The time to celebrate your engagement is short and sweet:
Plan a Sweets-Only Party for Your Closest Pals

By Bev Bennett

Later for the burgers, microwave meals and takeout menus of married life. Why not eat dessert first?

With such generous guidelines, you can turn an ordinary bridal shower into an orgy of butter, chocolate, sugar, chocolate, cream and chocolate. And a little lemon, too.

A desserts-only shower menu is not only decadent, it's practical. You make most of the recipes in advance. You can serve buffet-style, which will keep you out of the kitchen once your guests arrive. Because many desserts are finger foods you'll have few dishes to clean. Best of all, you're sure to have foods everyone loves.

Still, there's an art to planning a sweets table so it doesn't look like a $4.99 all-you-can-eat restaurant at closing time.

"You want to make an assortment of things, but not so varied an assortment that it gets complicated to make," says Luchetti, executive pastry chef at Farallon restaurant in San Francisco and author of two noted dessert cookbooks.

Her suggestion is to make bite-sized desserts that can be arranged on attractive platters. Several platters of marble-sized cookies, brownies cut out into small shapes or small cubes of pound cake help fill the table.

"You'll want to vary the platters with some tall dishes to give depth to the arrangement," says Luchetti. "You can do that by making a trifle and serving it in a large trifle bowl. You can also have a couple of cakes on cake stands. Having a variety of sizes looks attractive."

Don't be shy about asking for help. "You can ask everyone to bring something for the dessert buffet. Just keep track of what people are bringing so you don't get too much of one flavor or type of dessert," Luchetti says.

When Luchetti entertains, she looks for desserts that can be made in advance. The trifle is one of her favorites. She also likes homemade ice cream, spiced nuts, meringue shells and candied orange peels. She suggests making shortbread dough, shaping it and freezing it. The cookies can go straight from the freezer to the oven.

To accommodate those who can't or won't eat dessert, Luchetti recommends setting out bowls of cut-up fruit, such as pineapples, mangoes and bananas.

Here are four of Luchetti's easy-to-make recipes. The spiced almonds come from "Four-Star Desserts" (Harper-Collins, 1996). The remainder are from "Star Desserts" (HarperCollins, 1991).

Dessert Party for 12

Black and White Brownies

Ingredients:
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
7 ounces unsalted butter (at room temperature)
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour
Pinch of salt
2 (8-ounce) plus 1 (3-ounce) packages cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Melt chocolates together in top of double boiler over simmering water. Cool slightly.

Combine butter and 1 1/4 cups sugar in bowl of electric mixer. Using paddle attachment, cream mixture on medium speed until light and fluffy. Continuing to mix, add three of the eggs and beat well. Stir in melted chocolate and mix until smooth. Decrease speed to low and stir in flour and salt.

Spread all but one cup chocolate batter in greased 9-by-13-inch pan.

Combine cream cheese and remaining 3/4 cup sugar in clean bowl of electric mixer. Using a paddle attachment, beat on medium speed until smooth.Add remaining two eggs and vanilla extract and beat again.

Spread cream cheese mixture in an even layer over chocolate batter. Scatter spoonfuls of reserved chocolate batter over cream cheese mixture. With a knife, swirl the chocolate batter into the cream cheese mixture, creating a marble pattern.

Bake brownies in preheated 325° F (160° C) oven for 50 to 55 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out with a moist crumb. Cool at least 30 minutes before cutting into 24 bars.

Makes 24 servings.

Russian Tea Cakes

Ingredients:
6 ounces toasted pecans (see note)
6 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter (at room temperature)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions:
Place pecans and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Finely grind pecans and set aside.

Place butter and remaining 4 tablespoons sugar in bowl of electric mixer. Using paddle attachment, cream butter on medium speed 2 to 3 minutes, until light. Add vanilla.

Combine flour and salt and stir into butter mixture. Stir in nuts.

Form dough into 3/4-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake in preheated 300° F (150° C) oven until light brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar while still warm.

Makes three dozen tea cakes.

Note: To toast pecans, place on cookie sheet in preheated 325° F (160° C) oven for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring once.

Lemon Squares

Crust Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

Filling Ingredients:
6 large eggs
3 cups sugar
1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions:
To make crust, combine flour and confectioners' sugar in bowl of electric mixer. Using paddle attachment, add butter and mix at low speed until mixture is the size of small peas.

Press crust into bottom of 9-by-13-inch pan. Bake in preheated 325°F (160° C) oven until golden brown (20 to 25 minutes).

Remove crust and reduce temperature to 300° F (150°C).

To make filling, whisk together eggs and sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in lemon juice and flour.

Pour lemon filling on top of crust. Bake until lemon filling is set (about 40 minutes).

Remove from oven. Cool 30 minutes. Slice into 24 bars. Dust with confectioners' sugar.

Makes 24 servings.

Spiced Almonds

Ingredients:
1/2 cup firmly packed, dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 large egg white
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups whole natural almonds

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl whisk egg white until frothy. Stir in vanilla extract, almonds and brown sugar mixture.

Spread almonds in single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated 300° F (150° C) oven, stirring every 10 minutes until dry (about 30 minutes).

Makes about four cups.