Posts Tagged ‘no bake desserts’

Nutella Mousse

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nutella mouse

Happy Wednesday, my dears!

Are you as excited about this one as I am?

Just 2 ingredients:

Whipping cream for mousse

1 cup of heavy whipping cream.

adding nutella for mousse

1/2 cup Nutella. (Hint: use the same measuring cup because the cream left coating the bottom of the cup will help the Nutella slide right out).

whip on HI for 5 minutes

and you’ve made heaven in a pretty glass coupe.

Spoon into serving glasses then chill for a few hours to give your mousse that fluffy, soft chill.

It gives me shivers!

Add this to your arsenal of no-bake desserts.

If you prefer the extra-airy texture of a real mousse, you could try adding in egg whites whipped to medium-hard peaks.

I’d have to stop eating first.

This recipe serves 4.

xoxosl

10 No-Bake Desserts

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Our favorite desserts are no bake, no fuss and a major joy.  We put 10 of them together for The Daily Meal today.  And, yes, this is what our job looks like.  (Some days at least).

If you’re worried about not putting in the extra effort to make dessert, remember our cardinal rules of entertaining: one course should be entirely store-bought.

Next time you’re hosting buy a few good-quality ingredients and assemble dessert. No one will notice, or if you have friends who care then reconsider the friendship.

Enjoy!  We did.

 

 

1. Strawberries mixed with lemon whipped cream (add zest to cream before whipping)

2. Strawberries dipped in lemon curd- yogurt sauce (make just the lemon-yogurt sauce from this recipe)

3. Italian-style affogato–espresso and whipped cream over gelato

 

 

4. Root beer floats in tall chilled glasses with striped straws

5. Fresh fruit and decadent chocolate bars

 

 

6. Store-bought angel food cake, toasted with a smear of Nutella and and a sprinkle of toasted almonds, hazelnuts or sea salt

 

 

7. Ice cream sandwiches made with good bakery cookies, Haagen-Daz ice cream and sprinkle of sea salt

 

 

8. Fresh berries tossed with good balsamic vinegar, chopped basil and a dollop of sweetened mascarpone

9. Biscotti al Vin Santo:  Store-bought biscotti with Vin Santo and seasonal fruit

10. Baklava and mint tea

Any favorites we forgot?

xoxosl

Lydia’s Dinner Party Advice

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by Lydia Ellison

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Got this question yesterday from a dear friend…

“So I have 5 women coming over (in their 50’s, 40’s and 30’s) and I want to really do it up. Something impressive, but also, not terribly hard to make as I am an amateur.”

This was my response…

Ok this is my advice on entertaining, much of it I learned from Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa books and cooking show. Her two biggest rules are…

1. Only serve 3 dishes for dinner and a dessert and only cook 2 of the dishes (i.e. a store bought dessert, or one dish a green salad.) Trust me, cooking is fun but tiring and you have to shop and get the house ready so don’t over do it. Just make 2 really yummy dishes and simplify the other dishes.

2. NEVER make a dish that requires lots of last minute work, you won’t be able to hang out with your guests if you are stirring risotto during cocktails!

So for your party based on that above advice these are my suggestions…

Do 1 store bought appetizers and a signature drink (the sig. drink adds the “wow” factor)
Appetizers ideas-
soft goat cheese drizzled with honey, wafer crackers or bread and walnuts
proscuitto wrapped around bread sticks
sliced cucumber and pita bread with store bought taziki
sliced baguette topped with blue cheese, melt in the oven and then top with a drizzle of honey
olive tapenade and bread and mini mozzeralla balls

Signature Drinks-
prosecco with a spoonful of lemon or raspberry sorbet mixed in the glass
Gwyneth’s dirty martinis
white wine sangria- fruity Savingon Blanc with sliced citrus fruit and a cup of lemonade all mixed in a pitcher
bottle of rose champagne (so chic)

Salad Course– (you  must make your own dressing, this one is good)
grilled eggplant with goat cheese
mixed greens with a round of goat cheese on a baguette round toasted in the oven
butter lettuce with a creamy vinaigrette
roast butternut squash salad

Dinner Course-
Vegetable Lasagna this recipe is SO GOOD and you can make it in advance warm it up during cocktails
Indonesia Ginger chicken with garlic smashed potatoes (so so yum)
Baked Shrimp Scampi– incredible!! serve with white wine, french bread and this

Dessert course- no bake ideas
store bought pound cake served with fresh berries and lemon yogurt sauce
good chocolate cookies (from a bakery) and fresh strawberries
good brownies (from a bakery) warmed slightly topped with vanilla ice cream
chocolate sorbet with this raspberry sauce (very light which is good for women) salad

Thought this might be helpful to some of you out there!

xo,

LE