Summer Sweets

When I was growing up you could tell what part of Summer it was based on what dessert we were making. Smores were an obvious all summer option, but I'm particular how I make mine. Strawberry shortcake was a strong July staple. Then to finish it off we would have Mexican Wedding Cake in August because it was my favorite and my birthday was the only tiime of year that I could get my grandma to make it for me. Let me explain each of these desserts. I may not be a picky eater but I am particular about how I like the classics.

Smores is a familiar dessert that has many embelishment options out there but in my option the most important ingredient is wood smoke. Marshmallows absorb the flavor of the wood and its the best way for a good woodsy flavor. Another unique point of how I make Smore's is that I don't use graham crackers. I start by tearing a small hole in the center of the marshmallow just big enough to insert a single Hershey's piece in. Then I run a metal cooking rod through the marshmallow and chocolate so that it holds it together during the cooking process. Personally I'm a fan of brown toasted marshmallows. To do that I catch my marshmallow on fire and let it burn for maybe roughly 5 seconds. It melts the chocolate and eliminates the need for graham crackers to hold everything together. My 'smores' are messy but delicious.

Strawberry shortcake was something that my family did for two reasons, fresh strawberries were easy to come by and it was easy to do a red, white and blue version. My family would start with a large batch of strawberries cut to quarters, or smaller depending on the size of the berry. After the fruit was cut we would coat it in sugar. Let the mix sit over night and it would create a syrupy fruit concoction that was great over some angel food cake.Honestly, I couldn't tell you if there is a specific difference in Angel food cake or short cake, but Angel food cake created the perfect balance with the strawberries. At least that is my personal opinion. The spongy cake would absorb the syrup from the berries and then we would top with whip cream. If we were enjoying this on the 4th of July we would sometimes use food die to color the whip cream blue. It was a good red, white and blue snack.

Lastly is Mexican wedding cake. To be honest, I couldn't tell you everything that goes into making this cake because my grandma has never explicitly shared the recipe. It is a moist cake that contains shredded pineapple and walnuts, much to my displeasure. My favorite part was the homemade creamcheese frosting that grandma would top it with. When fresh the cake was moist and delicious, but it was quick to dry out. After it dried out, I would put a piece in a bowl and pour milk over it to eat for breakfast. It drove my parents nuts that I would do that, which is probably why I only convinced them to make it once a year.

As summer progresses, I hope that you try some delicious options of your own. If you try some of my ideas or recommendations for a classic, I hope they taste amazing. Tis the season for smores. Don't let tradition stop you from expanding out and trying Strawberry shortcake or maybe Mexican wedding cake. It may be swimsuit season but dessert is always good for the dopamine receptors. .