marcel proust's salon - what to serve?

[JeanneCake]

The local chamber of music has asked me to participate in their "taste of" event; the evening is called "Marcel Proust's Salon" and will feature readings from Remembrance of all Things Past and as luck has it, I've never read this. Other caterers are providing savoury dishes and I'm it for dessert. When they first approached me, they said it was a Valentine's theme and I was going to go with panna cotta with a raspberry sauce. But now I'm rethinking it.

While I think madeleines would be lovely and appropriate, I don't have madeleine pans and, as this is a donation and they are expecting about 100-200 people, I don't want to spend $ buying pans just for this.

Can you think of anything else that would fit this theme? It's a cocktail party, people will wander from table to table helping themselves - the concert lasts about 90 mins and people will mingle afterward (starts at 4 so when they end, it's just in time for dinner). I had a lot of fun with the small champagne creme brulee tartlets I did the last time I had one of these events and am thinking to do it again.... I don't know what the other caterers are bringing, just that I am the only dessert vendor.

Any ideas?

[sanrensho]

How about mousse-filled tarts? Portable and no need for containers. Or cake/mousse squares enrobed in ganache?

[srhcb]

How about Bologna?

SB (not a big Proust fan)

[McDuff]

Here's a list from Dining With Marcel Proust, A Practical Guide to French Cuisine in the Belle Epoque, by Shirley King.

Coffee eclair

gateau St. Honore

gateau d'amandes

Pain d'epice

Rum Babas

macaroons

tarte aux pommes

tarte aux fraises

tarte aux abricots

barquettes aux cerises

langues du chat

coeurs a la creme

empress rice

glace aux chocolat

glace au citron

glace au fraise

glace a la framboise

sorbet au cassis

granite au cafe

pudding a la nesselrode

glace fruits

that's not all of them, but you get the drift.

[SweetSide]

Here's a list from Dining With Marcel Proust, A Practical Guide to French Cuisine in the Belle Epoque, by Shirley King.

....

coeurs a la creme

....

that's not all of them, but you get the drift.

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Do you have individual heart molds -- Valentines and Proust all at once...?

[JeanneCake]

Wow, McDuff, thanks!

Love the coeur a la creme idea, but sadly, I don't have heart forms... just lots of round pans and rings