Roasted Berry S'mores

Why knock the tried and true s'mores?  I say don't.  Ever.  Except for maybe just this once (and have you seen the waffle s'mores?  Holy...)

[full roasted berry smores recipe via jelly toast]

Chocolate Chip Layer Cake

I do like my chocolate chips...

[full chocolate chip layer cake recipe]

Donut Macarons

Yep yep yep yep yep yep yep... Yes.  I like donuts.  I like macarons.  I might really really like these donut macarons (via the house that lars built).  Would you try them, too?

Golden Raspberries with Russian Cream

 

Golden raspberries with Russian cream and coconut pistachio topping sounds incredibly delectable right now, doesn't it?  I'd like to throw a dinner party and have this as the dessert.  Though I think the best dessert is to just always have a good stash of dark chocolate to pick from; still... this looks and sounds like it would be a perfect Summer treat, yes?

[full recipe via inspiring the everyday]

Olive Oil and Sea Salt Brownie Cookies

Once, about a month ago, I was making pasta and opened the cabinet door to grab some olive oil only to discover I had none left.  I have no idea how that happened but will say that it was my 12 hours of hell until I could get to the grocery store the next morning.  I stood in the middle of my cozy (read: "tiny") kitchen, stunned.  I could think of no substitute; no consolation for my predicament.  If this sounds too dramatic, understand that I come from an Italian family.  There is never no olive oil around.  Ever.  I use it for cooking, of course, but also on my skin and hair if I run out of coconut oil.  In all honesty, it is my life force (too much?).

So I was making brownies a while back and ran out of butter (equally traumatizing) and I went for the olive oil as a substitute.  Freaking delicious.  My gosh.  Why had I not tried this before?  Why?  WHY?!

Then I saw this olive oil and sea salt brownie cookies recipe and thought, "Yes.  This is the greatest thing in the world."
No truer words, friends.

[ via butter lust blog ]

Red Wine Granita with Vanilla Ice Cream

Holy of all holies... this.  I think red wine granita with vanilla ice cream will be my Summer staple.  Pretty much the best of everything, don't you think?

[full recipe via honestly yum]

Chocolate Avocado Mousse

I can't even with this dessert.  Back story: Have I shared that I never tasted an avocado before I moved to California?  It's true.  Once, when I was a nanny for the sweetest most lovable little baby in the North End of Boston, the mom (also sweet and lovable) asked me to pick up an avocado; which is pretty much the best food for a baby's brain.  The fat in that bad boy is tremendously healthy and vital.  But, and don't judge, I didn't know what an avocado looked like.  I didn't.  I had to ask the small Italian man in the tiny grocery shop to point them out to me.  He spoke little English and I, the shame of my grandparents because of it I'm sure, spoke no Italian.  It was a very beguiling conversation about avocados.  I learned so much and so little that day; so very little.  Do we bite into the skin like an apple? (you can imagine how that part of the conversation played out with hand and mouth motions; a little freaky probably.)  But after getting back to the apartment, I sliced the avocado open and gave bits at a time to baby Laura, who loved it; without ever trying it myself.  Until I moved to California; because- did you know?- they're growing in people's back yards around here.  And, as it turned out, I eat a couple a week nowadays.  At least.

But now look!  A recipe to mix it in a chocolate mousse.  The ultimate, don't you think?  I mean, at first it might seem kind of gnarly, but I bet it's delicious.  I will make this and I will enjoy it every day until the end of my days.

You?

[Full avocado chocolate mousse recipe via adventures in cooking]

Watercolor Meringues

Count this among the prettiest ideas.  Watercolor meringues.  Watercolor meringues!  I have no more words.

[full recipe via paper & stitch]

Hot Fudge Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream Sandwiches

 

I'm a little bit delayed with my posts for this week, but doesn't a good hot fudge chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream sandwich make it worth the wait?   I sure think so.  

[full ice cream sandwich recipe via half baked harvest]

Ombre and Color Block Donuts

I'm kind of flipping out over these ombre + color block donuts, aren't you?  For one, they look remarkably delectable.  And two, I'd love to have all that sugary color on my lips; like I'm at a trippy carnival. 

I want these so very very much but am currently without the extra energy and wherewithal to make them for myself.  However, I am open to receiving a care package of them if any one of you is feeling particularly generous... just putting that out there (wink wink.)

Check out the full recipe via paper + stitch.

Rainbow spinkles

Already I feel like I need a pick-me-up this morning.  Rainbow sprinkles are my go to food group of choice for such matters.  So, today... this: vanilla ice cream, topped with mounds of rainbow sprinkles wedged in between two waffle cone slices.  (yes, please.)

[photo via style me pretty]

These things / ice cream

 I've got ice cream on the brain.  Coffee ice cream (above)...

A beautiful scoop of good old fashioned strawberry ice cream...

... and something I would rarely venture out to try but just might now- blueberry ice cream with lemon curd.  

Oh, yum.

[ coffee ice cream / strawberry ice cream / blueberry lemon curd ice cream ]

You asked. I answered. / 1

Over the years of doing my thing here with my company and blog, I've received a fair amount of questions from customers and readers about my work and my life.  Recently, I opened it up for your questions and I got some pretty cute + sweet ones and some downright personal ones.  So I decided that now would be a good time to share these questions and my answers with you in a mini-series post format on this blog, starting today and spreading over the next couple of weeks. 

Today I'll start with an easy one...

Question from Erin: "What is your FAV dessert?"
 

Answer:  I am a great and fond lover of rainbow sprinkles.  I mostly love heaping mounds of them with chocolate soft serve ice cream on a sugar cone.  Cupcakes with rainbow sprinkles are also awesome.

It is necessary to add that I'll eat a piece of that Trader Joe's chocolate ganache cake every day for the rest of my life and, shoot, cotton candy in diabetic coma inducing intervals.

Also (and if I'm getting nostalgic...) Strawberry or Watermelon Bubblicious.

Also, again, Cookie Crisp cereal.

(I had a lot of cavities growing up.)

[Photo HERE]