[W.DeBord]

I also use pre-made mini tart shells and cannoli shells (my insurance, for those last minute parties). I've filled them so many ways my brain hits over-load with ideas. You can bake fillings in them as well (like frangipane or pecan tart fillings) using cold fillings. All your southern favorites that you would have put in a pie shell go easily into a tart shell.

I hope you won't get up-set with me, but from what I understood of your list of pastrys you might be short for 400 people. Granted only you know how your people will eat. BUT if this is open to "common people" (not country club going regulars) they will eat ALOT differently in my experience. Country club group...2 per-person (mini's), general public I'd go with 4 per person. But, you've picked items with a fair amount of detail so you must be more experienced than I realized.

As far as having hot cross buns...they don't sell at my club. They'd rather have homemade doughnuts or danish. If it's a tradition in your area then you probably should make them.

[Eeyore]

OK. Im starting this week. I have made a list for this week, next week, and the last week. Yes I will be quite busy...but there is nothing going on this week and very little next.

Of course I will have several plated desserts besides all the fancy petit-fours and whatnots. They will make me do cobbler and banana pudding. They will serve icecream (sadly not made by me) I will be set.

Hopefully Im not biting off more than I can chew.

thanx again
eeyore

[W.DeBord]

Just curious...how do Southerners like their banana pudding. Do you dress this up like a triffle or is it straight pudding in a cup?

Do you use mashed bananas or fresh chunks?

I've never really been south...Disney but you can't call that southern cooking.???!

[foodnfoto]

Southern Banana pudding consists of layers of sliced bananas, vanilla pudding (fresh made, not a mix) vanilla wafers with a baked meringue on top. You can use a vanilla pudding mix and whipped cream or topping, but the original is as described above. You'll get raves-everyone loves it.

[W.DeBord]

Thanks for the answer. That's exactly how Debbie Fields does it, in her dessert book. Yum!

[Eeyore]

Update:

I did all the things I said exept for the lemon torte and choclate torte and dipped strawberries. I did a hazelnut mocha torte instead with the french buttercream left over from the meringue sandwiches.

I also did petit fours with yellow poured icing to look like chickies.
truffles
cupcakes
bonnet cookies
fancy layered petitfours
truffle tart
walnut/white chocolate chess tart
pecan pie
Ms mud pie
creme brulee
key lime
pinwheel pastries made with puff and cream cheese
etc. etc.

Everything turned out great. Oh and I did do some fruit tartlets.

It was too much work though!!

The thing is they booked a wedding the night before and a luncheon for Monday. They dont see any reason why this would be a problem. They (management) says: "Well we will ALL have to work more and harder this week!"

But it was a MADHOUSE. Everytime you needed something it wasn't there--sheetpans, hotel pans, bowls, etc. Everytime you went to get something there was somebody already there in the way. There was no space on racks or in the cooler.

If they do this to me again......GRRR!

Anyway,
thanx for all the suggestions
eeyore

[W.DeBord]

Glad to hear everything went well...and what did your count turn out to be??

Yes, I can fully relate to your situation. We are either dead slow or we have 2000 people with no repeat items in the same week. As if that isn't bad enough the chef uses the dishwasher to do prep for him so you can't get a clean mixer or spatula either!