Desert? Dessert???

When I was a little girl learning how to spell, my older brother, Evan, taught me a little trick that would help me remember when to use “desert” vs “dessert”.

TBH, I’m pretty glad that he taught me this trick because I still see people mix up the two – IN COLLEGE!!

We are so focused on memorizing the Kreb’s cycle that we don’t think twice about adding an extra “s” to “desert” or not.

The trick is to think of what you want to experience/ have twice – would you rather experience the desert twice or have two desserts??? The one you want to experience 2x would determine which gets two “s”s

Ironically, as a dietetics major studying the Kreb’s cycle, I learned that more isn’t necessarily more satisfying. In fact, clinical psychologist Jean Kristeller, PhD said,

“Our taste buds are chemical sensors that tire quickly. The first few bites of a food taste better than the next few bites, and after a large amount, we may have very little taste experience at all.”

Eating food, like dessert, should be about satisfaction in quality, not quantity. This is where the “three-bite” concept comes into play.

When having a mindful dessert indulgence, treat yourself to 3 bites of the dessert. This allows you to experience the satisfying bites and to be more mindful with those bites. THAT is why I like this recipe – they are portioned out, allowing for more mindfulness with each bite.

This recipe is also FAB because it is made from VERY pure ingredients!! The secret ingredient in this recipe will surprise you… and YES – it is still creamy and DELISH !!

RECIPE

CHEESECAKE FILLING

• 2 cups raw cashews
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 3/4 cup honest maple syrup
• 1 T vanilla

CRUST

• 1 1/2 cup pitted medjool dates
• 1 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions

1. Soak the cashews in water for 8 hours or overnights
2. Microwave the pitted dates for 20 seconds
3. Blend walnuts then blend in the microwaved pitted dates
4. Set aside the crust mixture in a small bowl
5. In a muffin tin, press in the crust and freeze to firm
6. In a clean food processor or blender, blend cashews, lemon juice, coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla until smooth
7. Divide the filling into the crust filled muffin tin
8. Top each cheesecake muffin with frozen berries
9. Freeze until the cheesecake is firm

I hope you enjoy!!

xx hails

PS – try to not have the “more isn’t necessarily more satisfying” affect the spelling of your “deSSert”!!

Recipe inspired by The Minimalist Baker & Chocolate Covered Katie!