Dessert Club - Ingredient Exchange

 Remember way, way back last month, we did a white elephant ingredient gift exchange.  Everyone brought a wrapped, <$10, nonperishable ingredient.  We drew numbers, and opened gifts, or stole them, in that order.  So fun.  Exciting, to see what everyone got.

The only thing more exciting was seeing what we made with them!  Creativity truly abounded.  Cookies.  Bonbons. Whoopie pies.  Breads.  And more than one cheesecake, which no one minded at all.

Double Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding (mine)
Ingredient: Ghiradelli dark and white chocolate bars

 I simply took my FAVORITE bread pudding, which I've had a lot lately because I made it for both Christmas and New Year's, and unfortunately I never get sick of, and used half dark chocolate, half white.  I had the one serving of leftovers a few mornings later for breakfast, warmed up.  Best comfort food EVER.

Banana Split Truffles
Ingredient: Thai Banana Flavoring

 As usual, we had a really tight vote.  One two-way tie, and another second-place two-way tie.  These were one of the close second place contenders - they actually tasted like a banana split!  Amazing!

Cinna-bon Cheesecake
Ingredient: cinnamon chips

Hazelnut Shortbread
Ingredient: toasted hazelnut flour 

 The other very close contender for second place - I LOVED these cookies!

Ban-offee Whoopie Pies
Ingredient: dulce de leche

Spiced Pineapple Tart-Brioche
Ingredient: pineapple juice powder 

Coconut Cheesecake with White Chocolate Crunch
Ingredients: coconut sugar, roasted coconut chips, white chocolate pearls 

White Chocolate Apricot Bars
Ingredient: fiori di sicilia 

And now we come to the winners.  After 2 1/2 years of Dessert Club, I'm finally resigned to the fact that we have more ties that not.  So sometimes I'll have two prizes, just to avoid the constant tiresome tie-breaking.  Both of these were decidedly deserving, and basically totally perfect in every way.  Not to mention impressively creative in how they interpreted and used their ingredient.

Russian Rose Bread
Ingredient: marshmallow hot chocolate mix

 You would not believe how amazing this bread tastes, especially since you are so staring at how amazing it looks.  Apparently, it's "easy" to make.  I will get that recipe and post it for you; we can all be the judge.

Marscapone Cheesecake with Balsamic Strawberries
Ingredient: frozen hand-picked strawberries

 Also extremely amazing - I cannot wait to make this myself.  But I think I can wait a few weeks, at least, before eating more cheesecake.  Whew!  It was a rich, but delicious, night.