Each week, WCCO’s host and resident expert on food, Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl, will share a few recipes and places for our listeners to check out.  Makes sure you visit each week for simple ideas and easy ways to bring the best food “off the menu” and onto your plates at home!

This week it’s some easy desserts to make at home!  Recipes for 3/2/13:

 Three Easy Peasy Dessert ideas, featuring cheese:

Fancy restaurants often end meals with a cheese course, it’s a great way to experience a ton of flavor, without spending hours over the stove, and without adding calorie-and-sugar overload to a bountiful meal.

Blue Cheese and honey

Serve a small slice of blue cheese on a cayenne shortbread cookie like those from the St. Paul Company A Gourmet Thyme Too.  Top with local honey, such as that from Ames Farm.  If you don’t have a shortbread cookie handy, a slice of fresh apple or pear will work well.

Chèvre, (fresh goat cheese) and Caramel

Serve a fresh round of chèvre, that is, fresh goat cheese, with a simple homemade caramel sauce (sugar cooked till dark brown) beside fresh grapes.

Mascarpone Strawberries

Combine equal parts mascarpone cheese and sweetened, vanilla-touched whipped cream. Take strawberries and remove leaves and hull with a melon baller or paring knife. Insert mascarpone blend into strawberries with a spoon, or pipe in using a pastry bag. Alternately, simply serve a scoop of the cheese in a dessert glass with a mix of fresh berries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, or some combination.

For more ideas, send your questions to us and listen each Saturday at 11:00AM for “Ask Dara”!