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Per Se, Morimoto, Degustation, and Bouloud for dessert!

This is kind of embarassing, but we're supposed to be honest here right? Just to be clear, these are *guilty* pleasures...

1. Butterscotch Krimpets (eat them quickly so no one notices and then lick off any icing stuck to the plastic)
2. Real whipped cream straight...a little dash of vanilla, high peaks, and then into my mouth!
3. Swedish fish (wow...I don't think I've ever told anyone how I feel about swedish fish)

Desserts I would not mind being caught with and would like in front of me this instant:
Sprungli
warm chocolate chip cookies
hot fresh Krispy Kreme glazed donuts
mint chocolate chip ice cream

Oh, this is no contest. I was lucky enough to grow up with a father who was a chef. Special occasions were and still are incredible food-centered events in my family. My most-oft requested birthday dessert was Kahlua Trifle. I don't know where I tasted it first, but from about age 8 and onwards, I have always associated this scrumptious dessert with my birthday and the happiest moments of my childhood. Of course, I had no idea that there was alcohol in it until I reached my teens!! I had always called it "Double Trouble" after the color scheme, apparently it reminded me of a pair of villains on Carmen Sandiego (remember that show?!). Now, I can't help but think that the combination of the rich pudding, pounds of fresh whipped cream, and kahlua soaked chocolate cake could make anyone giddy...But as a kid, I knew it was a special and magical treat for me - the birthday girl.

For anyone that doesn't know Kahlua Trifle, here's a rough breakdown of the ingredients:

Chocolate cake, cubed, soaked in chilled kahlua for a few hours
Chocolate pudding (*my brother always called it "gooding" as a kid; how appropriate, no?)
Whipped cream or Cool Whip
Heath bar bits

Layer until the trifle bowl is filled and sprinkle with heath bar bits. YUM!