What Many Mums Look For In Dessert Recipes

Many mums would agree that menu planning could at times be as complicated as rocket science. If they could squeeze it in the monthly budget, they would gladly hire a think tank to work through the different factors to be considered (individual preferences, sensitivities, cost, etc.) and come up with a menu that will work.

Such mums are not particularly demanding. They don’t require a menu so perfect that it would inspire publications for a feature story. They just want something that will sufficiently nourish the family without garnering complaints or wastage.

Admittedly, most of the teeth-gnashing deliberation usually involves the main course. Dessert is generally more fun to plan, but many mums concur that they would prefer dessert recipes that bear the following attributes or elements:

Easy to make – Who has time to slave for hours on end over a dish that will be consumed in no less than 10 minutes? Many mums prefer recipes with simple instructions. They tend to shy away from ones that have complicated steps and require technical skills not commonly mastered even by long-time cooks. It would actually be nicer if the recipe is easy enough for kids to follow so that mum can share the task with them.

Cheap to make – It would be all right to indulge in expensive desserts every now and then, but mums generally prefer to make something that doesn’t break the bank. To ensure that they serve up affordable desserts, many mums try to keep things simple with only a few ingredients.

Available ingredients – This requirement goes hand in hand with affordability. Mums usually learn early on about the virtue of eating local. Exotic ingredients are not only hard to find, but are often exorbitantly priced as well. For regular desserts, it’s best to use ingredients that are already in the cupboard, are available in the local supermarket, or, better yet, are growing in the garden.

Healthy ingredients – Copy tends to use adjectives like sinful and decadent for rich desserts. While a rare indulgence is perfectly okay, partaking in a daily sugary treat is probably not a good habit to breed. Fortunately, there are plenty of sugar-free dessert recipes available online.

Keeps well – Mums often make a big batch of something, serve a portion of it right away, and freeze the rest for future consumption. Most desserts do not spoil easily because of the sugar content, but there are ingredients that simply don’t freeze well, such as fruits with a high water content or dairy products that separate when frozen.

Kid-friendly – Kids can be very picky, and their taste buds are often not yet sophisticated enough to enjoy those acquired tastes. Of course, there are children who are oriented early on with fancy or exotic dishes, but, generally speaking, they tend to be finicky about things that are unfamiliar.

It’s almost a crime to botch up dessert. To make sure that they don’t make a mistake, smart mums look for the above qualities in a recipe.


About the author:

Karren Colstone works as a food critic. She has been in this field for five years now. Her specialty is desserts but she also has a background in other types of food. She visits sites like http://www.mumslounge.com.au/ to gain more knowledge about the food industry.