Simple but tasty Dinner Party dessert?

[BassAce]

I’ve been tasked this month with providing the dessert course for a dinner party with friends (no dietary restrictions other than I don’t like nuts). I’m not really a sweet cook, so I’m a bit out of my depth… what’s a failsafe simple but impressive dinner party dessert for 8 people that’s not chocolate mousse, cheesecake or poached pears?!

Appreciate any great ideas from more dessert-savvy people out there… I’m currently contemplating either a pear and frangipane tart, or a giant vanilla slice. But I’d love some extra inspiration, particularly from anyone who can guarantee it can be made by a Luddite…. 😂😂

Mary Berry lemon fudge cake is really nice. It’s very similar to a Basque cheesecake recipe BUT doesn’t contain any cheese, only cream, so it is definitely not a cheesecake. It’s topped with Greek yoghurt mixed with lemon curd. Very easy and surprisingly tasty. Doesn’t need the biscuit base she includes.

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/best-ever-tiramisu/amp

Tiramisu! Delish & soooo easy!

The easiest desert for me is my trusted homemade cream caramel. It's prepared the day before, takes no time to make and with fresh cream/ice cream and fresh berries (any kind) looks and tastes great.

You can also carry it in the baking dish and will take a couple of mins to assemble in your neighbours' house.

Frangipane is made with ground almonds so not nut free.

In this weather, I would make a couple of different crumbles and take cream/custard with me.

I like making Muhallabieh as it is dead easy and looks so pretty. It's a sort of milk pudding with pistachios and rose water, i sometimes even put rose petals on the top if I'm feeling fancy. This recipe is good: www.eattherightstuff.com/blog/2012/10/21/muhallabieh.html

Buy a Georges bakery box and be done. Slice each one up, everyone gets to try some.

Giant vanilla slice is so easy and I've never met anyone who doesn't like it. 2 or 3 rectangles of puff pastry sprinkled with icing sugar. Fill with a layer of strawberries and good strawberry compote, or raspberries or stewed rhubarb or whatever, then a huge layer of cream whipped quite stiff with about 30% good readymade custard, more pastry and more icing sugar.

Or banoffee with pecans in the biscuit base.

How do you cut the giant vanilla slice without making it look like a disaster zone?

Bread knife and care! Also making sure the whipped cream is reasonably stiff and properly cold. Mother in law makes me one every so often because it's so good.

Also, turn it on its side to cut. Genuinely makes a massive difference.

Sorry - that applies more to a custard slice.

Ooh, Eton Mess! Very easy to transport and bosh together when you get there, plus it's divine 😋

My go to are both Nigella. A honey semifreddo with pine nuts and pana cotta with raspberry sauce. They're easy to make and can be made ahead.

Sorry - no nuts. You can omit the pine nuts.

www.google.com/search?q=delia+smith+chocolate+bread+and+butter+pudding&source=hp&ei=ryPNY5K-CZTrgAax3LHIDg&iflsig=AK50M_UAAAAAY80xv0bWYq7mFw61WctJqKsgQ6tzjOa6&oq=delia+smith+chocolate&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAEYATIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBQguEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQ6CAgAEI8BEOoCOggILhCPARDqAjoLCAAQgAQQsQMQgwE6EQguEIAEELEDEIMBEMcBENEDOggILhCxAxCDAToLCC4QsQMQgwEQ1AI6CwguEIAEELEDEIMBOg4ILhCABBCxAxDHARDRAzoLCC4QgAQQxwEQ0QM6CAguEIAEELEDOg4IABCABBCxAxCDARDJAzoICAAQgAQQsQM6CwguEIMBELEDEIAEOggILhCABBDUAlD_B1jBXGChaWgBcAB4AIABYIgB4wySAQIyMZgBAKABAbABCg&sclient=gws-wiz

Sorry about the long link. This is delicious. I regularly get requests for it. Dead easy too as best if made the day before and popped in the oven when you need it. Serve with cream, either pouring or double.

As a crowd pleaser, and because it's winter, I would go with Delia's apple crumble.

It's superior to a generic crumble so gets compliments, is dead easy to do, and almost everyone likes crumble.

Easiest dessert ever:
Peel, core and quarter enough pears for 1.5 each. Place in pan. cover with a nice Italian red wine - light, fruity. Add a nutmeg, cinnamon stick, 6 cloves. Poach gently until liquid reduced and just covering pears. Serve warm with a dollop of mascarpone.

Sounds lovely, but the OP specifically says not poached pears! I don't think she's come back to tell us what she did choose, if the meal's already happened.

January to me means Burns Night so I would suggest a traditional Cranachan. You can cheat by using pre-made meringues which makes it very easy to do.

Oops! Sorry - I didn't read carefully enough!

May be no good to OP, but I've copied and pasted it into my recipe folder!

Thank you for all your great suggestions, have to say I’ve bookmarked a lot of them because I’m bound to get pudding course again at future parties!

After all the help though, I did take on board a PPs advice about not too much stodge if there’s already a starter and main course (and I’m not aware of what they might be as other guests are cooking/providing each course). So on this occasion decided to just go with making a selection of differently flavoured and decorated alcoholic chocolate truffles, and serve them with a big pot of fancy ground coffee. Dinner party isn’t for another week and a half yet, but this option also means I can make it all well in advance and carry them over easily in a beautiful tin that can just be plonked in the middle of the table…. Totally the easy way out!! 😁

Orkney fudge cheesecake 😋

@Bairnsmum05 yum could you post the recipe please if you’ve got it?

This is what I found when googling. theculturecave.com/a-touch-of-orkneyfudge-cheesecake-orkney-style/