Food for Thought

Food for Thought … with Vicki Bennington

Dessert 2.0!

Saving room for dessert is not that easy to do. But as I said not long ago --- that doesn’t stop me from having it. I just wait awhile. Even though I talked about desserts from a few different restaurants earlier this spring, I couldn’t miss the opportunity to let you in on a well-kept secret: Applebee’s has some of the best desserts around. Maybe it’s not a secret; maybe it was just me who was in the dark, but Vicki when I got a load of the “Blondie,” I was hooked. Cinnamon apples surBennington round a butter pecan brownie, topped with vanilla ice cream, sizzled and drizzled with caramel sauce and a sprinkle of candied pecans. That is good stuff!

My husband tried the “Triple Chocolate Meltdown,” described as warm, rich, fudge-filled chocolate cake drizzled with hot fudge and served with vanilla ice cream. If you like chocolate, you will love this one.

Of course, we sampled back and forth so we got a taste of both. My vote for the winner stays with the “Blondie,” but I wouldn’t turn down the chocolate meltdown either. The Applebee’s Grill and Bar in Glen Carbon served the desserts up right away – quick and easy. A couple of other options are the “Brownie Bite” or the “Blue Ribbon Brownie” with ice cream and hot fudge. There are some smaller options, too, if you just want a little taste of something sweet. They come in a little glass and look so pretty. Try the chocolate mousse shooter or the strawberry cheesecake or key lime pie shooter. Speaking of key lime pie – some friends of ours were talking about a past trip to the Florida Keys when they were on the hunt for the perfect key lime pie. If you can’t make it down that far south this summer, here’s a key lime pie recipe I found that I think sounds like it might get some high marks if it tastes as good as it sounds. I haven’t tried it yet, but that’s next on my list for this week – I have to have a good dessert for the weekend. Try it out and let me know how it scores on your list of best key lime pies – and maybe your comments, tips or successes will end up in one of my Food for Thoughts!

AUTHENTIC KEY LIME PIE Graham Cracker Crust

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs 1/3 cup sugar 7 tablespoons butter

Stir graham cracker crumbs and sugar together in a large bowl. Melt the butter, and pour over crumbs, stirring until well coated. Press mixture into the bottom and sides of pie pan. Bake in preheated 350 F oven for 10 minutes. Cool before filling.

Key Lime Filling

1/2 cup key lime juice; fresh squeezed or bottled (The flavor of key limes is more intense than regular limes. The others will work, but the flavor will be a little more subtle.) 3 teaspoons lime zest 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk 4 egg yolks

Whisk together the lime juice, lime zest, sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks in a bowl.

Pour into crust and bake for 15 to 16 minutes in a 350 F oven. The center will still be jiggly, but will continue to set as it cools. Let cool completely, then place in refrigerator for at least an hour before serving. Top with whipped cream and garnish with lime slices and lime zest.

Try it out. Send some pictures, let me know how it turns out.

Or if you don’t have the time to make your own, you can always stop by Applebee’s for the key lime pie shooter.

The Glen Carbon Applebee’s is located at 3600 S. State Route 159. There’s also a location in Alton at 319 Homer Adams Pkwy. and one at 1921 Vaughn Road in Wood River. So go ahead – “have your cake and eat it, too.”

In this column, Bennington shares her love of food and all that involves, from special dishes at local and regional restaurants to new trends and fads, and things to try at home. Contact her at vbennington@sbcglobal.net with comments, ideas or suggestions.

Applebee’s Blondie (Photos by Vicki Bennington)