"Dessert is Now Served" : Host a Holiday Party

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So many reasons to celebrate this season! It's the perfect time to open your home and enjoy the company of friends and family. We recently hosted the dessert portion of our neighborhood progressive Christmas Party. Each year, two homes volunteer to host. One is in charge of dinner and the other does the dessert. Can you guess which one I wanted to do? Dessert of course! You know how I feel about sweets :)

I really wanted to try out some of those beautiful desserts I had seen floating around Pinterest and this was the perfect opportunity. The party was adults only- but these treats could easily be enjoyed by all ages. This is a fairly simple party theme to host- because the food takes center-stage. And since it is 'just desserts' there is no pressure! I think this is not only a fun idea for a Christmas party, but also a great way to ring in the New Year.

I decided to carry over my Christmas decor theme of "Silver & Gold". I made a vintage "JOY" banner for the kitchen by cutting brown paper bags to create the letters and then spray painting them gold. I hung the word "JOY" from jute twine with clothespins over my stove.

I also designed a menu for display, because when dessert is all you are serving- everyone wants to know what kind!

 If you drag the image below on to your desktop, you are free to print and use. I made the menu using PicMonkey. I started with a black slide and then added the different desserts using a variety of my favorite fonts.

 Other than that, thanks to the Christmas decorations, I didn't really have to set up anything else. Just a pretty table cloth, a few flowers and then the goodies took care of the rest. In order to enjoy the party and my guests, I made everything the day before.

 
Here is a break-down of the menu and any modifications I made to the recipes.

 -Coconut Sour Cream Cake: I made this recipe a bit easier. I used a white box mix for the cake. I jazzed up a can of white buttercream frosting by adding 8 oz of sour cream to it. I used my Kitchen Aid to combine the two, along with half a bag of coconut flakes. After I added a rough crumb coating of icing to the cake, I let it set for an hour. Then I iced it again, to make it pretty. I hand-patted on the coconut. Lots of compliments on this cake!

 -Strawberry Santa Hats: Bake brownie batter in mini-cupcake pans. After they cool, pipe melted white chocolate to the tops, then quickly place on the clean strawberries. Finally, top with a small dot of white chocolate. Yum! 
 
-Sopapilla Cheesecake: I prepared this one before the party,  but I didn't start baking it until about 15 minutes before the guests arrived. It made the house smell wonderful and I was able to serve it hot with a scoop of ice cream. Sadly, I didn't snap picture of this one. **Find the recipe here.

 -Peach Cobbler: I used the recipe I shared with you a few weeks ago. I also prepared this one before the party,  but I didn't start baking it until about 15 minutes before the guests arrived. Peach cobbler is best served hot with a bit of vanilla ice cream. Sadly, I didn't snap picture of this one at the party either! **Find the recipe here. 

-Red Velvet Cake Balls: I don't think I will ever get tired of this dessert. Following the directions on the cake mix box, bake a red velvet cake in a 9x12 pan. When it cools, break it apart into a bowl and combine with a can of cream cheese frosting. Refrigerate for an hour and then bring it back out. Roll the batter into small balls and place them on wax paper. Put them back in the fridge for another hour. Then remove and dip each ball in melted milk chocolate. Set them on the wax paper to dry. Once dry, drizzle white melted chocolate over the tops.

-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies- You can see the recipe here. I made this dough a week earlier. At that time, I only baked 12 cookies and then froze the rest of the dough. For the party, I pulled the frozen dough out of the freezer and baked them on my stone. **Find the recipe here.

Once the party got started, I was busy socializing with guests and serving the hot desserts. The weather that evening was pleasant, so many people sat outside on the back patio and enjoyed a small fire in the chiminea. I wished I would have taken a few actual party photos, but I didn't even have a chance to pick up my camera.

It was a fun night and I didn't stress about the food. Even if we don't host the party again next year, I would use the theme of "Dessert Is Now Served" for a cocktail party or for New Years. It works well with adults who like to munch and chat!

Are you hosting any Christmas or New Year's parties this year?

PS- I am guest hosting over at Tatertots&Jello today.  Pop on over and see my easy tutorial for creating cute DIY Sparkle Shirts - perfect for girls, boys, even moms! I am so excited to be part of Jen's Happy Holiday series.

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