Tuaca & Dulce de Leche

It’s New Year’s Eve! While the rest of the world celebrates the dawn of 2010, Husband & I will quietly (well, four Littles quiet) toast 12 years of marriage tonight.

New  Year’s Eve looks different for us every year.  Some years we celebrate with friends, once (maybe twice) we’ve stolen 24 hours away alone, and on at least four New Year’s Eves we’ve held a tiny newborn in our arms as we clang our champagne flutes and kissed at midnight 9:45 pm.

But there are some constants in our twelve years of celebration.  We were given gorgeous silver champagne flutes for our wedding toast and each year we use them for a special anniversary toast.  And, for at least half the decade + we’ve been married we’ve enjoyed a special spirited dessert.

Only the festive, over-the-top, decadent cocktail dessert has NO name.  So I need your help.  I’ll share our New Year’s Eve / Anniversary dessert with you, if you’ll help me come up with a name.  Deal?

I get the easy end of the deal, as there are only two ingredients to share:  Tuaca and Haagen Dazs Dulce de Leche ice cream.

Tuaca is an Italian liqueur which dates back to the Renaissance. The northern Tuscany delicacy is known for its distinct sweet flavor with hints of vanilla and orange. I’m sure the 16th century Italians who first created Tuaca would cringe at mixing it with American ice cream, but you my friends will beam ear to ear with this unique combination.

You’ll need Tuaca…

And, of course the caramel ice cream sensation….

There really is no magic to the recipe.  You just blend the softened ice cream with one or two shots of tuaca.  I serve the dessert in big stemless wine glasses with a spoon on the side.

No, the Littles will not be partaking in our annual New Year’s Eve dessert.  We have another decade until the oldest Little can join us in this tradition. I’ll be serving the Littles Whoopie Pie.

Because everyone deserves a little whoopie on New Year’s Eve!

Now, please help me name this drink! It’s so creamy, delicious, mouth watering good it’s just a shame to leave it nameless any longer.

Happy New Year!