Trendiest Desserts Of 2013 (Guest)

Today’s post is brought to you by a guest poster, Betty, via MyBlogGuest.

Desserts are often the ultimate indulgence. In a world where people are more health conscious than ever before, desserts seem like a nice treat now and then. Wondering what you might see on the dessert menus of 2013? Here are a few hot tips on what the trends might be.

Ethnicity Matters: It seems that on main menus an ethnic flavor of the year tends to appear, and this trend has moved toward the world of desserts, too. Southeast Asian flavors are moving to make quite a dominant presence this year, even in the sweeter treats, but don’t be surprised to see a mix of ethnic influences in your desserts. From fruity Italian influences to Asian ginger flavors, you may see several surprising pairings from around the world.

Individual Diet Matters: People are moving toward a gluten free world now more than ever before. Some are headed toward lactose-free, too. There are even some who are going sugar free. Expect to see all of those trends on your dessert menu. As these diets pop up all over the culinary map, there are chefs thinking about how to get around them at every course. One walk down the grocery store aisle will tell you that there are gourmet cookies that seemingly have nothing in them because they’re gluten free, lactose free, nut free, and sugar free. One taste, though, will convince you that they’re the single best baked good in the entire world. Chefs are paying attention to the health needs of many these days, and this year’s desserts may prove that to be the case.

Milk Matters: As much as you may see milk free dessert options on the menu, many foodies have suggested that milk will be a key ingredient in many of the top desserts this year. A San Francisco spot has patrons enjoying the World Peace Peanut Muscovado Milk. It’s milk, cream, vanilla, sugar, and roasted peanuts in a shot glass. Uchi in Houston has fried milk on their dessert menu. It’s hard to tell what other milk-based desserts will hit menus across the U.S. this year.

Portability Matters: You’d like to sit down and enjoy dessert, that’s not always possible in our on-the-go society, so you may see more choices that are made to help you get moving. This is as much a continuation of the cupcake trend as it is of the smaller portions trend, but it has managed to roll itself into one package this year. From grab and go cheesecake to the ever-present, ever-creative cupcake flavor of the week, many menus will have portable treats that help you get up and go, even with dessert in your hands. You may even see dessert machines, like cupcake dispensers, in various locations to help you have your cake and eat it too no matter where you are.

Kids’ Foods Matter: The popular news site, The Examiner, recently reported that foods once relegated to the kids table like the push pop will get a gourmet dessert makeover this year. If you’ve never had one, a push pop is typically a frozen treat in a plastic container with a stick at the bottom. As you enjoy the treat, you push the ice cream or sherbet toward the top to have more. The plastic tubes this year, though, will be filled with much more than a frozen treat. From cheesecake to layered classics, it’s going to be childhood all over again this year.

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Betty Ann Sherman is a baker and a writer. She also regularly contributes to the Cookie Gift Baskets Blog, hosted by http://www.cookiegiftbaskets.com.