Peter Callahan's Party Food

by Peter Callahan

  Pour the batter into the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the cake is golden brown and starts to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 25 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully invert the cake over a cooling rack and let cool completely. Peel off the parchment.

  FROSTING

  In the clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar at low speed until fluffy, 6 to 7 minutes. Increase the mixer speed to medium and add the salt and vanilla extract. Mix until combined, about 2 minutes.

  Cut 4-inch circles of cake from the sheet (you should have 12). Spread 6 circles with buttercream. Top with the remaining 6 circles and frost the tops (but leave the sides bare). Sprinkle the tops with the rainbow sprinkles. When ready to serve, cut each circle into 8 wedges.

  NOTE

  Place the assembled cakes in the freezer for at least 20 minutes to facilitate cutting.

  MINI FRUIT TART POPS

  Many of us grew up with those popular toaster pastries (the brand name of which we won’t mention here), but probably haven’t tasted one in years. But a mini version—especially when served on a stick—becomes a fun party addition for adults and kids alike. The challenge with such a small size is to strike a balance between the pastry and the fruit filling. The filling has to be sturdy enough that you can put quite a bit in the pastry without having it leak out the sides. A loose, more liquid filling will not work. The icing and the sugar sprinkles can be color coordinated to fit any party’s theme.

  Makes about 20

  For the Pastry Dough:

  1½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling

  1½ tablespoons sugar

  ½ teaspoon coarse salt

  8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small dice

  3 tablespoons ice water

  For the Fruit Filling:

  ¼ cup raspberry jam

  For the Frosting:

  ½ cup confectioners’ sugar

  Pink sanding sugar

  20 mini Popsicle sticks (see Sources, this page)

  PASTRY DOUGH

  In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the ice water and mix until the dough just comes together. Wrap in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before using.

  Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.

  ASSEMBLE

  On a floured surface, roll the dough ⅛ inch thick and cut it into forty 2 × 1½-inch rectangles. Transfer half of the rectangles to the prepared baking sheet and lightly wet the edges with water. Spoon ½ teaspoon of the jam in the center of each rectangle, leaving about a ¼-inch border. Cover with a second dough rectangle.

  Insert a Popsicle stick in each sandwich and press with the tines of a fork to seal the edges tightly.

  Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until very light golden brown. Let cool completely, about 15 minutes.

  FROSTING

  Meanwhile, make the frosting. In a small bowl, mix the confectioners’ sugar with about 1 tablespoon water to make a thick but spreadable glaze.

  Glaze the top of each cooled pastry and sprinkle with pink sugar before the glaze dries.

  MINI BANANA SPLITS

  Sometimes the idea for a dish starts with the actual dish. When we came across these mini sundae dishes, we knew we had to find a way to fill them. They were perfectly proportioned to hold three scoops of ice cream—when a melon baller is the scoop. But you don’t necessarily need mini sundae dishes to create the same effect. Use egg cups, vintage coupe Champagne glasses, small berry dishes—any container that’s attractive and small will work.

  To compose the sundaes, soften three flavors of ice cream just enough to scoop it out with a melon baller or #100 disher and then refreeze until hard. We source the small bananas (they’re marketed under different names, such as mini or baby bananas), but sliced bananas work just as well.

  This is another hors d’oeuvre that always raises a smile. And although it does involve more than a single bite, who can resist it? It also breaks another of our “rules” by requiring a small spoon and a bowl, but for me, the end result justifies it.

  Makes 8

  8 mini scoops vanilla ice cream (see headnote)

  8 mini scoops chocolate ice cream (see headnote)

  8 mini scoops strawberry ice cream (see headnote)

  16 banana slices

  ½ cup Chocolate Sauce, homemade (this page) or store-bought

  ½ cup whipped cream

  ¼ cup rainbow sprinkles

  8 Maraschino cherries

  Place one scoop of each flavor of ice cream in a mini sundae dish. Place a banana slice in between scoops. Drizzle each sundae with chocolate sauce and top with whipped cream, sprinkles, and a cherry.

  Chocolate Sauce

  Makes about 2 cups

  1 cup heavy cream

  ½ cup corn syrup

  1 cup sugar

  ½ teaspoon coarse salt

  20 ounces bittersweet chocolate

  In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, combine 1 cup water with the cream, corn syrup, sugar, and salt and bring to a boil. Place the chocolate in a heatproof mixing bowl and pour the hot liquid over the chocolate. Let sit for 5 minutes, then whisk to emulsify. Store any leftover sauce in a covered container in the fridge for up to 10 days.

  KEEPING IT COOL

  We use Cambro coolers to keep food frozen during transport to events and when serving outdoors in hot weather. The cooler holds a series of hotel pans (see this page): the top pan holds dry ice and the next two trays hold food, which will stay frozen for twenty-four hours. Then we use dry ice pellets in serving containers, which frosts the outside of the ice cream buckets.

