Host a Holiday Dessert Soiree!
Bring out the sweets for a Holiday Soiree’ that will delight the senses. Skip to everyone’s favorite part of the meal for a magical Holiday Dessert Soiree.
Not only is hosting a dessert party easy on the budget, it is a way to entertain with less effort and simplicity. Forgoing the expensive entrée’ and a full bar really can save a lot which is helpful to the shopping budget, and a great way to gather friends around the holidays.
Begin the party at 9 pm, after most have eaten dinner or stopped by an earlier party. It should go until at least midnight.
You may choose to serve a special cocktail closer to midnight. I think two for a dessert party is a lot of fun and interesting. I chose the delicious SMIRNOFF® Kissed Caramel Hot Apple Toddy (recipes below) or a nice glass of dessert wine. Also, I am featuring the SMIRNOFF® Cake Flavor with the delicious Pineapple upside down cake cocktail!
I absolutely adore these vodka flavors! The possibilities for Caramel and Cake vodka flavors are endless, but most especially lend themselves to a dessert cocktail and they pair so well with desserts in general.
Visually, this can look like a magical winter wonderland with colors of gold, silver and white. Go through your Holiday Décor and Ornaments and pull together everything from your serve ware and glassware in this palette…you will be surprised how beautiful it will all look together. If you have an silver, polish it up and it will look dazzling with this décor!
Use various heights for your food displays and creative serveware: a glass votive log, for instance, can hold mini-tarts and clear shot glasses could hold individual berry trifles.
Pull out all of your gold, silver and white ornaments and put in clear oversized bowls and vases around your house.
Candles are a necessary addition for atmosphere!
All of this, with a fabulous Holiday Playlist from your IPOD, your guests will be treated to a very different party than all the others they will attend this Holiday season!
Various food and drink stations with similar décor to create interest.
STATION SETUP
Dessert fondue station./general dessert table
Dessert cocktail station
Coffee bar
Cheese station
Dessert wine tasting station
Each station should be decorated with the “magical” palette I mentioned above to tie everything together. Use your creativity!
DESSERT MENU
These are some fun suggestions with a bit of variety, but use your creativity here! Fondue is a conversation starter, to be sure!
- DESSERT FONDUE SET-UP: Dark Chocolate, Caramel, and Butterscotch fondues. With various fruits, cake cubes and marshmallows as Fondue Dippers.
- LAYERED BERRY TRIFLES: These are individual, layered in small juice, appertif or shot glasses.
- MINI LEMON TARTS: serve these in glass votive logs.
- CHEESE ASSORTMENT: I adore a mix of heavier and lighter cheeses.
Use your creativity here!
BEVERAGE MENU
Signature Cocktails:
Pineapple Upside Down Cake
1 oz. SMIRNOFF® Iced Cake Flavored Vodka
1 oz. orange juice
1 oz. pineapple juice
Top off with club soda
Directions:
Build in a Highball glass over ice and top
off with Club Soda. Garnish with sprinkles,
a cherry and an orange twist.
Caramel Apple Toddy
1 oz Smirnoff Kissed Caramel
.5 oz Bulliet Bourbon
.25 oz Lemon juice
.25 oz Simple syrup
3 oz Hot Mulled Apple Cider
Combine in a heat resistant glass/Garnish with Cinnamon Stick and Orange Twist
For Mulled Apple Cider:
For 1 cup Cider, add ∏ tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice and 1 tsp Sugar. Heat and simmer for 15-20 min. Strain with a fine strainer before using.
HOLIDAY MOMENT MUSIC PLAYLIST
Ave Maria-Il Divo
Santa Baby- Madonna
Breath of Heaven-Amy Grant
Silent Night- Wilson Phillips
The Christmas Waltz-Frank Sinatra
The Christmas Song-Luther Vandross
Sleight Ride- London Symphony Orchestra
I’ll Be Home for Christmas- Whitney Houston
Merry Christmas Baby-Christina Aguilera
O Little Town of Bethlehem-Sarah McLachlan
I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm-Billie Holiday
Here Comes Santa Clause- Leann Rimes and Elvis Presley
Baby, It’s Cold Outside-Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan
It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas-Harry Connick Jr.
