Monday, February 3, 2020

Around the Kitchen Table: #Dessert Guilty Pleasures w/book #giveaway





ELLIE:  February is the month of love. For me the kitchen is and always has been a place of love. Baking for friends, family, and neighbors is the truest expression of love. There’s something so sensory and satisfying about kneading a bread dough by hand or slathering luscious layers of chocolate cake with homemade buttercream, especially when those treats are meant for sharing around the table, for long-lingering conversations that go well into the night, and for drinking copious amounts of coffee. I know I’ve said it many times before, but baking truly is my love language. 

However, sometimes I crave a guilty pleasure—a treat that hasn’t been crafted by hand, something so good yet so bad it’s almost criminal.

My guilty pleasure is Pinwheels! I love these chocolate marshmallow delights, so much so that I actually avoid the cookie aisle when I’m grocery shopping as otherwise I might be too tempted to add them to my shopping cart. What is it about their fudgey goodness? My husband cringes at the sight of them, yet their siren song calls to me. I’ve tried to recreate them in my kitchen, but they never turn out quite right. The only solution is to cave every once in a while. Perhaps sometime in February a package of Pinwheels will find its way into my shopping cart. ❤️

What’s your guilty pleasure?

BOOK GIVEAWAY BELOW



LUCY BURDETTE: For a while I was addicted to Italian cookies made by Loacker that I first saw in Eataly in NYC. However, there really is nothing better than homemade cake in my mind. Especially yellow cake with caramel frosting. In fact, I will have quite a few family members visiting around Valentine's Day and I think that calls for a replay! (It's best to have a crowd around for this one, lest I be tempted to eat the entire thing...)


LESLIE BUDEWITZ: As I write this, we're getting ready for a trip to France; as you read this, we'll just be back. And that reminds me of a study done with a group of American women and a group of French women, each asked to say the first thing that popped into their minds when they heard the word "chocolate." The American women said "guilt," the French women, "celebration." So though I totally get the concept of guilty pleasures, I try not to think about food that way, and see it all as cause for celebration.

But what do I choose when I want to treat myself, or cheer myself up? At Christmas, it's those Ghirardelli Peppermint Squares, with white chocolate, dark chocolate, and peppermint bits. One bag---when they're gone, they're gone! In the kitchen, I whip up a jar of a household fave, the Chocolate Cabernet Sauce from Butter Off Dead, so totally yummy with vanilla ice cream. (Or on a spoon by itself, if I must be honest.) 


Daryl: I have to admit I love digging into a carton of ice cream with a spoon. Before breakfast. Or any time of the day.  My husband, before we were married, caught me dipping in and asked what I was doing. Sheepishly, I turned to him and said, "It's medicine."  I think of ice cream as medicine because it's calming and it cools my sometimes overheated stomach. Another guilty pleasure is a bag filled with Tootsie rolls when I go to the movies. I dig them out of my purse and savor them one at a time. I know. We're not supposed to bring our own food into the theater. Bust me. They don't carry Tootsie Rolls!



MAYA: My guilty pleasure is a Klondike Mint Chocolate Chip bar. I'm so good at guilt that I can't eat the whole bar. I cut a quarter off and return the rest to the freezer. That way I spread the guilt over four days--not a lot of guilt because it's an afternoon snack with fewer than 60 calories. If I were eating the whole bar, I'd probably gobble it down as my grandsons do. But with a small square between my fingers, I save each nibble.


KRISTA: I'm with Roberta on the cake, except for one thing. I see cake as a must-have food and don't feel one bit guilty about eating it! Now a truly guilty pleasure is a Russell Stover caramel-filled chocolate. Or a strawberry milkshake from Cook Out.


CLEO:  I'm with you on the cake! And since February 2nd was my birthday, I'll share one of my favorites. Marc always buys me my choice of cake for my birthday, and this year I chose this Mocha Roll from Red Ribbon bakery. The roll is made of chiffon cake with a rich mocha buttercream and garnished with chocolate logs. Here's a picture of it from last year, which I posted to my Facebook page. I wish I could share a piece of this beautiful cake with all of you. Have a great February, everyone! ~ Love, Cleo



LINDA:   I'm not a dessert-eater, not by choice, but rather, content. So these days, just give me a tasty slab of cheese and some gluten-free crackers, and I'm very happy. I do have a favorite cheese though, one that also works as an appetizer because I believe chocolate fits every food course. It's called Triple Chocolate Cheese and trust me, it does taste all chocolatey and perfect to end, or begin, a  meal.
  