  We catered an engagement party in Madras, India, that was scheduled for the middle of summer. My suggestion that we do an ice cream buffet was met with an incredulous comment from the client on the other side of the world. “Peter,” she said, “you cannot have an ice cream buffet in India in the middle of summer!” Knowing we could get dry ice, I told her, “Really, we have a way.”

  To the amusement of our client and her guests, we served an ice cream buffet in India in the middle of summer—and everything stayed frozen.

  FOURTH OF JULY POPS

  We make red, white, and blue ice pops for the Fourth of July and serve them all summer long. Mini Popsicle molds and sticks are widely available (see Sources). These treats disappear quickly, so no one has to worry about their melting—on the tray or in the hand. We use custom-made molds that hold 1 tablespoon; use the smallest molds you can find—or make the pops in ice cube trays. These have a patriotic look with fresh strawberry, coconut, and Curaçao liqueur—definitely not the Rocket Pop of days gone by.

  Makes about fifty .67-ounce mini pops or ten 3-ounce pops

  For the Strawberry Layer:

  ½ cup pureed strawberries

  2 tablespoons sugar

  For the Coconut Layer:

  7 ounces coconut milk

  7 ounces Coco Lopez

  ½ cup heavy cream

  For the Curaçao Layer:

  ½ cup sugar

  3 tablespoons Blue Curaçao

  1 or 2 drops blue food coloring

  STRAWBERRY LAYER

  In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the pureed strawberry and sugar with ¼ cup water. Cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Set aside to cool completely.

  COCONUT LAYER

  In a small bowl, mix the coconut milk, Coco Lopez, and heavy cream. Set aside.

  CURAÇAO LAYER

  In a saucepan over low heat, combine the sugar, Blue Curaçao, blue food coloring, and 1¼ cups water. Cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Set aside to cool completely.

  ASSEMBLE

  Fill mini Popsicle molds a third of the way with the strawberry mixture. Freeze until slushy (about 1 hour) and insert Popsicle sticks; the mixture shou
ld be firm enough to hold the stick in place. Return the pops to the freezer until the strawberry layer is completely frozen, about 1 hour more.

  Fill the molds two-thirds full with the coconut mixture and let freeze again until completely solid, about 2 hours. Finally, fill with the Curaçao mixture and let freeze, about 2 hours. Unmold and enjoy.

  WHAT TO DO WITH THE STICK? Just as we try to keep our hors d’oeuvres to a single bite, we also try to avoid passed food that requires a stick or a utensil. The guests are left with something in their hand and they don’t know how to dispose of it—at a loss, a man might tuck the stick into his jacket pocket, but what woman wants to drop it into her evening bag?

  For years, caterers positioned a lemon half on a tray so that guests could stick a used skewer or other utensil into it, but I never want my trays littered with discards. Our waiters carry a small box under cocktail napkins that guests drop the stick into.

  MINI ICE CREAM SANDWICHES

  We are always searching for the next mini item, but this one eluded us for years. Everyone remembers peeling back the paper wrapper to hold onto an ice cream sandwich, so when we make our mini version we place it in a half-bag that’s custom printed for the event.

  We also make our chocolate wafers more rigid than the store-bought ice cream sandwiches, so the chocolate won’t stick to your fingers if you forgo the wrappers. The wafers can be made ahead and frozen for at least one month. Substitute your favorite cookie dough or filling for a variation.

  Makes 25

  6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, softened

  ½ cup granulated sugar

  ½ cup (lightly packed) dark brown sugar

  1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  2⅓ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling

  ½ cup cocoa powder

  ½ teaspoon baking soda

  ½ teaspoon coarse salt

  ⅔ cup milk

  1½ quarts vanilla ice cream, slightly softened

  In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Beat on high until the mixture is fluffy and light in color.

  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the milk to the butter mixture, beating between each addition. Mix until just combined. Cover the dough and refrigerate until firm.

  Spread the softened ice cream evenly (about ½ inch thick) in a half-sheet pan. Freeze until firm.

  Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat.

  On a well-floured surface, using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough ⅛ inch thick. (The dough will be sticky, so use plenty of flour on your work surface and rolling pin. If you find it hard to work with, roll the dough between two floured sheets of waxed paper.) Cut into 1 × 1¾-inch rectangles. Transfer the rectangles to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them ½ inch apart, and use the dull end of a skewer to make the traditional dot pattern on each cookie. Bake just until set, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the cookies, still on the parchment, to racks to cool completely.

  Working quickly, cut the ice cream into 1 × 1¾-inch rectangles with a knife or bench knife. Arrange half of the cookies on a baking sheet, nondotted side up. Place a rectangle of ice cream on each cookie, sandwich with the remaining cookies, dots up, and return to the freezer until ready to serve.

