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[1] Apple cobbler, one of our Top 10 desserts (photo © Pillsbury).
[2] Banana pudding, layered with whipped cream and Nilla wafers (photo © M. Sheldrake | iStock Photo).
[3] Fudgy brownies (photo © Cafe Delites).
[4] Carrot cake with a whopping four layers and cream cheese filling and frosting (photo © Sweet Street Desserts).
[5] Cheesecake with blueberry topping (photo © Pixabay | Pexels).
[6] Chocolate mousse (photo © Morton’s The Steakhouse).
[7] Crème brûlée (photo © Mad Max Chef | Unsplash).
[8] Key lime pie (photo © La Tourangelle | Facebook).
[9] Lemon bars (photo © King Arthur Baking).
[10] Rice pudding. Here’s the recipe (photo © Cafe Delites).
[11] Runner up: pecan pie (photo © Sara Cervera | Wesual | Unsplash).
[12] June is National Frozen Yogurt Month (photo Mr. Tin | CC BY ND 2.0 License).
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October 14th is National Dessert Day. How about a dessert party? More specifically, a potluck dessert party? Here’s how we put one together:
Last month we asked a dozen friends and neighbors to name their favorite desserts, noting that we’d have a potluck dessert party on National Dessert Day.
We assigned the desserts, told everyone to have a very early, light dinner, and to arrive for dessert at 8 p.m.
We provided after-dinner drinks: Cognac, liqueurs (Amaretto, Bailey’s Irish Cream, Frangelico, Grand Marnier, Kahlúa, Sambuca), Cognac, Port, and sherry, plus coffee and tea.
Everything is self-service. We turned the dining room table into a buffet table.
A year of some 200 dessert holidays begins below.
OUR TOP 10 DESSERTS
Pecan pie and pumpkin pie were runners-up. Apple pie got about as many mentions as apple cobbler, but we chose the latter as easier for self-service.
For this party, dessert favorites like chocolate soufflé, ice cream, and lava cake were sidelined because they wouldn’t do well on a buffet.
Here are our Top 10 desserts, in alphabetical order (the corresponding photos are at left):
Apple Cobbler
Banana Pudding
Brownies
Carrot Cake
Cheesecake
Chocolate Mousse
Crème Brûlée
Key Lime Pie
Lemon Squares
Rice Pudding
DESSERT HOLIDAYS
How many dessert holidays are there? In American cuisine alone, almost 200 (114 on this page alone, January through July), not counting baklava, cannoli, and other international favorites.
The list of holidays is so long that we’ve divided it. The other half, August through December will appear tomorrow.
Note that some of these holidays may not seem like “dessert.” Our thought was, for example:
If it’s a jelly bean holiday, use them to garnish a cake or cupcakes.
If it’s a waffle holiday, serve them a la mode with dessert sauce.
Et cetera.
> Here’s Part 2, August through December.
January Dessert Holidays
January 2nd: National Cream Puff Day
January 3rd: Fruitcake Toss Day1
January 5th: National Whipped Cream Day
January 6th: National Walker’s Shortbread Day
January 13th: National Peach Melba Day
January 15th: National Strawberry Ice Cream Day
January 22nd: National Blonde Brownie Day
January 23rd: International Sticky Toffee Pudding Day
January 23rd: National Pie Day
January 23rd: National Rhubarb Pie Day
January 26th: National Peanut Brittle Day
January 27th: National Chocolate Cake Day
Beyond dessert: more January food holidays.
February Dessert Holidays
February: Celebration of Chocolate Month
February: Great American Pie Month
February, second full week: National Jell-O Week
February 1st: National Baked Alaska Day
February 2nd: National Crêpe Day
February 3rd: National Carrot Cake Day
February 3rd: National Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day
February 4th: Medjool Date Day
February 5th: National Chocolate Fondue Day
February 5th: World Nutella Day
February 6th: National Frozen Yogurt Day
February 8th: National Pączki Day2
February 10th: National Cream Cheese Brownie Day
February 12th: National Plum Pudding Day
February 16th: National Tim Tam Day
February 19th: National Chocolate Mint Day
February 20th: National Cherry Pie Day
February 21st: National Sticky Bun Day
February 23rd: National Banana Bread Day
February 28th: National Chocolate Soufflé Day
Beyond dessert: more February food holidays.
