At Work Dessert Contest!

[kiersten]

My work place is having it's yearly dessert contest,My co-worers are pushing me to particitate(.I have for the last three years.)Last year I made lemon cream cheese bars(.I lost)
The problem is they give you a paper nut cup to put your dessert in to.(it's a dessert tasteing contest)They have a "Taste" and" Pesentation" catagory.HOW DO YOU PRESENT IN A NUT CUP?I have to do chocolate this year,I've learned chocolate always wins.Any ideas?I need help! I always make everything from scratch.And the instant people win!I was thinking Cake Balls.(140 of them ahhh)Good or bad idea????? I need input.Thanks Kiersten

[The Chowhound Team]

This topic has a twin on the Home Cooking board, really the better board for this topic. We'll lock this, so we don't lose the replies. Please, if you have an idea for Kiersten, add it here: http://chowhound.chow.com:80/topics/6...

Thanks.

[kiersten]

One of my Co-workers(Mel from engineering)won two years in a row for chocolate truffles,so I have to think of something else.And I have to beat Mel!!!!

[goodhealthgourmet]

my first thought was the same as the other posters' - truffles. but i had another idea that's a little more unexpected...chocolate-covered cheesecake bites.

[Kathfootball]

Wow those sound terrific, where is the recipe

[JungMann]

What about a chipotle-spiked Mexican chocolate mousse with candied golden peanuts?

Alternatively you could make petit fours from a rich chocolate mousse cake which should beat out the competition in presentation while appealing to the instant taste buds.

[nemo]

From what I've read on-line, the cake balls are tooth-achingly sweet. The Oreo truffles use cream cheese instead of frosting, so they're a bit less sweet. Like iluvcookies, I was thinking of truffles. Here's a link to Nutella ones. The recipe doesn't say what the yield is, but it does offer variations of adding Frangelica and rolling in chopped hazelnuts. I'm not a fan of jimmies.

iluncookies' suggestion about bringing your items already in papers so you can decorate the tops is great. A pinch of gold leaf if you're feeling extravagant?

On the other hand, has there been a plethora of truffles every year and/or are you trying to think of something besides chocolate?

[goodhealthgourmet]

nemo, there's no link for the Nutella truffles...?

[nemo]

http://melecotte.blogspot.com/2009/02...

Oops! Sorry. Thanks for the heads-up, GHG

[kiersten]

I made them once,I was taking cake decorating classes and ended up with extra cake I can't remember why.I saw them on Bakerella and thought it would be a good way to use up extra cake.I took them to work and people loved them.But I agree too sweet. And kinda boring.
Taste like a ding dong to me .

[iluvcookies]

Instead of their nut cup, can you use your own? Why not make truffles or mini brownies in mini paper muffin cups. You can top them off with a little buttercream icing leaf or star.
Good luck!

[kiersten]

They want you to use the nut cup.But I will ask the big guy's tomorrow at work.Thanks for your help!

[kiersten]

Last year the top winner cut chocolate cake pieces put them in the cup topped them with a swirl of very high chocolate frosting stuck a cherry on top and a piece of a Hershey bar.Really cutesy.Too cutesy.And I thought boring.But what do I know.I cant seem to win this thing and I'm letting my Peep's down.I feed them great stuff all year and then I bomb at the contest.