Create An Event Filled With Sweet Fun
Most of us enjoy being invited to participate in a potluck dinner. Whether at our workplace, church, school, or at a family gathering, a potluck meal is a chance to share recipes and see what everyone else is cooking these days.
Sometimes, a big table filled with row after row of casseroles, meats, pasta, and salads isn't quite right for the occasion. There are simply times when we just all want to enjoy something sweet! That's where the 'Dessert Only' potluck comes in.
Let's take a look at a few ideas for creating the event with desserts that will be fun to bring, and to eat.
Ingredient Theme
The idea here is to have everyone bring a dessert that uses a particular ingredient or flavor. For instance, a chocolate theme or fruit theme would both work well. With this type of theme, you would have fun seeing how many different kinds of ways there are to serve an ingredient.
Chocolate, for instance, can be used to make cakes, cookies, and bars, of course, but can also be turned into a drink. Think also of the many foods you can cover with chocolate. But don't stop there. Remember, you can also serve chocolate that has simply been flavored with herbs, floral, and even spices.
Fruit can be used to flavor other ingredients or can be used as the main ingredient in cookies, cakes, and bars. Get creative with both fresh and dried fruits in all sorts of sweet dessert offerings. These are just two ideas for ingredients. Dig through your pantry and I bet you'll come up with more!
Item Theme
Ask each participant to bring their favorite cookie, cake, or bar, and enjoy discovering just how many ways there are to make one dessert so different! Don't worry; you won't end up with dozens of plates of chocolate chip cookies.
When you limit the dessert offered to a particular kind of item, the results are surprising. Given the task of making your cookie stand out from other cookies, folks tend to reach deep into their creative reserves and dig out the most unusual recipe they can find.
You can get as specific as you want. For instance, try an 8x8 bar theme, or a round cake theme, or a refrigerator cookie theme. Or, just ask for cake and see what you get! Remember the Bundt cakes from years ago? Maybe it's time to bring them back and have a bit of fun! Whatever item you choose, relax and enjoy the offerings.
Jello Theme
Is any potluck complete without at least one Jello dessert? What if you had an entire table filled with Jello? That would definitely be a potluck to enjoy, and talk about!
You may have to dig deep for recipe ideas since Jello creations are not as popular as they were a few decades ago. However, there are still some adventurous cooks who have fun using this inexpensive jiggly ingredient and share recipes they love.
Ask your potluck participants to bring any Jello dessert they find festive and fun. Don't worry about your Jello creation fitting in with all the others. That is the Jello dessert legacy - it is meant to be funny, but still delicious. When your guests present their Jello desserts, expect some laughs, but also expect some tasty treats.
Hosting a 'Dessert Only' potluck can be a challenge. If you just throw out the word 'dessert' you could see the same offerings time after time. Choosing a theme sparks the imagination and helps the participants have a little more fun. One thing to keep in mind is to be sure to make portions small so everyone can enjoy multiple servings. After all, this is a decadent potluck and should be fully enjoyed!
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