Passed, or served tableside individually or on platters, the mini desserts that dominate often are bagged in cellophane or boxed, rendering them safe on table displays, for take-home or delivery. As McHale puts it, “The biggest change…is how desserts are being delivered.” The safety protocols in place during the pandemic have largely shaped event formats, especially when it comes to the dessert course. So pastry chefs are busy meeting the demand for delicious, photogenic wedding desserts and inventing clever formats for delivering them. She says that “everything has been individual or sometimes plated” at these mostly rooftop events or picnics, primarily for 10, 15 or 20.Ĭaterers are renowned for responding to challenges by revving up creativity, and the coronavirus is no exception. (where only two weddings were canceled and the rest postponed), Melody Ozdenak, chef/owner, has been fielding fill-in mini receptions for couples or for new clients who lost their venues. He thinks dessert holds “a bigger place” now because it’s possible to feature “an array of flavor profiles.” At a wedding held on the grounds of a rented estate in Coral Gables, a plethora of individual desserts packed outsized impact, among them maple bacon donut bites with a malt Scotch glaze Nutella and dark chocolate s’mores paninis and colossal-sized strawberries filled with almond mousse, dipped in chocolate and accompanied by shots of champagne.Īt Peppers Artful Events in Northborough, Mass., where the number-one dessert in late summer was mini sweets-among them fruit tartlets, layered mousse cups, s’mores pops, cake pops and cheesecakes-Lisa Clark, executive pastry chef, thinks that dessert is “definitely way more important” to clients now because it gives them a feeling of normalcy.Īnd at EventfullNYC Catering & Event Planning in Brooklyn, N.Y. Bagged chocolate chip, oatmeal and lemon cookies, and individual 4-ounce cups of vanilla ice cream and raspberry sorbet, were the finish to one alfresco event delivered in insulated, initialed tote bags.Īt McHale’s Events & Catering in Park Hills, Ky., where in late September everything was “single-serve or served to guests,” Chuck McHale, president, pronounced desserts “bigger than ever.” Along with signature drinks, they are the only segment of the meal within the couple’s control, an opportunity to introduce “fun and uniqueness” into their receptions.Ĭlosed from mid-March until the last week of June, by late summer McHale’s was permitted by the states it serves (Kentucky and Ohio) to host up to 50 percent capacity in the seven venues it owns, and was averaging 138 guests per event.Īt Bill Hansen Catering and Event Production in Coconut Grove, Fla., which has been setting up events in tents filled to partial capacity outside its own or other venues, Dewey LoSasso, corporate executive chef, has “seen a lot more individually passed or plated items” recently. Permitted to host outdoor events for only 12 guests (when contacted in mid-September), Bruce Riezenman, chef/co-owner of Park Avenue Catering in Cotati, Calif., was doing many picnic receptions, often featuring boxed desserts that travel well, such as mini cheesecakes and chocolate caramel espresso bars. Often plated or packaged to prevent contamination, individual desserts are injecting delight into events that otherwise would seem static. Regardless of the severity of restrictions, which vary from state to state, caterers hosting micro and mini receptions everywhere are challenged to uphold safety protocols without extinguishing excitement-and often dessert is the lifesaver.Īlready underway prior to the pandemic, a trend to smaller cakes and bigger sweet assortments has accelerated. The pandemic has resulted in the postponement or cancellation of many full-sized weddings in 2020, but there is a sweet side. Peppers Artful Events serves up heart-shaped ice cream sandwiches with house-made cookies and locally sourced ice cream at weddings.
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