What a curious dichotomy garden party desserts are. Boasting the capacity to be absolute crowd-pleasers and a celebratory end to a meal, they often fail to ignite, the spotlight long burnt out in favour of drinking, chatting and frivolity.
For the host, it’s a fine balancing act. You want your guests to be satisfied but not so full they’re unable to move (you do want them to leave, don’t you?). You also want the dessert to be easy and quick to serve, ideally, with no last minute cooking, adjustments or delays which can lead to guests’ attentions wandering.
Chilled desserts that are easy to prepare ahead of time, making the most of seasonal fruit or possessing pick-me-up potential, are just perfect, then. With that in mind, here are 4 ideas for easy desserts that are IDEAL for garden parties.
FRUITS OF THE SEASON
A wonderful way to encapsulate the here-and-now is to use one of Summer’s hero ingredients; seasonal summer fruit. Let’s face it; the warmer months are all about berries, and serving a dessert which showcases them to their full potential is quick, easy and healthy. All boxes ticked, then.
The pavlova, the stalwart of many a garden party and a celebration of the fruits of the seasons, is a stalwart for a reason. The wonderful thing about a pavlova is that it’s not only a showstopper, but it’s an adaptable pudding too.
Indeed, this billowing cloud of cream and meringue can be topped with the fruits of the moment – think strawberries, blueberries, raspberries or a combination of all in the Summer, and later on at the tail end of the season, it’s time to celebrate fruits like peaches and plums.
To celebrate the Autumn harvest, the delicate sweet flavour and aroma of figs is perfect. In terms of prep, the wonderful thing about pavlovas is that the meringue can be baked a day before your party, then you can fill it with fruit and cream on the day.
ZESTY & REFRESHING
Speaking of cheesecakes, a lemon cheesecake is always a crowd pleaser and oh-so-simple to make. In fact, citrus desserts, in general, are ideal for garden parties as they are not only refreshing and uplifting, but can serve as something of a palate cleanser, too.
Corrie Cooks, who advocates making a baked version of cheesecake in your instant pot, tell us that cheesecake originates in Ancient Greek Cuisine, with historians believing that cheesecake was served to the athletes during the first ever Olympic Games as a form of energy to get them through the competitions.
The Vintage News reveals that “The first earliest recorded Greek cheesecake recipe was made by the writer Athenaeus in 230 A.D. This is the oldest known surviving Greek recipe. The recipe itself was pretty simple: pound the cheese until it is smooth mix it in a brass pan with honey and spring wheat flour, heat the cheesecake “in one mass”, allow to cool, then serve.” Fascinating stuff.
Sorry, we got sidetracked there; back to garden parties, which we’re sure the Ancient Greeks are ace at. For a delicious, fuss-free recipe, we recommend a no-bake cheesecake like this No Bake Didsbury Gin Citrus Cheesecake from Masterchef Winner Simon Wood.
For another easy, citrusy dessert, a zingy lemon posset served in individual pots and paired with sugared-shortbread is a simple recipe that anyone can pull together. Finally, as fun to say as it is to eat, another zesty dessert ideal for garden parties is the lemon syllabub, where cream meets alcohol in a quintessential summer sweet treat.
Or, and if you’re keen for things to get even more boozy, a vodka-spiked lemon sorbet provides a light and refreshing end to a summer meal.
ICE CREAM SANDWICHES
Classic and oh-so-easy to make, ice cream sandwiches can be put together well in advance and stored in your freezer. Who doesn’t like scoops of ice cream in between cookies or cake? Or both….how about both?
The wonderful thing about an ice cream sandwich is that there are a million flavour combinations out there. Look to some of London’s best ice-cream parlours and restaurants for inspiration. We adore the Darlish Baklava Ice Cream Sandwich that they serve at Beranjak, while ChinChin Dessert Club have a great selection of ice cream sandwiches flavour combinations.
CONCENTRATE ON COFFEE
Here at IDEAL, we love an after-dinner coffee. It signifies an end to a brilliant meal and just seems to round things off perfectly. However, making cups of coffee en-masse for guests can quickly get out of hand. So why not combine dessert and coffee so people can get their caffeine fix which is often needed after a long, languid meal.
A traditional Italian Tiramisu, which literally translates to “pick me up”, is ideal here – coffee, cream and booze will delight your guests, for sure.
Or, you could try something a little more inventive; try an Espresso Martini Pavlova. Yes, you can have fruit-free pavlovas, and they’re quite delicious! Think a light chocolate meringue rolled with whipped cream that has been laced with coffee syrup and vodka. A coffee panna cotta or even a cheesecake would work well here, too. Decisions, delicious decisions!