Flowers and chocolates are fine, but imagine the delight of receiving a handmade, fresh baked cheesecake! Once available in only the finest restaurants, these cheesecakes, gourmet desserts, gourmet coffees and cookies are now shipped for delivery overnight!

At The Dessert Cafe, our gourmet cheesecakes, desserts, cookies, coffees and cookie gift baskets make a wonderful, unexpected and truly unique gift for many personal and business occasions: Holiday Wishes, Birthdays and Anniversaries, Promotions, New Job, New House, New Baby, Congratulations on Closing that Big Sale!, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Grandparent's Day, Secretaries Day, Valentine's Day, For a job well done!, Condolences, "I" really deserve a cheesecake!, For that special "Thank You", Sending your kids off to college!

Why the word "dessert?"

According to the Larousse de la Langue Francaise, the word "desserte" derives from the French verb "desservir," meaning to clear the table. The noun "Dessert," denoting a sweet served after the main meal was cleared, seems to have surfaced in 17th century. By the 18th century dessert was frequently referenced in both France and England.

Dessert is a complicated topic because the role/importance of last/sweet course in a meal are cuisine and time dependent. Some cultures (China, most notably) traditionally prefer fresh fruit over sweet confections.

Who "invented" dessert? No one knows. Food historians tell us the practice of ending a meal with something sweet probably had something to do with ancient medical ideas regarding digestion. Many of these ideas continued until the genesis of modern nutrition science (mid 19th century). Did you know ancient cultures avocated ending the meal with cheese because it was thought to aid digestion? Culinary evidence confirms peoples of ancient cultures enjoyed sweet treats such as cakes, cookies, confections, sugared nuts, and dried/candied fruits. These were typically the food of the wealthy classes. Other people might partake of these treats for special occasions (weddings, religious festivals). The idea of enjoying a sweet dessert every day by "average people" is a relatively modern concept.

Food historians caution us that "dessert-type" courses were known by other names in times past. Ancient Romans consumed "secundae mensa." Medieval England delighted in "subtleties." Elizabethan England feasted on "banquets." 19th century France dined on "dessert" inspired by Antonin Careme.