Dessert Party!

Last Friday was Erin's dessert party which was a deliciously, naughty evening given how many calories I probably consumed in sweets, sweets, sweets. There was absolutely everything and anything one could want: red velvet cupcakes, pumpkin pie, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, simple chocolate pie (alla Ali!), plain fudge and fudge with almonds (hooray Erin!), lemon bars, homemade reese's cups, M&M cookies, peanut butter pie, and many others - including mine which I think came out fantastically. It was not something that maybe EVERYBODY could appreciate and certainly not your typical dessert but that's what I was going for! I knew there would be plenty of chocolatey, gooey, rich things to munch on so I decided to go with something a little lighter; something to clear the palate and eat in between chocolate-y pieces of fudge for a refreshing, cold bite. One girl Reba thought my dessert was the best thing since sliced bread and she made my night when she told me this repeatedly. Overall, I would say the party was a success. Oh, and we can't forget the mass amounts of wine that also were consumed... It couldn't get any better :)

Greek Yogurt Cups

Now just from the name I know you're thinking, "Wow, that sounds boring!" but it's all about garnish in this dessert. My thick greek yogurt was topped with orange zest, red and golden raspberries, and then a generous helping of ooey, gooey honey - and homemade honey at that, made by Greg's aunt and her husband on their bee farm!!!

This was such a simple recipe to make because there is no cooking at all. It's just a matter of a few simple steps to preparation. I dished out a serving of yogurt into plastic party cups (the most elegant ones I could manage to find at the supermarket) and then zested my orange on top of each serving. I brought them to this party at this stage of preparation so my delicious raspberries didn't get mushy or sad looking and the honey didn't just sink in and disappear (since part of the fun of this dessert is also partially how pretty it looks when it's just

assembled).

Having never had greek yogurt before in the past, I can say that Fage alone tastes a bit strange at first - a little like whipped cream cheese? - but once the orange zest sits on top it really sinks in and gives the whole cup of yogurt a very slight, pretty citrus flavor. Combined with that the fresh raspberries and the sweet, sweet honey, the yogurt becomes the perfect base. The dessert is light, sweet, and creamy without being overwhelming. After a lemon bar, a piece of fudge, 1/2 a piece of peanut butter pie, and a few measly bites of a homemade reese's cup I already thought I might ralph from the sweet overload! I could sit and eat salty treats all night long but since I don't eat sweets often this spread was quite overwhelming - in a good way! I just wanted to keep eating but had to, had to stop myself.

Again, overall simply fantastic and STILL eating leftover yogurt cups, cookies, fudge and cupcakes. Oy! Caitlin needs to get down here and help me get these dangerous treats out of my fridge..... And yes, Bee is finally getting her ass over to Philly to spend some quality time with me, Greg, and the kitties and I cannot wait! We plan to go out Saturday night, sip margaritas, and eat deliciously bad-for-you food at Mad Mex. It should be great! We love and miss you Caitlin!!

M