The light and tasty canapes have been passed around, your guests have tucked into a sumptuous wedding breakfast, and it's time for dessert, perhaps a coffee or maybe even an after-dinner digestif. Or what about combining all three? Sarah and Lucy at The Round Kitchen have come up with a novel way to serve an after-dinner dessert, whether you choose to serve it straight after the meal, or leave a gap and perhaps bring it out later in the evening for guests to enjoy.
"The concept for this liqueur coffee menu was to combine a nod to the old with a brand new look," explains Lucy. Embracing traditional after-dinner liqueur coffees, such as the classic Irish coffee, the surprise twist comes with a specially matched sweet treat to accompany each drink. The Irish coffee is married with honeycomb crumble biscuits, for example, while the sweetly superb Hot Choc Mocha sees Tia Maria, chocolate liqueur, Baileys cream and chocolate shards served alongside white chocolate mousse. The heavenly combination of carefully paired flavours ensures a real 'wow' moment for your guests.
You can even adapt your menu to suit your theme: for example, a cosy Christmas wedding can take full advantage of festive flavours and pair spiced desserts with a warming cocktail, while Caribbean Delight will go down a treat for a tropical themed wedding, pairing dark rum with a ginger sticky toffee pudding. It's a delicious way to liven up those after-dinner drinks, with the perfect pairings adding some sweetness and spice.
And, of course, it's not just about the taste sensation such a blend brings, but the aesthetics that add so much to a table setting. "We've added a twist to each cocktail, paying special attention to the glassware it can be served in," says Lucy. From martini glasses to give that polished edge to heavy-set glass tankards filled with spiced dark rum and topped with cream, the look of these boozy coffees can elevate the whole dessert experience, providing the perfect endnote to a feast which is sure to be talked about long after those last sweet drops have been savoured.
Caribbean Delight
Spiced dark rum, topped with vanilla cream, served with stem ginger sticky toffee pudding squares and warm rum butterscotch sauce
The Bumble Bee
Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey, Cointreau and a fresh orange cream, served with marmalade and almond slices
Hot Choc Mocha
Tia Maria and chocolate liqueur with Baileys cream and chocolate shards, served with a white chocolate mousse scoop
Classic Irish
Irish coffee, served with honeycomb crumble biscuits
Frozen Martini
Vanilla ice cream, brandy and a cocoa snowstorm, served with a spiced apple and muesli crumble tart
The After Eight
Cognac cocoa syrup, crème de menthe and a praline cream, served with choc-chip ice cream
The Round Kitchen theroundkitchen.com
words Lucy Higgins
photography Rachel Kevern Photography
Copyright Wed magazine 2019
