This recipe from Sharoncb has gotten rave reviews lately. There is a picture on the attached thread

LEMON GRAHAM SLICE

1 1/2 cups (350 mL) Graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup (75 mL) packed brown sugar
1/2 teasp (2 mL) baking powder
1/8 teasp (0.5 mL) salt
1/2 cup (125 mL) butter or margarine

10 oz (284 mL)sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup (125 mL) lemon juice
1 teasp (5 mL) vanilla

Bottom Layer

Crumble first 5 ingredients together well and pack into 9 x 9 inch (22 x 22 cm) ungreased pan. Set aside.

Top Layer

Combine milk, lemon juice and vanilla in bowl and stir. Spread over bottom layer.
Bake in 350°F (180°C) oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool and cut into 36 squares.

Source: "Company's Coming" - 150 Delicious Squares
Jean Paré

My Note: As a dessert slice it into larger portions and serve with whipped cream.

SharonCb

Here is another light, yet delicious dessert,
Lemon Custard Cakes (carol)

3 large eggs separated
1/2 Cup granulated sugar
2 Tbl all-purpose flour
2 to 3 teaspoons grated lemon zest (1 lemon)
1/4 Cup fresh lemon juice
1 Cup milk
1/4 Tsp salt
Confectioners sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350. Set a kettle of water to boil. Butter six 6-ounce custard cups and place in a dish towel-lined baking dish or roasting pan.

In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until light; whisk in flour. Gradually whisk in lemon juice, then milk and zest.

With an electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Add to lemon batter and fold in gently with a whisk (batter will be quite liquid).

Divide batter among prepared custard cups; place baking dish in oven and fill with boiling water to reach halfway up sides of cups. Bake until puffed and lightly browned (but pudding is still visible in bottom), 20 to 25 minutes. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature, dusted with confectioners sugar.... from Everyday Food

Here is a link that might be useful: LEMON GRAHAM SLICE

Some of my favorite desserts are:

Baked Apples with Vanilla Rum Sauce (the kind wrapped in pie dough and baked)

Triffles. My favorite is peach and raspberry, but also had one someone else made that had lemon curd and some homemade candied lemon slices and some crushed lemon drops that was to die for. Always wanted to get that recipe!

Italian Rum Cream Cake with slivered almonds. White/Yellow rummified cake with creamy rich mascarpone cheese filling, then frosted in more rummified sweet whipped cream and lots of lightly toasted slivered almonds all over it.

I like a Texas Chocolate Cake as a base of a Chocolate Sundae. Lots of nuts, rich rice cream, but very small and served on a small plate and with demitasse or espresso.

I love simple vanilla ice cream served with creme de menthe over it. You can make the ice cream into molds and then serve that on top of a piece of pound cake, then drizzle creme de menthe mixed into chocolate, or use a fudge and pipe it on for a pretty look and flavor.

Nothing is more elegant to me than a big Williamsburg Cake! I love the orange flavors and the multi-layers with frosting can't be beat!

Cookies are always good. Another easy party dessert is to serve bowls of really good vanilla ice cream with an assortment of toppings in the center of the table. If it was me, with the salsa for a starter I'd serve a flan for dessert.

Sounds pretty casual...
How about a build your own sundae bar?

Couple of flavors of ice cream, syrups and toppings. Fun!

Deanna

I got this from a thread titled "Easy No Fail recipes"...They had me at "Easy" - lol.

It was posted by Ginger - i think on the recipe exchange and was recommended by someone else, too. I haven't tried it yet.

WORLD'S FASTEST STRAWBERRY MOUSSE (serves 2-4)- ginger
One 10 oz pkg frozen sweetened strawberries
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Mix all ingredients in the blender & freeze. Serve in sherbet glasses.~~River Road Recipes

Kahlua brownies are really good. Very fudgy! I've made them twice now and both times they disappeared too quickly.

I like the idea of a cookie/brownie platter with a few choices, ot the sundea bar. This sounds very casual and it is always fun to have some variety. With a cookie platter you can move it wherever is comfortable after dinner and people can pick at it while they chat. I often do this with groups of friends, that way if someone is not ready for dessert, they can have some when they want it. I have a pod coffee maker so I just put out a variety of pods and stuff to mix in (cream, milk, sugar, sugar sub, flavorings) and people can pick and choose what they want to drink. I just pop the pod in and brew the cup of coffee for them and they help themselves to what they like in it. I also put out tea for those who prefer it like my MIL.

When I need a quick down-home comfort food dessert, I make a simple chocolate pudding cake. While the cake's in the oven, melt down a jar of seedless raspberry jam & pour into a squirt bottle. To serve, drizzle some of the melted raspberry jam in an attractive design on a clear glass plate. Top with a scoop of the warm pudding cake...finish with a dollop of whipped cream. It's easy, inexpensive, & always a crowd pleaser.

Lemon pudding cake served with the same melted raspberry jam is also great.

/tricia

Oh wow! I leave for the afternoon and come back to find my dessert problem solved. Now I just need to choose which suggestion. I like the idea of flan, but I've never made it so I'm a bit leary of trying it for the first time on guests.
khandi, Is the kahlua brownie a mix or do you have the recipe? I like jcroweley's idea because I have a Kuerig coffee maker that I can use.
Again, thanks to everyone and I'll let you know what I do.
DH still wants bread pudding!!
Whistle

If your husband really wants bread pudding, but you're worried about too much bread, make it with croissants instead of bread, and maybe dried cherries or cranberries instead of raisins (if you do this, leave out the cinnamon/nutmeg and maybe use a splash of Grand Marnier or orange extract instead). It's wonderful, and different enough. I like it served with a Creme Anglaise, but it's also good with a simple sauce of pureed frozen berries with just a bit of sugar and a dollop of whipped cream.

Here's the recipe. The first time I made it, I didn't brush the top with Kahlua. I did the second time I made them and it's really good! (See my Notes at the end of the recipe.)

Kahlua Brownies

(Kahlua.com)

1/2 cup butter
3 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
1½ cups sugar
3 eggs
1½ cups all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup Kahlúa®

Heat oven to 350° F (180° C)

Grease an 8 X 8 inch cake pan.

Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt, and set aside.

In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and chocolate, stirring frequently until smooth.

Remove the saucepan from heat, and let cool.

Beat eggs and sugar until light. Mix in cooled chocolate mixture and Kahlúa® flour mixture. Spread in the cake pan and bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Cool slightly, then brush the top with about 1-2 tablespoons of Kahlúa®. Cut into squares

NOTES:

I set the timer for 30 minutes cuz I usually don't bake brownies for longer time. However, it took the whole 40 minutes. Must be because of the Kahlua. They are fudgy!

I used a 100g bar of 70% cocoa chocolate cuz I didn't have unsweetened baking chocolate.

Once the chocolate and butter were melted and cooled, I added the Kahlua. Added this mixture to the sugar/egg mixture, then mixed in the flour. All was done by hand, no mixer.

Ina Garten's lemon bars. MMMmmmmm.....