New Year's Eve desserts

[VikingVagine]

So I've been asked to do dessert for the NYE party we're going to. It's a small dinner party with 6 adults and 2 children (mine) and I'd quite like to do a selections of mini individual desserts.

I'll have enough time to prepare something decent, although we do have to travel one hour by car to get there on the day so I need to bear that in mind.

Any ideas?

luxury chocolate brownies,with crushed walnuts and hazelnut

serve with raspberries and cream( transport with ice packs)

Nigella's nutella cheesecake. Been a hit every time and really easy! warning VERY rich, calorific and morish. Transport in springform tin, covered in foil with ice packs and serve straight from the fridge.

Easy peasy.

Mmm, brownies would be good, not sure about anything with nutella in as it might be too sickly sweet! I really want things that I could present in individual mini portions IYSWIM.

Mini creme brûlée are great if you have the right dishes.

A small fruit tart - sweet pastry, patisserie cream and fruit.

Ginger snap basket with fruit or ice cream

Small chocolate mousse or rich brownie with pouring sauce.

Individual cheesecake.

Small pavlovas.

Think you just need to do a selection of regular deserts, but in small sizes to make everyone think it is wow. Present on large plates.

Ooh yes great ideas there thank you, I think I'll have a go at a few of those!

Right, the short list is:

(all mini)

Brownies with raspberry coulis
Gingerbread stars
Orange and chocolate macarons
Lime mascarpone cheesecakes
Apricot pavlovas

I'm going to be making them tomorrow. Eek!

I'm going to have to do a crème brûlée with all those left over egg yolks aren't I?!

Viking, your going to have a busy day then, pity you live in France wouldav given you a hand, still can, only need to hop on the ferry, ha ha. Happy New Year.

Right, everything's done.I'm putting a sample pic on my profile, I have made 8 of each. They all taste nice too (which helps!).

The mascarpone cheesecake was turned into banoffee pie (no mascarpone left). The rest is pretty much what I had planned (no raspberry coulis though, might just take some crème de cassis instead).

Not entirely sure how I'm going to burn the sugar for the crème brûlée seeing as I've done it in plastic pots...

You could make a shallow tray of cracknell, and when it is set, fracture it into pieces, like crasy paving. Take it with you in a bag, just before serving push a jagged piece at an angle into each pot.
Not quite traditional, but still the same taste texture.

Or if the pots will stand it, melt some bitter dark chocolate and give a layer on each pot. A new twist to an old idea, and the creamy/bitter chocolate combination would work well I think.

Have a lovely evening, sounds like you have worked hard.

Those macaroons look professional!
Brilliant!

Want one!!!

Viking how did your desserts go down?

Everyone said how pretty they looked and everything dissapeared pretty quickly so they can't have tasted too bad!

I felt the macarons were too fragile, and a little too sweet so I'll try another recipe next time.

The crème pas brûlée was lovely with the fresh pineapple was delicious. I should have don't the sugar shards idea, but didn't read about it until after the party.

Clever you.

Looks great - it must have been really good as that was a huge dessert to eat (and I'm really greedy with a sweet tooth!!)