Summer Party: Bubbly & Berries

By Yelena Jenkins

Toast to FriendshipToast to Friendship

Contrary to popular belief, you don't need a special occasion to pop open the champagne - good company is reason enough to host a summer party! Toast to your friendships and host a bubbly and berries fete. 

Two fun options for a bubbly and berries summer party enable you to cater it to you and your guests specifically.

You can create an elegant ladies' garden party luncheon, or you can treat guests to an apres-dinner soiree with drinks and dessert.

Bubbly & Berries Option 1: Ladies Garden Party Luncheon

With work, children, boyfriends, husbands and family, women are often in need of quality girl time to kick back and relax. Invite your closest girlfriends over for a summer afternoon of tasty food and champagne and catch up on each others' lives.

Croissant Sandwiches:

Though berries are the inspirational food for this luncheon, provide more substantial lunch fare as well. Create a few plates of mini croissant sandwiches for your friends to enjoy. To really impress your friends, make your sandwiches on the best mini croissants money can buy - The Williams Sonoma bake-at-home mini croissants.

Bubbly & Berries

3 Champagnes to Try:

  • Veuve Cliquot Brut - crisp, dry & full-bodied
  • Tarlant Brut Reserve - creamy and rich, yet still refreshing
  • Mumm Carte Classique - fresh, zesty & extra dry

The croissants can be easily ordered online and arrive at your home frozen in a box of 24. All you have to do is place the frozen croissants on a baking pan the night before, let them rise overnight, and bake for 11 minutes the morning of your party.

Though it might be tempting to simply buy pre-made mini croissants, trust us on this one - serving them freshly-baked will make a world of a difference.


Berries:

Bring out the berry theme with jars of blackberry, raspberry and strawberry preserves. Put some of your croissants aside in a pretty basket so guests can enjoy them with delicious jams.

Create a fresh fruit salad as a side for the croissants and sandwiches, or even create a summer Field Greens Salad with Berries (see recipe below) that will delight your friends.

Bubbly:

Berry Delightful!Berry Delightful!

As far as the bubbly, there are lots of options for great champagne. You can provide the champagne yourself or ask guests to bring along their favorite bottle.

If you're providing all the champagne for the party, we suggest making a stop by your local Costco or Sam's Club so you can purchse an entire case at the best price. You'll get a great discount and will probably have leftover champagne for future summer parties!

Bubbly & Berries Option 2: Drinks & Dessert

A more low-key but equally fun idea is an apres-dinner bubbly and berries fete. Why end the evening after a night out with friends? Invite them over for champagne and dessert for a night to remember.

More Fab Summer Party Fetes:

Preparation:

Before going out for dinner with friends, let them know that you'll be continuing the evening with drinks and dessert at your place afterwards.

Purchase a case of your favorite champagne at a local Costco or Sam's Club for the most reasonable prices and and chill a few bottles before you leave for dinner.

Next, you'll want to have your dessert prepped so all that's left upon your return home is the actual baking. When you and your guests arrive at your place after dinner, you can hand everyone a glass of champagne to enjoy while you bake the dessert. This makes for wonderful anticipation, since delicious aromas will be wafting from your oven while your friends sip their bubbly.

Berry-filled Desserts:

The possibilities for berry-filled desserts are endless and can accommodate any skill set. Try a wonderful Summer Berry Cobbler (recipe below). This is an easy one to prep beforehand and pop in the oven later.

If you prefer serving dessert immediately, or don't want to worry about baking while entertaining guests, consider making a light, berry-filled cake such as Milk Spongecake with Buttercream Frosting (recipe below).

Pro cooks can go for the drama and cook crepes with jam. The cooking is part of the entertainment!

Those challenged in the baking department can order a few dozen chocolate-covered strawberries with various toppings ahead of time.

Regardless of what you serve, as long as you keep the bubbly flowing your guests are guaranteed to have a wonderful evening!

Summer Berry Cobbler Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter or lard
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh blackberries
  • 1 cup fresh huckleberries, or raspberries
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons whiskey
  • 1 recipe Sweet Biscuit Mix, recipe follows
  • 3/4 cup water
  • Confectioners' sugar, for garnish
  • Sweetened Cream, for accompaniment

Preparation:

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Place the butter or lard in a small, round cast iron Dutch or camp oven (5 to 6 quarts), or large cast iron skillet and place over the grill or in the oven to melt. Remove from the heat.
  • In a bowl, toss the fruit with the sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and zest, and whiskey. Let sit for 20 to 30 minutes.
  • In a bowl, combine the Biscuit Mix with the water and mix until just combined.
  • Pat out the dough into a large round and place in the bottom and up the sides of the pot or skillet.
  • Spoon the fruit mixture over the dough and cover with any juices.
  • Place in the oven and bake until the dough is golden brown and risen, and the fruit is bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes before serving.
  • Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and drizzle with ice cream, if desired.

Sweet Biscuit Mix (yields 2.5 cups):

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon powdered milk
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup vegetable shortening or lard
  • Combine all the ingredients except the shortening in a bowl.
  • Cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.
  • Place in an airtight container and store in a cool place.

Milk Spongecake with Berry Buttercream Frosting Recipe

Cake Ingredients:

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 4 tablespoons butter

Frosting Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1/2 cup real butter
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract
  • 1 dash salt (optional)
  • 5 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 2-3 tablespoons milk
  • 1.5 cups fresh blackberries
  • 1.5 cups coarsely chopped fresh strawberries
Frosting Preparation:
  • Cream butter and shortening, then add vanilla.
  • Add sugar a cup at a time beating on medium speed.
  • Add milk 1 Tbls. at a time and beat on high until completely blended.
  • TIP: To cut the sweetness I usually sprinkle some salt in the vanilla (so it will dissolve) before proceeding with recipe as instructed.
  • Divide the frosting in half and fold in the blackberries and strawberries on the half you'll use to frost between the cake layers.

Cake Preparation:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • Combine flour and baking powder
  • In a bowl, beat eggs on high speed about 4 minutes, or til thick.
  • Gradually add sugar; beat at medium speed for 4 to 5 minutes or until light and fluffy.
  • Add flour mixture, beat at low to medium speed until just combined.
  • In a saucepan, heat and stir milk and margarine until margarine melts; add to batter, beating until combined.
  • Pour into 2 greased 9 x9 x 2 inch baking pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  • Allow cake to cool
  • Transfer one layer onto a serving dish and cover in berry buttercream frosting
  • Add second layer on top and cover the rest of the cake with the frosting
  • Refrigerate for a few hours

Expert Tip: If you like to serve cake at room temperature, remove it from the fridge just before you go to dinner. It will be ready to go when you return!

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