Dessert recipes for a dinner party ?

[BigBird]

I'm looking for a pudding/dessert recipe that's easy to make in advance of the dinner party so I can just whip it out of the fridge after dinner and it will be gorgeous....
Any ideas ?

Creme Brulee - IF you have one of those cook's blowtorch thingies ! Always impressive !

Pavlova smothered with cream and piled high with raspberries, redcurrants and other decadent looking fruit.... yum! Have top recipe for pavlova if you want it I can post here...

You can make the base the day before and then put the cream and fruit on that afternoon. It's v easy

Profiterroles are always a stunner and everyone loves them. You can make the 'puffs' and stuff with whipped cream beforehand, then for the 'WOW' factor, melt chocy (microwave is quick, even tho I don't have one) just before serving, and pour warm melted chocolate over the 'puffs'. Gorgeous!

sliced oranges and strawberries left to marinate in alcohol of your choice served with whipped cream.

Have a look at deliaonline.com, she does things assembled out of ready made ingredients that are totally yummy, dead easy and look like they have taken you hours.

If you've got the 1st Naked Chef book : Jamie Oliver's Simple Chocolate Tart. I've given up with the pastry bit and just do the filling in little ramekins as pot-au-chocolat

I'd love that one beetroot, adore pears and amaretti and Gordon Ramsay (well, his cooking, not him)

nigella 'howto eat' lemon creams p272 are v good & v easy & best made 2-3 days in advance. I put grated chocolate over half of each - looks flash (&like you took ages to do it)!

Nigella does the most amazing Italian Trifle thingy, it is really easy, but expensive as you use loads of Limoncello (Lemon liquer). It is like a blackberry/lemon/almond mush and just divine. Best made 24hrs in advance too. I can let you have the recipe if you like, I can't remember it off hand

Eeek, do you have that recipe? Sounds gorgeous, I love lemon puds.

Eeek - That Nigella recipe is one of my fave pud recipes too! Do you do the shortbread to go with it ?

In answer to Bigbird, apart from the above, I'd suggest a good homemade ice cream, or a mixture of frozen rasberries, rasberry ripple ice cream and crushed meringues, all mushed together, and crammed into a loaf tin and put in the freezer. Looks fab, tastes fab, and you can buy in all the ingredients.

They all sound gorgeous!
SamboM can you post the pavlova recipe..... Thanks

Crunchie - yes please, sounds lurvely

A tip for making great Pavlova's. Re wash the bowl and beaters in extremely hot soapy water and then dry them off with a clean tea towel. Egg yolks contain fat and it is the fat that will make an egg white not rise or be as stiff as it can be. Therefore, any bowl you are using with your egg whites (in case you don't crack them straight into the mixing bowl) should be super clean. I rewash my mixing bowl before using it when making meringues as even sitting in the cupboard or during the washing up phase it may still have some grease/fat on it.

Also, a really nice alternative to one big pavolva is individual ones. They are really easy to make. Follow the same recipe but instead spoon (about a desert spoon) of mixture onto your baking sheet, gently push the mixture away from the centre and form some stiff high peaks and sides. I then fill the little hollow with whipped cream and passionfruit pulp. Sprinkle with a little icing sugar. I make a heap of these and then keep them in an airtight container.

How about tiramisu? It fulfils all your criteria, Bigbird, in that you have to make it in advance for everything to soak in and it will definitely be gorgeous (if a little calorific). Haven't got a recipe, but I should think it would be easy to find one. It's just coffee, mascarpone cheese, ladyfinger biscuits and a liquer - not sure which one. Maybe Ameretto (sp?) or a coffee liquer. Bon appetit!

How about strawberries dipped into melted chocolate and placed on a tray in the fridge for the chocolate to harden up. All you need to do is put the strawberries onto pates and arrange then with some mint leaf and sprinkled icing sugar when you are for desert - very easy and yummy.

Fab pavlova recipe, aussie one from my mum who make the best puds on earth...

Whites of 4 fresh eggs (large)
9oz Castor sugar
half tsp Vinegar (malt pref, not balsamic lol!)
Few drops vanilla essence

Whisk the egg whites till v stiff, gradually whisk in the sugar and then whisk in the vinegar and vanilla.

Put on baking parchment (or I have one of those re-usable plasticky baking sheets which are much better) in a big circle or oblong and cook at mark 5 for 30 to 40 mins.

Leave to cool and then peel the backing paper off (this can be the next day) and cover the bit behind the backing paper with whipped double cream and whatever toppings you want. Eg strawbs, rasps, banana, kiwi etc. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Sieve a little icing sugar over the top if you are using red fruit as it looks pretty.

The vinegar ensures that the pav stays all light and fluffy in the middle, while the outside is sort of gooey and crunchy. Without it you end up with one of those splintery meringues that are impossible to cut or eat!

I made one of these in about 3 mins this morning while dd was having breakfast, they really are so easy and you can make them look v impressive if you pile the fruit on.

Oh, and make sure that the bowl and the blades of your whisk are bone dry or the eggs won't whisk up. If they are a bit damp put them in the oven on a low heat or get the hairdryer on them.

BigBird, another really easy peasy one is Eton Mess. Break (bought!) meringues (sp?) into a bowl and fold in some whipped cream and halved strawberries. Dead simple and scrummy.

Strawberry shortcakes. Make a tray of buttery shortbread. Cut it into squares. Spoon whipped cream on top and some cut up strawberries. Dust with icing sugar.

Crunchie / FMS, which book is Nigella's limoncello trifle thing in? We have a large bottle of limoncello from our recent trip to Italy. I have all her books except for 'Forever Summer' and haven't come across this one.

Yep it's in Forever Summer!! If you wait until tonite I'll get it out and post it. It is really worth it, if expensive!

Crunchie if you wouldn't mind, I would really appreciate it. I am about to go off on a 3 day trip but it sounds like just my sort of pud. Thanks so much.