i need a posh dinner party worthy dessert, that is fairly simple and contains no cream or milk. please help!?

Question

ps i live in portugal, we don't have asda, and cool whip and jel o are not even in my vocabulary!

Answer 1

I don't know if you want to 'cheat' and buy a dessert but I bought a lovely lemon sorbet from Asda not so long ago and served it at a dinner party. Everyone thought it was lovely and it was nice and light so it didn't make you feel too full at the end of the meal. I think it was 'Asda Organics' range and also it was very low fat - just in case any guests are watching the calories !!

Sorry - don't know whether it contained any dairy though.

Answer 2

Nothing like a dessert with champagne to scream "fancy"!

Champagne Gelee With Citrus Fruits and Kumquats
(From Room for Dessert, by David Lebovitz)

Champagne Gelee:

1 cup water, divided
2 envelopes powdered gelatin
1 cup sugar
1 bottle (750 ml) good-quality Champagne, Prosecco, or Asti sparkling wine
Juice of 1/2 lime

Citrus Fruits:
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup water
12 kumquats, rinsed
3 pink grapefruit
4 navel or blood oranges
Gold leaf (optional)

To make the Champagne Gelee:
Pour 1/2 cup of the water into a large bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and allow it to soften for 5 minutes.

In a microwave or in a small saucepan, heat the remaining 1/2 cup water with the sugar until the sugar is dissolved.

After the gelatin has soaked for 5 minutes, pour the hot water and sugar over the gelatin and stir until the gelatin granules have completely dissolved. Add the Champagne, Prosecco or Asti, which will foam up (the reason for the large bowl), and lime juice. Taste and add additional lime juice if desired.

Cover the Champagne mixture and refrigerate until set, at least 6 hours. (To speed the jelling, first stir the gelee in an ice bath until it begins to thicken.)

To prepare the fruits and assemble the Gelee:

Heat the 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/2 cup water until the sugar is dissolved. While the mixture's heating, slice the kumquats, discarding the end pieces and the seeds. Add the kumquats to the syrup (sugar and water) and allow them to soak for 15 minutes, then drain off the syrup.

Peel and remove the sections and membranes from both the grapefruit and the oranges. Discard any seeds.

Choose 6 attractive stemmed glasses. Spoon some of the chilled Champagne gelee into each glass. Add a few sections of the fruits and a few pieces of gold leaf, if using. Spoon more of the gelee over the fruit. Continue to layer the fruits and the gelee with gold leaf, if using, until each glass is finished. Chill until ready to serve.

Makes 6 servings.

Answer 3

PEACH BUTTERSCOTCH PIE

Your favorite pastry for a double-crusted pie
6 large or 8 small fresh peaches
3/4 c firmly packed brown sugar
3 T flour
1/3 c light corn syrup
1/3 c soft butter
1 T lemon juice
1/8 tsp almond flavoring

Prepare your favorite pastry for a lattice-topped pie. Scald and peel your peaches. Cut them into halves and arrange them, cut side up, in your unbaked pastry lined pie tin. Place pie shell in the refrigerator. Combine next 5 ingredients in a saucepan, stirring well. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for just a minute; remove from heat. Add almond flavoring. Let cool just slightly, then pour this over the peach halves. Top with lattice-top crust. Bake at 450º for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350º and bake 30 minutes more.

OR....

VANILLA KIPFERLN (Crescents - cookies)

3 1/2 oz (2/3 c) blanched almonds
2 3/4 c sifted cake flour (can use regular but make it a little less)
1 c (1/2 lb) butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c granulated sugar

Grind almonds in your blender. Combine all ingredients and mix them like you would mix a pie crust pastry, with your fingers or a pastry blender. This should make a light pastry dough. Put dough in the refrigerator for about 3/4 of an hour. Cut off pieces of dough about the size of a walnut, and shape them into little crescents about 2" long. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350º F for 10 to 15 minutes or until browned. Roll cookies in your vanilla sugar. You'll get 50 to 60 crescents per recipe.

Answer 4

Ginger and Apricot Alaska
_________________________-

Serves 2

2 slices rich dark ginger cake, about 3/4 inch thick
1-2 tbsp ginger wine or rum
1 Dessert eating apple
6 no-need-to-soak- dried apricots, chopped
4 tbsp orange juice or water
1 tbsp flaked almonds
100g superfine sugar.

1. Place each slice of ginger cake on an ovenproof plate and sprinkle with the ginger wine or rum.
2. Quarter, core, and slice the apple into a small saucepan. Add the chopped apricots and orange juice or water, and simmer gently for about 5 mins or until tender.
3.Stir the almonds into the fruit and spoon over the soaked cake, piling it up in the centre.
4. Whisk the egg whites until very stiff and dry, then whisk in the sugar a little at a time, making sure the meringue is stiff again before adding more sugar.
5. Either pipe or spread the meringue over the fruit and cake making sure it is completely covered.
6. Place in a preheated oven at 200c/400f/gas mark 6 for 4-5 mins until golden brown. Serve hot.

Just double up the Quantities for 4 .

Answer 5

Take some jello and cube it,then add some non-dairy cool whip to it in a fancy glass.Just put a few cubes then topping,then cubes again til full.Nice and everyone loves a lite dessert.Or put some frozen berries with the non dairy cool whip,that goes over well..

Answer 6

Why not make a jelly roll cake and fill it with either jelly or a fruit filling - either canned or fresh made. Just slice peaches or strawberries...lay them on the cooled cake; sprinkle with confectioners sugar and roll up the cake. Make sure you've sprinkled the cake well with confectioners sugar when you first get it out of the oven and roll it in a linen towel to cool. After you reroll the cake with the filling, sprinkle a little more confectioners sugar on it if it needs it for appearance.

Answer 7

you can make dark chocolate brownies (any recipe on the web) serve it with fresh fruits (peeled orange, berries, are the ones that combine the most). YOu can serve it with a caramel sauce (there are very easy recipes) or fruit coulis (very easy to make) or some sauce made by reduction of orange juice and sugar and if you have a little bit of orange liquor or brandy or any other spirit similar to that. You can sparkle them with chopped nuts for decoration.
You can also make crepes and fill them with fruits, if you dont want to use pastry creams or creams at all. You can put some fruit sauce (coulis) or choco or caramel sauce over them.

Answer 8

A watermelon basket with cut up fruits, easy to make and looks stylish. Take oblong water melon and cut the top in half with a handle shape. Scoop out watermelon meat and fill with melon meat chunks, cantaloupe, grapes and other fruit in season. I'm making one now for a party with vegans, vegetarians and others with dietary restrictions. Bon fete.

Answer 9

This sounds weird, but I bet it tastes good.

1937 CHOCOLATE MAYONNAISE CAKE
2 cups flour or 2 1/4 cups unsifted cake flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
3 eggs
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup Hellmann's real mayonnaise
1 1/3 cups water
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease & flour bottom of two 9x1 1/2" round cake pans.
In medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda & baking powder; set aside.
In large bowl with mixer at high speed, beat eggs, sugar & vanilla 3 minutes or until light & fluffy. Reduce speed to low; beat in mayo until blended. Add flour mixture in 4 additions, alternately with water (begin & end with flour.) Pour into prepared pans. Bake 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove; cool completely on racks. Frost as desired.

Answer 10

chocolate covered strawberries. If nicely presented, it's quite posh!

simply buy a bar of baking chocolate (not a reg. candy bar, this will be found on the baking isle)

slowly melt the chocolate stove top
then dip strawberries and let dry on wax paper. Combined with a nice tray, you can mix white and dark chocolate strawberries!
hope this helps