What's the best dessert for a crowd?

[HamblesHandbag]

For 20 people or so after a pissing wet BBQ?

Something sweet and gooey/sloppy. Not cake (dry) or trifle (weird sponge/jelly combo).

Something that could be done in large quantities in advance and with minimal skill but lots of enthusiasm?

I thank you!

Pavlova.

Make a huge meringue, smother with cream and plonk on a load of strawberries an raspberries. Jamie Oliver's recipe also involves making a caramel and drizzling that on top.

No recipe I'm afraid but sure you could fine one - I went to a huge party at a very posh quite famous (!) person's house once and for dessert they rolled out a few HUGE bowls of the most delicious chocolate mousse. She just used a large spoon to dollop a portion in a bowl with a spoon and there you go, next!

It really was amaaazzzinnggly delicious!

Cheese cake?
Pavalova?
Banoffie pie?

I'd just do Eton Mess

Done the bbq thing so many times and in my experience Eton Mess and a large,brightly coloured bowl of fruit cocktail goes down great, but dont put bananas in it, they go spongy.

Eton mess? Whipped cream, broken up meringue and strawberries, all mixed up. Delicious (and you can make it in minutes)

How about Eton mess? I shouldn't have thought doing it a little bit in advance will be a problem but I wouldn't make it too far ahead otherwise the meringues might go soggy. Takes absolutely no talent to make either. Especially if you buy ready made meringues!

X posts!

God about a hundred cross posts there :o

ooh, I'm scared of pavlova - never done meringues!

anyone got a recipe for an amaaaaaaaazzzzinnggly delicious choc mousse?? that sounds good! Although am pg so can't do raw eggs, but could make it for others.

Cheese cake could work, and no idea how to make banoffee...

OP I think Eton mess is the winner hands down!

Wow, big votes for eton mess!

Actually that's pretty easy isn't it? We're away overnight the day before so something easy to assemble on the day would be helpful.

Meringues are easy-I was very surprised at how nicely mine came out the first time, but the bought ones are fine, especially if getting crushed up in a vat of cream. Banoffee-cheesecake digestive base, tin of caramel if you want really quick, sliced banana topped with whipped cream. Easy peasy and very popular round this end!!

Massive fruit salad and Eton mess.

I would have suggested tiramisu but it has raw eggs in it. Bummer.

I am a lazy git, and never make puddings, but fall back on the old Nigel Slater standby - an eclectic mix of chocolate (bars of Lindt, chopped up mars bars and bountys, choc peanuts etc, posh chocs as well) all chopped up and in pretty bowls, and tubs of ice cream for people to help themselves.

Or peach melba.

Bake a whole tray load of peaches with butter and brown sugar. Make a raspberry coulis in advance (frozen raspberries or fresh, blitzed in a blender with icing sugar and sieved to remove pips) served with copious quantities of ice cream.

Nigella does a really easy choc mousse which is set with marshmallows. She specifies mini marshmallows, but ordinary ones are fine. It's in the express book, but I can type it out if needed.

But pavlova is the easiest thing in the world, not scary at all. Make a couple, and you can top them with different things. 20 millions Australians can't be wrong (surely!)

Eton mess. You can buy amazing pavlova bases from Waitrose and no one need ever know you didn't make it yourself

Banoffee Pie - crush digestives, melt butter put in biscuit crumbs, press into tin, put into fridge. Sit down for a bit. Open tin of caramel flavoured condensed milk, spread onto base, put into fridge, sit down for a bit. Slice bananas, place on top. Open tub of whipping cream, beat until stiffened, spread on top. Crumble a flake over the top. Done.

I do have an amazing chocolate mousse recipe but it's an eggy one. Any non egg chocolate mousses tend to use cream as a base and are very very rich.

I think chocolate mousse would have raw egg in it.

Meringues are so easy. Just whisk up a few egg whites, add sugar and there you go. Look up on internet for exact quantities. You can make them a few days in advance too.