My bf is making dinner for me, and it's a family deal...I wanted to bring a dessert, but I need advice on what

Question

to bring...I can cook pretty much anything, but I need something that I can make ahead of time and just give to them, ready to go. Something a bit impressive, I guess, because he's raved about my baking to them. I was thinking fudge, but it's not really holiday season anymore...any ideas? Thanks!

Answer 1

Red Velvet Chiffon Cake

Frost it with a cream cheese or fluffy white icing and sprinkle it with coconut.

Serves 12 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/3 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon cocoa
1/2 teaspoon table salt
7 large eggs , 2 left whole, 5 separated
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons red food coloring
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar


1. Adjust rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk sugar, flour, baking powder, cocoa, and salt together in large bowl (at least 4-quart size). Whisk in two whole eggs, five egg yolks (reserve whites), water, oil, extracts, and food coloring until batter is just smooth.

2. Pour reserved egg whites into large bowl; beat at medium speed with electric mixer until foamy, about 1 minute. Add cream of tartar, increase speed to medium-high, then beat whites until very thick and stiff, just short of dry, 9 to 10 minutes with hand-held mixer and 5 to 7 minutes in KitchenAid or other standing mixer. With large rubber spatula, fold whites into batter, smearing in any blobs of white that resist blending with flat side of spatula.

3. Pour batter into large tube pan (9-inch diameter, 16-cup capacity). Rap pan against countertop five times to rupture any large air pockets. If using two-piece pan, grasp on both sides with your hands while firmly pressing down on the tube with thumbs to keep batter from seeping underneath pan during this rapping process. Wipe off any batter that may have dripped or splashed onto inside walls of pan with paper towel.

4. Bake cake until wire cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, 55 to 65 minutes. Immediately turn cake upside down to cool. If pan does not have prongs around rim for elevating cake, invert pan over bottle or funnel, inserted through tube. Let cake hang until completely cold, about 2 hours.

5. To unmold, turn pan upright. Run frosting spatula or thin knife around pan's circumference between cake and pan wall, always pressing against the pan. Use cake tester to loosen cake from tube. For one-piece pan, bang it on counter several times, then invert over serving plate. For two-piece pan, grasp tube and lift cake out of pan. If glazing the cake, use a fork or a paring knife to gently scrape all the crust off the cake. Loosen cake from pan bottom with spatula or knife, then invert cake onto plate. (Can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature 2 days or refrigerated 4 days.)

Answer 2

Chocolates are always impressive, and take little effort.

Just pick up some chocolate wafers (the grocery stores here sell them in bulk), and some molds. Melt the chocolate, pour it into the molds, and pop them into the fridge for a few minutes. Pop them out of the molds, and wrap them nicely in a fancy tin.

If you really want to go all out, you can make filled chocolates, but those take more time, and are harder to get the shells right. But the process is the same. Fill a deep mold with chocolate, turn it upside down to let the chocolate drain out - leaving a thin shell. Then I put the mold into the fridge for a minute or 2. Fill the chocolate shells about 3/4 full with a premade filling, or ganache, or peanut butter thinned out with butter and mixed with some powdered sugar (more candy like) Then spoon some more melted chocolate over the top (which is actually the bottom), and pop them back into the fridge.

Both are easy, impressive, relatively cheap, and are great as a hostess gift, or to be eaten after dinner with some wine or coffee.

Answer 3

I usually like to bring two things that can be ate separately or together. Sometimes if it's "buffet style" or a picnic I bring a selection of over the top yummy cookies. Triple chocolate chunk, peanut butter, and large delicious snickerdoodles or molasses cookies.

Recently for a formal party I brought a flourless chocolate cake and a lemon cheese cake. I brought a raspberry sauce and fresh raspberries and used them both to plate the cakes after dinner.

So I would go with something chocolately and something not chocolatey like a fruit pie or cheesecake.

Answer 4

Make Over 200 Juicy, Mouth-Watering Paleo Recipes You've NEVER Seen or Tasted Before?

Answer 5

Dirt (not technical, but fun!) crushed oreos mixed with coolwhip.

