Need fast, inexpensive, simple dessert ideas

we're hosting christmas this year and will have around 14 people over.

MIL is cooking her usual roast and DH is going to do a bbq, there will be no table setting this year because we have bub and i cannot be bothered with all the hassle so it will be very relaxed byo chair - outdoor christmas lunch.

I usuallt cook a cake and i don't like pudding but i have little time this year si i need some fast easy and cheap dessert ideas. I'd like to do something like that biscuit/cream log thing like the ad for choc ripple biscuits.

I will make some mini cheese cakes out of butternut snaps.

any ideas welcomed

nae x

chocolate ripple cake is easy (the recipe is on the choc ripple biscuits pack)

bb fudge looks easy enough to make a couple of days in advance
ummm, peppermint bark can be made now ready for the day
trifle
pav (isn't too bad time wise if you buy the base - but they're not cheap cheap)

:lol: i didn't think to look on the packet :redface: hmmmmmmmm fudge ..... BG where is that recipe???? whats peppermint bark?

nae x

id go with choc ripple cake too!! so easy just make the night before, sprinkle it with crushed peppermint crisp or flake!

peppermint bark is in the christmas goodies sticky thread (i just posted some updates in there so if you hit new posts you'll find it)
i think if you search there is a thread in the recipes section just for fudge. it sounds divine. i'm going to make white choc fudge, milk choc fudge, and then one with candy canes crushed through it - might even create a christmas tree with them for presentation (depending on how inspired i am - and if i leave enough to make the tree after i've snacked!)

I saw Nigella do a really quick and easy mousse type dessert served in margherita glasses I think.

Whipped cream
Chopped strawberries
Crushed up ready-made pavlova cases

Mix it all together, spoon into the glasses and garnish with grated chocolate or something else to your liking.

The strawberries make it christmassy I guess being red.

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I saw Nigella do a really quick and easy mousse type dessert served in margherita glasses I think.

Whipped cream
Chopped strawberries
Crushed up ready-made pavlova cases

Mix it all together, spoon into the glasses and garnish with grated chocolate or something else to your liking.

The strawberries make it christmassy I guess being red.

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ohhh that just gave me an idea - i could do melted toblerone in the cream OMG that would be sooo yummy.

BG - you are sooo creative how do you find time to do all hat cooking?

Olive - yep it sound like a plan for that cake - love the peppermint crisp over the top idea hmmmmmm i am going to be so fat by the end of this :shakehead:

:lol:

A family fav with us is ice cream cake - also not mega cheap but goes a long way and is always requested and demolished!

I use a 23cm spring form pan cover the base in foil then cling wrap.
Soften slightly ~ 2L of vanilla ice cream (I use medium priced brand so Peter's/Paul's etc)
Mix in 1 packet of crushed vanilla meringues and ~ 1 small packet of frozen raspberries. Try not to smoosh everything up too much. Put in tin, smooth top with back of a spoon and cover with foil. Refreeze. This generally covers our family of 18.

An alternative is to do mix chopped Mars bars/toblerone and omit the meringue. You could also mix in some fruit mince and top with some choc sauce (or Ice Magic) for an alternative Christmas Pudding. Heaps of scope to do whatever you like really!

Merry Christmas!

Nae - it's not hard stuff to make! honest! i'm a lazy bag when it comes to stuff like that

the peppermint bark is really simple - melt white choc - spread on foil, spread with crushed candy cane. let it set while you melt darker choc. spread that over the top (sprinkle with more candy cane if you want), let it set while you melt the last of the white choc - top it off, sprinkle with the candy cane - easy

the fudge - haven't made yet - but it looks damn easy. the tree - well, that is just about presentation - shouldn't take long at all

ripple cake - it looks so simple - and a friend used to get her 10 year old to make it for family gatherings so it has to be quick and easy... hmmm now i want...

