wipe out

With power out for five days my frig and freezer were a complete loss. Needless to say it’s time to restock, and not just with milk and mayo. Entertaining with success means planning ahead. Easy to do with a well-stocked freezer. Nothing beats “bookends” you can pull out of the deep freeze. Time to replenish a couple of those canapés and desserts that help make a party come together in a snap.

Cheese puff cups and petite fudge cakes are an impressive way to begin and end any night.

For the cheese puff cups with fig preserves combine cream cheese, onion, eggs and cayenne pepper in a bowl.

Spoon into Athens Mini Fillo Shells.

Top with a ¼ tsp of fig preserves.

Return to plastic tray, cover with plastic wrap.

Stow back in the box and freeze.

For the petite fudge cakes weigh out 5 ounces of premium semi sweet chocolate.

Melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave on 50% power.

In another bowl combine the sugar, flour, pinch of salt, and eggs. Stir with a spoon until combined.

Stir in the chocolate mixture along with the vanilla.

Spoon the batter into lined small muffin tins. Bake at 325 degrees for approximately 12 minutes be careful not to over bake, the cakes should be gooey in the center. Cool completely.

Dust lightly with confectioner’s sugar.

Place in a Ziploc bag and freeze.

Here’s a sweet twist- petite dulce de leche sundaes. Using a melon baller or small ice cream scoop top each petite fudge cake with a small scoop of premium vanilla icre cream.

In Dayton nothing beats Graeters.

Warm a few spoonfuls of dulce de leche in a microwave safe bowl on 50% power for one minute.

Drizzle caramel sauce over the ice cream and serve.

Note: Hours ahead of time take the paper liners off the cakes, cover and put back in the freezer. Make the ice cream balls ahead of time too, place in a bowl, cover and freeze. When’s it’s time to serve, warm the sauce and assemble.