DENISE
For a foodie, my guilty pleasure is pretty low-brow. I love Little Debbie Fancy Cakes. There's something about the yellow sponge, creamy filling, and sweet frosting that temps me every time.



VICKI
My only guilty pleasure is nuts. I absolutely love nuts of all sorts. Guaranteed, you will never find a nut in my house. I almost never eat desserts but last week when we were in Cancun to celebrate my mother's 95th birthday, the hotel presented her with a cake. I had some as part of the ritual, and it was perhaps the best cake I've ever eaten. So good I had another piece for breakfast the next day. Here's a picture.


Book giveaway from these authors:


Daryl Wood Gerber - To Brie or Not to Brie
Ellie Alexander - Till Death Do Us Tart
Eva Gates aka Vicki Delany - Something Read, Something Dead
Krista Davis - The Diva Sweetens the Pie
Leslie Budewitz - Butter Off Dead
Lucy Burdette - Death on the Menu
Maya Corrigan - Final Fondue




👓

Click to see.



111 comments:

  1. I don't have dessert on a regular basis. I try to keep my sugar level to a healthy minimum, but I will say that I love dark chocolates, chocolate mousse, and shortbread. I will treat myself occasionally. I do have dark chocolates more frequently as they do have some nutritional benefit. bluedawn95864 at gmail dot com

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    1. I feel you on trying to keep sugar to a minimum. It’s a challenge when writing a mystery revolving around baking! Dark chocolate for the win!

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  2. I'm with Leslie on the Ghirardelli peppermint bark squares! I'm not a big sweets eater, but I do enjoy cheesecake, key lime pie and chocolate mousse if I'm 'forced' to pick something.

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    1. How terrible to be “forced” to pick out of those delights! 😅

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    2. Happy to share a guilty pleasure with you!

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  3. Replies
    1. Which reminds me of their Easter eggs. They're almost too sweet for me, but I buy us each one or two anyway -- partly because my mother always bought them, and they remind me of her.

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  4. Years ago I was a Snickers addict. I had a good laugh at the Super Bowl ad last night!

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  5. My guilty pleasure is Biscoff cookies. I love those little cookies!

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  6. I'm pretty good resisting most desserts, but chocolate calls to me. Cake, pie, candy, ice cream, pastries, cookies. Anything chocolate.

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  7. I’m not good at limiting deserts. If it’s there I’ll eat it till it’s gone. So most deserts are my guilty pleasure. suefoster109 at gmail dot com

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  8. Leslie, thanks for the explanation about French women vs. American women. Since I'm 1/4 French, that explains why I rarely feel guilt about a little indulgence. A square of dark chocolate with my black coffee has been my breakfast for the last 36 years, and I don't feel a bit of guilt about it.

    If I'm feeling especially celebratory, a sliver of good, rich flourless chocolate cake fills the bill. With coffee, of course.

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    1. I enjoyed Leslie’s explanation, too! And, bring on the dark chocolate with your morning coffee!

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    2. Isn't it perfect? Though there we were in France for a week and NEVER ATE CHOCOLATE! Creme brulee, flan, Grand Marnier Souffle, and heaven knows what else. We did pick one chocolate macaron in an assortment, but Mr. Right picked that one. And we had not bad chocolate mousse on the flight home. Better make up for that this weekend, right?

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    3. What?! Quelle horreur! Not even a pain au chocolat?

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  9. I prefer to indulge on celebrations with delectable desserts. Ordinarily desserts are overlooked as they can become addictive and a real habit. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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  10. I love Lindt's Lindor truffles.
    turtle6422 at gmail dot com

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  11. A lemon meringue pie is always extremely tempting and I could not refuse. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    Replies
    1. I love it, too. Good thing I only bake one a year!

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    2. Absolutely no reason you should refuse! I'm a confirmed chocoholic, but I love 'em too!

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  12. what a wonderful give a way. thank you. how fun to read about your guilty pleasures in food. Mine is Cherry Carnival Cake. My mom made it for my birthday every year. And when I got married, my husband took over the tradition. And when the kids came along, they helped.
    quilting lady 2 at comcast dot net

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    1. Hmmm, I’ve never heard of Carnival Cake. I’m totally going to check that out. Thanks!

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  13. Dark chocolate covered caramels & Tillamook Caramel Butter Pecan ice cream! Well anything caramel...

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  14. What fun to see the idiosyncratic special goodies for each of you!
    libbydodd at comcast dot net

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    1. Ahem. And what might your decadent favorite be?

