so many years I do know it by heart). Here's what the recipe looks like these days:

And here it is translated: 
4 squares (4 oz.) baking chocolate
2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 c. (use 1 sm. can) evaporated milk
1/4 t. salt
1/4 c. butter
1/2 t. vanilla

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, add sugar, milk, salt  & butter. Let butter melt and then cook together for 10 minutes. Add vanilla. Serve. 




Seriously try it sometime and enjoy it by the spoonful. If you'd like it more traditionally with ice cream here's my hint:  it's scrumptious with Vanilla Bean!And it's even better if you put the Vanilla Bean on a brownie first!

And along with the amazing books from all my other GLIAS sisters--you can also eat brownies and chocolate sauce while reading my current "Seven Brides for Seven Cowboys" series--or fall back to the "Love From Kennison Falls" series, too (which actually features quite a bit of chocolate!) Hope you enjoy!  

Lizbeth's Books


E.E. BURKE

Eat an Extra Dessert day? I might as well apply those calories directly to my hips! Seriously, though, I have a big sweet tooth and I can't name just one favorite! Pies, cakes, cookies...bring 'em on! 

I have three daughters and one of our favorite things to do together is bake. I think that's primarily because we like to eat what we fix! 

Our current favorite is something called a Key Lime Poke Cake. It's a very moist cake with lots of tartness from the key lime and smooth, sweet cream cheese icing. I found the recipe online, so if you'd like to try it, here's the link.

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I used real key limes and put a tad more lime juice in than it called for because I like things to be tart.  One of my favorite pies is Key Lime Pie, and this is a nice spin off. It actually tastes better then second and third day.

If you're looking for a book to read while you nosh, why not check out Valentine's Rose, Book 1, The Bride Train series. It's FREE through Sept. 4. No cost. No calories. No guilt! 





What is your favorite dessert?

Nan Dixon's giving away an eBook of her latest release -  THROUGH A MAGNOLIA FILTER! Angi's giving away a winner's choice from her backlist. Lizbeth is giving away digital coies of GOING OUT ON A LIMB & THE BRIDE WORE RED BOOTS. And don't miss Lara's End of Summer giveaway (click here). 

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