A Christmas Tasty Treat

One of my favorite things to do during the holidays is taste-test. I do little drive-bys of the cookie tin, at parties I like to sample everything so my plates look like something an international food fair might have...well, you get the picture. One of my favorite snacks is one I make all for me (because RadioMan thinks it's too sweet and bebe has this thing about puddings. Sometimes, I swear that child cannot be related to me. Anywho.)

We're in the nitty-gritty of the Christmas eating fest, and I thought I'd share the recipe - because every holiday gathering could use one more dessert, don't you think? Yeah, me, too. Here we go:

Kristina's Fairy Pudding Recipe. Now, here's what you need to know about it: it's sweet. Seriously. Sweet. So don't forget a glass of milk, and make sure your take little bits at a time. Don't fill up a whole bowl, you'll never be able to finish it.

What you need:

1 cup sugar
1 envelope Knox gelatin - plain
1 cup milk
2 egg whites
2 beaten egg yolks
1 cup whipping cream - the actual cream, not Cool Whip or the canned Readi-Whip stuff
2 cups Graham cracker crumbs - I like to use actual graham crackers and smush then in a ziploc with my rolling pin, hence the picture above

Directions:
In a sauce pan over medium heat, cook the sugar, gelatin, milk and beaten egg yolks until it bubbles. Do not allow it to boil or the milk will scorch. Remove from heat and put into a mixing bowl, allowing it to cool. Once cooled, fold the beaten egg whites and whipping cream into the mix. Get over to your Ziploc-with-graham-crackers and rolling pin the heck out of 'em until only crumbs are left. Layer 3/4 of those crumbs in the bottom of a serving dish - I use a 9x11 Pyrex, but you could use pie plates or any pretty dish, really. Pour the pudding over the graham crackers and then sprinkle the remaining crumbs over the top. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and serve!

Now, I gave you this warning above, but I'm not above repeating myself. This pudding is awesomely good, but it's also awesomely rich - small pieces are your friend. So is milk. Enjoy!

Do you have a favorite holiday treat? Share in the comments!

Kristina Knight's latest release, Protecting the Quarterback, is available now from Harlequin Superromance: 

This is more than just a game … to her.

Sports broadcaster Brooks Smith has always been more involved with the game than the players. But after she shares the spotlight at an awards ceremony with tabloid sensation Jonas Nash, one night of letting her guard down around the infamous quarterback spirals into many heated days and nights together when she gets assigned to the story of the year…

The hottest player in professional football is hiding a secret that could end his career for good. Now Brooks is caught on the sidelines between the job she loves and the man she is falling in love with.

Amazon  B&N  KOBO  iBooks  Harlequin

You can find out more the book and Kristina on her website, and feel free to stalk follow her on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. 

Delicious Desserts - Annie West

I wanted to write about something special for this post as I was having a rather unsettling day. Lo and behold, inspiration struck with something I really enjoy - dessert!

In our house dessert is a huge treat. Possibly because we all seem to be so busy, but getting one course on the table is enough and it's rare that we take time to provide dessert as well. However, as you can see from these recent photos, dessert holds a special place for me. And before you wonder, no, I didn't eat all of these. And no, I didn't order the decadent chocolate cake in this picture. Mine was one of the much healthier lemon tarts in the background. Of course it was healthy - it had fruit in it!

Lately though we've been trying some quite wicked desserts for special occasions at home. These have included chocolate hazelnut self sauced puddings in individual ramekins. As well as being full of chocolate and hazelnuts, they have a dash of Frangelico liqueur and are so rich you really need to eat them with ice cream so they're not too much!

Then they're maple pecan cake - delicious when warm, with cream. Sigh. In summer I like to make (as a treat) lime souffle with strawberry coulis which looks fabbo and is really easy. Did I mention I'm a lazy cook?

Another favourite has to be Tart au Citron - lemon tart which is finished off with segments of lemon artfully (!) arranged on top, sprinkled with icing sugar and then caramelised under the grill.

Or perhaps a nice fruit salad? Great on a summer's day. Fruit kebabs are good too. At Christmas it's rich fruit pudding, hot and tasty. Or, if you don't want to finish with sweets, how about a nice cheese plate? I've got a weakness for lovely cheese (so many weaknesses and so many of them connected to food!).

How about you? Are you a fan of desserts? Do you have a favourite you want to share? Something you make or you've tasted or maybe one you've just heard about and want to try?

Speaking of sweet things, I'm savouring the pleasure of knowing Declan and Chloe's story - aka UNDONE BY HIS TOUCH is on sale this month in North America. I hope some of you see it on shelves and maybe even grab a copy. This is my first beauty and the beast story and was a real treat to write. Romantic Times have given it a 4 star review and said

‘…West’s twist on the Beauty and the Beast is an emotionally compelling read.’

 To read an excerpt of the book pop by my website and to buy it you can go to Amazon, Barnes and Noble or Harlequin.