ERATH — Liven up spring with a homemade dessert for mom on her special day.

An after dinner dessert or a rich, luscious sweet treat served mid afternoon with a piping hot cup of coffee will put a smile on mom’s face this Mother’s Day.

For that Mother’s Day brunch, delight mom with a crepe filled with fresh tropical fruit or a freshly baked angel food cake made from scratch and topped with strawberries and whipped cream.

“No occasion is complete without a memorable dessert,” said Melanie Bergeron, who considers cooking a hobby, not a chore.

For the Erath cook, easy is not always the best way. Her crème brûlée (French for burnt cream) does require extra preparation time, but it is one of those desserts that can add the crowning touch to any meal, she said.

When Bergeron received a crème brûlée kit for her birthday from her mother, Belinda Boudreaux, she immediately set out to put her culinary skills to the test.

Prepared in individual ramekins, the dessert is always a crowd pleaser with a balance of a bronze-colored hard sugar caramelized shell topping over a smooth, creamy custard made with everyday ingredients — sugar, eggs and whipping cream — but can be tricky to prepare.

Bergeron ditches the box cake, cookie and breakfast mixes and bakes from scratch. The extra time spent in the kitchen is all worth it for her husband, James, and the couple’s two sons Dylan, 8, and Ethan, 3, who reap the benefits from the homemade goodies.

“My dad, (Kirk Boudreaux) enjoys cooking and he would always have something baked from scratch. When I was growing up there was always homemade biscuits, crepes or pancakes, so it is only natural for me to bake from scratch,” she said.

“Desserts and breakfast foods are my downfall. One dessert is never enough. I like to prepare three or four different ones for get-togethers so everyone will have something that they like. I just can’t help myself.”

The extra time spent in the kitchen provides relaxation for the 30-year-old cook.

“It’s fun and relaxing for me. It is rewarding to know that you’ve taken the extra time to make it yourself,” she said. “I can spend hours on the Internet looking for different recipes and going through magazines and cookbooks. I’ll try it once, if it is not good, I forget about it or I will tweak it to my own taste.”

Some people may sacrifice their favorite food to shed a few pounds, but most will draw the line at giving up a chocolate dessert. Bergeron’s chocolate lava cakes made in individual ramekins are one of those delectable chocolate desserts that are hard to resist.

“Most lava cakes are made by putting the chocolate in the center, but this one is made by basically undercooking the center. When it is cut, the middle pours out and it tastes like melted chocolate,” she said.

Top off dessert with a piping hot cup of coffee with homemade creamer made of a blend of half and half, condensed milk and extract, and the occasion will be well-remembered.

For a Mother’s Day brunch or an early morning treat to serve to mom in bed, Bergeron suggested an easy to prepare crepe filled with tropical fruit or Nutella and bananas.

Bergeron said it’s hard for her two sons to pass up her homemade marshmallows when its snack time.

“Homemade marshmallows are a lot creamier than store bought and have more of a vanilla taste. It is a really simple recipe, just not many people think about doing it,” she said.