# Elegant desserts



## di reston (Dec 2, 2017)

The thread on 'Elegant soups' was very interesting - what elegant desserts would you do for an elegant dinner? My first choice would be 'Olde English Syllabub'. I can assure you that it's delicious. This recipe is from my book 'British Cookery', and it dates back to the 1600's. It's simple to make as well. Here it is:

Modern syllabubs are made with an infusion of sherry or wine mixed with whipped cream. They are always served in tall glasses and should be left in a cool place for 8 hours to let the wine and cream separate. The wine is spooned up or drunk through the creamy froth in the manner of Irish Coffee.

10oz caster (or fine granule) white sugar
Rind and juice of 3 lemons (if the lemons are large, use one or less lemon)
1/2 pint sherry or fortified wine
5floz brandy 1 1/2 pints double cream

mix the sugar with the lemon juice. Add the grated rind, sherry and brandy. Warm slightly to dissolve the sugar and blend the flavors. Whip the cream and fold into the wine mixture. Pour into tall glasses and serve when separated. 

Variation: put some almond macaroons at the bottom of each glass, to absorb the liquor when it's separated.

di reston


Enough is never as good as a feast     Oscar Wilde


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## caseydog (Dec 2, 2017)

My favorite "elegant" dessert to make is Bananas Foster (Brennan's of New Orleans). Not only does it taste decadently good, it is performance art as you make it table-side. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Wf3nTRUbz4

CD


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## taxlady (Dec 2, 2017)

I really like this lemon mousse as an elegant dessert. If you are better at piping the whipped cream, it will look more elegant. It's also fairly light, which can be really nice after a big meal. http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f10/lemon-mousse-two-ways-72409.html#post1002224


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## GotGarlic (Dec 2, 2017)

For me, there has to be CHOCOLATE! For Christmas a few years ago, I made a flourless chocolate cake with a dark chocolate-cinnamon ganache topping and cinnamon whipped cream. So good


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## Aunt Bea (Dec 2, 2017)

Fussy looking little pastries like these cream puff swans.

They are really inexpensive and simple to make, can't get more elegant than that! 

https://www.barbarabakes.com/cream-puff-swans/


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## Just Cooking (Dec 2, 2017)

Aunt Bea said:


> Fussy looking little pastries like these cream puff swans.
> 
> They are really inexpensive and simple to make, can't get more elegant than that!
> 
> https://www.barbarabakes.com/cream-puff-swans/


I need those in my life.... 

Ross


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## Whiskadoodle (Dec 2, 2017)

Well,  a mountain of whipped cream with a cherry on top is pretty elegant to me.   
--

We are blessed with growing raspberries.   We have made peach melba, which is pretty easy and elegant.   And to make it more so,  for the sauce, chase the berries around in a circle in a food mill and remove the seeds.


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## caseydog (Dec 2, 2017)

To me, a person who doesn't get excited about desserts, nothing beats preparing a dessert in front of your guests, or having one prepared in front of you. 

No town does it better than New Orleans... even if they are just making coffee, like the Café Brulot at Arnauds in New Orleans. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWFRd5nW5pM

CD


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## Rocklobster (Dec 2, 2017)

Pavlova. GF makes a great one..light, fresh...I love it..


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## medtran49 (Dec 3, 2017)

I used to make a torte with 8 layers using sponge cake, filled with a dark chocolate buttercream, topped with rolled up almond tuile cookies filled with brandy buttercream, with remainder of brandy buttercream piped around the bottom in rosettes or shells depending on my mood.  Basically a Dobosh torte.  Haven't made 1 in years, though I do make the tuiles every great once in a while.


