Arroz con Leche is a Mexican rice pudding made with sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, whole milk, and plenty of cinnamon.

This heartwarming dish offers a taste of tradition and comfort to anyone lucky enough to taste its creamy goodness. Arroz con Leche is a crowd-pleaser every time we make it.

What is Arroz con Leche?

Arroz con leche, which translates to “rice with milk” in English, is a sweet rice pudding enjoyed across Spanish-speaking regions worldwide.

This is a Mexican rice pudding recipe made with sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, whole milk, and plenty of cinnamon.

While the ingredient list is about as basic as a dessert recipe can get, the result is a rich, creamy, flavorful dessert that we absolutely love.

Arroz con Leche

As soon as I opened my friend Krysten’s cookbook and spied her recipe for Arroz con Leche, I knew that recipe needed to be made as soon as possible. Luckily, with a handful of ingredients I already had on hand, I was stirring this together in less than an hour.

There are so many awesome, easy-to-make recipes in this cookbook, it really is named appropriately: So Easy & So Yummy!

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Puff pastry baklava bites are delightful, bite-sized treats that offer a modern twist on the traditional Greek dessert, baklava. These miniature pastries are made by filling buttery, flaky puff pastry cups with a sweet honey and nut filling.

About 20 years ago, my brother-in-law introduced me to baklava by way of a Christmas gift. It was his favorite food at the time, so we picked up an enormous tray of baklava and carefully gift-wrapped it for him.

On Christmas Eve, he opened his gift and the joy was palpable. He shared it with us and I loved it from the first bite. Since then, I’ve happily enjoyed baklava at every opportunity.

Baklava with Puff Pastry

My friend Lynne made this baklava while visiting me once upon a time (and I happily devoured the delicious results) but I’ve never so much as tried my hand at making it at home. As you already know, I rarely spend that kind of time on a single recipe. (Not that it never happens, but it’s a rarity for sure.)

The moment I saw Baklava Bites in the Brilliant Bites cookbook, I knew I’d be making them as soon as possible. It’s such a smart idea! Flaky, buttery, puff pastry forms the shell for an irresistible filling of roasted nuts, honey, and warm spices.

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Freshly brewed espresso is poured over creamy vanilla ice cream to create Affogato, an Italian dessert that is a marriage made in flavor heaven.

Affogato

As a bona fide, lifelong lover of homemade ice cream, Affogato is an absolute dream come true. It’s the perfect blend of hot and cold, as the warm espresso meets cool ice cream.

Because the ingredients are not mixed or blended, you end up with a wonderful range of colors, textures, flavors, and temperatures in this recipe. Eating it is such a treat, because each bite is a slightly different experience.

What is an Affogato?

If you’re wondering “What is an affogato?”, it’s really quite simple. Affogato is simply a shot of espresso poured of a scoop of gelato or ice cream. That’s it. No stirring required, just start eating.

The hot and bitter espresso is cooled and sweetened by the ice cream, while the freezing cold ice cream is softened and warmed by the espresso. Together, they become something more, something magical.

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Praline Pecans are a Southern delight blending velvety caramel and crisp pecans. Born from sugar, butter, and cream alchemy, they offer a harmonious contrast of textures.

Rooted in tradition, these treats encapsulate the essence of the South’s flavors, perfect alone or enhancing desserts with their irresistible charm.

Praline Pecans

Pecan pralines (also known simply as pralines) are a type of sweet candied nut made primarily from sugar, butter, cream, and pecans. Pralines have a distinct creamy texture and a rich, caramelized flavor.

To make them, butter and sugar are cooked until a sauce begins to form. The pecans are then stirred in to coat them well. Then the pecans are transferred to parchment and separated to cool.

What are Praline Pecans?

The resulting pecans are softer with a slightly grainy finish due to the crystallization of the sugar. They’re usually round or irregularly shaped and can vary in size.

Pecan pralines are enjoyed as a standalone candy or used to add a sweet and nutty element to various desserts, like ice creams, cakes, and pies.

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When you know how to make homemade vanilla whipped cream, everything from fresh fruit to pancakes becomes a delightfully decadent treat.

If there is one thing you need to know how to make from scratch, I vote that you know how to make whipped cream. Consider it a life skill.

Did you grow up scooping cool whip onto pie? or squirting it from those handy cans – sometimes straight into your mouth? My mom was team cool whip for every holiday and I never gave it a second thought.

My sister first introduced me to freshly whipped cream on Thanksgiving day many years ago. Watching her pour cream into the bowl and then beat it into fluffy peaks was a game-changer for me.

This vanilla whipped cream draws a “WOW” from guests every time. It’s as if no one knows how easy it is to make. I can speak to that from experience.

Once you taste homemade whipped cream, you will never go back. Your tastebuds and your family won’t let you.

Vanilla Whipped Cream

My family will happily put whipped cream on just about everything. When I finally triumphed over Gluten Free Pancakes years ago, I wanted to make them extra special. I had fresh raspberries in the refrigerator and decided to whip some cream for a special treat.

My youngest son called it “ice cream” and we all thought the flavor was a perfect match for our favorite vanilla ice cream.

Subtly sweet, richly vanilla flavored, and slightly melted into the fluffy pancakes: that became an immediate favorite pancake topping for the whole family. I’ve been whipping cream to top pancakes almost every weekend since then.

I’m trying to talk myself out of baking something now for dessert tonight, if only so I can make another bowl of whipped cream to top it. Writing about fluffy bowls of vanilla whipped cream makes me crave it all over again!

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