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    2. Dark chocolate in almost any form.
      Especially if someone else is doing the work of making it!

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  15. Mine would be hot fudge sundaes
    sgiden at verizon(.)net

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  16. Chocolate mousse is one of my favorite desserts. Thanks for the great giveaway!
    diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

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  17. Shame on me but I like Twinkies. It's that cake and crème filling mixture! I also love to buy Walker's shortbread cookies and snarf those down.
    patdupuy@yahoo.com

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    1. I just watched a reality baking show about deep fried Twinkies—wow! That’s not something you find out here on the west coast.

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  18. My guilty pleasure is chocolate covered caramels. I love caramel in any form, in fact, I hope to make homemade caramels today! Thanks for a chance to win and for sharing your guilty pleasures - I agree with lots of them!! ljbonkoski@yahoo.com

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  19. Biscoff cookies. Yum. Have to go check the pantry and see if there are any left. Thanks for the giveaway.
    sallycootie(at)gmail(dot)com

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  20. My teenager would completely agree with fudge!

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  21. Reese's peanut butter cups, Starbucks cherry mocha coffee. Thanks for the chance to win!

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    1. Oh yeah. I love Reese's peanut butter cups too. So much, I haven't had one in years.

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    2. I love them and named a cat after them.

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  22. My guilty pleasure is pita chips with fig jam and a slice of manchego cheese. Salty and sweet! And I won't say now to chocolate covered raisins or nuts!

    kimheniadis at gmail dot com

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  23. Mine is peanut M & Ms! I like chocolate and I like nuts so they're perfect for me!! lindaherold999(at)gmail(dot)com

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  24. Peanut M&Ms. As I said, nuts are my weakness, but nuts plus chocolate!

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  25. Cherry pie and carrot cake are my weaknesses. doward1952(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  26. Anything chocolatey gets me. And I swear I think better while eating M&MS. I especially love the caramel ones.
    kozo8989(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  27. Reading about those guilty pleasures has made me hungry for mine. Never heard of the triple chocolate cheese before. Much less chocolate cheese. Gotta try that one if I ever find it. For me. My guilty pleasure is my Peanut Butter Fudge. 5 ingredients. Tried over 13 variations and finally tweaked two to make my version. Mmmm The books look good too. deepotter at centurylink dot net

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  28. I am not picky about certain sweets. I am a fan of milk chocolate, ice cream, fudge, cookies, cake, pie... But the other day I was reminded of my all time favorite chocolate. They are small squares wrapped in gold foil called "ice cubes"... I haven't had them in 20+ years then the other day I saw them at 7-11.. I was so excited I bought 6 of them, the guy ringing me up just gave me the strangest look.. I was looking at my husband saying "I love you honey but I'm not going to share" (he knew I wouldn't hold on to that promise but I was going to try. .. I think I lost myself in this one. I'm going to say milk chocolate is my gulity pleasure. Thank you for the chance.
    lilyanngill56(at)gmail(dot)com

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  29. Peanut m&ms are hard for me to resist. Thank you for the chance to win. Dmskrug3 at hotmail dot com

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  30. Little Debbie Devil Squares are the stuff my dreams are made of. I can resist almost any other sweets, but, oh-my-stars, devil squares always get me.

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  31. Great giveaway! I have a lot of guilty pleasures, but one consistent one is Reese’s cups. Legallyblonde1961@yahoo.com

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  32. Well, I read down the list of cravings and had to wipe my corners of my mouth to prevent the drool from dropping down on my keyboard. :)

    If you are talking cravings that I can satisfy all year long, it would be salt water taffy with licorice being my favorite flavor. If you are talking about a craving that is equal to being seasonal, I'd day mocha almond ice cream by Blue Bell because it's not available but for a few weeks each year (just happened and I had a very happy end of Jamuary). However, the craving that I have that brings back such sweet memories and yearning for would have to be hands down my Mom's Hungarian Coffee Cake which in essence was the old time monkey bread. It was baked in a tube pan with a caramel pecan bottom layer, homemade sweet dough balls rolled in butter and then a cinnamon, sugar and ground pecans and layered in the pan. It was my birthday day of choice from the late 50's until my Mom's not being able to bake any more. I still fix it using Mom's recipe for my birthday every year savoring every bite of deliciousness while having sweet memories of past times and my wonderful Mom.

