A Sweet Celebration
Another holiday season has come and gone; another boozy New Year’s Eve nothing but a memory of the fading chords of Auld Lang Syne; and peering into the looking glass at a glum and dreary winter ahead can be downright depressing. The carols have been turned off. Presents all unwrapped. Turkey leftovers recycled into as many dishes as consumption will allow. So what next? Well, one surefire way to break the post-party letdown is to simply throw another party. And as the popular adage says, “Life is short – eat dessert first”. So when it comes to the party premise, think sweet.
A dessert party is a unique take on entertaining, with the ever important food element, but also a hint of naughtiness that everyone should be allowed to indulge in now and then. It’s a great stage for whimsy and elegance. You can make it a sit-down affair or opt for cocktail style, but the main ingredients must all be of the sugary persuasion.
Most meals start with the bread basket passing hands. For your dessert party, serve ramekins of bread pudding instead. Keeping in mind the many courses ahead, the pudding should be simple and enhanced with fruit rather than chocolate. Try a bread pudding with dried apricots or raisins and orange zest. Set out dishes of sugared walnuts or chocolate-covered lentils for munching on, too. Then it’s on to the “salad” course: strawberries with balsamic sauce and goat cheese are a great starter, or melon balls sweetened with basil mint syrup.
Now it’s time to introduce the main event – try a dessert with nuts, such as mini pecan tartlets or a hazelnut-crusted cheesecake dressed with caramel. Serve sautéed apples in martini glasses on the side.
Next, cleanse your guests’ palettes with a lemon or watermelon granita, served in carved out lemon halves. They can be prepared ahead and look delightfully elegant.
Since dessert is the theme of the day, there’s no true “dessert” course, but this is the stage to put chocolate on display for a grand finale. Try a trio of chocolate mousses scooped onto small silver dishes and dusted with shaved chocolate.
Of course, you’ll also need libations to accompany all these sweets. A very dry white wine will work, as will the more festive choice of champagne. Chocolate martinis are practically a course unto themselves, or serve coffee in tiny tea cups decorated in vibrant patterns.
For displaying your desserts, use cake stands and tiered platters of varying heights. Decorate tables with solid shades such as bright purples, greens, reds and pinks. They’ll perk up your guests and stimulate the appetite, too.
A dessert party is innately all about indulgence. Nonetheless, portions must be small. These courses are designed to be tastings; no one likes walking away feeling uncomfortably bloated. With this in mind, flip through the cookbook Gale Gand’s Just A Bite
