Don't you just love Summer? It is the perfect time to get together with friends, have that pool party, or even schedule that meeting...in person, not virtually. If you are getting ready for any of these events, consider catering some yummy snacks to go with it. It takes the pressure off you, the planner, and makes your guests smile with full tummies. To help you out, we've put together a list of the best-baked items to order for your catered event. But first, ask yourself a few questions.
How Will It Be Eaten?
To determine the best-baked goods to cater for your event, consider the following:
- Portability. Regardless of the type of event, you want the item to be easily carried and consumed. Think about how it will be eaten. Will it be plated or hand-held individually. Will the guest be standing, seated, or have a table?
- Messibility. Well, that may not even be a word, but you get it, right? You don't want a corporate meeting with that ooey, gooey dessert dripping down the client's arm, even if it does have the finest ingredients you can get. And if it is for your daughter's birthday, you want something that has minimal clean-up no matter what fresh ingredients are used.
- A Wide Variety. Not everyone likes chocolate....or gluten. If you are going to have an event catered, try to meet the needs of the most guests by offering a variety. Be sure this is available with the catering services you're looking at.
When Will It Be Eaten?
Consider will there be a mid-morning break or a pick-me-up after lunch? A breakfast meeting may have a different selection of baked goods than an afternoon meeting. And the afternoon book club meeting will differ from the morning group that meets after church. Perhaps it is for a bridal shower or a wedding dessert table. The time of day for your event will make a difference in the menu.
Breakfast
Breakfast may be one of the best times to cater an event with baked goods. Some of the best breakfast goodies check all the boxes by offering hand-held, minimal cleanup, and a huge variety. Make your selection to suit your event, choosing from the following:
- Muffins - mini or full-sized, they come in a variety of flavors and fit nicely into one hand. They can be carried around, plated with other bakery items, are not messy while still tasting so scrumptious! One of our faves is our Morning Glory Muffin. It is packed with carrots, apple, pineapple, coconut, raisins, and walnuts and offers that extra morning punch when you need it!
- Scones - also available in mini and full-sized, they are usually combined with seasonal or dried fruit and are the perfect accompaniment to tea. We like our chocolate chip scone that is just sweet enough to feel a bit decadent.
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Croissant - the best ones are flaky and freshly made from scratch. (That's what we do!) Our chocolate croissant's dough is wrapped around three batons of rich Belgian chocolate for a rich, deep flavor in a flaky, light croissant.
- Breakfast Bars - healthy yet yummy, breakfast bars are single-serve and ready to eat for a relatively mess-free mid-morning snack.
Dessert
Dessert or midday snack, the best bakery catered items are those that are sweet, easy to eat, and offer variety. Check out these favorites:
- Cupcakes - mini cupcakes are great for just the right amount of sweet for dessert. And they are small enough that you can sample more than one flavor. Cupcakes come in a huge variety of flavors and can be topped or filled with an endless selection of additions. They are perfect for weddings and showers, corporate meetings, and your daughter's birthday party. They can be highly sophisticated, or classically simple. One of our picks would be our black and white cupcake, a deep chocolate cake frosted with vanilla buttercream with a chocolate ganache drip.
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Cookies - the 'one size fits all' dessert. Great for catered events because they are handheld and portable. They come in several sizes and range from plain to creatively frosted. They are appropriate for all types of gatherings and all ages of guests. Our choice would be our Soft Oatmeal Raisin Cookie, full of baked from scratch goodness and memories of home.
- Macarons - similar to a cookie, but perfect for your guests who are gluten intolerant. Once you take a bite from our chocolate-dipped coconut macarons, you will forget all about giving up gluten because of the rich, sweet flavor.
If you have been hesitant about catering your event, hesitate no more! Choose from our extensive catering menu or contact us for a custom order. Or better yet, stop by one of our four convenient locations to check out our bakeries. We can't wait to hear from you!