    Thank you for the wonderful opportunity to win seven fabulous books from seven great author's I always enjoy reading. Shared and hoping to be the extremely fortunate one selected.
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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  33. My favorite all time pleasure is a birthday cake from my favorite bakery packed full of their amazing icing. that is only once a year though. Normal treats include, but not limited too Nerds Bumpy Jelly beans, Aldi Italian cheesecake, marzipan, cheetos, cheese, chips, and quacamole lol

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  34. Caramels covered in dark chocolate is one of my guilty pleasures.

    jtcgc at yahoo dot com

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  35. @Lucy, my mom has lost her famous family caramel cake recipe and we are all so sad! My guilty pleasure is snowballs, the bright pink coconut covered ones? My husband thinks they are gross, but will buy them when I get s craving I can't resist! Wjcline@att.net

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  36. Cleo, I hope your birthday was a wonderful day! My guilty pleasures seem to alternate from time to time. Currently, it's Aldi's dark chocolate sea salt caramels. Yum.

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  37. I have dessert ALL the time- Fruit! Fruit is TOTALLY Nature's candy 😉 As a Vegan, it really satisfies my sweet tooth. Mind you, I won't turn down other Vegan desserts, but fruit tops my list!

    Cheers-
    Kelly Braun
    Gaelicark(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  38. This may be strange but I like a cinnamon raisin bagel. I don't really have cravings for anything. I eat what I want within reason and follow portion sizes normally. Maybe that's why I don't have cravings. But, I do love bread. lkish77123 at gmail dot com

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  39. There are so many that I love, but I think the one that I really would like to eat is Leche Camada. The reals tuff sold on the streets of Mexico. The ones they sell here in the Us are not as good. Since Mexico is not a safe place and we do not live across the border from there anymore, I really miss this treat and I am salivating now. Also they make the best Flan--pour rum over it and light it--Flan Flameado… Mmmm.

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  41. While always have an extra bag of Snickers and Reese's cups at Halloween, my guilty pleasure is a Lindt chocolate truffle, so smooth and rich, any flavor is fine by me. You can pop them in your pocketbook and have a sweet treat in moments! sharonrizzo@hotmail.com

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  42. Hershey’s Miniatures—especially the dark chocolate ones! Jteastman215atgmaildotcom

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  44. I LOVE chocolate covered toffee and I'm pretty fond of white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. janestarcher(at)gmail(dot)com

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  45. Bridge mix or bakery cookies. Valrogalla at gmail dot com

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  46. My absolute favorite is Lindt Chocolate Truffles. Favorites..70% Coco, Carmel...anything Dark Chocolate����

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  47. I love my homemade cranberry orange biscottis . I freeze them so I do not eat too many but they are good right out of the freezer also ��
    Nancyhallenveck@gmail.com

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  48. I love Lindt Truffles. My favorites are..70% Coco, Carmel and anything DARK CHOCOLATE

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  49. I LOVE cake and cookies. Sugar cookies specifically.

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  50. I love seeing one of my favorites, Pinwheels, included. I have so many guilty pleasures, i.e. Baskin Robbins ice cream cake, peanut butter Smoothies, boubon balls; you get the idea.
    browninggloria(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  51. I think one of my favorite sweet treats right now is dark chocolate covered walnuts from Sprouts. Yum!

    ElaineE246 at msn dot com

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  52. Twinkies and chocolate covered caramels also hot fudge sundaes. I love sweets! Seven amazing books from seven wonderful authors what a wonderful gift that would be! Thank you for the chance Donakutska7@gmail.com

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  53. Betty Crocker brownies. I love them. I think most people prefer homemade but I like brownies made from a mix. And they are so easy to make. I don't buy them very often because I'll eat them all.😬

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  54. My guilty pleasures — Little Debbie Devil Cremes. I very rarely buy them, but I love them. cking78503(at)aol(dot)com

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  55. I love heath bars and dove chocolates! Thanks so much for the chance to win! All these books look so good!
    faithdcreech at gmail dot com

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  56. I love chocolate covered caramels. Thanks for the chance.
    im2early4u(at)gmail(dot)

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  57. A good warm chewy brownie is my weakness...

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  58. My guilty pleasure is warm homemade chocolate chip cookies Made a batch on Saturday!

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  59. Ice cream is my guilty pleasure. I do treat myself to one dark chocolate a day.

