Ideas needed for a wedding dessert table

[Andrea_2]

My brother is getting married in October, and he has asked me to be in charge of their dessert table. I'm not really good at organizing stuff like this, and could really use some suggestions for recipes, decorations etc. etc. I really want it to turn out nice! Anyone have any ideas for me??? Thanks!!

[cher48603]

Andrea, In my files I have an Adobe cookbook, Wedding Cookies You'll Fall in Love With, from Home Cooking, May/June, 2004.

It doesn't have an index & I haven't tried any of the recipes but I'd be happy to email it to you. Let me know if you're interested. It's only 7 or 8 pages.

[kcmo727]

Hi Andrea,

This sounds like a fun project, way better than being a guest book attendant, although considerabley more work! :D Since the wedding is in October you could do an autumn theme but I personally love the all white look for a wedding. I would do a white tablecloth then use stacks of books underneath to form pillars that you place the dessert platters on. you could take white tulle and the drape it between the pillars, maybe even run little white lights under the tulle. On the top pillar, you could put an arrangement of all white flowers with ivy trailing down.

For actual desserts, you have so many options! Here are some that I like, that feature a white theme but you could add color as well:

-white chocolate or regular chocolate (or both!) dipped strawberries
-sugar cookies cut into rounds with the bride and groom's name piped in royal icing
-CL's Glazed Lavender Poundcake, so yummy and pretty, cut into slices
-white cupcakes with white icing and white sprinkles
-petit fours (bought or made)
-dishes of those little cream cheese mints

Good luck and please let us know how it turns out.

[Sugar]

What about a chocolate fountian? Catering companies usually rent them out and supply the chocolate as well.

Jenny

[Missi]

I would suggest truffles and mexican wedding cakes as some desserts that could be included. I made chocolate truffles to serve along side my wedding cake. They were easy and everyone said they were a nice touch. Here's the recipe I used (no source, I've had it in my files for years and teaked the original a bit):


* Exported from MasterCook *

Easy Chocolate Truffles

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Candy

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 bags chocolate chips ( I like milk chocolate -- but semi sweet works too)
the best
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract (I have substituted -- (1 to 2)
various liqueurs with good results)

Melt chocolate chips over double boiler with condensed milk. Stir in extract. Let cool until cool enough to handle. Roll in small balls. Roll in any of the following: powdered sugar, granulated color sugar, coconut, sprinkles, ground nuts.


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Here's one for a variation of Mexican wedding cakes (I'm sorry, not sure the source of this recipe, another one that seems to have been around in my files a while):

* Exported from MasterCook *

Chocolate Mexican Wedding Cakes

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 60 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Cookies Desserts


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plus 1 TBS granulated sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp instant coffee powder
14 TBS unsalted butter at room temperature -- (1 3/4 sticks) in
pieces
1 large egg yolk
3 ounces semisweet chocolate chips -- (1/2 cup)
5 TBS confectioners' sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Place the flour, granulated sugar, 1/4 cup of the cocoa, and the coffee powder in a food processor and process for 10 seconds.
3. Scatter the butter over the flour mixture and process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, 15 seconds.
4. While the machine is running, add the egg yolk through the feed tube and pulse 15 times until it is incorporated. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula.
5. Add the chips and process 5 seconds more.
6. Measure out rounded teaspoons of the dough and roll them into balls with your hands.
7. Bake the cookies until they are firm to the touch, about 24 minutes. Allow them to cool on the baking sheets.
8. Meanwhile, sift the remining 1/4 cup plus 2 TBS cocoa and the confectioners' sugar together into a small bowl, then transfer to a plastic bag.
9. Place 2 or 3 cookies at a time in the bag and gently shake the bag to coat them with the mixture.
10. If you plan to snack on them the first day, leave the cookies out on the baking sheet or on a plate. After that, place them in an airtight plastic container with plastic wrap, parchment, or waxed paper between the layers, and store them in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. Bring the cookies to room temperature before eating.


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[Wendy w]

Definitely truffles. Very decadent.

[misskitty100]

What about Baklava? VERY easy to make and a little bit different than the usual dessert stuff?

[mbrogier]

Everyone loves cheesecake, and I've seen little miniature cheesecakes in the frozen food sections of the price clubs. I've also seen mini eclairs, and I for one would go straight for the eclairs. :D I really like the cupcake idea (you could do a tower of cupcakes if the couple is doing this instead of the traditional cake)

For staging the area, you could arrange flowers around to match whatever the rest of the decorations in the room are. I also like the stacked cake pedestals for displaying miniature desserts (large one on the bottom, the a smaller one, and so on) I think it would be cool to borrow glass and silver dishes and pedestals from friends--or perhaps rent them. Martha Stewart's entertaining books have some great ideas on staging that are different. If the wedding is less formal you could use baskets and wood or woven trays, etc. and line them with cloth napkins and arrange the desserts in them. I would suggest going to Barnes and Noble or Borders and check out the entertaining/wedding section for ideas.

