We just hosted our Annual (more or less) Nutcracker Sweets Dessert Party.  This year was probably the 20th time I’ve hosted this, so I’ve pretty much ironed out all the kinks of the party planning by now :).   

I started with a modest collection of nutcrackers, one real German one and a bunch which were acquired at discount stores for the initial table decor for the party.  And then the word was out and we got them as gifts too. 

Many of them have some sentimental or relevant link…the baking ones, for me of course, the Clara one for Jenna, the minuteman in the tricorn hat because we live in the historic area of Massachusetts…and the last additions were the cute trio of band nutcrackers that my mom gave us when my son was in the high school marching band.

We pretty much declared a moratorium on getting any more. We are already on the precipice of creepy clown territory?!

Somewhere along the line we acquired Fred, our 4’ nutcracker that greets guests at the door. Fred is getting elderly and, like all of us, needs some new parts and a refurbished paint job badly.   

And we fly a nutcracker flag for the party.  Video of the entrance decor and of the dessert table can be seen on my IG account at JRL Interiors.

The table decor for most of the years has centered around a large gold and white paper maché drum that I got at my wholesale floral supply house.  I love that drum and it is barely hanging on as it is needing some TLC as well.

This year, I happened upon nutcracker-printed wired ribbon at my semiannual ribbon binge at BJ’s and it HAD to come home with me.  I used it to decorate the chandelier and trail down onto the drum and table for the party.

I use my table with both leaves to hold all the desserts and decor, and I set it early in the week when there is down time between the make ahead dessert parts that could be frozen and the last minute pieces that have to be done within the last two days to be fresh.

I select and lay out all the serving pieces, plates and napkins and the teapot that will hold the forks (we need to eat with them, so they don’t get added until day of the party!)

NOTE: I do not believe in plastic cutlery and paper plates if it can at all be helped.  I have acquired around 40 forks and a massive number of glass dessert plates.  And I hire help to collect the used plates, forks, cups, and glasses at the party and wash them and return them to the table so there are always plenty.  It’s an open house buffet style party and people come and go at different times and will often visit the buffet multiple times while they are here!

I also create place card labels for all the food - this is helpful as it lets people know what they are looking at and if it has anything they might be allergic to in it. I have these cute nutcracker place card holders, of course!

And I do a table of appetizers - mostly charcuterie and a couple of dips…I don’t want anything finicky that has to be served hot for this kind of party where everyone arrives at random times. But the option of some savory nibbles is a nice alternative to all the sweets.

The dips I did make for this were a baked artichoke dip that holds well at room temperature, and this totally addictive and versatile 5 minute parmesan dip (you should always have a container of this on hand in the fridge anyway - it makes a great ingredient for many dishes - potatoes, pasta, eggs…etc.)

The rest was acquired from various markets - it is fun to shop for an assortment of charcuterie board treats!

The cold drinks, which include festive bubbly Asti and sparkling cider get set up on a chest in the corner of the dining room.  Again - I use real champagne glasses because those plastic ones with ‘some assembly required’ are useless.  I include a pitcher of ice water as well - for that I do concede to clear plastic ‘crystal’ tumblers, mostly because they stack.  Someone will ALWAYS ask for water, and it is a beverage nobody can object to if nothing else appeals!

Sometimes, you have to get creative to fit everything…I used a galvanized planter for an ice bucket and a brass 3-tier galleried side table on top of the chest to hold the 30+ champagne glasses, a mixture of flute and coupe styles.

This year I served the hot drinks on the baking counter in the kitchen.  I use silver samovars for the coffee and tea and I put out a good chunk of my teacup collection for guests to choose a unique cup.  I also make chocolate stirring spoons for an extra decadent and fun coffee option!  They are super easy to make and the only acceptable use of plastic spoons in this house LOL.

Guests are ALWAYS going to wander into the kitchen, so it might as well be a purposeful destination! And anyway, now that it is pretty it is a nice atmosphere too.

More place cards are tied to the handles of serving pieces to let guests know what the contents are….milk/cream/hot water/decaf/coffee/chocolate stirring spoons…

The dessert menu expanded slightly since I wrote the post with the dessert recipe links a few weeks ago. So here is the final list with pictures.  Most of the recipes are already available somewhere on the blog (this is the recent post with the recipe links). If there is a recipe you would like that does not appear yet, please mention it in the comments and I’ll post it soon!

This party was brought to you almost entirely with fresh local eggs (thank you, Mila!!). Also untold amounts of sugar and butter and cream and flour and chocolate…it’s probably best not to think about it LOL.

Pavlova

I ended up with a bunch of egg whites in the fridge, so I added this Pavlova wreath to the menu. I decorated it with raspberries and mint leaves and included a bowl of whipped cream and pitcher of berry compote to top it.

Gingerbread Cake

These delicious gingerbread cakelets are baked in a village cupcake pan (the pan is linked in the gingerbread recipe) and dusted with non-melting confectioners sugar “snow”. The adjacent bowl of whipped cream is for this too, along with a pitcher of lemon sauce. Yummm.