Or for something delicious and technically impressive - cream puffs. You can make the puffs far ahead of time and freeze them. Let them sit out to defrost, cut in half and fill with vanilla pudding or fruit. Top with chocolate sauce or whipped cream.

Or cake. Everybody likes cake. Perhaps a trifle. Pie (everybody loves apple pie with a little cheddar cheese) is especially impressive if you make your own crust.

This one will knock their socks off: Truffles.

1 lb of high quality dark chocolate - finely chopped
1/2 lb of unsalted butter
1/2 pint of heavy or whipping cream
If desired, Flavored liquor (Chambord, Grand Marnier, kahlua) or flavor oils (Vanilla extract, almond extract, peppermint extract)

In a medium saucepan over low-medium heat (careful not to scald) the cream. Melt the butter into the cream. Add the chocolate and stir until smooth. Add the flavoring.

Pour the mixture into a bowl, cover and put in the fridge. Once it reaches the consistency of peanut butter, spoon it into a pastry bag with a thick straight tip. Squeeze into little balls onto parchment paper on a cookie tray. Keep a bowl of icy water nearby and use it to keep your hands cool (if the chocolate heats up it starts to lose its shape).

Place balls in fridge for a few hours to firm up. Roll in coco powder and then you can put them together on a plate. Keep in the fridge until about 20 min to serving. (With all the cream and butter they get melty at room temp)

If you want to get really fancy you can coat the centers in chocolate, but that might be more mess and effort than you want to make.

You'll be genius!

Answer 6

I make a beautiful french fruit flan - it is so gorgeous looking but really easy, quick and cheap to make - it looks amazing and very impressive! You will need:
Baked shortbread pie base (you can buy a ready made one if you don't want to bother making it)
1 packet vanilla instant pudding (make it using cream instead of milk)
fresh or canned fruit (apricot halves, strawberries, kiwi fruit (chinese gooseberries), blueberries)
small jar of apricot jelly

Fill / cover the shortbread base (flan base, biscuit base) with the instant pudding custard mix. Set in the fridge.
Slice the fruits and lay them in a nice pattern on the top.
Melt the jelly in the microwave (20 seconds with a teaspoonfull of water). Mix it up and brush it over the fruit on top of the pie.
Put back in fridge and the jelly sets to a nice glaze over the fruit.

You can make it the day before - but the pastry is nicer if made on the same day.

It is so delicious and always looks incredible.

Answer 7

There is an awesome box mix called Turtle Sensations. I can't remember if it is Betty Crocker or what, but everything comes in the box and it is a wonderfully rich dessert that looks complicated but is very simple and it can be transported easily. If you like caramel, this is definitely my favorite dessert. Happy baking!

Answer 8

Trifle... it is simple, and tastes better when you leave it for longer. It looks like you spent hours on it.

INGREDIENTS
1 (9 inch) sponge cake, cut in cubes
1 cup seedless raspberry jam
8 ounces fresh raspberries

10 fluid ounces heavy cream
3 egg yolks
3 tablespoons white sugar

10 fluid ounces heavy cream
2 ounces sliced almonds

DIRECTIONS

Spread a little jam on each piece of cake and place in the bottom of a large glass bowl. Sprinkle raspberries over cake.
Heat 10 fl. oz. cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

While the cream is heating, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until pale yellow and smooth. Strain yolk mixture into a clean bowl. Pour hot cream into egg yolks and stir vigorously. Return mixture to pan over low heat and cook, stirring, until thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

While custard is cooling, whip 10 fl oz. cream until soft peaks form. Place almonds on a baking sheet and toast, in a 300 degree oven or toaster oven, stirring frequently, until golden, 2 to 10 minutes.

Spread cooled custard over cake in bowl. Top with whipped cream and toasted almonds. Chill 2 hours before serving.

Answer 9

While I absolutely LOVE fudge...it might be a little too heavy for an after dinner dessert. How about a key lime pie?

Answer 10

A nice chocolate creme brulee is impressive, and you can prepare it ahead of time.

It's especially impressive if you serve it with sprinkled sugar on top and caramelize it with a kitchen torch (which takes a little time, but can look cool). Then, maybe, top it off with a little fresh raspberries.

Answer 11

Red Velvet Cake.