Having a dessert party...
 

any suggestions on what to serve and/or where to purchase?

thank you!

Anything sweet.

Yea, serve something from your kitchen and not something that's bought
from Walmart or Publix. :icon_hungry:

A brandy snifter filled up with equal parts of Hennessy and Grand Marnier.

Dozen Krispy Cream donuts They been first to go…:ho:

Trash can punch:

A can of Hi-C red fruit punch
A bag of frozen strawberries
A 2-litre bottle of ginger ale
A 2-litre bottle of cheap white wine
A 1/2-gallon container of multi-colored sherbet

Press most of the sherbet into a bundt pan
Add a cup of the Hi-C to cover the top of the sherbet.
Cover the pan and freeze it.

In a huge punch bowl, add everything else.
Flip the bundt pan out to empty the contents into the huge punch bowl.

Serve with a ladle.

Serve something that's gluten-free. Publix has something.

Byo.

Baked Alaska

Colorful fruit truffle or chocolate anything

Dessert Suggestion
 

Burnt Cakes
988 Bichara Blvd
Lady Lake, Fl

Bundt Cake dessert
 

Bundt Cakes
988 Bichara Blvd
Lady Lake, Fl

Get a few things from Sam's club and spruce/jazz it up a bit.

Also while your there get some wine and a case of beer.

yalaha bakery
 

fabulous pastries

Dessert offerings are limited in the Villages.

I suggest going the simple route.
Buy ice cream and all types of toppings, caramel, hot fudge, chopped nuts, strawberries, whipped cream, etc.

Maybe have some warm molten brownies. Your guests can top with ice cream and hot fudge. Or whatever they like

A plain cake to make strawberry shortcake.

Bananas for banana splits

Warm apple pie with cinnamon ice cream

Maybe some alcohol to make frozen beverages

Root beer floats

Old Fashioned ice cream sodas.

The possibilities are endless.

Old fashion euro fruit cake. That will spice up party. :rant-rave:

“ traditional recipes are saturated with liqueurs or brandy and covered in powdered sugar”

At our age, with everyone watching what they eat due to pre diabetes and diabetes, I would suggest appetizer rather then just desserts. No one wants to fill up on desserts.

I
 

Whenever we are invited to a gathering and tasked to bring a dessert, I usually make a Baklava. It's a recipe that my daughter and I "perfected" several years ago. I have several Greek friends that say it's the best they have ever tasted. I've attached the recipe. People have a tendency to think that this is a difficult dessert to make. It is not. Having made this many times, I can have the syrup made (and cooling) and the baklava assembled and in the oven in 35 minutes. Give it a try. Also, Walmart has the phyllo dough if you can't find it elsewhere. I think the idea making your own dough is what can make this seem difficult. Don't even think about doing that. Buy the dough.

What? Speak for yourself. Everyone I know loves desserts and would love a party like this!

Personally, I would be very disappointed if I went to a dessert party and things were not homemade. I can go and buy sweet items anywhere - the same as you can. Why have a dessert party if it is not going to be special treats. Respect your guests and make something they will enjoy. I'd rather have 1 piece of homemade pie instead of 10 selections of store bought items.

Dessert tray from Publix ….

So spur of the moment, party for small group of friends, or full blown neighborhood invite. I am not a fan of any baked goods from grocery in TV. Small group I would serve 2-3 homemade bite size cupcakes, brownies, cookies.
Large group organized dessert menu sign up sheet. Everyone brings something to enjoy.

Dessert Party
 

Bundtinis are a hit!

All of this sounds good and I would add:
Melons either sliced or chunks
A berry medley
Home made cookies - chocolate chip is always a hit.
Perhaps making a bourbon cream sauce which would be good over fruit, bread pudding or ice cream.

Recipe for bourbon sauce from Epicurious.
1 stick of butter
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons bourbon
Pinch of salt

Melt butter in sauce pan. Whisk in remaining ingredients. Simmer til it thickens while whisking (about 3 minutes). Serve warm or cool.

I would make Pavlova, various flavored no bake cheesecakes, and probably panna cotta with a passion fruit topping.

Sprouts has gluten free mini eclairs and cream puffs in the frozen section and they are delicious.

I think you may mean "Nothing Bunt Cakes". They don't burn them.

Great idea to add more fruits. Chopped in nice chunks, guests can choose to make a fondue plate. They can use the sauces to dip their fruits. (Add a cheesecake dipping sauce) Or, for those who do not want extra calories, just a melody of fruits to munch on.

Your bread pudding idea sounds Yummilicious!

Btw: a smores dip would be a great addition. Very simple to make.

Spanish Cream
 

My mother used to make Spanish Cream for special guests. It was simply a sponge cake base in a 13x9 glass pan. Then saturated with whiskey and topped with a thick layer of hand-whipped whip cream. I secretly tried a taste when I was about 10, which is probably why I don't drink anything alcoholic nowadays.

A selection of cheeses - go for something out of the ordinary that your guests may not have tried before

Trifle Bowls - so easy but pretty!
 

This time of year Strawberry Trifle bowl fresh cut strawberries layered with either pound cake or angel food cake, vanilla pudding (partially mixed with half tub of whipped cream), more whipped cream - just layer it. The other that’s usually a big hit - Death by Chocolate Trifle - chocolate cake (any box mix), after its baked (or store bought) break it up and drizzle with Hershey’s chocolate syrup, instant chocolate pudding, whipped cream, crushed heath bars, mini chocolate chips - again it’s all just layered. Both are delicious easy and look pretty. Just layer in Trifle bowls or glass bowls.

Don't forget the sardines!

Bourbon Manhatten neat

Years ago, I had a friend. Big surprise, I know.
Point is, he was plateing a large batch of homemade brownies. He was distracked for a minute while removing the last batch from the oven. Went back to the table to find the cat sitting on the brownies warming his hemorrhoids. Bob just chased the cat off the plate and continued stacking brownies on the plate. Bob reminded me that "cats are very clean animals".
To this day I make sure I have a good excuse for not eating anything at a "pot luck" that I didn’t see come out of a can, jar or bottle. I also don't trust people named Bob.

Best advice yet!

Have a gluten-free, dairy-free baked good offering.

Brownies from Sam’s are hard to beat
 

Member’s Mark brownies are the best I’ve ever eaten. Can’t go wrong there.

Dessert party
 

The best dessert party I had was setting up an ice cream table. 3 - 4 or more ice cream flavors, dessert toppings ( hot fudge, chocolate, strawberry caramet, etc); nuts, sprinkles and whatever other toppings you want, whipped cream. Wine, coffee optional.

Why would decide to have a themed party and not know how to host it?

Lemon cake with lemon frosting.