dessert

Dessert invention

~ MaryG ~ 3 Comments

As people who read my blog may know, I am a big fan of dessert. I take flavor combinations seriously and I think I know when one is extra special.

Through endless trial and error, I have stumbled across a real winner in the ice cream mix-in department. It’s SO good.

If you have a Trader Joe’s near you, you gotta try this:

Take three Trader’s Joe’s Soft-baked Snickerdoodles (no substitutes!) and microwave them in a small bowl for 15-20 seconds. Top them with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream and top that with about a quarter cup of Grape-Nuts cereal.

Next: mix them together thoroughly, breaking up the cookies as you go.

Oh my god. So delicious. If you’re in mood for a satisfying, cinnamony dessert, give it a try.

What are your favorite ice cream mix-in combos?

Baked Oatmeal

~ MaryG ~ 13 Comments

As I’ve mentioned many times before on this blog, I like sweets, especially baked goods! (When I was pregnant many years ago, I had what seemed like hours-long “bakery dreams” about pies, cookies, Congo bars, etc.) In recent years, I have become a big fan of the blog: Sally’s Baking Addiction. Virtually all of her cookie, bar, and muffin recipes come out perfectly. I also subscribe to her free newsletter, which recently highlighted some healthier options.

Her “One Bowl Baked Oatmeal” caught my eye, so I gave it a try this week. It’s really good—and so easy. These oatmeal bars are delicious hot or cold. Nonfat vanilla yogurt makes an excellent healthy topping (but vanilla ice cream works too).

As the recipe suggested, I used real maple syrup (thank you, Vermont). I also chose to use applesauce (rather than the mashed banana option) and no nuts, because I am allergic.

11 ingredients mixed together in one bowl and poured into an 11×7 sprayed baking dish
Sally’s suggested cooking time of 35 minutes at 350 degrees was perfect
Yummy — and healthy

The Best Key Lime Pie

~ MaryG ~ 8 Comments

On my recent trip to Key West, I ate key lime pie five times. One night, I was too full for dessert and on the last night, I succumbed to the siren call of a chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream. But every other night I felt a certain obligation to try a different version of the island’s signature dessert.

Here’s where I went:

Key Lime Pie Bakery (Greene St)

Kermit’s Key Lime

Red Shoe Island Bistro

Salute! (Same owners and same “mile high” key lime pie that is served at the famous Blue Heaven restaurant)

Limes & Pies (Duval Street)

And the winner is: Red Shoe Island Bistro

The entire meal was so good, it’s no surprise their pie was perfect. It also happened to be my husband’s birthday, so the delicious pie was on the house.

And the loser is: Salute! (Blue Heaven)

The “mile high” key lime pie is basically regular key lime pie with a ton of meringue piled on top. It just doesn’t work well. It looks cool, but the meringue does nothing to enhance the flavor of the pie. Any of the many grab-and-go key lime bakeries (Kermit’s, Limes & Pies, etc) are better than “mile high” in my opinion.

There is one bakery I really wanted to try for pie, but they close early. It’s possible that Old Towne Bakery could’ve been the winner. We met the founder (and recipe developer) at his satellite location and really loved his pastries. He’s a Boston expat and professional baker who relocated to Key West years ago.

Next time…

Related Posts:

It’s all vibes

Farewell Key West

Blueberry Mug Cake

~ MaryG ~ 11 Comments
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Anyone who thought that Massachusetts was somehow exempt from the climate crisis (except for those hurricane-exposed coastal towns like Scituate), learned the truth this week. It’s coming for all of us.

We’ve been having incredibly heavy rains, thunderstorms, and floods. I couldn’t make it to a nearby town for a hair appointment last Friday because of downed trees, flooded roads, and non-functioning traffic lights. A town very near me, Leominster, is a total mess because of unbelievable, historic flooding from Monday’s storm. I grew up visiting cousins in Leominster, so these images are particularly upsetting. Leominster is inland Massachusetts!

Today we are again under an “Areal Flood Watch,” starting at 11am, until Thursday at 8am. I should really get outside for my walk now.

Anyhoo, I discovered an adorable and delicious dessert for one that you can make in about two minutes in your microwave. I have a feeling that I’ll be making another one of these tonight. Sharing the recipe and a few photos of the process. WARNING: do not make this dessert if you don’t have at least a little bit of vanilla ice cream on hand to top it off.

Recipe from the internet: thanks Pamela Reed, whoever you are
Step 1: mix it up in a mug
Step 2: nuke it for about 80 seconds and then let sit for a minute
Step 3: enjoy