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We're not advocates of eliminating whole food groups altogether; everything in moderation, of course. But at least one of us around here is able to polish off half a pie or a more-than-half-full quart of ice cream without blinking. Which means that while cutting out dessert entirely is an unlikely feat, eating smaller treats is doable.

It's true that eating a mini dessert is really no different than cutting a small piece of cake or eating only part of a large brownie, but there's something psychologically satisfying about having a whole "something," even if it's a two-bite cupcake.

Plus, it's so easy to make any recipe work on a smaller scale. Cupcakes can be made in mini muffin tins. Cookies can be quarter-sized and baked in half the time. Puddings can be chilled in individually-sized glasses, and pies can be made into tiny tarts. In fact, we've covered most of these ideas at some point...

Take a look:
• Chocolate Pecan Mini-Tarts from the Best Pie Bakeoff
• Nearly-Instant Apple Cinnamon Mini-Tarts
• Mini Chocolate Ice Cream Sodas
• Mini Molasses Cookies with Lemon Filling
• Entertaining Tip: Individual-Sized Desserts

The trick becomes resisting the urge to eat a dozen of the mini desserts. But we think it's easier to have self control when we're counting one, two, three... What about you? Any tips on limiting dessert?

Related: Tip: Freezing Cookie Dough

(Image: Flickr member Bright_Star, licensed under Creative Commons)