Happy National Dessert Day!
Origin
It is fall. Which means it is baking season. Which means it is that time of year when you can bake treats for no specific reason other than to fill your home with the aroma of all kinds of pies, cakes, cookies, and other goodies. So really, National Dessert Day could not come at a better time. It’s a day when we can have our cake and eat it too. Take a short hiatus from your diet and tell the part of you that resists dessert on most days to shut its pie hole (pun intended.) The word dessert comes from the French word desservir, “to clean the table”, and that makes sense to me because there is nothing that can make me clear away those dinner dishes faster than the idea that dessert is coming. There is no clear origin of the holiday, but do we really care?
The idea of dessert also helps me remember the difference in spelling between dessert and desert. Which one has the double s? Well, would you want two desserts or two deserts? Boom. Best spelling reminder ever. Spelling has never been my strong suit, and I find myself picturing two desserts and one desert in my head to this day.
How to Celebrate
Have a dessert party! Have everyone bring a favorite dessert as well as the recipe, and provide blank cards for copying and exchanging. It’s a great way to share yummy treats, and you can bet that people will actually come.
Go traditional. Find an old family recipe and try to recreate Grandma’s scrumptious snickerdoodles, Aunt Laura’s famous fudge, or Mom’s perfect pumpkin pie. Don’t take shortcuts, really dive in and slave over that pie crust until it works.
If you have dietary issues that keep you from enjoying typical desserts, check out all of the great alternatives to traditional desserts and find something that you can splurge on! There really is a lot out there, and though it can take more effort, use today as an excuse to find a recipe for a tempting treat that works for you.
Quote(s)
“Absolutely eat dessert first. The thing that you want to do the most, do that.” – Joss Whedon
“I’d give up chocolate, but I’m no quitter!” – Unknown Featured image via Shutterstock
