Starter and Desserts

[jelly79]

Hosting for 13 for the first time this year!

Have the main course sorted but undecided on dessert / starters

Can you please tell me what you are having for

Canapés
Starters
Desserts

Dessert. Profiterole dessert from booths. Ideal for large groups.

I wouldnt have canapes and starters, one or the other. A starter is less hassle than making canapes unless you just get M&S stuff and bung in the oven (nothing wrong with that!). My husband is a traditionalist and likes a traditional prawn cocktail at christmas.

Dessert we have christmas pudding for those who like it, some in my family would be horrified in my family if we didn't, my mum always makes a trifle, a lemon tart and something more kid friendly.

Then we start on the cheese.

Dessert is profiteroles, I made them yesterday to check theyd be ok 😋

Starter will be hot-smoked salmon vol au vents and pud is Christmas pudding or millionaire’s tart

Starter of pate, melon and prawns and people help themselves

Pudding is Scottish Tablet cheesecake and chocolate fudge cake.

don't bother with a starter - we have a late, filling breakfast of smoked salmon and scrambled egg bagels.

Dessert - I make a white chocolate cheesecake on Xmas eve morning. Plus a strawberry trifle and a tiny M&S Xmas cake for Ds1 (7) who is the only person who likes it!

i like a bit of everything so the past few years I have made mini starters.

• prawn cocktail in large shot glasses
• garlic dough 'baubles'
• Star toast with pate
• filo and cranberry filo parcels

All really easy to make. We have these about an hour before the main course is ready.

Puddings we always have an xmas pud, chocolate orange cheese cake, trifle and then I will also buy some sort of christmassy ice cream type dessert

These all sound amazing - I think you’ve just inspired my own starters, since I’m cooking for 12 this year for the first time.

Same as a PP no starter as we’d be too full but lovely brunch earlier of smoked salmon, scrambled eggs and croissants.

Christmas pud with lots of flaming brandy, cream and brandy butter, oranges in brandy alternative.

Homemade choc truffles (Delia)

We actually stopped doing made pudding after meal a few years ago.

We do the Austrian route of Christmas biscuits instead afterwards. It’s basically lots of various homemade biscuits. Then can finish Meal, clean up and let food go down a little, then bring out 101 biscuits and hot cider/ apple juice about and hour later. Easy with large amounts also as no sit down with cutlery needed

Usually do gingerbread, linzer biscuits which are like shortbread with jam sandwiched in between, Almond cookies dipped in chocolate, etc

Prawn cocktail
Soup
Garlic mushrooms

Pudding is usually pavlova, Christmas pudding and lemon roulade

Don't usually do starters but the brie and filo parcels above sounds good. We do a large, healthy ish breakfast, I do a massive fruit platter using 1 of as many different fruits I can find jn the supermarket. We pair this with croissants. After the kids eat some of the fruit they can eat what they like for the rest of the day!

Puddings

Christmas pudding
Banoffee trifle
Cheesecake (something refreshing and not too sweet, maybe lemon)
And cheese, lots of cheese.

Oh the kids have asked me to do a yule log this year, might have that on Christmas eve this year.

Christmas pudding, Yule Log, Brownies for those that don't like cream or fruit, then Eton Mess.

Canapes are usually homemade sausage rolls, cheese straws, blue cheese puffs and some antipasto.

We never have a starter. The dinner itself is massive enough, anyway.

We have individual sticky toffee puddings for pudding. This is usually popular, whereas lots of people don’t really like traditional Christmas pudding. I make them in advance and freeze them. They just need to be defrosted and popped in the turned off oven while we eat the main course to warm through a little. Then, I make the toffee sauce just before serving.

Starter choices

Beetroot, feta, walnut, rocket salad
Prawn cocktail
Melon
Pate

Desert choices

Profiteroles with hot chocolate sauce
Jelly & ice cream
Cheese board and oatcakes

Is the tablet cheesecake homemade - would you share the recipe

Starter - Chestnut, bacon and parsnip soup

Dessert - Trio of mini cheesecakes - vanilla, Baileys, lemon

We are not having a Christmas dinner this year but my absolute favourite Xmas day starter is watermelon with mint and feta! So light and delicious and easy to prepare!

We are a prawn cocktail traditional household. But having done this for the best part of twenty years, some years I've deviated but kept along the same lines, and starters have been a mini dressed crab or potted brown shrimp with a small slice of lovely seeded bread. I've done mini lobster thermidors (just the tails) which were lovely too.

Pud, a small shop bought Christmas pud with brandy butter which only DM ever wants a piece of, and then ice-cream sundaes for the children, and a tiramisu although I might attempt Delia's chocolate torte for everyone else this year.

Cheeseboard placed out with dessert, which one or two may pick at, then brought out again in the evening with nibbles and charcuterie.

Starters: platter of smoked salmon, prawns and crab with some green stuff, variety of pates with brown bread and oatcakes so people can help themselves.
dessert: traditional Christmas pud, a cheesecake of some description, and raspberries , mini meringues, brandy snaps and squirts cream. Again people can have what they want.

Don't do a starter but dessert will be Baileys Tiramisu Trifle

https://www.olivemagazine.com/recipes/baking-and-desserts/baileys-tiramisu-trifle/

For the Christmas dinner I go to it will be: Choice of two soups lentil and another one for starters

Desserts are cheesecake or chocolate gateau

Some nice sounding choices here. I’d like to try something different in the future.

We have homemade veg soup with rolls from the breadmaker. I think it's too filling but everyone loves it.

Pud is a choice of Christmas pudding /mince pies or some chocolate sponge pudding type thing.

I just serve canapés that are kind of starter inspired! So smoked salmon blinis, paprika prawns skewered with mango and chorizo, little squares of toasted pita topped with pear, blue cheese and walnuts and miniature Thai fish cakes (I make in advance and freeze).

Starter is smoked salmon, prawns with Marie Rose sauce and brown bread.
Desert is Christmas pudding with cream and an M&S trifle.