The Easiest Desserts for a Holiday Dessert Buffet

Today in our continuing blog series, "Holiday Entertaining," we offer ideas for the easiest desserts for a holiday dessert buffet.

There are two schools of thought here:

• Buy a dessert that's completely made
• Buy a HIGH QUALITY mix and make a dessert

Most people will not want or have time to make a dessert, so we'll just recommend two high-quality lines of dessert mixes:

• Williams Sonoma
• Central Market (most of these are all natural)

With these mixes you can be assured of a high quality, which is not true of the mass market mixes.

Or, even easier, make a fruit fool and serve in shot glasses, very trendy now: mix sweetened whipped cream with berries in a blender (taste and add more sugar if needed), then spoon the fool into small tumblers or even wine glasses and decorate each with fresh berries or chocolate bits

If you want to buy one or more desserts, our recommendations are:

• Buy from a caterer
• Buy from a good restaurant you frequent and where you've eaten desserts, if they sell desserts (not all do)
• Buy from a high-quality pastry shop--but take our advice and don't buy for your party if you've never purchased a dessert from that pastry shop before.  Instead, buy one ahead of time and taste test it so you and your guests won't be disappointed.  You can always give away the extra dessert or save it for after your party.
• Buy from a specialty baker (ask for references)
• The easiest? Buy some of the wonderful panettones, pandoros, panfortes, liqueur regular and mini cakes, and so forth available at upscale supermarkets and some upscale department stores (like Neiman Marcus and Bloomie's).  If you want to be sure of the best quality, buy the more expensive ones--like everything else in life, you get what you pay for.

Then put your desserts on nice trays.  If you're lost in the "nice tray" arena, the easiest thing to do is to buy a square or oval white porcelain tray, widely available at retailers, and garnish at intervals or corners and/or in the center with:

• Fresh raspberries, cranberries, or crab apples
• Fresh herb sprigs
• Edible flowers

Then stand back, admire, and eat!

Enjoy!

Kristina

Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
www.fandango-catering.com

Fandango Catering's Holiday Menu

Cocktail parties, office parties and lunches, family and friends' gatherings, dinners, dessert buffets...We make it easy, delicious, and beautiful!

Our amazing chefs have created our Holiday 2011 menu with many wonderful hors d'oeuvres, tapas, dinner items, and desserts debuted this fall and which have proved very popular with our clients and their guests, including:

• Spanish Honey-Lemon Chicken Brochettes
• Local Greens and Red and Yellow Cherry Tomatoes with Fresh Herb Vinaigrette in Mini Puff Pastry Baskets
• Flight of Antipasto Brochettes
• Chicken in Strawberry-Feta Sauce
• Tiramisú Shots

Our 2011 Holiday Menu also includes many favorites from our regular menus.

And of course, a must on our holiday menu are our signature citrus Gran Marnier Castle and Cathedral Cakes, beautifully decorated with powdered sugar snow and chocolatines, which have become a tradition at many Houston holiday events and meals.

 We can also prepare ideas that are not on our Holiday Menu--our chefs are all culinary school-trained, so no problem!

See our Holiday 2011 Menu on our website home page:
www.fandango-catering.com

For more information, menu suggestions, or a price quote for your holiday event:

(713) 522-0077 or info@fandango-catering.com

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
www.fandango-catering.com