March Dessert Holidays
March, first full week: British Pie Week
March, third full week: American Chocolate Week
March 1st: National Fruit Compote Day
March 2nd: National Banana Cream Pie Day
March 3rd: 33 Flavors Day [Ice Cream]3
March 4th: National Pound Cake Day
March 6th: National White Chocolate Cheesecake Day
March 10th: National Blueberry Popover Day
March 11th: National Oatmeal Nut Waffles Day
March 13th: National Coconut Torte Day
March 15th: National Pears Helene Day (Poires Belle Hélène)
March 19th: National Chocolate Caramel Day
March 20th: National Macaron Day
March 22nd: National Bavarian Crêpes Day
March 24th: National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day
March 25th: International Waffle Day
March 26th: National Nougat Day
March 28th: Eat an Eskimo Pie Day
March 28th: National Black Forest Cake Day
March 29th: National Lemon Chiffon Cake Day
Beyond dessert: more March food holidays.
April Dessert Holidays
April, first full week: National Bake Week
April 3rd: National Chocolate Mousse Day
April 5th: National Caramel Day
April 20th: National Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Day
April 23rd: National Cherry Cheesecake Day
April 28th: National Blueberry Pie Day
Beyond dessert: more April food holidays.
May Dessert Holidays
May: National Chocolate Custard Month
May, last week: National Doughnut Week (U.K.)
May, 3rd Sunday: National Baking Week (U.K.)
May 1st: National Chocolate Parfait Day
May 2nd: National Truffle Day
May 3rd: National Chocolate Custard Day
May 8th: National Coconut Cream Pie Day
May 9th: National Butterscotch Brownie Day
May 11th: Hostess Cupcake Day
May 12th: National Nutty Fudge Day
May 13th: National Apple Pie Day
May 17th: National Cherry Cobbler Day
May 18th: I Love Reese’s Day
May 19th: National Devil’s Food Cake Day
May 19th: World Baking Day
May 21st: National Strawberries and Cream Day
May 22nd: National Vanilla Pudding Day
May 26th: National Blueberry Cheesecake Day
May 26th: National Cherry Dessert Day
May 31st: National Macaroon Day
Beyond dessert: more May food holidays.
June Dessert Holidays
June: National Frozen Yogurt Month
June 1st: National Hazelnut Cake Day
June 3rd: National Chocolate Macaroon Day
June 6th: National Applesauce Cake Day
June 7th: National Chocolate Ice Cream Day
June 7th: National Donut Day
June 9th: National Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Day
June 11th: National German Chocolate Cake Day
June 12th: National Peanut Butter Cookie Day
June 14th: National Strawberry Shortcake Day
June 16th: National Fudge Day
June 17th: National Apple Strudel Day
June 20th: National Kouign Amann Day
June 21st: National Cookie Dough Day
June 21st: National Peaches ‘N’ Cream Day
June 22nd: National Chocolate Eclair Day
June 23rd: National Pecan Sandies Day
June 25th: National Strawberry Parfait Day
June 26th: National Chocolate Pudding Day
June 27th: National Ice Cream Cake Day
June 29th: National Almond Buttercrunch Day
Beyond dessert: more June food holidays.
July Dessert Holidays
July 5th: National Apple Turnover Day
July 7th: National Strawberry Sundae Day
July 8th: National Chocolate with Almonds Day
July 8th: National Ice Cream Sundae Day
July 12th: National Eat Your Jell-O Day
July 12th: National Pecan Pie Day
July 15th: National Tapioca Pudding Day
July 21st: National Ice Cream Day
July 21st: National Lamington Day [Australia]
July 22nd: National Penuche Fudge Day
July 23rd: National Vanilla Ice Cream Day
July 25th: National Hot Fudge Sundae Day
July 26th: National Coffee Milkshake Day
July 27th: National Crème Brûlée Day
July 28th: National Milk Chocolate Day
July 30th: National Cheesecake Day
July 31st: National Jump for Jelly Beans Day
Beyond dessert: more July food holidays.
> Continue to Part 2, August through December.
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1January 3rd is National Fruitcake Toss Day commemorating the first fruitcake available for mail order. It was baked at the Collin Street Bakery in Corsicana, Texas, in 1896. Every year in Manitou, Colorado, hundreds of people gather to compete to see who can throw their fruitcake the highest or the greatest distance. Hopefully, the fruitcakes are wrapped and can be eaten afterwards, or else fed to the birds.
2Pączki (POINCH-key) are filled donut-like pastries found in Polish cuisine, filled with jelly, custard, or other sweet filling. They are a specialty pastry reserved for once a year in honor of Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras), the precursor to the Lenten season, and the last day to indulge in foods before the traditional 40-day period of fasting before Easter. Pączki are made from a different dough than donuts, an especially rich dough that contains eggs, fats, sugar, yeast, and sometimes milk. They can be glazed, or covered with granulated or powdered sugar.
333 Flavors Day is dedicated to ice cream! Some sources say that the holiday takes place on the anniversary of the opening of the ice cream shop, Baskin Robbins. Baskin Robbins is known for its 31 flavors, not 33, so it is unclear why the day is called 33 Flavors Day.
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