Need a fantastic dessert idea

[spindrifter]

for a potluck. Fortunately, it's not for tonite, so I'll have time to prepare it.

[The empressof all]

1. I just did one the other day....Simple and easy

I prepared a chocolate ganache (You can google for a recipe but basically melted chocolate mixed with heavy cream)



I bought those little cream puffs at Trader Joes...(I've heard Costco sells them too)

I put the ganache in a pretty bowl in the middle of a large platter and surrounded with the cream puffs and huge fresh strawberries.



It was a big hit and so so easy.

[spindrifter]

2. Would the ganache ever

make it out of the house? That is the question! Really, your suggestion sounds scrumptious.

[mike_c]

3. my all time favorite is warm bread pudding...

...with two sauces. The first sauce is just a fruit glaze made with fruit preserves and a little complementary liqueur, maybe a clove or two, etc. The second sauce is a heavy cream concoction made by whisking approximately equal proportions of creme fraiche and Bavarian style sweetened heavy cream, usually with some grated lemon zest added. It should be thick, but pourable, not too sweet, with a nice citrus bright note. I spoon a generous amount of the cream sauce onto a dessert plate, drizzle with the fruit glaze and a grating of nutmeg, add a scoop of the warm pudding, and then drizzle a mix of the sauces on top. A dollop of whipped cream sits nicely on the side, too. The whipped cream is overkill, but it's dessert....

I make my bread pudding with a firm sour dough bread and raw, unrefined sugar, studded with chunks of apple or rehydrated dried fruit. Don't make it too sweet-- it should be custardy, and be a vehicle for the sauces.

[troubleinwinter]

6. I think bread pudding is genius.

Everybody loves it, and seldom runs across it anymore.

[grasswire]

4. out of all the desserts I have ever made...

...and I've made a lot of spectacular, complicated things from scratch such as a dobos torte, a concorde, a mt. blanc, etc.......

...the cake people rave about most begins with a cake mix.

1 yellow cake mix
1 sm. pkg instant vanilla pudding
3/4 cup cream sherry
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 T grated nutmeg
6 eggs

Beat til smooth, pour into a buttered and floured angel cake pan or bundt pan, bake at 375 until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool upside down, remove and put on plat, dust with confectioners sugar.

Mmm...wish I had a piece right now.

[spindrifter]

8. This sounds great--thanks!

[grasswire]

5. you could do a croquembouche with cream puffs

I made one with a shortcut for a Christmas party, and people loved it. I made the cream puffs from scratch, but you could buy them.

For the filling, I took Jell-O coconut cream pudding (instant), prepared it with a T of vanilla added to the 2 cups of milk. When it was set, I folded in some heavy whipped cream and a scant 2 T of orange marmalade. This made a very delicious coconut-orange cream filling.

Then as I stacked the croquembouche, I drizzled each cream puff with melted Newman's orange chocolate candy bar. That is delicious orange chocolate.

So you end up with this stack of coconut-orange cream-filled puffs, drizzled with orange chocolate.

It was more delicious than I expected, since I made it up on the fly.

[spindrifter]

7. Sounds terrific!