The Seven Days of Christmas - Day Seven

You did great! You planned ahead, set a lovely table, made the cocktail offering ahead of time, you wiped down the counters and you got it done! Bravo! You've finished dinner. Everyone is feeling happy and full. You want to enjoy the rest of the evening without having to worry about dessert. This is how you do it.

A dinner finale doesn't always have to be an elaborate dessert. It can be my Luxardo-Luscious assemble at the last minute dessert. Ice cream, a jar of Luxardo cherries and orange zest will take dinner to next level elegance for a minimum of fuss and preparation.

But the easiest of all finale offerings is something that you prepare before guests arrive, bring out of the refrigerator as you sit down to dinner and bring to the dinner table for guests to help themselves. You can also put it on your coffee table with a few napkins and small plates. Just move from the dinner table to the living room and enjoy a casual finale with a fruit & cheese board and a glass of sparkling wine, a tasty tequila cream liquer or just your favorite wine.

A fruit and cheese board can be this elaborate.

A brie, a comte or gruyere, a creamy blue, a few dates, grapes, apples and a couple
of interesting crackers is all you need.

Of course, you can keep it even more basic but just as pleasing by bringing out good chocolate truffles with a nice red wine. I've done this many times. It's fun, and after a big dinner, it may be all that anyone needs or wants to top things off.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

You can also keep things simple. You don't have to get carried away.