The Rules of "Rat Biting"

I LOVE to make desserts, and I'm a little bit of a fanatic about the way they are served.  When I take the time to lovingly bake something, I like to serve it on a little dessert plate in a fanciful way with a dessert fork.  This drives my husband crazy!

After he's finished eating dinner, he'd just as soon plop a piece of dessert right on his dirty dinner plate.  He views it as a way to "dirty-up" less dishes.  I see it as ruining the dessert.  Who wants a slice of apple pie with mushroom gravy on it, or a piece of "Darn Good Chocolate Cake" with spaghetti sauce?  Not me.

I enjoy slicing the dessert, and placing it on a new plate with a dollop of whipped cream, a sprinkle of powdered sugar, or a drizzle of chocolate sauce.  It adds the final touch to my creation, and it makes the dessert look like a piece of art.

Honestly, my husband would rather just take a fork and eat it straight from the pan.  In my family, we call this "Rat Biting". I don't know if other people use this term, or if this is some junk that my family made up, but we've been using the term "rat bite"  for generations.  It's devastating to me to uncover a dessert and discover that it has been "rat bitten".  The tail-tell signs include jagged edges, fork marks, and no specific geometric pattern.  Basically, it looks like a giant rat came to devour the dessert.

When I see my works of art desecrated by the fork, I go on a man hunt. I question everyone in the house.  "Who rat bit the cake? I want answers!"
Usually no one fesses up because the perpetrator is already on his way to work with a full belly of cake for breakfast. My husband is not the only one that does this though.  All of the men in my family are serial "rat biters".

I have seen the filling eaten out of a pie with the crust still intact.  I have found a giant cinnamon roll missing directly from the middle of the pan, and I have witnessed a pile of nuts scraped off of the top and left in a little pile in the dish.  It's maddening!

Because my desserts are constantly being violated by the fork, I have had to lay down the law.  My rule:

Do not "Rat Bite" the desserts until the second day.


The first day, I serve them on a pretty plate with a serving knife, and a lovely presentation. If and only if there is anything left the next day, then the dessert is fair game.  I will take a deep breath and try to overlook it.

But deep down in my heart, I think it's wrong.  Am I the only one who feels this way????

Living in a Culinary Nightmare,

Nell

P.S- These are DELICIOUS!  I made them from a recipe on The Pioneer Woman's website.  They're called, "Knock You Naked Brownies".  I can't say enough wonderful things about them. You should try them today!