Unique Mother's Day Desserts

Ingredients

• 1 box of chocolate pudding mix, prepared and ready to go
• 1 cup sliced strawberries, fresh or frozen
• 5 tablespoons sugar (divided in half)
• 1 cup of heavy whipping cream

Instructions

1. In a plastic bowl, sprinkle half of the sugar over strawberry slices and mix gently. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill for about an hour.
2. In another bowl, use an electric beater to beat whipping cream until soft peaks form.
3. Add sugar to taste, a 1/2 teaspoon as a time, beating for ten seconds after each addition - but try not to over beat or the whipped cream will get too thick.
4. Remove 2 tablespoons from the strawberry mixture and set aside.
5. Mix the remaining strawberries into whipped cream until well incorporated.
6. Into two large wine glasses, scoop 1/4 cup of chocolate pudding and smooth out with the back of a spoon.
7. Layer with 1/4 cup of strawberry whipped cream and continue layering pudding and cream until glasses are full.
8. Top with the reserved strawberry mixture and serve.

Ice Cream in a Melon Half

This simple dessert takes just minutes to make, yet is still visually impressive. If you eat the cantaloupe, too, there will be less guilt!

Ingredients

• 1 fresh, whole cantaloupe
• 1 quart vanilla ice cream
• 1/4 cup heated caramel sauce
• A handful of finely chopped nuts
• 2 pirouette straw cookies (optional)

Instructions

1. Cut the cantaloupe in half and use a spoon to scrape out any seeds and thready bits.
2. Fill each half with a scoop of ice cream, then drizzle with caramel sauce and sprinkle with nuts. # Serve each "bowl" with a straw cookie so it looks like a big ice cream float.

Berries and Cream

If you're looking for a simple yet elegant Mothers Day dessert, you can't go wrong with fruit and cream!

Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 cups total of at least three different kinds of sweet fruit such as strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, bananas, etc.
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt, such as fleur de sel

Instructions

1. Pour whipping cream and sugar into a heavy mixing bowl and beat on high with a hand beater until cream forms soft peaks.
2. Add sugar to taste, a 1/2 teaspoon as a time, beating for ten seconds after each addition. Do not over beat or you will end up with butter!
3. Scoop a handful of berries into two bowls and sprinkle each very lightly with 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt.
4. Give fruit a good stir, then drop a large dollop of whipped cream into each bowl.
5. Serve immediately or the whipped cream will run, due to the moisture in the fruit.