If there’s one thing that New Yorkers love to do, apart from watching Yankees games and consuming amounts of hot dogs that would put the most ravenous Nathan’s hot dog eating competition winner to shame, is party. We know all about parties. After all, what’s better after a long, drudging work week than a wild, drink-and-dance-until-you-drop party? It’s easy to see how many New Yorkers resort to this form of unwinding by stopping by any one of the many clubs lining the nooks and crannies of the Meatpacking district after dark. And what could be a better season for throwing an eye-popping party than the summer?
Before throwing a party, however, there are a few things to consider. Firstly, what is the reason for the festivities? Most New Yorkers don’t need an actual reason to party. A difficult day or week at work might be incentive enough, but thinking about a theme or a reason might prove helpful in determining what type of a party you would enjoy. The only requirement for a summer party is that it is, of course, summertime, and the weather forecasts clear skies and soaring temperatures. The rest is entirely up to you and your imagination. If you’d like to boost your ego by seeing your less physically gifted friends in bathing suits, then throw a poolside or beach party. If your best friend’s birthday is coming up, then it might be time to deck out an open-air area with the usual decoration suspects and surprise them with a birthday party. If you have a nice backyard, porch, rooftop, balcony or terrace and a grill handy, then a barbeque party is your ticket to success. Some other types of parties include tea, wine and picnic parties. Regardless of the occasion, all summer parties have a few things in common apart from the sun-induced heat: lots of snacks and food, copious amounts of liquor with ice, equally copious amounts of fun and, of course, fabulous heat-friendly desserts!
Another thing to consider before sending out the invitations is your budget. This is best to do before actually going shopping, that way you won’t end up blowing your entire paycheck on decorations and leaving the guests wondering whether going to a usual neighborhood watering hole would have been more satiating. It’s always better to overestimate than underestimate when counting party essentials, so if you’re unsure of the exact price, always lean toward the higher end of the spending spectrum. If money is an issue, consider asking the guests to bring their own favorite liquor, since alcohol tends to be one of the most expensive party fun-inducers. Another possibility is throwing a pot luck party and asking every guest to bring a snack or a prepared dish to cut down on the expenses.
When you have decided on the type of party you’d like to throw and set a budget that won’t leave you asking your parents for spare cash at the end of the month, it’s time to send out the invitations, shop for the ingredients and look for that something special that will doubtlessly leave your friends, family and acquaintances speechless. We here at Chocolate ZOOM believe that this special way in which it is easiest to impress your guests at a summertime party is, of course, scrumptious chocolate desserts that are a treat both to the taste buds and the eyes. Here are some sweet and delicious ways to impress your guests, regardless of what type of a party you may throw and how high the temperatures get!
Chocolate Fondue:
Spice up that boring fruit salad! There is nothing more special on a hot summer afternoon than chocolate fondue. It is super versatile, easy to pack and prepare and compliments ice-cold, fruity summer cocktails wonderfully. If you have a budget to impress, buy or rent a chocolate fondue fountain (you can rent them on www.chocofountain.com) to complement the flowing water of your pool or wow with a chocolate cascade reminiscent of refreshing waterfalls. Ranging from $99 to $4,000 on Chocolate Fountain Sales (www.chocolatefountainsales.com) it is not a cheap way to entertain, but your guests are sure to be blown away. Set up a separate table with fruits, berries and sponge cake squares for dipping, and proudly display your beautiful chocolate fountain in an easily accessible spot. With fondue chocolate in dark, milk and white, you are sure to appease the tastes of even your most refined Park Avenue friends. Serve fruity sangrias, sweet wines or sweet martinis to complement your dessert.
If you are throwing a beach party, don’t have easy outlet access, or simply don’t have the funds for a fondue fountain, don’t despair! There are cheaper, candle-powered fondue kits on the market that work wonderfully, and most kitchenware supply stores are bound to have them. If you don’t shy away from online shopping, try the chocolate fondue kit from Stuffed Chocolate (www.stuffedchocolate.com) – at $14.95 a kit, which comes with special chocolate, ceramic bowl, metal stand, two forks, candle and recipes, it is a steal (remember – you can always buy more forks or just use long toothpicks for dipping)! If you’re looking for a more spacious set, Cutlery and More has a wide variety of fondue kits for all price ranges (www.cutleryandmore.com). Regardless of your choice, your guests will walk away with a lingering taste of chocolate on their lips and sweet memories of your summer party.
