Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 1, 1994 TAG: 9406010047
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By ALMENA HUGHES STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Desserts, made from scratch, can be relatively inexpensive to prepare. And with a desserts-only party, costs can be minimized by serving several simple, low-cost savories and one or two costly grand-centerpiece treats.
Theme-wise, age-group-wise, even calorie- and health-wise, the possibilities are endless. Make everything yourself, make it a potluck, recipe swap - or make it something in between.
Generally speaking, try to use recipes that will serve and keep well for a while at room temperature. Individual servings, such as mini cakes, cookies, muffins, tarts, balls, slices or squares work best. Because of the number of desserts to be sampled, even smaller-than-usual servings often will suffice.
Have plenty of small plates, napkins, appropriate cutlery and complementary hot and cold beverages and water to cleanse the palate.
You'll find lots of desserts ideas in several free brochures that are yours for sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Write for "Peaches: Enjoy Georgia's Best Flavor," Georgia Peach Commission, Box 38146, Atlanta, Ga. 30334; "Sweet Splendors, National Cherry Foundation, c/o Evans Food Group, Dept. MDS, 190 Queen Anne Ave. N., Seattle, Wash. 98109; "Chefs' Desserts," National Dairy Board, 928 Broadway, Suite 600, New York, N.Y. 10010; or National Honey Board, Dept. CB, 421 21st Ave., Suite 203, Longmont, Colo. 80501.
The National Honey Board also offers a delightful 90-plus page compendium of honey-based recipes for $2.50 per copy. Request "Sweetened With Honey the Natural Way."
Kamora Coffee Liqueur's Spring newsletter, Kamora Concoctions, suggests basing a dessert party around a Mexican theme and sending out chili pepper-shaped invitations in envelopes filled with bright, colorful confetti. If you're at least 21 years old and would like to get on the newsletter mailing list, write to Kamora Culinary Club, P.O. Box 5004, Ronks, Pa. 17573.
People who wish to or must limit their sugar intake needn't be bumped from a desserts-only bash. Among several very good cookbooks for the estimated 13 million Americans who have diabetes is Healthy & Hearty Diabetic Cooking ($23.97, plus $2.95 shipping & handling).
The book, from the publishers of the bimonthly magazine Diabetes Self-Management, offers more than 200 recipes, including desserts such as lemony cheesecake and chocolate mousse. To order, write P.O. Box 11477, Des Moines, Iowa 50381-1477, or call (800) 366-3303.
A dessert party wouldn't be complete without chocolate. Chantal Coady's ``Chocolate: The Food of the Gods'' ($14.95, Chronicle Books) could make it the main topic of conversation.
Coady, the proprietor of one of London's fine chocolate shops and co-founder of The Chocolate Society, covers chocolate, among other roles, as religious symbol, medicine, currency and aphrodisiac. She sets it off with 18 recipes that true aficionados will appreciate, including Petits Pots a la Bergamote, Mole Pablano, Marbled Chocolate Brioche and Chocolate Truffles. Her chocolate baskets could turn even a scoop of ice cream or an array of fresh seasonal fruits into a dramatic presentation. As for when is a desserts party appropriate, well, there are showers, graduations, birthdays, Father's day, ChildFree Adult Day (June 5), weekdays, weekends....
Recipes for:
PINA COLADA UPSIDE DOWN MINI-CHEESECAKES
SURPRISE BROWNIE CUPS
GEORGIA PEACH POUND CAKE
LOW-FAT PEACH POUNDCAKE
SAVORY APRICOT BlTES
KAMORA QUICK CAPPUCCINO COOKIES
MINIATURE LEMON CHEESECAKES CHOCOLATE PECAN TART
CHUNKY CHOCOLATE CHIP BEARS
HONEY NUT BRIE
CHOCOLATE BASKETS
LEMON FINGERS
FRUIT JELLY SQUARE
by CNB