A big red goes well with chocolate....sauterne is lovely...and perhaps a marsala as well..
Can't speak to the amounts as I don't know how many are invited.
You might think of some assorted nuts...not salted, as well.
sounds good to me!!
Linda C

I can't help you on wine, I don't like the stuff at all and I wouldn't ruin a perfectly good dessert, LOL.

Are you making a standard size of each dessert, like a 9 inch cheesecake or a 9X13 gingerbread? If so, I think you have plenty, that's something like 1/3 of a cake for each person, plus fruit and drinks, LOL.

It sounds wonderful, I just want to know where you live and what time the party starts! (grin) If I added anything it would be more chocolate...

Annie

thanks so much Linda, I was actually wondering about a sauterne however I'm not very knowledgable of wines but knew it to be a dessert wine...I just searched my local wine store and they run around 65 dollars (canadian) a bottle...does that seem about what you were expecting in cost? and nuts!! yes, nuts, I didn't think of that...thank you for that suggestion.
Annie, I'd love for you to join us! All of the cheesecakes are 9 or 10 inch in size...you're right re the chocolate, I'm hoping to compensate with the truffles! :)

I don't drink wine, but I would bring some if you give me your address.. LOL Sounds delightful...

Considering the price of dessert wine in your area, would it be unreasonable to ask guests to bring wine? You are doing a lot of work! I have Canadian friends, and they never consider bringing anything when they come to dinner. I didn't know if this is accepted where you are, or not.

I would be inclined to make fewer desserts and make enough of each so that all 24 could have a serving of each if desired. Your menu has nine desserts. If I were a guest I could not sample each one, although I might want to. I think it will be quite a big task to make so many.

I don't care much for wine with sweets although in Italy I did enjoy Vin Santo with biscotti. Some of your guests might prefer coffee.

Jim

Wow, I'd say you have enough food for about 60, so I think you're fine. LOL. Not sure about the wine but I trust the guy who owns my local wine store, so I'd ask yours for recommendations. They'll ask your price range and don't be afraid/embarrassed to tell them just how much you feel comfortable with. I'd call ahead and find out when the owner is going to be in if you aren't sure of the other workers. I love your menu. It covers a lot of different tastes.

Here's a lovely article about wines pairings with desserts. You can get some great ideas here.

Here is a link that might be useful: How to pair wine and desserts

I am sure there are less expensive sauternes....but a lovely expensive sautern is wonderful.
Try another store...
Linda C

For myself, I've never cared for dessert wines with desserts. It is just too sweet-on-sweet. I enjoy a nice dessert wine AS dessert, but not with.

I should serve tea or coffee, or if you really want to serve something alcoholic, I would suggest a dry sparkling wine/Champagne.

Champagne goes with everything. ;-)

I might also lean towards champagne (or a dry blanc de blanc) instead of dessert wines. As mentioned above, champagne does go nicely with desserts and if you wanted a festive touch, a frozen cranberry or raspberry is a nice touch in each glass.

The only other thing I might add would be a cheese or two to the fresh fruit board.

It sounds liek a great time! Enjoy!

Alexa

Port and/or Madeira. I think Madeira is the better companion for most of your dessert choices. Personally, though, I'm with Rachelellen, and would rather drink my Madeira with something not as sweet as cake. Can you just serve coffee and tea?

I don't know about the wine. I would probably only serve two cheesecakes and not replace the one omitted with anything as you have ample desserts. I would probably replace the cherry cake with something chocolate since the majority of people like chocolate better than any other dessert.

If I were a guest I would be delighted with this list whether you dropped or replaced anything because I would go straight for the Sticky Christmas Pudding with Warm Irish Whiskey Toffee Sauce and forget the rest. ; )

I'd be sticking to champagne in lieu of a dessert wine also.

Your menu looks divine! I was imagining myself serving the same to 24 of my friends and it occurred to me that at least 3 of the people I'd invite from my social circle are lactose-intolerant and would struggle with the cheesecake. Because of this, I've been known to place some individually wrapped (and labeled) Lactaids in a tiny crystal bowl near the cheesecake (or other dairy-rific dessert). It looks a little odd, I'll grant you, but for some of your guests, it will make all the difference in the world. :o)

While I agree with everyone that you have plenty of quantity, to me it lacks variety -- seems a little heavy on cheesecake, and as far as I read it there wasn't any major chocolate dessert. If you have chocolate lovers they might be sad -- what about either little cups of chocolate mousse? I also know lots of people who far prefer pie to cake -- maybe a pie instead of one of the cheesecakes?

And I'm in the camp that says that people will be so sugared out that desert wine would be overkill... I'd vote for a dry red and a sparkling white...

Sushipup is right. You can never go wrong with champagne. But I would give center stage to either the elegant desserts or to wine with a simpler dessert, not to both. Just a little cheese with a dessert wine would make me happy. But then, dessert is not my favorite course, so maybe my taste is far different from most others.

Jim

I'm in the same camp as some of the others here. If I'm drinking wine as dessert I want just one thing sweet or a very light thing like dessert cheese and fruit. I'm also of the "can't go wrong with champagne" (or any other sparkling wine) school because I love it and rarely get to drink it.

