My all time favourite dessert. Rich, yet light, great mouth feel and it doesn't compete with the main meal. Bonus you can make early the same day or even the day before.

Crème Carmel

1 Qt milk
2 vanilla beans split lengthwise or 3 tsp pure vanilla extract
(I use the extract but use the good stuff not the artificial extract)
2 Cup sugar (divided into ½ cup and 1 ½ cups)
3 Tbl water
1 Drop lemon juice or white vinegar
8 large eggs
4 egg yolks
pinch salt

In large saucepan , over low heat, scald the milk with the vanilla. Remove from the heat and let steep 30 minutes. Then remove beans and discard. Caramelize an 8 cup round baking dish. Place ½ cup of sugar, water and vinegar or lemon juice in a small sauce pan and cook over high heat until golden. Carefully pour the caramel into the baking dish, tipping the dish to ensure the bottom is all covered.

Let the caramel harden.

Preheat your oven to 300.
Place the eggs, yolks , 1 ½ cups sugar and salt in a bowl. Whisk together until the mixture is pale yellow and thickens (I use my KA mixer). Strain the milk mixture into the egg mixture and stir to blend (be sure the milk has cooled. Sometimes I strain the custard if I think there are any solid bits.). Pour this custard mixture into the caramelized baking dish.
Place the baking dish in a larger dish and pour boiling water half way up the outside of the baking dish. Bake 1 ½ to 2 hours or until a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Let cool and then refrigerate until ready to serve. T serve run a knife around the edge and invert onto a deep plate. The carmel will run out an fill the dish.
Note: I often make these in individual ramekins. Just adjust the cooking time.

I'm assuming nobody's lactose intolerant? Now's the time for berries & if they can't take dairy, they'd probably like the berries without the cream & this one has the WOW factor plus it's easy & fresh:
PAVLOVA (serves 10)
4 egg whites, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 TBL cornstarch

Topping:
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
2 cups sliced or chopped fresh fruit (strawberries are great with this)

Preheat oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet w/aluminum foil. Lightly butter the foil. In a bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Add the sugar gradually, beating constantly. Add the vinegar & vanilla; beat for 5 minutes. Add the cornstarch; beat 1 minute. Mound the meringue onto the prepared baking sheet into a disk about 2" high. Imprint the edge of the disk with the back of a spoon with an upward motion. (This will make a slight rim)
Place in the oven; reduce the heat to 250°. Bake 1 1/2 hours; remove from the oven & cool.
Beat the cream until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, beating until stiff peaks are formed. Fold in the fruit. Mound the fruited cream in the center of the pavlova. Cut into wedges to serve.~~Nuggets; Recipes Good as Gold.
NOTE: You can also just lightly sweeten the berries, place in the cooled meringue & then top w/whipped cream, if you prefer.

As someone who sometimes suffers from heart burn from a too rich dessert after a rich meal...I suggest fruit in a merangue shell with passed whipped cream...don'tput the whipped cream on before serving.
Another that sits well is biscotti with a bowl of berries.
Chocolate at night is not good for me...unless, of course, the main dish was chocolate!!
Linda C

what about a granita? something frozen and icy. i take prevacid for my reflux but before anything milky would hurt me.. really anything hurt me so im not that great of a judge but i would think a lemon granita with berries would sit well. i found this recipe and then you could top with some mint and berries of your choice.

Italian Lemon Ice (Granita)

SERVES 4 -6 (change servings and units)
Ingredients
3 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 pinch salt
1 cup fresh lemon juice (juice of about 6 medium lemons)
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lemons, rind of (about the peel from 1 medium lemon)
2 teaspoons lemon extract

Directions
Combine 2 cups of the water with the sugar in a medium nonreactive saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat.
Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Add the salt, stir, and remove the pan from the heat.
Stir in the remaining water and let cool to room temperature.
Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour.
Meanwhile, place a shallow metal 2 1/2 qt container (such as a large cake pan) in the freezer to chill.
Add the lemon juice, lemon peel, and extract to the chilled sugar mixture; stir until well blended.
Pour into the chilled metal pan.
Place the pan in the freezer for 30-60 minutes, or until ice crystals form around the edges.
Stir the ice crystals into the center of the pan and return to the freezer.
Repeat every 30 minutes, or until all the liquid is crystallized but not frozen solid, about 3 hours.
To serve, scoop the granita into chilled dessert bowls or goblets.
(If the granita has become too hard, scrape it with a large metal spoon to break up the ice crystals.) Serve at once.
Advance Preparation: The granita can be stored, covered, for up to four days in the freezer, but it will have become frozen solid.
To serve, either allow the granita to thaw in the refridgerator until you can scrape the crystals, or break it up into chunks and process with on/off motions in a food processor fitted with the knife blade until fairly smooth.

How about some really good berries, simply cooked in puff pastry with a bit of sugar or liqueur like Grand Marnier? Dusted with a bit of powdered sugar and served with a nice mint and chamomile tea to aid digestion?

I'd go with Ginger's Pavlova. When we were in New Zealand this past spring, I had it for dessert every night and it was wonderful.
RL`

I went through severe heartburn several years ago...did the 'scope thing to check it all out and was recommended for surgery which I decided against. All is much better now but it was horrible for awhile. A dessert that I might have chosen during that period would have been low in fat with no dairy or chocolate or any spices. How yucky!