French desserts for dummies

[KateW]

Ok, so my upcoming family reunion (July 24) has a French theme and I have to bring dessert. I'm not a dessert person and a lot of the recipes I find say "serve immediately" or "warm in an oven before serving". I have to make something that will make the couple hour trip and then sit for a few hours after that. I'd like something easy to medium difficulty (my level being culinary school graduate but minimal experience in dessert). Also it has to feed about 50 people.

I considered individual creme brulee, creme caramel, pots de creme, etc. but then I'd have to spring for the ramekins (and probably lose most of them at the reunion). Tarte tatin is best served warm and I don't want to risk there not being room in the oven where we will be. I can see making a pie or cake. Or maybe crepes and toppings?

Anyway, any ideas?

[therese]

Clafouti. Too easy given your background, but they don't have to know that. Sprinkle the powdered sugar on at the last minute.

[Bicycle Lee]

I say nice individual brulees with an assortment of petit fours (homemade of course). Or individual fruit tartletts with a good pate sucree and pastry cream...both of those options would be time consuming but rather easy and wonderful.

[AlainV]

Why not "profiteroles au chocolat" ?

Everything can be made well ahead and assembled at the last minute.

[Bicycle Lee]

yeah, profiteroles would be a good too....never made them au chocolat, but I can't imagine it would be too hard.

or make plain ones with some nice fresh ice cream or flavored chantilly, or sorbet stuffed in the middle.

[Busboy]

Crepes served with fresh peaches that have been macerating in the liquid of your choice would be pretty swell, anything that can be set on fire is sure to be a hit. A little French Vanilla ice cream or maybe just some whipped cream would go nicely, too.

[ludja]

Assortment of free-form fruit galettes (peach, berry, plum) with ground almond-sugar mix under fruit. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Beautiful and keeps well.

Another sturdy (and delicious) dessert is an almond tart-- can be served with fresh peaches and cream...

[kitwilliams]

How about several simple lemon dacquoise? You can freeze them so they'll survive the trip. What kind of heat are we talking here (meaning outside temperature or in other words, where's the party?). You can bake off a bunch of meringue discs, you can do nut and nutless versions, you don't have to do lemon but also coffee or chocolate or one of each. Lemon just happens to be my favorite for a light and luscious dessert. Make your buttercream ahead of time. Might work for you.

[Matsu]

For individual creme brulees, you might consider using foil ramekins.

Malco Manufacturing makes all sizes of aluminum pie plates and they recently

started making the foil ramekins. I'm sure there are other companies as

well that sell them in your area.

[KateW]

The party's in New Hampshire, end of July--could be rather hot. But now I'm not even sure we're going--there's a conflicting event that a good deal of the family is going to be at (block party my uncle's band is going to be playing at) and we're going to see the family at our wedding in September anyway. Thanks for the ideas though--they all sound wonderful!

[Richard Kilgore]

Even though Kate's plans are uncertain, this is a practical thread full of good ideas that many of us can use. Any other suggestions?

[KateW]

Thankfully in a couple months my last name will start with S and I hope I fall outside the dessert bracket from then on.

[Suzanne F]

If it's not too late to offer advice: if you'll have access to a good electric mixer: chocolate mousse. Really easy, very impressive, and oh so French! And you can use pasteurized egg whites, in case anyone worries.

Although the suggestion of crepes is good -- you can make stacks and stacks of them ahead of time, then just finish big pans of them with butter/sugar/lemon juice and zest and liqueur just before serving. This even works in chafing dishes (even the Costco kind with aluminum pans and flimsy frames.) And of course chocolate sauce and whipped cream are alway a welcome topping.

[KateW]

I have no mixer I don't do baking, so I don't really miss it in that aspect, but there are some savory things I could use it for. It's on the registry, believe me!