Italian desserts

[Jenise]

I could see bitter orange; not sweet.

Maybe candied peel as a garnish?

Shredded, maybe. Might be too 'moderno'. Toasted hazelnuts?

Both?

[Jenise]

2 I'm unconvinced that it would go on a plate and look good

It would look kind of sad on a white plate, but the clever use of cocoa powder and maybe your marmalade (a puddle?), one could create enough contrast to sell it.

Offhand no on the containers--wouldn't that be sensational though? Maybe I can think that through a little more--wouldn't they go soggy if filled in advance though? I don't work with chocolate much, so don't have a good feel for that. Could one do individual servings in some kind of a fancy (silver or gold foil, say) cupcake thingamajiggie I could buy at a restaurant supply?

Both?

Gild away!

Re Ian's comment... If you make it on the firm side, the tiramisu might still cut well.

If liqueur is called for, I am very fond lately of a bitter orange liqueur called Solerno: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/22/dining/22liqu.html

[Jenise]

Right, would have to be stiff/dryer. I'm also giving some thought to Tiramisu parfaits. Could be made in short clear plastic tumblers. Would have to crumble the lady fingers, but are there otherwise any negatives?

One very excellent thing about tiramisu is how well it would go with a very delicious and affordable dolce red sparkler from Banfi called Rosa Regale. I've had it before with chocolate--killer! Not that, mind you, I actually think dessert wines should be served with dessert as compared to in lieu of, but this crowd is none the wiser and it wouldn't be Christmas dinner without a beverage finale.

I can't think of any negatives in the final result. I think it's easier to fill 5 big trays than 75 little cups,though.

[Jenise]

I can't think of any negatives in the final result. I think it's easier to fill 5 big trays than 75 little cups,though.

It is, especially when you're sober. Cutting and plating is another issue. Well, we'll make some test batches, see how they come out. I've found a recipe for a hazelnut praline. I'm thinking that shards of that would make a great garnish.

Fun project. In terms of easy serve, the tiramisu parfait or a semifreddo would get it done. A lot of prep work to put together but once done and in the fridge/freezer you can forget about it. All you need is people to help carry the containers to table and plate. The only problem I see is that an ordinary container would look forlorn on the plate. Some jazz is needed - if not a better container that stands alone - I'm thinking a martini glass -then some embellishment on the plate-edible or not edible. Depending on how you tweak the flavors of the tiramisu - ? tiny gianduja truffles or a few shards of almond croccante ? a scroll printed with the menu and wines tied with a nice ribbon/twine as a party favor ? something related to the theme of the event
Not sure if the budget allows but the Dollar Store sometimes has things that can be used as individual serving containers.
A trio of typical Italian cookies or trio of small cakes made in mini cupcake pans would be nice but too much last minute work to plate and serve.

Would love to hear about the rest of the menu.

Just re read the previous posts. ? tiny Gran Marnier truffles and candied orange peel

May be a little hard to rent but if you can get your hand on renting 150 champagne flutes, then you may want to use our seasonal panna cotta right now it is a pumpkin panna cotta with cranberry compote and nutmeg spiced whipped cream. We also toast the seeds for garnish. looks elegant is simple to prepare for large parties and you can make them ahead of time and transport them in the crates that you rent them in. All you need is pumpkin puree with spices fold in some heavy cream, cranberry sauce made with orange zest, and a vanilla bean panna cotta, place cranberry in bottom of flute add panna cotta, place in cooler until set. pipe on pumpkin, and when plating up top with whipcream and fresh nutmeg, also one pumpkin seed toasted if you are using fresh pumpkins for the mousse. Panna cotta recipe is 10 vanilla beans scraped, 4qts heavy cream, 48oz. whole milk, 20oz sugar, 17 sheets of gelatin, 1. combine cream, milk, beans and sugar 2. stir and bring to boil, 3. set in lg. bowl and chill in icewater bath for 15 min. 4. bloom gelatin and add to cream. take out pods. stir until beans are starting to become stable and until cream is cool. This takes the longest amount of time but worth the effort so the beans will not all settle to the bottom of the flute. Once cooled pour into flutes and set in cooler, 1 to 2 hours. End result is great color very seasonal and who does not like a parfait.

[Jenise]

Fun project. In terms of easy serve, the tiramisu parfait or a semifreddo would get it done. A lot of prep work to put together but once done and in the fridge/freezer you can forget about it. All you need is people to help carry the containers to table and plate. The only problem I see is that an ordinary container would look forlorn on the plate. Some jazz is needed - if not a better container that stands alone - I'm thinking a martini glass -then some embellishment on the plate-edible or not edible. Depending on how you tweak the flavors of the tiramisu - ? tiny gianduja truffles or a few shards of almond croccante ? a scroll printed with the menu and wines tied with a nice ribbon/twine as a party favor ? something related to the theme of the event
Not sure if the budget allows but the Dollar Store sometimes has things that can be used as individual serving containers.
A trio of typical Italian cookies or trio of small cakes made in mini cupcake pans would be nice but too much last minute work to plate and serve.