Black Forest Trifle

This was an invention that was the result of a cake fail earlier this winter. It features layers of moist chocolate cake sprinkled with cherry liqueur, decadent chocolate mousse, sweetened whipped cream, and dark sweet cherries.

Trifle is alwasy a pretty presentation in a straight-sided glass trifle bowl so the layers are visible, and is a nice departure from the cake like items on offer. And this seemed like an appropriate mash-up nod to my mostly British roots and my daughters adopted country of Germany.

Apple Tart Tatin

This caramel infused apple upside-down cake is not nearly as impressive looking as the layer cakes, but it is every bit as delicious! Dusted with powdered sugar and elevated on a sweet pierced pedestal dish gave it some classic style.

Chocolate Coconut Almond Tart

This perennial favorite is basically a deconstructed almond joy bar, only so much better….and the fun design on the top is super easy and makes such a pretty finish (video of the topping in process over on my IG feed)

Lemon Tea Cake

Another less impressive, but impossibly delicious offering is this lemon tea cake infused with lemon syrup and topped with lemon icing. It took me three rounds of baking this to get it out of the pan intact this time, but it was worth it (and we got to eat the less perfect variations during baking week, so there’s that…)

Chocolate Caramel Sea Salt Brownies

These are simply THE best brownies in the world. They will ruin you for all the other inferior brownies. ‘Nuf said. I made 4 dozen of these and it is a testament to their greatness that in this sea of desserts there were less than a dozen left!

Mini Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

This is another perennial favorite and there are guests who come exclusively for this banana dessert (don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it)! I usually make it as a 3 tier layer cake, but this year I switched it up to miniature cupcakes and they were even more of a hit in this more approachable package! They can be dusted with sparkling sugar or a drizzle of caramel for a bit of extra flair…which I forgot to do this time.

Creme Caramel/Flan

This is another staple menu item for this party. I’m pretty sure there would be a revolt if it didn’t appear….devotees of this dessert are very dedicated! And with good reason, it is ah-MAY-zing. Creamy smooth, lightly sweet and 100% delicious. And the bake was absolutely perfect enough to make Paul Hollywood proud this time, though it took much longer than normal for some reason.

Toffee Cheesecakes

This toffee cheesecake recipe was adapted into miniature cheesecakes for this party. Much easier to serve and replenish in bite size portions and so cute! The cheesecakes are topped with caramel, whipped cream, and toffee chips.

We serve the extra caramel sauce on the side for those who want a little cheesecake with their caramel rather than the other way around!

As a side note, I love love love the way caramel cooks on my new induction stove…the perfectly even heat is ideal for this particular food!

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This year I added this new family favorite to the lineup. And here is a demo of that basketweave frosting technique which we usually do on the banana cake.

If you have only ever had mediocre carrot cake with which to assess your appetite for this classic, you need to reserve judgement until you have tried this one. I was never a particular fan until I made this recipe!

Raspberry Crumble Shortbread Bars

Raspberry jam, sandwiched between a layer of shortbread and shortbread crumble and topped with a dusting of powdered sugar, these Raspberry Bars go down easy. Perfect with a cup of tea, these are a year-round favorite in our house (and they freeze perfectly so you can have them on hand easily!).

Christmas Cracker Toffee

I discovered this taste of heaven at a church Christmas concert one year and was immediately addicted. I love all things toffee and I NEEDED that recipe! Fair warning…you WILL get addicted. These 4 ingredient toffee bars are dead easy, impossible to mess up, and absolutley delightful for gift giving if you are inclined to part with any of them!

Chocolate Layer Cake with Mocha Swiss Buttercream

This chocolate mocha cake was the darling of the party and disappeared the fastest as word spread. And with good reason! The chocolate cake layers are the most moist and delicious and the swiss buttercream is the queen of buttercreams, impossibly light and fluffy despite the POUND of butter involved…

While we were decorating the Christmas tree this year, my son remarked that a scavenger hunt of the tree might be a fun addition to the party. And so he created “Jamie’s fiendishly difficult Christmas Tree Scavenger Hunt”, and Jenna formatted it into checklist cards for any guests who wanted to try it!

The Millennials were the first to arrive at the stroke of 7 and they all got to work on it immediately :) It took a while and some cooperative sleuthing, but they eventually triumphed!

Some of the younger children had fun with it too, though they weren’t  tall enough to see things near the top of the tree so required some help.

The weather cooperated (we have, in a couple of instances run headlong into a blizzard that kept all but the most stalwart of the guests at bay - which is SO disappointing for everyone, but that is the risk of living here in New England!) Cold enough to use the deck for extra drink and ice storage, but dry enough to not cause travel difficulties or slippery steps!

THIS year was a fun, festive, and tasty evening, and a good time was had by all. It is so nice to finally be able to host this epic event again!

One of our featured guests, was Tessa Rose or “Rosie”, the Traveling Teacup from the Mantel and Table Blog.  I invited Rosie to join us for the Nutcracker Sweets Party since she had never visited Boston and we have so many teacups for her to meet!  Rosie arrived before Christmas and had many adventures here helping with the holidays - too long to add here, so look for a subsequent post featuring Rosie!

Happy New Year, Friends!