Jan D'Atri

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caramel sauce

Chocolate Bombs & Chocolate Domes

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Generally in this column, I feature heritage recipes that have been
much loved and passed down from one generation to the next. Perhaps these recipes were once a trendy dish and now they are a part of a family’s tradition. But what makes a recipe trend in the first place? The answer is, who knows? In the last few years we’ve seen some pretty crazy food trends like Cragels (croissant and bagel combination) and Cronuts (croissant and donut combo), Avocado Toast, Bacon Crack, Zoodles, Acai bowls, Poke, Pho, rainbow cakes and anything Instant Pot.

The latest crazes are Chocolate Bombs and Chocolate Domes. Chocolate Bombs are large molded hollow shells made from chocolate coating and filled with fun things like marshmallows, cocoa powder and small pieces of chocolate candy. The idea is to put the bomb in your coffee mug, let it melt and then stir the contents into the hot liquid. Also part of the trend is to make or buy a small wooden mallet to crack open the chocolate bomb.

The second fad is the Chocolate Dome, a half circle made by dipping a balloon into the chocolate coating. Then! You take hot caramel sauce and pour it over the shell and it melts open to reveal a secret dessert inside like a brownie ala mode.

Will these ideas fade or will they become a permanent staple in the dessert category? Again, the answer is, who knows! For now, I say have fun with the fads and share the experiences!

Watch my How To Video for the Chocolate Dome here!

Samoa Dessert Lasagne

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Uh Oh. Maybe that’s what I should re-name this dessert… because it’s a bit dangerous.

Or maybe irresistible is a better word. If you love Samoa Girl Scout Cookies, or the combination of caramel, toasted coconut and chocolate, you’re going to love Samoa Dessert Lasagne! I’m not sure how the “lasagna” got in there, but this treat does have layer upon layer of flavor starting with the crispy cookie crust to the drizzle of caramel on top! That cook crust has an American classic cookie as a base, Nilla Wafers! The Nilla’s get ground up and combined with melted butter and toasted coconut to create the perfect firm base for this delicious treat.

A word about the coconut flakes. When you toast the flakes in a hot, dry skillet, keep stirring or the flakes can burn. You’ll want to toast them just to a golden brown, and that’s when the real flavor of coconut comes through!

There are plenty of store-bought caramel sauces on the market. I chose Smucker’s for this recipe, and of course, you can make your own homemade caramel sauce pretty easily with sugar (brown or white), butter and milk or cream.

Finally for the chocolate drizzle on top, melted chocolate chips or a chocolate coating gives this decadent dessert a final touch. Once you try this treat, you’ll know why it’s called Gimme Samoa!

Watch my How to Video for Gimme Samoa Dessert Lasagne here!