Pleasure in Small Bites

Even if I always claim to never have had much of a sweet tooth, I’ll admit to enjoying a few bites of dessert. It doesn’t have to be gargantuan; in fact, small desserts always seem more special somehow. Nor must a dessert be rich. Serving some kind of fruit (fresh or dried) and offering a plate of cookies is really all that’s necessary for an elegant ending. If it’s berries, who could say no to a dollop of whipped cream (just beaten to very soft peaks and not too sweet)? With dessert wine or coffee, another option is to end with something dessert-like, but not a dessert per se, like Espresso-Hazelnut Bark, the Sweet-and-Salty Nut Brittle, or an assortment of diminutive one-bite treats. It’s also nice to enjoy something sweet in the afternoon, even making a bit of a ritual of it: I find the little Brown Butter Almond Cakes or the intense, sugary Golden Coconut Cookies are best that way.