With the summer holidays in full swing, many of you may have found the time to host a dinner party amongst friends and family. After all, planning, preparing, and hosting a dinner party takes a lot of time. One way in which you can reduce the time it takes to prepare for your party is to consider the use of a private chef. Private chefs can reduce the stress and time of preparing a meal, allowing you to be a guest at your own party! Whether or not you are using the services of a chef, when it comes to desserts, anything from boozy puds to a light fruit salad, or even something more chocolatey, preparation is key. Therefore, here are some of our delicious dinner party dessert ideas for you to consider having on your menu.
Why serve a dessert at your dinner party?
When it comes to considering the menu for your party, desserts can sometimes be overlooked. Not only does a dessert help structure the timing of your dinner party but they can also allow you a chance to incorporate more fruit into your diet. Fruit salads or pavlova topped with berries are a great example of this! The sugar in desserts is also linked to dopamine, which (within moderation!) means your emotional wellbeing can be influenced positively. All in all, this may make for a better atmosphere both around and between your guests, and it’s even better when you’re not the one who’s doing the cooking!
Dinner party dessert ideas that can be prepared ahead of time
If you are catering for your guests yourself, then preparing a dessert the day before your dinner party is a great way to save time and allow you more freedom to get dressed up before your guests arrive or take extra care in the presentation of your starters and main dishes.
Obviously, you’ll have to consider the favoured tastes of your guests. If you know they prefer fruity, healthier desserts a fruit tart could be ideal, as it allows you to have control of what fruits to use and which are favoured by you and your guests!
Alternatively, if your guests prefer a boozy pudding, you can’t go wrong with an expresso martini cake or expresso martini ice cream! Both puddings require minimal ingredients and can be prepared the day before your party. Another alcoholic all-time favourite dessert is a Pimms Eton Mess.
If you’ve got chocoholics attending your party, a sure-fire winner would be chocolate-covered strawberries. You also have the creative freedom to present these however you want, whether this means mixing different coloured chocolates onto the strawberries or serving them in a fun and expressive way. A firm favourite of mine to serve to my clients is a chocolate orange torte. Both decadent and delicious, it is the perfect dessert to end an evening on.
Dinner party dessert ideas that can be prepared on the day
If you’ve got the time to make delicious, jaw-dropping desserts on the same day as your dinner party, something to really wow your guests would be a cheesecake. Here at dido’s fine food, we prepare and serve our mouth-watering cheesecakes in glasses. This helps in terms of both time and preparation, but it also just looks classy on the table!
A rich and creamy, yet light and fluffy chocolate mousse might be perfect for you and your guests as well! After all, it is a classic in most fine dining restaurants and if made the French way, it won’t only taste amazing, but it can really be a strong talking point amongst you and your guests.
Caramel cake is best eaten the day it’s made, but it is best for those with a sweet tooth. You can even decorate the top of the cake with flaked almonds or change the taste of the caramel by adding salt. Again, it depends on the taste buds of your guests, but the option for a salted caramel cake is there and is perfect even for a celebratory cake!
We hope our delicious dinner party dessert ideas are useful! If you would like your private event or party to be catered for by dido’s fine food, contact us today on 07796 274028, or drop us an email at [email protected] and we will be more than happy to provide a catering quote for you. Our catering company is based in Thame, Oxfordshire and we can cater across many of the adjoining counties too including Buckinghamshire and areas of Berkshire.