The Fete Blog

Ahhh, the dessert bar– my favorite part of a reception to plan. Whether you’re a super sweet tooth and want every dessert under the sun served at your wedding or you’re a little more traditional (just a cake, thank you), you can still plan out a fabulous spread to serve your guests. There are so many directions you can go with your desserts– so let’s think of this as part one of many posts on this topic…

When I think of a dessert bar, a few of the options that first pop into my head:

Cakes! Whether it’s one grand statement cake or an assortment of smaller, chic cakes, putting a personal twist on it is a must (hint: think colors, designs, monograms, flowers). Maliha Creations

A groom’s cake! Some couples love this tradition, while others choose to forgo it. If we decide to do a special cake for John, I guarantee you it will look just like this! Sidenote: don’t feel like the groom’s cake has to be the only whimsical, unusual dessert on the bar. If you and your partner love the unexpected, skip the traditional tiered wedding cake and dream up something like this! Cakes of Art

Cupcakes! A cupcake display is a fun way to spread the cake love– with different flavors, frostings, and designs, you will definitely please everyone. Combine a small wedding cake with a spread of cupcakes– voila! Dessert bar perfection. Panda Cakes

Chocolate! I’m a huge chocolate fan and luckily, there are half a million ways you can incorporate chocolate into your dessert bar. Go simple and serve truffles and little bites of chocolate with coffee and tea at the end of the night or go big with brownie bites, whoopie pies, hot chocolate, smores, the works! This dessert bar by Eye Candy Cville is droolworthy.

Cookies! A cookie bar is such a fun way to end out the night– serve little glasses of milk, set out an assortment of cookie flavors, and let your hungry guests take their favorites home in sweet little boxes or bags. This particular cookie bar included six different types of cookies by One Creative Cookie and Farmington Country Club! Cramer Photo

Mix up your cookie bar with whimsical cookies– like these gingerbread men! Tom Daly Photography

Make your dessert bar REALLY quirky (and awesome) with some colorful, crazy cookies– I’m obsessed with these little donkey pinata cookies by Eye Candy Cville! Introduce another level of festivity and frolicking by pulling out a brightly colored dessert bar midway through the reception.

I have a confession: I am a dessert whore. A dessert whore who is trying, desperately, to cut back on eating desserts.

I was a good girl for most of the winter– I gave up desserts for Lent and actually made it through with only one slip-up (that was thanks to John– he is a professional dessert eater). After going to a steeplechase workshop at the Olympic Training Center in March, I decided to take on the Suzy Favor Hamilton approach and only have dessert three times a week (meaning on three occasions– I could have three desserts in one day and that would be it for the week). No, I’m not trying to lose weight; I’m just trying to adopt a cleaner lifestyle that is actually attainable. Do I need sweets at the end of every meal? No, but I can (and have) certainly lived that way for too many years.

Anyway, I’ve been doing a pretty good job sticking to my three-times-a-week dessert schedule for the past few months. But somehow I fell off the wagon and treated myself almost every night one week in late May. And now I’m spending a few days with John (king o’sweets, remember?) and I’m craving sweets to finish off every meal. Argh! So in honor of my sweet tooth, a round-up of some treats I’m dying to bake this summer (and in case you couldn’t tell, I’m a cake/pastry kind of gal. I love ice cream, but give me something with carbs and icing!):

1. Creamy Peanut Butter Pie, by Spoon Fork Bacon  2. Lemon Bars, by Smitten Kitchen  3. Raspberry Eclair, by Spoon Fork Bacon  4. Chocolate Tart, by David Lebovitz  5. Sea Salt Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies, via You Are My Fave  6. Key Lime Tart, by Martha Stewart