[Andrea_2]

Cheryl - I'd love a copy of the wedding cookie book! I'll send you a PM with my e-mail address. Thanks!

Thanks for all the other ideas too. I think I have a pretty good idea of what to do now, and I think I'll be using most of your suggestions! :)

[cher48603]

Cheryl - I'd love a copy of the wedding cookie book! I'll send you a PM with my e-mail address. Thanks!

Thanks for all the other ideas too. I think I have a pretty good idea of what to do now, and I think I'll be using most of your suggestions! :)
Hope it's of some use to you.

If anyone else is interested PM me & I'll send it on.

[Andrea_2]

Michelle - Do you know which CL issue the Lavender Pound Cake was from? I've tried searching, but haven't found anything so far. Thanks!

[NewMrsG]

What about a chocolate fountian? Catering companies usually rent them out and supply the chocolate as well.

Jenny

I was going to suggest this as well - I have a vague recollection from planning my own wedding that they weren't inexpensive, but we were just at a wedding that had one of these and I have to tell you, everyone was crowded around it from the time it came out - they had one milk chocolate and one white chocolate, surrounded by pound cake, angel food cake, fresh strawberries, pineapple, marshmallows ... it was really delicious.

[NewMrsG]

I also meant to say that chocolate-covered strawberries are easy, beautiful, and very elegant

[Kristal]

Besides wedding cake, we also had a chocolate fountain at our reception. Everyone loved it, especially the kids!

[cher48603]

Michelle - Do you know which CL issue the Lavender Pound Cake was from? I've tried searching, but haven't found anything so far. Thanks!
I have 2 lavender cake recipes in MC from June 2000, Lavender-honey Loaf, & Glazed Lavender Tea Cake. Let me know if you'd like me to post either (or both).

[Andrea_2]

The fountain idea does sound pretty impressive! I think I'll look into that, but I'm not sure where to look. Sounds like a good weekend project.

About the strawberries... do those have to be made right before serving (or soon before?) The wedding is two hours from here, and we'll be going up there on Friday for the rehearsal and staying overnight. If I made them on Thursday would they hold until Saturday? I seem to remember that they don't keep real long. I really like that idea though, so maybe I'll see if I can borrow someone's kitchen in that area. My SIL-to-be has lots of family in that area.

[blazedog]

The fountain idea does sound pretty impressive! I think I'll look into that, but I'm not sure where to look. Sounds like a good weekend project.

About the strawberries... do those have to be made right before serving (or soon before?) The wedding is two hours from here, and we'll be going up there on Friday for the rehearsal and staying overnight. If I made them on Thursday would they hold until Saturday? I seem to remember that they don't keep real long. I really like that idea though, so maybe I'll see if I can borrow someone's kitchen in that area. My SIL-to-be has lots of family in that area.

They are starting to sell chocolate fountains for home users. I've seen the ads in some of the magazines I've gotten this month but obviously I don't know how well the home versions work or how the purchase cost compares to renting a larger unit. If one entertains with any frequency and has room to store little used kitchen stuff (not me on either count :p) I could see how it could be a fun thing to add to the buffet table.

Chocolate fountains seem to be quite the thing -- I bumped into some guys who were purchasing fruits for use in a chocolate fountain they had rented for an engagement party.

[Missi]

Andrea,

I think you could do the strawberries ahead of time, but they would need to be refrigerated.

I used to work for a hotel that would make tuxedo strawberries--- big berries dipped in white, then dipped in chocolate on just the sides of the strawberry making a V on the "front" of the berry. Then they would pipe on with chocolate a bowtie on the white "vest" part. They looked so amazing, and if you did this assembly line style, wouldn't be too hard to do (just time consuming!). I hope my explanation makes some sense.

I've also made white chocolate covered strawberries and then dipped them (before the chocolate set) in sliced almonds. They looked very impressive.

Good luck!!! And please let us know what you decide and how it turns out!!! :D

[Kristal]

If you're feeling REALLY motivated, you could decorate the chocolate dipped strawberries to resemble a bride and groom:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid183/paa63f4cd72271355c12aabe6f682d6e9/f2a8b1aa.jpg

Or you could order them from a site like this one (http://www.myweddingfavors.com/wedding-berries.html)

(Ooops, looks like Missi and I were posting at the same time! Well, here's a picture of what she's describing. They're pretty cute. :) )

[Missi]

How funny that Kristal and I were posting at the same time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Those are exactly what I was talking about!!