30 DECEMBER 20, 2018 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
HOLIDAY GUIDE
Secrets from a pastry chef for pulling
off a simply magical holiday spread
Whether you're hosting a
small holiday gathering
with friends or a formal
dinner party with family, entertaining
can be stressful. But with a few simple
food-focused tips, you'll be on your
way to throwing the perfect holiday
get-together - headache-free.
For ease of planning, Executive
Pastry Chef Christina Kaelberer of
acclaimed Edwards Dessert Kitchen
in Minneapolis suggests focusing your
gathering around the table.
"Food is what brings people together,
so it can easily serve as the focal point
of a gathering," says Kaelberer. "You
don't need to go out and purchase a
bunch of expensive décor and spend
hours transforming your entire home."
"Holiday prep can be overwhelming,
so I'm all for saving time," she says. "My
advice is to focus your eff orts on a few
star desserts and cocktails, which can
easily elevate any party."
Following are Kaelberer's three
favorite tips for simple holiday
entertaining.
Tip one: Create cocktails in batches
for easy serving.
One thing you'll fi nd on the menu at
Kaelberer's dessert bar is an array of
fabulous adult beverages. To save time,
her team prepares batch cocktails
daily to serve to patrons. Apply this
practice to your party planning and
you can keep glasses fi lled, guests happy
and have plenty of time to mingle
and enjoy.
For inspiration, look to classics such
as the Old-Fashioned, which features
holiday fl avors and warm spices. Add
a splash of color to the presentation by
topping your punch bowl with orange
slices or cherries. To accommodate all
your guests, accompany your bar offerings
with something simple, festive
and non-alcoholic, such as sparkling
cranberry water.
Tip two: Make the dessert spread
your grand centerpiece.
Your beautiful desserts deserve to
be the center of attention. Holiday fl orals
and ornaments can be expensive
for how infrequently they're used, so
save time and money by letting the seasonal
sweet treats serve as the holiday
décor. Keep things visually interesting
by serving a variety of fl avor options
with diff erent textures and colors,
such as layered trifles, fluffy pies
and stacks of cookies and bars. Play
around with platters, serving bowls
and fl atware that have varying shapes
and heights.
Tip three: Rely on premium, thawand
serve desserts to bring the sweet.
If you're planning to make desserts
the focal point of your next gathering,
why not opt for eye-catching items that
will leave your guests thinking you
spent hours in the kitchen? Thankfully,
you don't have to be a talented pastry
chef to make a high-impact spread.
A decadent, thaw-and-serve pie from
your grocer's freezer can elevate
the occasion in minutes, whether it's
served straight out of the box or deconstructed
into a new holiday creation.
To inspire your upcoming holiday
bash, Kaelberer is sharing two recipes
she craft ed using crème pies that you
can fi nd in the frozen dessert aisle. You
and your guests will be thrilled with
the indulgent results.
PUMPKIN PIE BUDINO
Ingredients
1 Edwards Pumpkin Crème Pie
32-ounce container whipped cream
1 cup caramel sauce
1 cup crushed graham crackers
Directions
Thaw pie slightly for 20 minutes.
Scoop out fi lling and set aside.
Pipe whipped cream layer into a
glass.
Add caramel sauce layer, spoon
or pipe pie fi lling layer, add crushed
graham cracker layer.
Add a second layer of whipped
cream, caramel sauce and pie fi lling.
Garnish with graham cracker and
serve.
TURTLE PIE ICE BOX CAKE
Ingredients
2 packages chocolate wafer cookies
2 16-ounce containers
whipped cream
2 Edwards Turtle Pies
Directions
In a 9-inch cake ring or springform
pan, arrange a layer of wafer cookies.
Spread a cup of whipped cream on
top of the cookies, spreading out to the
edges of the pan.
Gently press one frozen pie into the
whipped cream.
Layer another round of wafer
cookies on top of the pie, pressing in
to avoid air gaps.
Place another cup of whipped
cream on top and spread to the edges
of the pan.
Repeat with another pie and gently
press in.
Add a layer of wafer cookies and top
with remaining whipped cream.
Add crushed wafer cookies on top
for garnish.
Freeze overnight.
Remove the springform pan and fi ll
in sides and edges of cake with remaining
whipped cream.
Courtesy BPT