You might consider just having some liqueurs out by the coffee table for the alcoholic option. Hazelnut or just Bailey's would be enough, but Amaretto is nice too.

I say make it easy on yourself and make fewer types of cheesecakes but more of them. One suggestiong would be brownies to replace once of the cheesecakes. Something like rocky road brownies or cherry chocolate brownies or something with coconut on top.

why do I feel I should be saying..."Now that I have all of you here!".....thanks so much folks for all of your feedback, extremely appreciative of all the suggestions....I have everything made.....Sticky Christmas pudding cooling as I type! I think I will add something for the hard core chocolate fans..thanks for that advice...re the quantity...we've had such a busy year and the team has worked so hard that I'm really hoping they come and relax and eat sugary treats all evening long!

what doesn't go at the party, I'm going to suggest they take home to the spouses who deserve as much thanks as they've supported my teams during lots of long hours....that should make for less for me to have to deal with post party!
thanks again, you're a terrific group....
Meg

I hope you take this information in the spirit it is intended. I have a lot of experience with this type of party. I recommend deleting at least one of the cheese cakes if not two, the carrot cake, and the cherry cake. For a broader range of flavors, you might want to consider adding a Mojito Cake (link follows) for something different and a Chocolate Bundt Cake (recipe below) for the chocolate lovers. The fruit tray and sticky pudding with sauce sound great; you may want to eliminate the truffles and cookies. The nuts are a wonderful idea.

For beverages, you might want to consider offering only a punch, coffee, and tea. If you feel you must offer a wine, make it a Riondo Prosecco instead of Champagne: Riondo Prosecco is a sparkling wine and one of the tastiest Proseccos ever sipped. It has lovely floral notes and is quite flavorful. This is a lightly fizzy wine that's clean, delicate and refreshing.

To me the following sounds delightful. Each cake normally has 10 - 12 slices, so with the following number of cakes, you would be offering at the minimum, 40 slices of cake for 24 people. And as someone above stated, each will probably want to try very small slices of all of them.

Whatever you decide, I hope you have a wonderful dessert party.

Gingerbread Cheesecake with Chocolate Topping
Lemon Rum Pound Cake
Mojito Cake
Chocolate Bundt Cake
Sticky Christmas pudding with Warm Irish Whiskey Toffee Sauce
Fresh Fruit Tray
Nuts
Punch, coffee and tea.

Chocolate Bundt Cake

2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cups Dutch process cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup sour milk
1 cup freshly brewed strong black coffee
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 350. Butter a Bundt pan and dust the inside with cocoa powder, set aside.
Sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl. Set aside.
In a mixer on low add the milk, coffee, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla one at a time. Mix until everything is incorporated. Then, with the mixer still on low speed, slowly add in the dry ingredients. Once all of the flour mixture is added, mix the batter for a full four minutes on medium speed.
Pour the batter into the Bundt pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Allow to cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mojito Cake

I want to apologize for my above message. I was typing it and sent it, while in the meantime you evidently sent your message that all was prepared. Therefore, I did not see your message prior to posting mine.

Hope you have a wonderful time.

I'll encourage you to add a little cheese to your fruit platter. I work with several people who are diabetic, and I've become increasingly aware of sugar in food. I know a number of people who would be limited to eating only the fruit on your menu. So unless you know everyone's dietary restrictions well, have mercy on those who can't tolerate the sugar.

Will everyone be having some real dinner beforehand? A little protein goes a long way to help with the sugar rush.

And going back to your menu, try to have your punch not too sweet, and I'll vote for a nice champagne type wine instead of the red. Oh, have a bottle or two of red on hand, but I'd just be pouring champagne unless someone asks for the red.

Unless you will have an open bar, I don't think it's necessary to serve everything under the sun. The liquers and such may be nice, but really not necessary. I wouldn't bother.

Walnutcreek, no apology necessary, I really appreciate your feedback...Thanks Sushipup, I agree 100 percent, an addition of cheese is a great suggestion - thanks very much,
Meg

I want to add MM that you must be one fantastic baker and hostess! To make all those goodies for that spread was quite an accomplishment! Your guest will be darn lucky!

As for dessert cheeses, I discovered St. Andre and I love it. Also once I splurged and got a 4 layer cheddar cheese, that one was fun! And the cheese with cranberries in it is also fab. Not sure what kind that is, I only splurged on that once, back when I was more gainfully employed.

lpinkmountain, what do you pair the St Andre cheese with?

I get a dessert style Reisling or this wine called "Vignoles" from local Clover Hill Winery. I pair it with pears, lol! Apples and pears are my favorite fruits with cheese. I also can get a not-too-sweet artisnal pecan raisin bread. OMG yum! Can't afford these luxuries anymore though. And I've had to give up wine and all alcohol for health reasons. Bah humbug!

I love apples, pears, and grapes with cheese. Thanks for the info.

I can no longer have red wine for health reasons, but can have white wines occassionally. Agree - Bah Humbug!

Saint-André goes very, very well with Champagne.

Agree with sushi, although I know this is a dessert party so you don't want to add lots of other things but I would add some plain crackers with the cheese and I would add something salty whether it be sweet or not. And be prepared for these things to be popular.

MaggieMeg your guests are so lucky!! It's my dream to get invited to a party like that someday! :)