i know...it has taken me a while...
my favorite/only niece turned 4 in march and after years of lusting on the hostess blog, i was inspired to attempt my first dessert party. tianna's parties are always a chance for me to be free with ideas, recipes and themes without having to answer to a client's wishes or budget. (yes, her mother sometimes has special requests, but with free labor, such requests are duly limited). after three years of elaborate fetes, we tried to keep it simple this year.
the challenge here was to create a stylish event that appeals to both kids and adults, while offering a well-conceived variety of treats. chocolate, non-chocolate, sugar free, non sweet, traditional, indulgent, ready-made, quick-to-make, new/different....these were all aspects i tried to hit on in the menu planning. after much thought and consideration a menu was finally decided on.
menu:
(the now famous) red velvet cake pops
vanilla bean cupcakes with white chocolate buttercream
homemade chocolate donuts & cinnamon sugar donut holes
sugar-free strawberry jello parfaits
crunchy caramel popcorn
sweetsalty popcorn
chocolate sandwich cookies with mint and peanut butter filling
oatmeal cookies with peanut butter filling
chocolate-dipped coconut macaroons
chocolate mousse pairfaits
cheesecake cupcakes with sour cream topping and fresh berries
i did learn that my original menu was ambitious. as such, fresh baked chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies were excluded. in hindsight, i did miss having a fresh baked cookie on the menu and i know it would have been well-received by the younger party-goers. it was also difficult to determine what items would most appeal to the kids. surprisingly, the popcorn turned out to be the true winner.
The least successful of the party was definitely the crunchy caramel popcorn. Too much time in the oven left it with a burnt sugar taste. While crunchy, it would have definitely benefited from significantly less time in the oven. I included caramel popcorn at a later event with a different recipe, less time and a closer eye on the oven. much improved.
my favorite moment? when tianna declared a few hours before her party was to start, "auntie you're doing a great job on my party!" ...love that little girl...