Would love to hear about the rest of the menu.

Can't really afford to rent more stuff than we already are. I agree that jazz is needed--which is why I'm resisting the cups in favor of cutting and serving in the kitchen. I do like the idea of a trio of Italian cookies--some last minute work is inevitable no matter what we do.

Rick--love the idea of the panna cottas in champagne glassware, but I have no ability to refrigerate those. I could only do the little plastic tumblers because they're, well, little plastic tumblers! And even those wouldn't be that easy. I think I mentioned that I've got a standard household fridge in the clubhouse.

Christine, the rest of the menu:

assorted bruschettas with dry prosecco and franciacorta
antipasto platters of cured meats and marinated vegetables with an arneis and a cococciola
shrimp ravioli in a tomato-cream sauce with two rosatos, one nebbiolo rose and another from one of those Sicilian grapes--nero mascalese?
Roasted veal rack with a porcini-marsala wine sauce, black truffled potatoes and green beans in pesto and two brunellos
this dessert we're discussing with NV Banfi Rosa Regale

I selected and purchased all the wines. I'm making one of the bruschettas, the ravioli and the entire main course. Two other people are each making an appetizer. Another couple is doing the antipasto course. I have a staff to help with plating and service, but if anything happens to me this dinner is #$@#ed.

As a total creamoholic my first thought was Tiramisú too, but rejected it for several reasons. 1 it's not really a cake, 2 I'm unconvinced that it would go on a plate and look good, and 3 it's not at its best when made well in advance IMO.

Ian,

FWIW, I agree with #2 (but that can be dealt with) but I strongly disagree with #3. It is best when made in advance. A couple of days in the refrigerator allows it to set up perfectly and for the flavors to integrate. Its never at its best when you make it 4 hours before the dinner party.

[Jenise]

As a total creamoholic my first thought was Tiramisú too, but rejected it for several reasons. 1 it's not really a cake, 2 I'm unconvinced that it would go on a plate and look good, and 3 it's not at its best when made well in advance IMO.

Ian,

FWIW, I agree with #2 (but that can be dealt with) but I strongly disagree with #3. It is best when made in advance. A couple of days in the refrigerator allows it to set up perfectly and for the flavors to integrate. Its never at its best when you make it 4 hours before the dinner party.

Tom, most of the recipes I looked at agree with you--most reccomend an overnight rest. I can see where the settling-in time would be pretty beneficial to getting good cuts for service.

Tom, most of the recipes I looked at agree with you--most reccomend an overnight rest. I can see where the settling-in time would be pretty beneficial to getting good cuts for service.

Jenise,

I've made 20-30 different versions of Tiramisu probaby 100 times in the last 20 years. Trust me, it falls apart and looks awful if you don't allow AT LEAST 24 hours in the refrigerator. More is better. I make it on Thursday evening for a Sat. dinner party.

[Jenise]

Tom, most of the recipes I looked at agree with you--most reccomend an overnight rest. I can see where the settling-in time would be pretty beneficial to getting good cuts for service.

Jenise,

I've made 20-30 different versions of Tiramisu probaby 100 times in the last 20 years. Trust me, it falls apart and looks awful if you don't allow AT LEAST 24 hours in the refrigerator. More is better. I make it on Thursday evening for a Sat. dinner party.

Well, that's experience I can use! I've made exactly one Tiramisu in my whole life and that was way too long ago.

Ian
Picking up on your idea of the chocolate cases, the silver spoon does have the various 'cream' recipes. I've done these before (in chocolate teacups ) and it worked nicely. It's something that could be mass-produced pretty quickly and simply decorated on the plate with some drizzled chocolate, or fruit coulis.

Yes the authenticity seems to be a stumbling block, as staying on the Tuscan theme is very limiting, when the visually stunning and interesting desserts eminate from elsewhere (e.g. Sicily's cassata).
regards
Ian

[Jenise]

Ian
Picking up on your idea of the chocolate cases, the silver spoon does have the various 'cream' recipes. I've done these before (in chocolate teacups ) and it worked nicely. It's something that could be mass-produced pretty quickly and simply decorated on the plate with some drizzled chocolate, or fruit coulis.