Chocolate-Dipped Goodies:
This will come as no big surprise to chocolate lovers world-wide, but almost everything these days can be dipped in chocolate, from fresh and dried fruits to ice-cream, cookies and biscuits. If you’re looking to add a sweet kick to your summer party and don’t want to spend a fortune, an interesting and diverse way of doing it is by introducing platters full of chocolate-dipped baked goodies. Throw together colorful plates of chocolate-dipped strawberries, biscotti and cookies from your favorite chocolatiers or your favorite local bakery. For a cooler, more outlandish chocolate-dipped mail-order dessert, impress your guests with frozen chocolate-dipped cheesecakes on a stick (try C&C Creations, www.candccreations.com), or frozen chocolate-dipped key lime pies on a stick (try Kermit’s Key West Lime Shop, www.keylimeshop.com or Steve’s Authentic Key Lime Pies, www.stevesauthentic.com).
If you’re worried about your sweet little treats melting before getting to your guests’ mouths, put them in a refrigerator overnight the day before the party. They will be cold when you take them out, resilient in the sunlight and melt-in-your-mouth chocolatey delicious by the time they are consumed! For a picnic, just put them in an airtight bag, such as a Ziploc bag, and throw them in the cooler along with all your drinks. It will keep them cold for as long as you need, keep the moisture out and prevent the chocolate from melting away.
Chocolate-Infused Drinks:
Most New Yorkers love their drinks with and after dinner, and many restaurants are catering to those tastes by offering wide varieties of martinis, mojitos and other deliciously dangerous cocktails on their menus. Since you’re throwing a fabulous New York summer party, why not mix your friends’ love of cocktails with their love of chocolate by combining the two!
A great way to spice up any drink, from iced coffee to a chocolate martini, is through chocolate ice cubes. Just buy pre-mixed chocolate milk (or mix your own by combining milk or cream and chocolate syrup of your choice, which lets you control the chocolate intensity), pour it into ice cube trays, and stash in the freezer overnight. By the time the party rolls around, you’ll have fun chocolate ice cubes to distribute into a willing chocolate lover’s glass. It will not only add a sweet chocolate kick to the drink, but also serve as tasteful decoration. For an outdoor party, put the ice cube trays in the cooler to keep them from melting.
Chocolate martini:
Best if made with Godiva chocolate liqueur, your choice of dark, milk or white, but you can substitute your favorite instead. You will need ice, 2 ounces of chocolate liqueur (about a shot and a half), 1 ½ ounces of vodka (about a shot) and a half an ounce of grated chocolate (a small cube, or to taste). Fill a cocktail shaker with ice (you can use a glass and a saucer if you don’t have one). Add the chocolate liqueur and vodka to the shaker. Shake to mix and chill, strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with the chocolate. If you have chocolate ice cubes, you can add those for decoration and flavor (optional).
Berry chocolate martini:
You will need white chocolate shavings, ½ ounce (half a shot) of blackberry schnapps, ½ ounce (half a shot) of Smirnoff Raspberry Twist vodka (or your choice) and 1 ounce (about a shot) of white or milk crème de cacao. Pour the blackberry schnapps into a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the vodka and crème de cacao. Shake and strain into a martini glass, garnish with white chocolate shavings and chocolate ice cubes to taste (optional).
Chocolate mint smooth:
You will need 1 ounce of dark crème de cacao (about a shot), ½ ounce of Kahlua coffee liqueur (half a shot), ¼ ounce of peppermint schnapps (splash) and 1 ounce of cream (about a shot). Pour all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Mix and strain into a cocktail glass, decorate with chocolate ice cubes and mint (optional).
Chocolate sundaes:
A long-time summer favorite is ice cream. And no wonder! This cold treat has been doing a great service to summer parties for many years, by keeping its fans’ temperatures cool and their sweet teeth happy. Chocolate sundaes are a wonderful way to entertain a variety of palates with lots of choices and little work. Ice cream that has been kept in a cold freezer will keep well in a cooler for outdoor parties and provide an excellent dessert choice for all your guests. It’s best to buy a small variety of ice creams in flavors like vanilla and chocolate. Keep it simple, because your guests will always be able to spice up their own sundaes with a fun mix of toppings. Bring crushed nuts, jams, caramel and chocolate syrup along for toppings. If you’re a fan of fudge, there are melted varieties that will be gooey and delicious after being left in the sun for a short while and would pair very well with vanilla or chocolate ice cream.
