Desserts are not as complex as in the past, but definitely worthwhile, especially the warm chocolate indulgence with an intensely rich runny chocolate center, the cupcake-shaped lemon tart with coconut graham cracker crust and cascades of whipped cream, and warm chocolate brioche bread pudding, served with a very delicious Jack Daniels chocolate chip chocolate ice cream.
It's over a decade since the publication of Nigella Lawson's game-changing cookbook How To Be A Domestic Goddess, which topped the book charts with her brand of warm, homely indulgence.
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Recent, more substantial indulgences have included a comforting warm crepe filled with molten chocolate and an elaborate, rum-raisin-flavored tart (beaudinardise) deliciously paired with icy espresso crystals topped with warm mocha foam.
It's warm and sweet, touched with just the kind of indulgence you feel entitled to after bearing the cold.
Allow to cool, then serve as they are (a little warm is best) or with some ice-cream and a few pistachios for extra indulgence.
The foie gras tasted more like the liver it is than the indulgence one expects, and on that night, it was undercooked and served warm.
It doesn't technically count as an indulgence, because in Taormina a bowl of icy granita accompanied by a still-warm, butter-scented brioche is considered a traditional breakfast, although having it served to you on a balcony with a perfect view of a curved coastline and a purple-tinted volcano might be veering into the indulgent category.
And find the rare opportunities in the midst of all this indulgence to impart the real meaning and spirit of the season, along with a whole bunch of warm memories.
