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

Crisps and olives

I would be very upset about anything that stopped me having as much Christmas dinner as humanly possible

And then after a while Christmas pudding ice cream, which no one eats more than a scoop of, even though it’s a hundred times nicer than Christmas pudding

And then some hours later the mother of all cheeseboards

We usually have about 16 people and no one has complained yet

I do this as a starter, I make the sauce and vinaigrette on Christmas Eve...

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/smoked-salmon-prawns-horseradish-cream-lime-vinaigrette

Desert is usually one hot with custard, might do a plum jam roly poly this year and one cold, probably a pavlova wreath with red berries.

No starter unless chocolate counts! We eat at 2 though. Desserts I do a few, Christmas pud (shop bought) a fruit roulade and something chocolatey usually for 12 people

Canapes/starter - don't bother, the meal is enough

Dessert - Christmas pudding. However if you want something different/ have pudding haters this is universally popular and very easy to make:

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/creativelivingfr/chocolate-crunch-christmas-pudding-t4397.html

🧆Canapes....tiny filo brie and cranberry parcels

🍤Starters....chicken liver parfait from M&S with leaves and toast
OR
Fresh small prawns and smoked salmon with cocktail sauce on the side

🍫🧀Pudding...Christmas pudding

OR profiteroles and cheese and biscuits tray

No starter, we have a big brunch and then when our guests come we do a big batch of salt fish fritters early afternoon.
Dinner is around 4/5 and then pudding at 6.
puddings are:
delias chocolate torte (made a few days before)
salted caramel profiteroles (made the day before and filled just before eating)
molten middle chocolate pots (made before and usually not touched until Boxing Day 😂
There will be a shop bought Christmas pud because we all hate it except my stepdads dad and even he only wants a small slice “as it’s tradition”!

Ooh yes I was thinking one or the other and I like the idea of canapés. Sitting enjoying a starter worrying about everything being warm seems stressful!

Xmas pjs will be a certainy but for the heathens we need more choice :)

Always a great choice and can be picked off throughout the night

This sounds delicious and a lovely idea

I have to make this!! Will be my offering for the Boxing Day table at mums! Looks amazing x

It’s a quiet Christmas in our house this year - just the three of us.
We spread our meal out across the day, so have our starter at lunchtime. This year it will be smoked mackerel pate scooped up with hot straight out of the oven Yorkshire puddings.
The main event (sirloin, without fail) will be served at about 4.00 and then dessert and cheese at 7.00 or so.
Last year I made a croquembouche but this year is going to be a chocolate and chestnut meringue affair.

These are what I was thinking to have whilst opening presents. Love all these.

If we're with my parents, we have soup for starter and trifle and Christmas pud for dessert.

This year, we're with the ILs and they usually do smoked salmon with wheaten bread to start and for dessert, Christmas pud, a meringue/coffee roulade thing that's a family tradition and homemade ice cream.

We have canapés and small bits at around 11am - dates with Stilton wrapped in bacon, Mozzarella wrapped in Prosciutto, olives, vol-au-vents, crisps,crudités, dips, sausage rolls etc

We have our main course around 4pm

Pudding is around 6pm - usually home made meringues and fruit, Christmas pudding etc.

Then cheese and biscuits and Port.

We find it so much more relaxing to spread the meal across the day, with games and presents in between.

Breakfast is usually simple (I save the Big Breakfast for Boxing Day) toast , eggs for DH , jam , croissants , coffee and orange juice .
No starter , dinner is After Dark but Before Dr Who

Dessert will be Sticky Toffee Pudding and Apple Crumble made ahead in small pudding basins . Ice Cream Sundae for DS with caramel sauce and Crunchie

IF you do a starter/desserts, they can always be cold. No need to have everything hot and saves time if you can make things the day before.

These are tasty as canapes Brie, bacon and cranberry filo bites recipe - BBC Food
Prue Leith's Mini Yorkshire Puddings - The Great British Bake Off | The Great British Bake Off

Starter or dip Individual smoked salmon terrines for Christmas | Recipe | Salmon terrine recipes, Smoked salmon, Smoked salmon terrine (pinterest.co.uk)
I used a similar recipe, but did the larger terrine in the pic below. It can be sliced for individual starters, or left on the table as a dip.

For dessert, I generally do a pavlova. For 13 people, I'd make 2 desserts. I've often bought pre-made pastry cases and done any of the following:

• chocolate tart with berry coulis
• lemon meringue pie- Ultimate lemon meringue pie recipe | BBC Good Food
• Passionfruit tart- 1 can condensed milk, mix in 3-4 passionfruit pulp, juice of 1-2 lemons or limes. Mix, put into the prepared pastry case and bake till just set.
• pecan pie
• Treacle tart
• Bakewell Tart
• Salted caramel tart- 1 can nestle caramel put into the pastry case and smoothed with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle salt on top. Melt some milk or dark chocolate and spread a thin layer on top. Leave in fridge to set the chocolate.