Here's a new trend for 2007 that I like the sound of: drinkable desserts.

Last week I talked about after dinner drinks. (You can read the post here.) This goes one better... after dinner drinks that rival decadent desserts.

They're especially good for those dates that really want to have dessert, but for vanity reasons refuse to order one. ("Oh the Chocolate Mousse Tartlet Supreme looks sooooo wonderful, but my cousin's wedding is coming up...") With these drinks she can enjoy "dessert", but not feel so guilty after. I'm guessing the alcohol helps the "who cares?" attitude.

Recently Baileys® held a Drinkable Dessert Challenge to find the best new drinkable dessert recipes featuring their Irish Cream liqueur. After choosing five finalists in the professional division and five in the amateur division, a winner was selected from each. Dennis Frisk from New Castle, PA was chosen as the amateur winner for his “Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake in Mint Condition”, (top picture), and Jessica Taylor from Indianapolis, IN was chosen as the professional winner for “Mocha Mint Bavarian”. (I'm sensing that the judges had a thing for mint.)

Dennis says his inspiration came from the popularity and appeal of cheesecakes, and the varieties that appear on restaurant menus these days. Jessica says her inspiration came from the idea of adding mint to mousse. (There's a joke in there somewhere.)

Because I've always got your back, I am posting both recipes here.

www.baileys.com