I love my deserts!!! we are having 11 over this year to our house...im making a pav. A trifle (no jelly-yuck) and as i love christmas pudding but think its to hot to eat it here! (im from the uk and its a tradition) i got 4L of vanila icecream and a christmas pudding and mixed them together. Its yum!!!! And cheap. and traditional :)
I like the cream, berries and pav idea. In the UK thats called an eton mess...and very Yum.
Love the sound of the ice cream cake!! you could put pretty much anything in it!!

The meringue strawberry cream concoction is called Eton's Mess and it's an absolute fave in this house!

Pavlova
fruit cake & custard
ice cream & fruit salad

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The meringue strawberry cream concoction is called Eton's Mess and it's an absolute fave in this house!

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That's the one Rouge, thanks! It looked divine, I will be making it this week.

Soft Caramel Slice
1/2 pkt ginger nut biscuits
1/2 pkt scotch finger biscuits
2 tablespoon Butter; melted
395g sweetened condensed milk about 3 cans
250 g dark chocolate
1. Preheat the oven to 160C. Line a 24 x 30 baking tin with baking paper. Crush the biscuits in a food processor and stir in the butter. Firmly press the biscuit mixture into the tin and put in the fridge for 10 minutes to harden. Pour over the condensed milk and place in the oven until the caramel turns a lovely brown. Remove and set aside to cool completely.
2. Melt the chocolate and pour over the cooled slice. Refrigerate to set. Cut into squares to serve. Dip a large knife in hot water to make slicing easy.

Pots Au Chocolat

100 g chocolate, preferably plain
25 g butter
2 eggs
100 g marshmallows
1 tablespoon hot water
chocolate curls to decorate:


1 Put the chocolate, broken into small pieces into the top of the double saucepan or basin, and melt over hot water.
2 Add the butter. egg yolks and the marshmallows and cook, stirring well. until the marshmallows have melted and mixture is smooth and shiny.
3 Add the water, stir well, then allow mixture to cool, but not set.
4 Whisk the egg whites until very stiff, fold into the chocolate mixture, then put into 4 or 6 individual dishes.
5 When quite cold top with chocolate curls. You could also use some mint leaves.

:o OMG Alan I am getting so fat from reading those recipes they sound super delicious!!
Thanks everyone wow I wasn't expecting there would be so many easy things to make Now I just need to select 2 or 3 and thats going to be difficult :lol:

My MIL's ice cream cake recipe is always a winner:

small tub vanilla ice cream
2 peppermint crisps crushed
2 cherry ripes chopped
and mini marshmallow

Mix and refreeze in a springform tin. Serve with ice magic. YUMMY.

Apparently with choc ripple cake my nan used to slightly soak the bikkies in orange juice to give the cake a jaffle sort of flavour - just a thought if you're feeling a bit fancy. :p

Chocolate Toblerone Mousse.

OK - so the easiest cheaters recipe ever, but extremely yummy ;)

1 x larger sized toblerone chopped (Can't remember the size but the one thats around $10)
1 x pack White Wings Chocolate Craze Instant Mousse
2 x cups full cream milk.

Pour milk into a bowl, sprinkle packet of mousse over the top - whisk or use the mixer to blend together for approx 2 minutes (I was too lazy to get out the mixer & did it with the whisk - it worked fine ;))

Fold through 2/3 chopped toblerone.

Pour into dishes (I bought the plastic martini glasses at coles), put in the fridge.
It says it only takes 5 minutes to set but I left it for a few hours for when the boys came home from work.

To serve, a spoonful of whipped cream & sprinkle the remaining toblerone over the cream...... YUUUUUUUUM :D

I had another go tonight with 3 crushed peppermint crisps & it was yummo :)

All up it took less than 15 minutes, & 10 minutes of that was chopping the toblerone, lol.

Tarts
*
300ml cream
1 cup thickened custard
tart shells
berries, strawberries, chocolate
*
Beat cream to soft peaks fold in custard

Fill mini tarts shells

Decorate with berries or shaved chocolate