I have a pretty serious sweet tooth, which means my evening meal doesn't feel complete without a little something sweet. Since dessert is a daily ritual, I save cakes, cookies and ice cream for occasionally treats, and instead put together a small spread of healthy yet satisfying bites. Let's call it a dessert mezze.
Like Faith, dates have become a staple sweet for me, particularly Barhi dates, which have a caramel-like flavor and smooth texture. I like the contrast of the dates' sugariness with the toasty crunch of nuts, usually almonds or pistachios. In-season fruit from the farmers market adds freshness and a little tartness to the plate, and a few chocolate-covered cranberries or cherries cover any chocolate cravings.
I alternate bites, savoring in particular the taste of a nut after eating a date, or the chocolate after a piece of fruit. For me, having a variety of tastes on one plate and eating them thoughtfully makes this collection of small nibbles quite satisfying.
Do you ever eat an assortment of sweets like this? What do you like to include?
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yup - i love this stuff.
last night, i made my boyfriend his birthday dinner, albeit a week late, but we had both been too busy to get it together. he said he wanted something light for dessert so i found some good, early strawberries, late oranges some raw mixed nuts and dark chocolate. he loved it and it's simple enough that you can just leave it on the coffee table so you can cuddle and nibble at the end of a long day.
we often have dried fruit for dessert, it definitely satisfies the sweet tooth: dried mangoes, dates, cherries, banana chips, etc. we are a vegetarian family and if I feel like it hasn't been a protein-rich day I might mix up some greek yogurts with a drizzle of maple syrup too.
i make dessert snack plates all the time! usually it involves a piece of pastry (like a brownie bite) frozen fruit (like grapes) and hot chocolate.