Earlier this year, I shared the first post in our Wit & Delight entertaining series, “How to Host a Casual Dinner Party.” This series is a collaboration between me and my friend Lisa. Both avid hosts, we wanted to share ideas for entertaining that are approachable and special all at once. I am so excited about our second entertaining series installment: The Dessert Party!
Life is full in the weeks leading up to the end of the year. Finding time to connect with friends and family can fall by the wayside, especially for those in a season when small children are part of their daily routine.
Since working on this series, I’ve learned the joys of planning ahead. Thinking about ways to cut back on labor and make things special is so much easier when you’re not running on impromptu plans. Lisa and I wanted to put together a menu that would work for an afternoon gathering—think afternoon teatime, but with desserts. The concept has you delegating recipes and responsibilities to friends, which is both collaborative and fun!
What Is a Dessert Party?
The idea of a dessert party is to enjoy dessert and snacks with friends or family. The menu can be casual and the workload can be split between guests so everyone makes something to share. This entertaining idea is perfect for the holiday season but it can be executed any time of year.
The beauty of this kind of party is that it’s completely flexible. It can be on a weekend afternoon or evening. The guest list can be intimate or big. You can sit around a dining table or—like we did—simply gather around a coffee table in the living room. Here’s what our dessert party entailed.
Come Over For… A Dessert Party
Guest List
There were six people on our dessert party guest list, including myself. I invited a few friends who love to bake and a few friends who would rather bring savory snacks. I think six is the perfect number, but a party like this works well for scaling the guest list up or down.
Menu
Because dessert is so indulgent, we designed the menu to include both sweet and savory treats. Lisa developed each of the dessert recipes. A few menu items require more time and skill; others just require a trip to the store. Three people baked desserts, three people collaborated on the charcuterie board, and I provided the bubbles as the host.
For drinks, I recommend going with something special like Billecart Brut Rose or something for everyday drinking like Il Mostro Frizzante BIANCO. For those not imbibing, try Dry Wit Pippi.
Here’s what our menu looked like:
Ricotta Olive Oil Cake With Cardamom, Orange, and Pistachio Butter
Poached Pears With Whipped Brie Frosting and Cinnamon Oat Crumble
Zesty Orange and Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
Charcuterie Board
Bubbles
Schedule
Almost everything can be done ahead of time, so the finishing touches come together pretty easily on the day of the party. For this type of party, you can include your friends in each of the prep tasks, such as:
Assembling the charcuterie board
Plating the pears
Setting the table
Building a fire
Lighting candles
Pouring drinks
Putting on a playlist they’ve been loving
With casual parties like this one, a thrown-together feel makes everyone relaxed and comfortable in your home. Plan to sit down about 30 – 45 minutes after everyone arrives.
If a collaborative prep process is not your kind of thing, set your table (or coffee table in front of the fireplace if you have one), build a fire, light candles, and put on a playlist ahead of time. Grab friends drinks once they arrive, and invite them to place their contribution on the table. Once everything has been plated, have each person share a little note about what they brought, like the delicious new cheese they found at the market, the process of piping the frosting on the cake, etc. I’ve found talking about food with friends who care about food to be lovely.
Dessert parties are short—this one lasted two hours with my friends (from 2 to 4 p.m.). We enjoyed a warm fire at my house at golden hour and were home an hour or two before dinner. Parting ways, each of us went on with our busy days, with one person heading off to work, another going to the grocery store, and another going home to get dinner started.
I love when sharing food with friends fits into daily life with ease.
There’s more to come! This entertaining series will continue in 2025. We want to share how to host a no-cook lunch, a meal outdoors, and an approachable fancy feast, among other ideas. Stay tuned!
Kate is the founder of Wit & Delight. She is currently learning how to play tennis and is forever testing the boundaries of her creative muscle. Follow her on Instagram at @witanddelight_.
