<p>So we are hosting our neighbors at our place for dessert after dinner at a nearby restaurant. The dinner will be Italian. Any fun ideas for dessert for a crowd of about 12-15 people? I’d like to provide something chocolate and something non-chocolate, maybe something calorie conscious. Make ahead, naturally. Looking forward to all your brilliant ideas!</p>
<p>Buy some canoli shells and make your own filling…much better then store bought…</p>
<p>Also frozen fruit sorbet in their natural shell/skin is always a hit…the cocanut sorbet in the shell is to die for, the lemon is excellent also…reminds me to go buy more for a dinner party later this month</p>
<p>Tiramisu (which I might have spelled incorrectly) is my favorite Italian desert.</p>
<p>Tortoni…kickin it old school with this…</p>
<p>Miniature cheesecakes made with vanilla wafers in a muffin cup/cherries on top.</p>
<p>You want something that is fun? Do you have a couple of fondue pots? How about chocolate fondue…using fruit.</p>
<p>A cheese plate of dessert cheeses (the rich double-cream ones)
Chocolate fondue (I make what I call “cheater’s fondue”—2 parts dark chocolate to 1 part milk chocolate, melt in microwave, stir–I have little bowls and I do individual servings by breaking up chocolate bars)
Cookie assortment
Fruit salad with limoncello whipped cream (made that last week and it was gone fast)
Pine nut and honey tart</p>
<p>Look up Venetian Table of Desserts…it’s the big rage at weddings here…trays of Italian pastries, with a chocolate fountain…delish.</p>
<p>Tiramisu has the advantage that it is extremely easy to make – no baking at all if you buy the ladyfingers. You can make a chocolate version.</p>
<p>For the calorie conscious, it is hard to beat angel food cake and fruit. In the winter, I’d go with a citrus topping rather than berries.</p>
<p>We have a wonderful Italian bakery close by, so I would probably get a beautiful try of small cookies and biscotti and then I would make Lemon Bisque. It is easy, light, and a dessert that goes well with a heavier meal.</p>
<p>1 pkg. lemon jello (small pkg)
Can evaporated milk (chilled)
2/3 cup sugar
1 lemon (rind and juice)
1 1/2 cups crushed Graham crackers - extra for top</p>
<p>Dissolve jello in 3/4 c boiling water
Add sugar and chill until wobbly</p>
<p>Beat chilled milk to whip. Add jello to whipped milk.</p>
<p>Line 9 x 13 pan with graham crackers and top with light layer of graham crackers. Chill 2 hours.</p>
<p>I was just sitting in a doctor’s office this morning reading a women’s magazine about Trifles and how many types of combinations you can make with them!</p>
<p>Either individual servings or one or two large glass trifle dishes…any combo of anything!</p>
<p>Brownies/whipped cream/raspberries or strawberries/cookie crumbs
cake/carmel/hot fudge/nuts
Fresh baked apples/streusal/cool whip</p>
<p>Look on-line for combo ideas!</p>
<p>reduced calorie: skewers of fresh fruit? With a yogurt dip?</p>
<p>I’ve done the same type of dessert hosting. I’ve made 5 or 6 different desserts and everyone has been impressed…it’s fun!</p>
<p>Might you have coffee or tea with the dessert? I vote for a homemade chocolate
Based biscotti and homemade lemon bars! </p>
<p>On a scale of 1 to 10 how fancy do you want to be?</p>
<p>If you think you’re going to be stuffed from dinner poires aux vin with a little sorbet and/or biscotti or brandy snaps on the side would be nice. </p>
<p>[Poires</a> Au Vin Rouge ( Pears in Red Wine) Recipe - Allrecipes.com](<a href=“http://allrecipes.com/recipe/poires-au-vin-rouge--pears-in-red-wine/]Poires”>http://allrecipes.com/recipe/poires-au-vin-rouge--pears-in-red-wine/)</p>
<p><a href=“http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/11/brandy-snaps/[/url]”>http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/11/brandy-snaps/</a></p>
<p>I’ll second (3rd?) tiramisu. Easy to make ahead of time and everyone always likes it.</p>
<p>Also, cantucci (biscotti like cookies) and Vin Santo</p>
<p>Italian Cream cake is super yummy although I don’t know if it is authentically Italian or just Italian American.</p>
<p>Polenta cake.</p>
<p>[Amaretti-Amaretti</a> Cookies-Italian Cookies-Almond Cookies-Italian Desserts | La Mia Vita Dolce](<a href=“Grace;Sweet Life: food, family, life and photography”>Grace;Sweet Life: food, family, life and photography)
?</p>
<p>I have never made them but they sound good.</p>
<p>I’d do an assortment of Italian cookies–in addition to the those mentioned above (biscotti and almond cookies)j, you could also serve macaroons. These are really easy.</p>
<p>[Toasty</a> Coconut Macaroons Recipe : Alton Brown : Food Network](<a href=“http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/toasty-coconut-macaroons-recipe/index.html]Toasty”>http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/toasty-coconut-macaroons-recipe/index.html)</p>
<p>Call Giorgio’s Bakery on Washington Ave in Hoboken, NJ and have them send you a couple pounds of amaretti. They are the Platonic Ideal of amaretti. Really.</p>
<p>OP here – So many deep chuckles and great ideas. Thank you, Dear Ones.</p>
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<p>I LOVE these! The “in their natural shell/skin” makes it so much fun.</p>