Homemade ice cream is truly one of those treats you have to try at least once to fully appreciate just how great it is compared to store-bought varieties. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll eat just about any kind of ice cream that’s being offered, but most can’t compete to the creamy, fresh flavor made in your own kitchen.

When I entertain my favorite part of the meal is dessert. I enjoying looking through yummy dessert recipes, trying to decide which will be the perfect ending for the meal I have planned. I recently wrote about having a young family over for dinner along with my son and his wife.

New Years is just around the corner, and I’m planning on having a small get-together with some friends and family. Of course, dessert is my favorite part of the meal and is usually the “show-stopper” of my dinners. I’ve made a lot of cakes, cookies and bars lately, and want to serve something a little more…exciting. Something that would impress and entertain my guests.

Bread pudding is totally new territory for me. I’m told that many people enjoy this dessert during the holidays or as a special treat, but I was skeptical and never felt inclined to try it out. Honestly, “bread pudding”? Who named this stuff? I’m not much of a pudding fan to begin with, so I definitely don’t want bread thrown in there.

My husband is a man of consistency. This is displayed in qualities that I love - like loyalty to his friends and steadfastness in his work ethic. It also surfaces in habits that drive me crazy - like always ordering the same sub, when there are a dozen other delicious sandwiches to try! It's not that he's a picky eater, he just knows what he likes and doesn't want to mess with that.

I have a friend, Barb, who I have known most of my life.  She is married and busy raising two kids (shout out to Ben and Amy) in the state of Washington.  Fortunately, she still has family in Minnesota so I see her a couple of times each year when she comes home for a visit.  We have one of those relationships where we just start where we left off the last time we were together.  We can talk for hours.  Often we will meet for dinner and we always, I mean always, have dessert.  Our hands-down favorite is a bowl of vanilla ice cream topped with Easy Hot Fudge Sauce. 

Now that school is out for the summer, I’m already planning my entertaining. We have a deck on our roof, and the Taste of Minnesota food festival sets off fireworks four nights in a row. It’s pretty spectacular, and a great time for us to have friends over for dessert before the fireworks. The parties usually involve kids, so I like to make a dessert that is kid-friendly but also fabulous for adults. I choose Puff Pastry Stars with Custard Sauce, and I know it will be a hit. The flavors are simple and yet fantastic – creamy custard sauce with a hint of white chocolate, plus puff pastry cut-outs dusted with powdered sugar, and a sprinkling of berries. It’s easy to get everything ready in the morning or the day before, and just assemble before serving. The kids could even add their own berries and stars just for fun!