Or a couple of chocolate trifles - buy some chocolate loaf cake, slice and make sandwiches with raspberry jam, layer in a glass bowl. Sprinkle with booze. Top with fresh or frozen raspberries and a layer of custard if you have the time, or whipped cream.
Or lemon trifles - pound cake sandwiched with lemon curd, sprinkled with limonchello, topped with 1/2 whipped cream 1/2 marscapone with a squeeze of lemon juice in it - top with flaked almonds and lemon zest
Yeah, cookies always work. Simple cakes are really less work. They LOVE pie but it is usually too much work considering my restrictions tomorrow. I think I'm going to let my mom take care of it for me. Either her Texas sheet cake or my aunts lemon pudding bundt. I need to just make it easy on me and not try to make a perfect menu all the time as if I'm throwing a dinner party. The limitations are severe as is. No one in their right mind would do this.
I should have mentioned my audience--active Seniors. This is a low cost meal so I have to scrounge.
After shopping, the menu has changed (the baked ziti is a default if I don't find sale stuff.) I got lucky today and was at the fresh market just as the soon-to-expire stuff was getting 80% markdowns. Got spachcocked & tied lemon & herb marinated chicken, ready to be roasted with no prep. Bought multiples of prepared lobster marscarpone ravioli with creamy tomato sauce and pesto drizzle. Bags and bags of mixed baby greens, arugula and herbs. ll Fornaio focaccia.
I have no room in the fridge to chill desserts! I'm thinking over all the great suggestions to make tomorrow, or if not tomorrow, to keep in my back pocket for future. Especially the lazy mary tart. (I did do a peach cobbler with sweet biscuit topping a few months back in season.) Someone may do it for me this time because I have other work tomorrow as well. Good thing this is a late lunch.
In fact I did have to cook a Valentine's dinner for 30 this past weekend. Here's the dessert I came up with http://www.food52.com/recipes/9579_ruby_heartstealer_valentine_sorbet
A banana pudding or peach cobbler. They transport well, and well received for a group and work in a buffet situation.
This might depend on the ages of the group..as it is admittedly mundane for dedicated foodies. It's going to depend on the make-up of the crowd...you don't want to scare some with something unfamiliar.
This is a pro bono catering job and I am not a professional. I have to transport the food 15 minutes away and serve hot things hot. I usually go for a room temp dessert for safety and oven space. I do have a pizza warming (hot) oven available. I've not made individual portions of anything yet. When I served a segmented orange salad, I just sliced them because it is too big a job otherwise.
The ambrosia that I just posted this week not like any you've tasted, I'd bet) would be perfect. It doesn't take long, it's refreshing and light, and best of all, it's not too sweet. How large is the crowd? On second thought, those orange sections might be a lot of work for a big group, unless you can muster some help . . . . How about chocolate pudding? Always a crowd pleaser and so, so easy. Make two kinds . . . one with peppermint extract and one with almond extract and/or Amaretto or a similar liqueur. . . put a few toasted almond slivers on the almond flavored one to tell them apart. Good luck! ;o)
Tiramisu? It'll taste better if you make it tonight. If you want something lighter how about the Ambrosia recipe AntoniaJames recently posted. It would be easy to expand to whatever amount you needed. http://www.food52.com/recipes/9543_ambrosia
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Or a couple of chocolate trifles - buy some chocolate loaf cake, slice and make sandwiches with raspberry jam, layer in a glass bowl. Sprinkle with booze. Top with fresh or frozen raspberries and a layer of custard if you have the time, or whipped cream.
Or lemon trifles - pound cake sandwiched with lemon curd, sprinkled with limonchello, topped with 1/2 whipped cream 1/2 marscapone with a squeeze of lemon juice in it - top with flaked almonds and lemon zest
After shopping, the menu has changed (the baked ziti is a default if I don't find sale stuff.) I got lucky today and was at the fresh market just as the soon-to-expire stuff was getting 80% markdowns. Got spachcocked & tied lemon & herb marinated chicken, ready to be roasted with no prep. Bought multiples of prepared lobster marscarpone ravioli with creamy tomato sauce and pesto drizzle. Bags and bags of mixed baby greens, arugula and herbs. ll Fornaio focaccia.
I have no room in the fridge to chill desserts! I'm thinking over all the great suggestions to make tomorrow, or if not tomorrow, to keep in my back pocket for future. Especially the lazy mary tart. (I did do a peach cobbler with sweet biscuit topping a few months back in season.) Someone may do it for me this time because I have other work tomorrow as well. Good thing this is a late lunch.
This might depend on the ages of the group..as it is admittedly mundane for dedicated foodies. It's going to depend on the make-up of the crowd...you don't want to scare some with something unfamiliar.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Baked-Apples-with-Cranberries-Raisins-and-Apricots-231306