Code word

Close friends contribute to our personal growth. They also contribute to our personal pleasure, making the music sound sweeter, the wine taste richer, the laughter ring louder because they are there.

~ Judith Viorst

You may have noticed I haven't been here for a couple days, and just so you know, it wasn't because of writer's block. I had book club at my house last night and it was late when everyone left. I sat down to add an entry, but the sedating effects of limoncello, pinot grigio and lots of laughter left me exhausted and the bed won over the laptop. For those of you who have never tried limoncello, you must do so at least once. Limoncello is a lemon flavored liqueur, usually imported from Italy. Because we had read "Eat, Pray, Love" this month, I chose to serve Italian themed refreshments. Limoncello can be mixed with other things, but we chose to have it straight from the freezer (yes, it needs to chilled in the freezer) in beautiful antique cordial glasses rimmed with sugar. Mmm, mmm...



Which leads us to the strawberry tiramisu tarts. These delicious bite sized piece of heaven are the easiest things to make, and I've added the recipe from Paula Deen below. But you are probably wondering what all this has to do with book club. Our book club has just been reinvigorated, and after last night, I can't for the life of me remember why we let such great times fall by the wayside. Contrary to popular belief we do actually read one book a month (not too much to ask) and we do discuss it. I find it fascinating to hear the multitude of interpretations our group can come up with, sometimes I wonder if we all really read the same book. The one thing we do have in common is the laughter. Lots of it. I have been blessed with exceptional friends. They have been with me through the good times and the bad, births, deaths, weddings, divorces, you name it. I don't ever want to lose my connection to them. So once a month we have book club. Book club, as my wise husband has pointed out, is a code word for we eat, we drink, we laugh, and most of all we remember how lucky we are to know each other.

Strawberry Tiramisu Tarts
1/2 cup strawberry preserves, at room temperature
1 1/2 (6.3-ounce) packages miniature bite-size sweet tart shells or phyllo shells
1 (8-ounce) package mascarpone cheese, softened
1/4 cup Limoncello or lemonade
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon lemon extract
2 quarts fresh strawberries, halved
Directions
Place about 1/2-teaspoon strawberry preserves in bottom of each tart shell; set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine mascarpone cheese, Limoncello or lemonade and lemon juice. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.

In a medium bowl combine cream, sugar and lemon extract. Beat at medium-high speed with an electric mixer until medium peaks form. Fold into mascarpone mixture, stirring until combined.

Spoon about 1 tablespoon mascarpone mixture into each tart shell. Top each with a strawberry half.