One of the most important parts of an engagement party is the choice of food. You want it to be fancy and memorable, but also delicious and somewhat simple. Food that is too simple might be a bit of a let down, but on the other hand, food that is super fancy and refined might be a bit too formal. You don't want the event to turn into a really serious event where the attended are to tense because they have to sit down and focus on the food. So, a perfect choice would be Italian food. It's not too formal, but it can also be fancy enough so that it's not too pedestrian. And since everyone loves dessert, here are some ideas for authentic Italian dessert choices.
Zabaglione
This is one of the most classic of all Italian desserts. It's basically a custard. It's made with egg yolks, sugar, and a special type dessert wine. The wine used is Marsala, which is a sweet wine that is also used in dishes including chicken. There are dry Marsala wines, but for the dessert, the sweet wine is used. It's very similar to a vanilla custard, except it has a complex flavor due to the Marsala wine. If you're having a catering company provide the food, you can have them provide you with single cup services of zabaglione. These can be served in pretty tulip glasses, or small wine glasses. It would be great served with either Marsala. That way, your guests can experience the flavor of the wine in both the sweet dessert, as well as the pure wine form.
Pana Cotta
This is another classic custard like dessert. Unlike the other custards, which are cooked with eggs, panna cotta is made with gelatin. The phrase means "cooked cream" in Italian. It is made by cooking heavy cream, sugar, and dissolving gelatin into the mixture and then letting the custard set in ramekins. Often times vanilla bean is used to flavor the cream. Sometimes the bottom of the ramakin will have a caramel sauce used (which lends the dish a flavor similar to creme caramel). Many people also like to serve fresh berries with panna cotta. It's a very refreshing combination that helps to cut the sweetness of the cream. You can have the caters serve a sparkling wine such as proseco along with the panna cotta.
Individual Tiramisu Slices
Everyone who loves authentic Italian food will go crazy for tiramisu. It's a delicate, yet rich dessert made with ladyfingers, and a custard mixture that includes sweet cheese known as mascarpone. The tricky part about serving tiramisu is that it can be messy if you have a big dish of it. So, when you are speaking with the caters you should have them prepare individual slices ahead of time. This serving method will make the tiramisu more appetizing, as it won't look like a glob that was scooped out of a big dish. The individual slices cat be cut while the tiramisu is still cold, and then returned to the fridge to firm up. That way the custard won't fall apart on the plate.
Share