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  60. My guilty pleasure is lemon meringue pie. It's so darn good! Thanks for the chance. toniann40@verizon.net

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  61. My guilty pleasure is caramel corn---I think I'm addicted to it.
    farrell@crosslake.net

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  62. My guilty pleasure would be eating cookie dough. They say it's not good to have the raw egg....😉💞🎂🔎📚

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  63. I like Leslie's view of food, especially chocolate. So, I don't have guilty pleasures. I have food celebrations. 😉 rgp1950@yahoo.com

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  64. There isn’t a cake, pie, cookie, or candy I don’t love! My husband says I should weigh 700 pounds for all the sweets I eat! I do eat plenty of fruits and vegetables as well so I guess I balance. Enjoy the food you crave in moderation! Everyone have a great day thinking about all the yummy snacks mentioned!

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  65. My guilty pleasure is a chocolate chip cookie. cheetahthecat1986ATgmailDOTcom

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  66. I am pretty much a lover of all sweets. One of my very favorites is a Chocolate Eclair and I’d never turn down a piece of cake, especially triple layer German Chocolate,
    pistachio nuts and my ultimate guilty pleasure is a bowl of potato chips and dip.

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  67. I love dark chocolate, especially if it's combined with caramel and/or nuts! I usually keep a bag of little chocolates on hand (like Dove) and have one or two pieces a day. That way I don't go crazy eating chocolate. But I'd say my biggest guilty pleasure is potato chips! Once I start eating them I have trouble stopping. So I try to stay away from them as much as possible. I try not to have them at home, and only eat them if they come with a sandwich at a restaurant. Renee - rwilson@ws4r.com

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  68. My favorite dessert/guilty pleasure would have to be cheesecake! Absolutely love it. In January for my birthday we went to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner, so of course I had to have a piece of their extravagant cheesecake! But I was good (sort of) and only ate half my meal and half my cheesecake and took the rest for lunch the next day. Thanks for the contest!--Mary mlduffer@att.net

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  69. My favorite dessert would be cheesecake topped with strawberries. Thanks for the chance to win.

    rjprazak6(at)gmail(dot)com

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  70. My guilty pleasure dessert... Keebler Fudge Sticks. I can't get enough of them.
    Rogue6776 (at) yahoo (dot) com

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  71. I love anything with chocolate and peanut butter!!
    donnaep7 at yahoo dot com

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  72. My guilty pleasure is a warm almond croissant! (girlichef at yahoo dot com)

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  73. I have read that my guilty pleasure is actually good for me! LOL! I love dark chocolate, the darker the better. There was some 100% cacao baking chocolate left over from the holidays, so I ate it straight. Oh, was it delicious!

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  74. My guiltiest pleasure would be a French Apple Tastycake Pie with coffee ice cream. If I find any pies, I buy as many as I can as they are not always available.

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  75. Being diabetic is no fun but when I get a craving I go for a little chocolate especially if it's Hersheys. I buy sugar free chocolate chip with pecans cookies when the store has them in stock. Tina st mitiboo474@gmail.com

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  76. My favorite guilty pleasure are lavender shortbread cookies, when I can find some. Otherwise, I love Ghirardelli chocolate with caramel squares.

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  77. I am addicted to peanut butter M&M's! tWarner419@aol.com

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  78. My sister and I both love Pinwheels. We have for about 20 years now given the other a pack of them for our birthday. Only time we eat them because it just makes it so special.

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  79. I love dark chocolate, Reeses peanut butter cups and little debbie's nutty bars are a favorite as well. bella_ringer@hotmail.com

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  80. Ghirardelli 72% Cacao, or darker. I always know it will be right where I left it in the pantry because no one else in the family can stand it that dark! I also love cherry pie. Renee

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  81. Not really into many sweets, but I just love starburst jelly beans. trwilliams69 (at) msn (dot) com

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  82. My guilty pleasure is Russell Stover Milk Chocolate English Walnut & Pecan clusters (yum). They are so good. I have to order them from the company and have them shipped. It is a once in a while treat. We all deserve to indulge now and then. Doodlesink(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  83. My guilty pleasure is Dairy Queen's Peanut Buster Parfait. The combination of peanuts, hot chocolate and ice cream can't be beat.
    robeader53(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  84. I love cheesecake any kind and anywhere but especially with real strawberries...thank you.
    Marilyn ewatvess@yahoo.com

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  85. Gosh, I'm not much of a sweets person.. it depends on my mood. My favorite pie is cherry..I do like mounds bar..but honestly, I'd rather have real food..vegs and fruits, to sweets. nani_geplcs(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  86. Hostess cupcakes. I think I'll have one now.

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