Dessert for the Very Soap Opera Christmas?

[eyesroll]

I've been charged with bringing dessert to my SO's ex-wife's house for Christmas. (Yes, everyone gets along enough to have dinner -- they have a three-year-old together and they're nothing if not good co-parents).

Normally, I bake to impress. Thanksgiving was a hand-woven lattice crust apple-pear pie with pumpkin-spice caramel cream. Yeah.

But for political reasons (read: not showing up the ex-wife in her own home), I need to tone it down.

I was thinking cookies.

I do snickerdoodles and pfefferneusse consistently well.
I do brownies decently, as well.

I suppose I could bring a tin.

Anyone have any other suggestions?

[Warpy]

1. Hmmmm, you might want to bring some ice cream

bake brownies, and bring some chocolate sauce.

The brownies with a small scoop of ice cream on top and chocolate sauce drizzled over the top is a fabulous desert that will leave everybody groaning and patting their tummies, but isn't enough of a cooking tour de force to show up an ex wife, especially if you ask her to help you do the honors.

I'm an ex wife, and I'd have appreciated it.

[eyesroll]

2. Oh...forgot to add, it needs to travel well...

Dinner's in west Madison, and we're in east Milwaukee (about 90 minutes apart). Will ice cream keep in an ice chest for 90 minutes?

[Warpy]

3. Lots of supermarkets sell dry ice now

and that should hold it in the ice chest well enough for you to refreeze it in the freezer when you get where you're going.

On edit: you can always stop for the ice cream when you get where you're going, too. Even 7-11 stores sell it.

[babylonsister]

4. Wisconsin-isn't it cold there? Throw

the ice cream in the trunk! :)

[merci_me]

6. ice cream could be a bad idea..................

on two different occasions when I've been entertaining large groups, I've had someone walk in with ice cream. It can be a real pain in the @ss when your freezer is full to the hilt. When we have parties, we tend to stuff all the extra bags of cubes into any space we have and it's either pull out the ice before we need it or let the ice cream melt.

It might not be any problem at all, but check first with the ex and make sure she'll have room to stash it til it's served. Of course, if you're going to bring an ice chest with dry ice, that takes care of that if she isn't able to have the freezer space ready for it. The dessert really does sound lovely. Maybe with stemmed cherries?

I guess I'm a bit touchy cause both times it was worse than not enough room. Once it was two young newly graduated male scientists who worked for my husband. They came walking in, where I was entertaining about 75 and were loaded down with an ice-cream maker and ingredients and all they needed as my kitchen (which I happened to be using, DUH!)and tons of ice and utensils and bowls and of course, freezer space.

Last time, we had somewhere around 50 (& BTW all Dems) and a woman (she brags that she doesn't cook) who came in late, with two half gallons of ice cream and a couple of boxes of cones and handed them to me to make ice cream cones for everyone. After getting everyone's covered dishes to the proper buffet (appetizer, main dish/sides and dessert) and providing serving pieces for those who didn't bring them, she came in as I'm clearing earlier foods and getting coffee, loading earlier dishes into the dishwasher and expects ME to start dipping cones for people who are busy balancing plates of desserts and drinks. Like any of us were in the mood for a plain vanilla Kroger brand ice cream cone dripping in WHAT free hand.

[bettyellen]

7. mmmm, haagen dazs has a black walnut flavor- heaven on brownies....

[babylonsister]

5. Would dirt cake for the ex be too obvious?

I kid; I get along with my husband's ex but am grateful she lives thousands of miles away. However,
the kids would love it! I've had this served in a plastic sand bucket, but the possibilities are endless.


Dirt Cake

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Refrigerator Time: 24 hours
Ingredients

1 package (32 ounce) Oreo cookies

1 package (8-ounce) cream cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

1 stick butter

2 small packages vanilla pudding (dry)

3-1/2 cups milk

1 container (12 ounce) Cool Whip
Directions

* In a blender, grind Oreo cookies and set aside.
* In a bowl, cream the cream cheese, powdered sugar and butter. Set ingredients aside.
* In a large mixing bowl, mix vanilla pudding and milk. Next, fold in the Cool Whip. Finally, fold in the cream cheese mixture.
* In a container, place the Cool Whip mixture on the bottom. Add the cookies, then Cool Whip mixture, then cookies, and keeping alternating the layers. Refrigerate 24 hours before serving.

Makes 8 Servings

Garnish with 24 Gummy Worms or Candy Canes for the holidays!

[OldLeftieLawyer]

8. I'm an ex-wife, too...........

I'd bring a woodchipper.