As I am sure you all know, it's that time of the year again – yes, the holidays are upon us. Hopefully you will make it through Thanksgiving unblemished, and be ready to tackle Christmas and New Year's. I don't know about all of you, but it seems to me that there is more entertaining during these few weeks (consequently eating and drinking), than any other time of the year. You basically have two options: make it a tedious chore by having the same old thing again, or make it a fun, interesting and (possibly) challenging time by trying out some new things you've not attempted before. Option two sounds like a lot more fun to me.

There are usually a couple of different reasons for whipping up something to take care of your sweet tooth. Most everyone gives out a platter or two of finger foods, whether it be for the office party or as a present for a family of friends to share, and let's be honest, you know that you and your clan will want to try everything, so you might as well go ahead and double the batch. I've always felt it made sense to make a few different things so that you can mix and match your offerings, letting your taste buds explore a variety of flavors and textures. After all, you can only eat so many sugar cookies covered in sprinkles. Now it's time to move on to the more creative and challenging part of holiday cooking – desserts.

What you're going to make for dessert as part of your holiday feast will depend a great deal on what you will be making for dinner. After all, you wouldn't follow an elegant prime rib dinner with cookies and milk, would you? One of the most popular desserts that Ali, our pastry chef here at The Waterfront restaurant has whipped up, if you'll excuse the pun, is her Chocolate Mousse with Chambord. This delicious offering succeeds on so many levels – it's rich, but not so filling that after a big meal you can't eat it. The light, airy texture lets you eat every last bite. It's sweet with the lush raspberry flavor of the Chambord, but that's balanced out with the bittersweet flavor of the dark chocolate. Top it off with a dollop of fresh whipped cream and a raspberry and your dessert is complete. There is only one thing left to complete your holiday feast, a small glass of something to wash down all of this deliciousness.

Chocolate is one of the hardest foods to pair with alcoholic beverages, so selecting a partner for your dessert might be a challenge as well as a learning experience. If you were already enjoying a glass of red wine with your dinner you might luck out. A general rule of thumb would be your wine should be a tad sweeter than your dessert, so if your wine has some good fruit nuances with a hint of sweetness, it might pair well with a semi dark chocolate mousse. If you are selecting a dessert wine, I would say stay away from citrusy choices – maybe trying a sweet muscat, Banyuls, or a tawny or ruby port. A Pedro Ximinez Sherry will hit the mark with certain chocolates as well. Once again, it's going to be hit or miss, but you will probably have a good time experimenting. We hope you have a great holiday season no matter what way you go, and let us know if you find your perfect pairing for that seasonal dessert. So until next time ...

Chambord Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients:

8 oz. fine quality chocolate, 70 percent

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup Chambord liqueur

2 cups very cold heavy cream

Directions:

Add the chocolate, sugar and Chambord liqueur on top of a double boiler, stirring constantly until the chocolate has completely melted. Allow to cool for a few minutes while you assemble your mixing bowl. Using a stand mixer, attach your whisk and add the melted chocolate mixture. Start the mixer and slowly, then add the heavy cream a little at a time. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula after each new splash until all of the heavy cream has been added. Then turn your mixer on high and whip until stiff peaks form. Place mousse into a piping bag and pipe into glasses, options include wine glasses, martini glasses or even clear glass ramekins. Chill mousse in the refrigerator for two hours. Top with fresh raspberries, melba sauce and dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Melba Sauce

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh raspberries

½ cup powdered sugar

¼ cup Lemon Juice

Directions:

Bring all ingredients to a slow simmer over the stovetop, until raspberries have fallen apart. Strain the sauce, and allow to cool in the refrigerator.