Light Dessert Choices for a Dinner Party

Light desserts can be as satisfying as heavy ones.

If you are a good cook who frequently hosts dinner parties, your guests are likely full by the time they graze the tasty appetizers and feast on the flavorful entrée and side dishes. Offering a light dessert to end the meal provides a satisfying, parting taste of sweetness without an unpleasant feeling of overindulgence.

Fruits and Berries

Peruse the produce section at your market, choose the ripest, most luscious fruits or berries available and build a dessert around them. For a simple, elegant ending for dinner, simply dip strawberries in melted chocolate and let them harden before serving them in a stemmed glass garnished with fresh mint. If tropical fruits are in season, top a few slices of mango, pineapple and papaya with light coconut milk and sprinkle toasted coconut and chopped almonds or pistachios on top. Choose a few ripe but firm bananas, halve them lengthwise and gently heat them in caramel sauce. Sprinkle finely chopped peanuts on top.

Dairy-based Desserts

Instead of a heavy hot fudge sundae or cream pie, opt for frozen yogurt dressed up with cookie crumbs, fruit and nuts. Vanilla yogurt pairs nicely with gingersnap crumbs, toasted pecans and sliced bananas, or you can build a vanilla yogurt parfait with crumbled macaroons and top it with lightly toasted coconut and chocolate shavings. Another good light, creamy dessert is made with ricotta cheese sweetened with a dollop of honey and a drop or two of almond extract. Place a scoop of ricotta in a ramekin and top it with sliced strawberries and toasted slivered almonds.

Pies and Tarts

Pies with fillings made from whipped cream folded with diced fresh fruit are satisfying without being heavy. Using a cookie or graham cracker crust to absorb the flavors prevents the filling from making a pastry crust soggy. Frozen pies are light final courses and can be made ahead of time by mixing fruit or nuts with heavy cream and sweetened condensed milk, and pouring them into a pie crust made from crushed nuts. End the meal on a healthy note by filling a tart shell with a mixture of fresh berries and passing sweetened whipped cream separately for guests to add themselves.

Cakes and Cupcakes

Angel food cake is a light and airy dessert choice. It goes well with fruit, chocolate syrup or a scoop of frozen yogurt on top. A thin slice of pound cake dusted with cinnamon and powdered sugar is a light and tasty dish to end a meal. Bring a plate of plain cupcakes to the table and let guests garnish them with their choice of toppings including cream cheese frosting, caramelized nuts and creme fraiche.

References

• Eating Well: Healthy 15-Minute Fruit Dessert Recipes
• Healthy Cooking Magazine: Top 10 Light Dessert Recipes