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Because there are so many desserts, working out what to make can be tricky. We explore some options that are more likely to please a crowd than others – not just for their taste, but also for things like their simplicity, durability, and diet friendliness.
1. Speed: clafoutis
A clafoutis is an excellent dessert for guests and hosts alike who are short on time. It's a baked French dessert where fruit dots a flan-like batter. As the batter is relatively mild, you can choose to accompany it with a range of fruit such as . Berries also work well, as per this cherry and raspberry clafoutis.
Most clafoutis recipes involve about 15 minutes of preparation and 40 minutes of cooking. They survive well in a car, seeing as the dessert is set within a dish.
Serve with a sprinkling of icing sugar, cream, or ice-cream.
2. The best of all worlds: trifle
A trifle always brightens up a table, a dessert that well and truly says 'party' thanks to its grandeur and distinctive layers. Trifles are also a fantastic solution for people who are torn on what dessert to choose – it allows people to enjoy jelly, custard, and cake all at once.
This aromatic French-inspired trifle brings together honey, lavender, pistachio and walnuts.
Another new take is a with rosewater and pistachios.
3. Inclusivity: flourless chocolate cake
Turkish delight trifle. Source: Alan Benson
If the priority is getting the most people to eat your dessert, a flourless chocolate cake is a wise choice. version by Anneka Manning is dairy-free and made with cocoa powder and olive oil, accommodating to a range of diets. Topped with a dairy-free ganache, it takes a standard flourless cake to another level.
4. Sweet and savoury: knafeh
Dairy-free flourless chocolate cake Source: Alan Benson
The Middle East has a popular dessert called ; it's often served during festive occasions like Eid. Knafeh has origins in Nablus, but it's now popular across the Middle East. It's traditionally made with a stringy, noodle-like pastry, known as kataifi, nabulsi cheese and sweet orange-blossom syrup. Knafeh is commonly topped with nuts and/or cream.
DECADENT
Knafeh
Nabulsi cheese is difficult to find in Australia, so people substitute it with mozzarella. It's a knockout dessert with an interesting texture and flavour balance. Serve it warm for that extra level of comfort.
5. Please a crowd: pavlova
Knafeh from A Middle East Feast Source: Andrew Dorn
is a trustworthy recipe of which you can adapt the topping (you can't go wrong with seasonal fruits).
The meringue comprises just four ingredients and it's reasonably quick to make. It involves 20 minutes of preparation, an hour in the oven, a little time to cool and about 10 minutes of completing it with whipped cream and your chosen topping.
6. Something cool: semifreddo
By cool, we mean both in temperature and in general. Semifreddo is an underrated frozen dessert, but it's an efficient way to serve something special.
If you don't have time to pour the semifreddo mixture into single-serve moulds, make a giant version in a bowl and serve it in giant scoops.
Frozen summer semifreddo pudding. Source: China Squirrel
For something more savoury, take a look at Kirsten Tibballs' .