Yes the authenticity seems to be a stumbling block, as staying on the Tuscan theme is very limiting, when the visually stunning and interesting desserts eminate from elsewhere (e.g. Sicily's cassata).
regards
Ian

Well, obviously we're not sticking too close to Tuscany--consider the shrimp ravioli. I favored a potato-chevre ravioli with an arugula-pancetta sauce, but my co-planner on this course and I had to agree that to the people we're serving, the shrimp ravioli will have more wow factor. And of course, it will be sublime with those rosatas.

Hey Jenise
I often make gelato and serve it in pretty glasses or plates when ending an Italian dinner. A few crumbled biscotti or nuts as topping adds texture.
It is not hard to make, has a nice wow factor and you can flavour it however you like.
The biggest wow factor was serving the gelato in home made Frangelico sugar baskets but they are an enormous pain -- gorgeous but a pain. You could cheat and buy chocolate cups.

Your meal sounds fabulous!

Ruth

As a total creamoholic my first thought was Tiramisú too, but rejected it for several reasons. 1 it's not really a cake, 2 I'm unconvinced that it would go on a plate and look good, and 3 it's not at its best when made well in advance IMO.

Ian,

I strongly disagree with #3. It is best when made in advance. A couple of days in the refrigerator allows it to set up perfectly and for the flavors to integrate. Its never at its best when you make it 4 hours before the dinner party.

I think I may have misunderstood the requirement then. I agree entirely that it needs to sit overnight, and 24 hours is better. But i got the impression that it had to be made more than 48 hours in advance, and that was what was worrying me. We are talking mascarpone, egg yolks, whipping cream after all, and possibly in a fridge with coming and going over the period.

Jenise, chocolate cups... this is the sort of thing I was thinking about though possibly a bit bigger.



If kept in the fridge, it would easily stand 24 hours with a filling in it. In fact, chocolate is sometimes used as a waterproof lining in pastry cases, when a sloppy filling has to be filled in well in advance. (If you see what I mean!)

[Jenise]

Hey Jenise
I often make gelato and serve it in pretty glasses or plates when ending an Italian dinner. A few crumbled biscotti or nuts as topping adds texture.
It is not hard to make, has a nice wow factor and you can flavour it however you like.
The biggest wow factor was serving the gelato in home made Frangelico sugar baskets but they are an enormous pain -- gorgeous but a pain. You could cheat and buy chocolate cups.

Your meal sounds fabulous!

Ruth

Lovely thought, but last year we served a homemade ice cream with a streussel, and found it tough to get the plates out fast enough to avoid some meltdown with the last plates to be served. I do wish we could buy chocolate cups here--can't, and can't make them either. Or at least, I have one guy on my team who could but he's done the dessert several years in a row now and refused this year. And I won't have any free time--I think the two people I have will be better at something like tiramisu that can at least hold on a plate.

Shot glasses of gelato or silver spoon 'creams' with the biscotti? I'm guessing you could easily borrow a quantity of shot glasses?

However for the really flash (and I know this is going OTT, so no need to treat it seriously), but what about buying a job lot of shot glasses and getting them engraved for the evening (for guests to take home as a momento).

regards

Ian

Fantastic menu ! Do you need paying guests ? Unpaid help ?
Your circumstances probably don't permit a more traditional finish to such a sumptuous meal---cheese plate, fresh fruit, cantucci for vin Santo but a small serving of tiramisu works.
Can you keep 75 small serving glasses in the freezer for a gelato/semifreddo and plate with a biscotti or 2 ?
Great ideas here !

Forget about shot glasses... bring on the tureens!

I'm way out of my comfort zone on this (75 people!) but a simple solution would be biscotti with a coffee drink for dipping. I had the "Moor in a Shirt" dessert (I think it was at Oran Mor on Nantucket) and it was a delicious dessert but complicated to make I would think. If you can go non-Italian, I have a recipe for apple nut cake with caramel sauce drizzled over it and that feeds 20-25. You could easily have the bakers make more than one pan of it and cut it in the kitchen just before serving.

[Jenise]

Shot glasses of gelato or silver spoon 'creams' with the biscotti? I'm guessing you could easily borrow a quantity of shot glasses?

However for the really flash (and I know this is going OTT, so no need to treat it seriously), but what about buying a job lot of shot glasses and getting them engraved for the evening (for guests to take home as a momento).

regards

Ian

LOVE that idea, we just never have the time to think that way. We do give out door prizes, including a bottle of each of the wines served that night, so about 20% of those who come go home with something extra nice. As it is, we couldn't be more popular. Our dinner is the hottest ticket of the year in the neighborhood--we have to sell tickets on the basis of seniority accrued during the year by attendance at our monthly tastings, and every year the demand is higher. This year, the only people who didn't have to go on a waiting list were those who attended five or more tastings. As a result we had a record 75 people at our November tasting all trying to qualify.