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## di reston (Dec 3, 2017)

Your suggestions are all great - I've rather lost my hand with desserts in favour of weight loss, but I've found myself in difficulty on more that one occasion when friends come to dinner. I think that, once I've re-mastered the art of desserts, I'm going to do a Spanische Windtort, but what to you reckon to Crèpes Suzette to be going on with. I'm definitely going to do all your recipes, and see how I go. I do have a simple recipe that I fall back on and which my friends enjoy. It's pears in ginger syrup with ginger whipped cream and brandy snaps. That seems to go down well. I peel the pears and poach them in a sweet Moscato wine with lemon zest finely grated to taste, crystallised ginger to taste, and cane sugar. This is accompanied with whipped cream with crystallised ginger and sugar, with brandy snaps. It seems to go down well with our friends, but I don't really feel confident - I can't help thinking that there's something missing, so I'm taking your suggestions seriously, and thank you so much for sending them.

di reston


Enough is never as good as a feast     Oscar Wilde


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## Aunt Bea (Dec 3, 2017)

di reston said:


> Your suggestions are all great - *I've rather lost my hand with desserts in favour of weight loss, but I've found myself in difficulty on more that one occasion when friends come to dinner.* I think that, once I've re-mastered the art of desserts, I'm going to do a Spanische Windtort, but what to you reckon to Crèpes Suzette to be going on with. I'm definitely going to do all your recipes, and see how I go. I do have a simple recipe that I fall back on and which my friends enjoy. It's pears in ginger syrup with ginger whipped cream and brandy snaps. That seems to go down well. I peel the pears and poach them in a sweet Moscato wine with lemon zest finely grated to taste, crystallised ginger to taste, and cane sugar. This is accompanied with whipped cream with crystallised ginger and sugar, with brandy snaps. It seems to go down well with our friends, but I don't really feel confident - I can't help thinking that there's something missing, so I'm taking your suggestions seriously, and thank you so much for sending them.
> 
> di reston
> 
> ...



I think that is true with most people.  I would keep it simple, maybe a small scoop of premium ice cream, a drizzle of liqueur and a couple of crisp cookies or a box of premium chocolates in the center of the table for people to pick at over coffee.  Who needs the stress of making a killer dessert for a group of folks that would rather not be tempted!


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## JustJoel (Dec 3, 2017)

I’m not a fan of desserts, generally. But if you’d like something simple, decadent, and very pretty, here’s a recipe for chocolate cake tiramisu that I found to be delightful. If you don’t feel like making the cake, you can just buy some, for simplicity’s sake.

https://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/chocolate-cake-tiramisu-with-chocolate-sabayon.html


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## LPBeier (Dec 3, 2017)

At culinary school, we learned how to make many "elegant" desserts, including all the ones mentioned here. I rarely make desserts as neither TB nor I can have a lot of sugar, dairy or chocolate, and no gluten. I mainly make cakes but rarely for us as I decorate for others. I also make a lot of gluten-free items on the less sweet side such as carrot cake, zucchini loaf, pumpkin cake, etc.

For one of my catering gigs, I made 120 poached pears with pastry cream and chocolate sauce. I thankfully had a lot of help from our youth group plating and serving them!


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## Kaneohegirlinaz (Dec 3, 2017)

For me, I think along the lines more of decadence as opposed to elegant.



A coupla Christmas/New Year's Eve ago 
(thanks to the urging of fellow DCers)
I made 2, yes TWO Cheesecakes, my very first!  
One was totally naked and this second one (above)
was my version of a Turtle Cheesecake with a gorgeous 
Chocolate Ganache, Caramel and Pecan topping.
I took this cake next door to the neighbors New Year's Eve party, 
and it was GONE!
(that was also my first crack at ganache btw )


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## larry_stewart (Dec 3, 2017)

ive made deconstructed Strawberry Shortcake as a parfait.  Serve it in a nice stemmed glass could make it elegant.

Ive also done the same with pears and caramel and another with apples and caramel.


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## Rocklobster (Dec 3, 2017)

I should add that Pavlova is predominantly egg whites with some sugar to make a meringue..then, top it with your favorite fruit..gf makes individual meringues and they can be made a day ahead and store well in the fridge so you don't have to gobble them all up in one sitting..


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