  MINI MILK CARTON MILKSHAKE

  This is another remembrance of childhood that always gets a great response. What’s a more special memento of school lunches than the single-serving milk carton? We design and print our own mini cartons because people really enjoy the personalized paper accessories that sometimes accompany our hors d’oeuvres. The cartons are the perfect canvas to replicate your invitation or show off your favorite sport, hobby, colors, initials, name, or a significant date. We always leave on the nutrition information box for authenticity!

  You can print and assemble your own cartons (see Pinterest or YouTube for options), or serve the milkshakes in shot glasses with a straw. We coordinate the color of the mini straws to the cartons (see Sources, this page).

  This makes a very thick milkshake. If you want a thinner consistency, add more milk.

  Makes six 3-ounce cartons

  5 3-ounce scoops of your favorite flavor ice cream

  ½ cup milk

  Place the ice cream and milk in a blender and blend until completely combined.

  NOTE

  For a delicious vegan or dairy-free option, blend the same ratio of your favorite flavor of sorbet or dairy-free ice cream with soy or almond milk.

  THE DESSERT HORS D'OEUVRE

  Our mini desserts are much more popular than mid- or full-size versions. Guests like the small, one-bite sweets because they can taste a lot of different things rather than committing to one full-size serving. We rarely do large desserts because people will get to try only one item versus sampling lots of options.

  We mostly do the mini desserts as a passed hors d’oeuvre toward the end of service. At a cocktail party, even if it’s over at 8:00 p.m., the hosts like to have one or two dessert hors d’oeuvres passed because it signals that the event is almost over. It’s a subtle way of telling guests it’s time to leave.

  Other times, after we clear the last savory course, these come out and can be passed around the table or set in the middle. Instead of having your standard petits fours or cookie tray or chocolates, you get something more whimsical.

  At some events, people will move from one room to another, say from dinner to a room where there’s dancing. We often place a table with dessert hors d’oeuvres between the two spaces—it’s a nice signal that the night will last a little longer. And we always get requests to pass items near the dance floor, especially frozen treats.

  CEREAL MILK SOFT SERVE WITH FRUITY PEBBLES CONES

  The idea of cereal milk as an ice cream base first came to light from Christina Tosi, the pastry chef at Momofuku. We ramped up the idea by making cereal cones. Use your favorite brand of cereal; we soak Cap’n Crunch. We also make it with Trix and the other high-sugar cereals that if you were lucky, your mom let you have as a kid. It’s a great high/low treat.

  We make our soft-serve in an Italian ice cream machine, but any home ice cream machine will work.

  Makes 8

  1 15-ounce box Cap’n Crunch cereal

  2 quarts whole milk

  1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

  10 large egg yolks

  ¼ teaspoon coarse salt

  8 mini soft-serve cones, store-bought or homemade (recipe follows)

  Pour the cereal into a large bowl and add the milk. Let steep in the refrigerator overnight.

  Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a 3-quart saucepan, pressing all the milk from the cereal. Discard the cereal. Bring the milk to a boil over medium heat.

  In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and egg yolks until pale in color. Add some of the hot milk to the egg yolk mixture and whisk to combine. Slowly add the tempered yolks and the salt to the milk and cook until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and chill in the freezer container of your ice cream maker for at least 4 hours or overnight.

  Churn the mixture until thick according to your ice cream maker manufacturer’s instructions. Place in the freezer until just set, but not too hard. Using a star tip, pipe the ice cream into soft-serve shapes on a parchment-lined baking sheet and allow to set in the freezer. Use a spatula to transfer to the cones when ready to serve.

  Fruity Pebbles Cones

  Makes 8

  2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  4 ounces marshmallows

  2 cups Fruity Pebbles cereal

  Nonstick cooking spray

  In a heavy-bottomed pan, warm the butter and marshmallows over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until melted. Add the cereal and mix until completely coated.

  Form the cereal mixture in a single layer around a large (
#801) cake-decorating tip that’s been coated with nonstick cooking spray. Once molded, remove the cone from the tip, and set aside on a tray to cool, about 20 minutes.

  To serve, place the ice cream soft serve shapes on top of the cones and serve immediately.

  PLATED

  The Seated Dinner

  in Multiple Courses

  Seated dinners are, for my team, a very different experience than serving a meal in a restaurant. We are often preparing food for three hundred to five hundred guests who need to be served from the first guest to last of a single dinner course in twelve minutes! So we can’t fuss over a plate the way a restaurant chef does. There’s never been a set of tweezers in our kitchens—ever.

  When I design a dish, I have to visualize exactly how many steps it will take to get the food on the plate. For example, say we’re serving 250 people for a dinner. I have to think about how many duplicate plating lines are needed for a warm course. I’ll want a minimum of four lines, with each line serving 60 guests. Then I have to figure out how many steps there are on each line. Between garnishing and wiping the plates, if there’s a minimum of five steps, I will need 20 people in the kitchen just to be on the lines—plus the people on the ovens, plus the people running food from the ovens to the lines. This turns into an army in the kitchen, and the more complicated the plate, the larger the army.