Dinner party pudding. What would you like?

[whimsicalname]

Have 8 people coming for supper on Saturday night, and will be out all day with kids before hand, so want something i can do the day before.

My plan so far is:

Nettle and wild garlic soup
Morrocan chicken stew with green olives and preserved lemon, which will be served with cous cous and a grated carrot salad (thank you Allegra McAvedy)

But what to have for pudding?

Was thinking baked cheese cake or chocolate pots. Any other suggestions?

I think a selection of bite-sized desserts is a very good idea if you have the time and inclination to make them. If you feel like unleashing your inner domestic goddess to new depths of creativity, I'm sure that bite-size variety is the way to go.

i serve cocaine at mine.

Alternatively - I also recently made up a huge hug of Hendrick's with tonic water, cucumber, green apple and rosewater, and served with a plate of little rose Turkish Delight.

But I'd reserve that for after a truly stodgy meal as it's light and weeny and boozy as hell

hug

JUG!

greythorne - if you are served sloppy trifle then it hasn't been made properly! I don't like slop - was once presented with a bowl of of liquid and told it was a trifle! I quickly poured it down the sink!

A good trifle needs to be made day before, and with nice cake, high fruit content conserve (I make my own from allotment fruit patch) and good custard. Need to get proportions right - too much fruit/alcohol = sloppy, too much cake = stodgy. A good trifle is divine!

We usually have a trifle for parties or get-togethers, exotic fruit salad/eton mess/pavlova/banoffee pie/lemon or fruit tart if warm, sticky toffee pudding/crumbles/bread and butter pudding/warm brownies and ice cream if cold

I'd do roast rhubarb, I think it's a Delia, and I'd incorporate rosewater somehow to keep in with the Morrocanny main course.
Serve that with some lovely creme fraiche with orange zest and perhaps some shortbread biscuits.

NettoSuperstar that sounds good! And sophisticated!

The thing I don't like at the end of a meal is a rich chocolate pudding - it's too much - I love it for morning coffee or afternoon tea though.

Good puddings Treacle tart, Lemon Tart, Pavlova with passion fruit or good seasonal strawberries, creme brulee, lemon pudding, syrup pudding, flourless orange cake, crumble...

Pears with white wine and cardamon or star anise? I prefer cheese so am crap at thinking of puddings. But rather good at eating them if I have one placed in front of me. Have a lovely evening.

How about wine poached pears?

We cheat and buy frozen ice cream and meringue roulade.
Or make ice cream sundaes with maltesers and sauce.
Chocolate brownies served warm with ice cream (bit of an ice cream theme going on in our house!)

If you are short on time , I always resort to a thing the dh and I tried years ago in Sheekeys BC.....

Frozen mixed berried with hot white chocolate sauce.

The beeries literally "cook" within the sauce once it's poured over them in glasses or whatever. Has now bwcome a popular request.!

How about a plate of dried apricots with a walnut stuck in them, dates, some biscotti, some grapes, some walnuts,hazelnuts and or pistachios - sort of nibbly grazing food,a mixture of fresh and dried fruit and nuts to go with the Moroccan chicken. Always sinks down nicely with lots of pudding wine - looks colourful and is tasty too.

My other choice would be Nigella's gooey chocolate stack which is 3 chocolate meringues layered with chocolate creme patisserie, topped with pistachios, yum.

Ew at the walnut pudding. Vile.