Summertime BBQs may be my favorite way to entertain. They’re casual and less structured than a winter dinner party, and I’m not constrained by how many chairs I can fit around a table inside our home. Ours is a charming house that’s over 100 years old – which is pretty old in California, but it’s dollhouse small. Luckily we have a large deck off the kitchen that ushers you into the backyard. So when I want to have a lot of people over, summer-time BBQs are the best way to go.
Meal planning, cleanup, and food preparation are different when planning a large BBQ – assuming you want to spend time with your guests and enjoy your own party. I’ve lost count of the parties I’ve thrown that I wasn’t able to actually attend because I had chosen a menu that tied me to the stove while everyone else was outside having fun.
I finally wizened up and gathered a bunch of tips that have worked well:
- The more people, the simpler the menu. Resist the temptation to offer every dish you love to make for BBQs.
- Think salads that can be made ahead of time. For salads with multiple ingredients, prep them earlier in the day and layer in a serving bowl with the lettuce on the bottom, interleaved with paper towels. Make the dressing earlier in the week, and slice the avocado, dress and toss the salad at the last minute.
- Vegetables dishes are winners because they can be served warm, cold, or at room temperature. If you plan on serving them warm, feel free to spice them up. But if you want them at room temperature, use citrus.
- Cook grains and legumes ahead of time, but be careful with starches like pasta and potatoes. Starches often don’t fare as well when cooked ahead.
- For meal planning, plan on ½ lb protein per person, and remember that each teenage boy equals two people. At least. Plan for 10% more people than you have – there’s nothing worse than running short on food.
- Have three different appetizers to provide variety without excessive leftovers.
- Make dessert the morning of the party while you’re still fresh – particularly if it involves baking. Even better, make it the day before, particularly cakes.
- The general rule for drinks is 2½ - 3 glasses per person, but you know your crowd best.
- For large parties, the last thing you want is mountains of dirty dishes with leftover food on them toppling over in the sink, with dirty silverware spilling down the disposal. Set up a couple staging areas with crates or boxes lined with plastic bags, labeled for food waste, recycle, and other. Have a small bin lined with plastic for dirty silverware, and two for stacking plates scraped of food.
- Set up a bar area stocked with wine, beer, non-alcoholic drinks, a pitcher of water with sliced cucumbers and lemons, and ice. Have a red and white wine already opened, and glasses lined up, making it easy for guests to serve themselves all evening.
This grilled pineapple shortcake is perfect for your next BBQ. The shortcake can be made the day before, and pineapple slices can be thrown on the grill while you grill up the rest of dinner. You can even throw the shortcake slices on the grill if that’s how you roll.
Coconut Shortcakes with Grilled Pineapple
Ingredients
Coconut Shortcakes
- 2.2 ounces ½ cup all purpose flour
- 1.1 ounces ¼ cup coconut flour
- ½ cup finely shredded coconut for baking
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup sugar
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter room temp
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon raw turbinado sugar
Grilled Pineapple
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 4 pineapple slices
Lime Whipped Cream
- ⅓ cup whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- zest of one lime
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325˚F. Butter four 5 ½" tart molds.
- Combine the flours, coconut, baking powder, and salt and thoroughly mix.
- Cream together the butter and sugar, mixing on medium-high for about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat another 2 minutes.
- Add the flour mixture, alternating with the cream, in thirds to the bowl. It will be very thick. Spoon the dough into the tart molds. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
- Bake at 325˚F for 15 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Melt the butter and mix with the honey. Baste the pineapple slices with the honey-butter and grill on high heat, 2 minutes per side.
- Whip the whipping cream using a mixer until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and lime and continue to whip on high for 30 seconds, I like mine with medium stiff peaks - just be careful not to over whip!
- Slice each coconut shortcake in half to form a 2-layer shortcake. Place the grilled pineapple in the middle and top with whipped cream.
Renee
I can't even describe how much I want those coconut shortcakes right now.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Me too. They're all gone. They didn't last long at all... 🙂
Jennifer @ Peanut Butter and Peppers
I just love it! Perfect for the summer!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I agree. I'm making them again!!
Marlene @Nosh My Way
Such a genius idea to use coconut for shortcakes and then use pineapple instead of strawberries. I
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much Marlene!
lizthechef
Just home from a week in Kauai, your recipe sounds perfect for our next dinner party - thanks for the great tips re summer entertaining...
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much Liz! It sounds like you had a wonderful time in Kauai!! Welcome home!
Valerie Cathell Clark
This is so up my alley! I love the coconut and fresh pineapple dessert for a summer BBQ!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks Valerie!
cheri
Great tips for a party Susan, I always make too much food. Love these shortcakes with the grilled pineapple, coconut and pineapple are a match made in heaven. Have a great week!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
thanks so much cheri!! You have a great week too 🙂
Dorothy ShockinglyDelicious
Impossibly elegant, yet so very island-approachable!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I could eat these every night!
Shaina Wizov
These sound delicious! Perfect flavors for summer.
Constance Smith
Coconut and pineapple are my FAVORITE combination ever! I love these!
Lori Yates
I'm with you 100% on this one. We also have a very small house. It suits the two of us perfectly for now, but the dining room isn't conducive at all to even 4 people, let alone more. So I really take advantage of the warmer weather when people can be out in the yard!
I could eat grilled pineapple all day long in the summer! I love it on top of a burger, and also in sweet desserts like this one, too. Love the idea of coconut shortcakes!
Miss @ Miss in the Kitchen
Your deck sounds like a great place for entertaining! I've been on such a pineapple kick and these shortcakes sound amazing!
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust
What a great list of tips! And I'm addicted to coconut, so these look so good!
Alida
Grilled pineapple is a summer staple around our house, and I can't wait to try it with these tasty coconut shortcakes. These look wonderful!
Sarah | Curious Cuisiniere
What a perfect, tropical summer dessert!
Serena | Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
These are so pretty and I love the flavors!
sue|theviewfromgreatisland
This is such a creative dessert!!