What happens when you turn Dinner with Friends into a Dessert Party with Friends? Everyone can say yes to that slice of pie! And there’s nothing sweeter than permission to indulge… in good company, in a bit of laughter and, most definitely, in a little dessert.
How many times do you politely turn down dessert after a special meal or at a party? It seems like that’s what we’re trained to do! “Oh, no thank you.” “None for me, thanks.” When we silently wish we could. But when dessert is the whole event, it frees up everyone to say yes!
And that’s exactly what happens when you turn Dinner with Friends into Dessert with Friends. Not only does it give a new spin to your get-togethers- a delightful surprise of an invitation- but it also says, “Hey, there’s no pretenses here. I want you to enjoy some dessert with me!” And that permission? As adults? Well, that’s not something we come by very often.
And while it absolutely feels really special, a dessert party is actually one of the easiest ways to host!
What You’ll Find Here:
I’m sharing just how we hosted this pretty little dessert party!
- how we made this get-together memorable with 3 simple, thoughtful touches,
- 4 simple berry dessert recipes,
- a stress-free timeline (that breaks down & schedules simple tasks for prepping ahead so that getting together is easy for every hostess, whether you work full-time, are just getting started hosting or have been inviting friends over for years),
- shopping links to create your own beautiful table quickly and easily.
- Sending out the invites is up to you!
Our Berry Easy Dessert Menu
You and your friends are going to love this easy reason to get together and eat dessert! All of the recipes are simple to make. And the organized timeline below makes sure nothing is hard or hurried.
- Homemade Blueberry Muffin Coffee Creamer (for Shaken Blueberry Espressos)
- Easy Skillet Blackberry Cobbler
- Fresh Strawberry Pie
- Lemon Whipped Cream
Of course, you wouldn’t have to make both the cobbler and the pie for your gathering. One or the other would be plenty, but we made both just to offer easy options… and, honestly, I really love dessert! So why not?
And everyone was so into it! It was a chance to put life on pause for a moment with full permission to indulge in a sweet or two. How often does that happen?!
Thoughtful Touch #1: Personal Cobblers
We chose to make the make the blackberry cobbler recipe in individual ramekins so that everyone could have their own mini cobbler! There’s just something about a personal dessert that makes a guest feel like you thought just about them as you prepared (and you did)!
We simply used the Skillet Cobbler recipe linked below to fill 6 (8 ounce) ramekins instead of a 10 inch cast iron skillet. We baked them all at once by placing the ramekins on a baking sheet and popping it in the oven. (Recipe links at the end of the post.)
Thoughtful Touch #2: Shaken Blueberry Espresso Bar
There’s just something about adding a special drink to the menu that makes the whole event seem more intentional. And, newsflash, a signature drink doesn’t have to mean cocktail! There are worlds of options out there.
For us, coffee + dessert seemed like a natural fit. So we decided to take it one step further and make an espresso bar where we could make Shaken Blueberry Muffin Espressos on the spot!
- We pulled some espresso shots (you could brew some extra strong coffee, if you liked),
- then poured them in our French Press for easy serving.
- We used the blender to whip up a batch of my homemade blueberry muffin coffee creamer,
- gathered up some ice and a cocktail shaker.
- Put it all together and a couple of quick shakes later you’ve got a cool, creamy coffee drink with a hint of blueberry baked goods!
Thoughtful Touch #3: Lemon Whipped Cream
Our last special touch was Lemon Whipped Cream. It’s a super simple add that offers a bit of unexpected dreamy to the menu! It perfectly tops everything from the blueberry espressos to the cobbler and pie. Because it doesn’t have a recipe card to link to, I’m including its instructions below. It’s quick, easy and absolutely worth it.
Of course, if lemon isn’t your thing or you just prefer to skip it, vanilla ice cream would be a welcome addition to the menu too! Or you could add this No Churn Lemon Blueberry Ice Cream.
Lemon Whipped Cream Instructions
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream (chilled)
- 3 tablespoons white granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
Use a metal or glass mixing bowl to mix the cream. Chill it before you begin.
Put granulated sugar and lemon zest in a small bowl. Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar until all of the zest and sugar are fully combined. Your sugar should be a light yellow.
This releases the oils in the zest and gives you maximum punchy lemon flavor while eliminating the chances of curdling the cream with the addition of lemon juice.
Using a mixer on the highest settings and your chilled bowl, begin to whip your cream. When it begins to thicken, add the lemon sugar a little at a time until you’ve added it all.
Continue to whip until stiff peaks form.
Remember…
It doesn’t really matter how you get together this month, but it does matter that you do! Connect. Make an impact by being a source of light, joy and friendship to those around you. Think about your guest list as a chance to bless! Invite those you hold dear and look for someone new to include in the mix. There’s always room for one more!
Everything You Need For This Dessert Dinner Party
Table Links
- Striped tablecloth square by Solino Home
- Hester & Cook Berry placemats (12 die cut paper mats)
- White lattice dinner plates
- Blue Willow dessert plates
- Hester and Cook blue bamboo table runner
- Blue & white teapot
- Scalloped cake pedestal
- 8 ounce ramekins
- French press coffee maker
- cocktail shaker
- Hester and Cook berry bramble table card (set of 12)
- Hen House Linens Dinner Napkins
- Oneida dessert forks- Louisiana pattern
Berry-Themed Dessert Menu
- Easy Skillet Blackberry Cobbler
- Fresh Strawberry Pie
- Blueberry Muffin Coffee Creamer
- Lemon Whipped Cream (included in post above)
Timeline (Total Time 2-3 Hrs.)
This timeline walks you through:
- how to make each dish ahead of time,
- how long each task should take,
- how to organize the tasks if you need to do just a few things in the evenings after work in the days leading up to your get together.
3 Days Before
- Do your grocery shopping.
- Get small take home boxes for slices of pie, if you’re serving pie.
2 Days Before– 45 minutes
- Have tablecloth & chairs delivered. (From, Ep. 1, I do this so I don’t have to own, store or clean these items.)
- Get out items needed to set the table + serve & make sure they are ready. (15 minutes)
- Set up table & chairs if eating outside. (15 minutes)
- Make the coffee creamer. (5 minutes)
- Clean and quarter the strawberries for the pie. Refrigerate in an air tight container or zip top bag. (10 minutes)
The Night Before– 50 minutes
- Make the strawberry pie. Cover, refrigerate and let set up overnight. (30 minutes)
- Add the butter, berries and lemon juice to the ramekins for the individual cobblers. Stir together the crumble crust. Stir together the cinnamon & sugar. Cover and refrigerate everything separately. (20 minutes)
Day Of– 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Set the table and the espresso bar. (30 minutes)
- Sprinkle on the crumble crust, cinnamon sugar and bake the cobblers. (40 minutes)
- While the cobblers are baking, make the lemon whipped cream & brew your coffee. (included in the 40 minutes above)
- Remember you pie and coffee creamer in the fridge! Grab the ice for your shaken espressos. You might also want to include some bottles of water or sparkling water also.
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