Dip & Dessert - - My 1St Show, Help!

[its_me_susan]

My first kitchen hostess would like to do a "Dip and Dessert" theme... and serve wine. I will be browsing the archives, but do you have a particular dip and dessert for a new consultant (who is afraid I might not be able to cook and talk! lol). Think easy recipe, lots of product from starter kit....

THANK YOU!!!
Susan

 

[Happy Mom]

dip and dessertSusan,

Here is an easy one.

Chocolate fondue

Here is an easy one. Melt a 12oz. pkg. of semisweet chocolate bits in the microwave (can you use the rice cooker?) until smooth. Stir the chocolate until shiny smooth. If desired, stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract after melting chocolate. Keep the chocolate warm over a double boiler (over a very low heat) until ready to use.

Use your PC tools to cut and core fruits like strawberries and kiwis (egg slicer), bananas (knife), apples (corer,ultimate slice and grate), peaches (knife). Use the knife to cut up angel food or pound cake into chunks. You will use the cutting board and can put the sliced fruit in the batter bowl.

If you have any PC plates or platters (Essentials or stoneware), arrange the fruit and cake on the serving dish. Keep the chocolate warm in a fondue pot. Buy inexpensive bamboo sticks to use as the fondue forks.

Then have fun! Good luck at your show.

 

[Christyinhi]

Do you have the All the Best Cookbook? If so..try the Hawaiian dip. Just cut up strawberries instead of using the kababbs.

 

[its_me_susan]

Thank you for the idea!Unfortunately I have only the starter kit plus a these other items...

I have:
the starter kit
Woven Large Square Server
Simple Additions®: Large Bowl (how do I pack this?)
chillzanne rectangle server (would like to use this)
Easy Clean kitchen brush
Lift & Serve

Cookie Press (but cookies don't always fall out nicely - any tips?)
Baking Basics: Large Scoop
Cutting Edge: Cut-N-Seal
Cutting Edge: Hold 'N Slice
Kitchen Companions: Stainless Steel mini Whisk
Serving Accessories: Large Serving Tongs (I have 2 - love these)
Serving Accessories: Corn Butterer

 

[janel kelly]

Susan,
You could make dips using the PC seasonings. Do you have more than just the italian seasoning? I've heard the touchdown taco dip from the new season's best is good but I don't know what products you need to make it with. I found some good PC dip recipes on Joyces fine cooking. Here are a couple (sorry I've been stuck on cheese lately)

Baked Cheese Dip in a Sourdough Bread Bowl

1 (10-inch) round sourdough bread, hollowed out
1 can artichokes, chopped
1 cup Cheddar cheese, grated
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Mix all the ingredients together and hollow out a round loaf of French bread. Put the mixture into the bread, put lid back on and bake for 1 1/4 hours at 350 degrees F.

Serve with crudités or crackers.

Cheesy Bacon Dip


1 pkg (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
6 slices bacon, crisply cooked, drained and crumbled
1 large tomato, seeded and diced, divided (about 1 c)
1/2 cup sliced green onions with tops, divided

Cocktail bread slices or crackers (opt)

Preheat oven to 350F. In medium bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise & garlic; whisk till smooth. Add cheddar cheese, bacon, half of the tomato & half of the green onions to cream cheese mixture; mix well. Spoon into Mini Baker.

Bake 15-20 min. or till heated through. Top with remaining tomato and green onions. Serve with cocktail bread slices or crackers, if desired. Yield: 3 cups (24 servings)

 

[Happy Mom]

Dip and dessertSusan,

The cookie press dough may be too soft. With all the heat and humidity, doughs uncooked and cooked are affected. Try filling the press and refrigerating it for a little while before trying to extrude the cookies. You do not want the dough so cold that it will not release from the press. Also make sure that you have the press flush with the cookie sheet or stoneware. If the press is at a slight angle, the cookie will be uneven. Always do a test cookie first until you get used to the right amount of pressure needed to extrude the cookie dough.

It is an exact science that takes practice. This time of year I am not sure if I would demo this product because there are too many variables with the outside heat or a house with cold AC blowing everywhere.

 

[its_me_susan]

Thanks Happy Mom!!! I want to perfect it before November!

Do you have a favorite dip?

Favorite Dessert to make in front of a crowd?

What appetizers should I bring so they have something to munch while I'm preparing the first appetizer?

 

[Happy Mom]

DipSusan,

I posted an easy dessert fondue up at the top of your initial post.

My favorite dip for vegetables is a dill dip. If you have the PC dill seasoning, just add a few Tbl. to a pint of sour cream and stir well. Taste it; if it is too mild, add a bit more. If the dip tastes flat, add a few sprinkles of salt. Remember that it takes some time before the dill mix infuses in the sour cream so do not add too much.

If the dip is too strong, simply add some more sour cream.

 

[Happy Mom]

DIpFor an easy appetizer, use the crinkle cutter to slice some marbled cheese. It is pretty because the cheese has the two colors, white and orange. I would serve the cheese with some bread cubes and dipping oils.

Do you have the dipping oil set, the one with the pretty bottle and 4 small bowls? PC just came out w/ a dipping oil, but it won't be available to cutomers until Sept.

You can make your own dipping oil. Use a good olive oil as the base, put in a few teaspoons of our Italian seasoning and whisk together.

If you use fresh (washed) herbs in the oil, make sure any leftover oil is refrigerated to avoid bacterial growth. A few years ago there were several news articles about people getting sick from homemade flavored vinegars and flavored oils. Since the bottles were not sanitized or processed in a hot water batch and sealed, the herbs started to grow bacteria over time.

You will not have a problem if you make the oil a few hours before serving.

 

[ladybug]

Roasted Red Pepper & Artichoke DipI posted this before, somewhere, b/c I am having deja vu... anyway,
this dip really works well and uses everything in your SS Kit...it is in the S/S05 Season's Best and is a SS recipe.. make it with the chips..everbody is impressed that we can make the chips...I always talk up how easy it is, no fat, no trans fatty acids~much better than store bought chips and tastier!!

I absolutely love the Banana Toffee Pizza as a dessert, also a SS recipe, and sells stoneware well.. but you may like some of the fancier stuff already posted...

just giving more options.. good luck and tell us how it goes!!

 

[its_me_susan]

Ladybug, did you share the Roasted Red Pepper & Artichoke Dip here? Sounds perfect, Did you post in this thread?

I was told the peanutty brownie pizza is a good one too, have you tried that? I would love to the banana toffee recipe too!

Thank you!