Keep reading for tips from The Bailiwick Academy to throw holiday parties that will be fun and unforgettable for family and friends!

How To Throw A Great Holiday Party: Come Up With A Guest List

Begin by taking a moment to list out your potential guests. If you’re considering hosting at home, remember to assess the capacity of your space—you might have to cut some people out if your home will not be comfortable for them. And even if you opt for an external venue, ensure it can accommodate your guest list comfortably.

How To Throw A Great Holiday Party: Set A Date

Whether you plan to throw a party ahead of time for the holidays or one set exactly during the holiday season, you need to remember a very important thing. You need to make sure the people you want to party with you are available!

And thankfully, we’re now in the digital age. So instead of having to contact people one by one via text or snail mail, just make a paperless post on Facebook. You can make a group chat or an event invite, then find out when most of the people are available.

How To Throw A Great Holiday Party: Choose A Theme

Sure, you might be throwing a gathering as an equivalent of a Christmas party, but that doesn’t mean it has to be strictly Christmas-themed. You don’t need to have a candy cane hanging on your door, serve hot chocolate, or have Christmas holiday bestselling food. Just set a theme that your guests will enjoy.

For example, if you are, indeed, having family over, then they might actually like a traditional Christmas-themed party. But if you’re just having friends over, they might enjoy deviating from the norm, like having a movie marathon and dressing up in outfits you like. Since it’s your party, after all, you can dictate what party idea you want to happen.

How To Throw A Great Holiday Party: Determine Your Budget

How to throw the best holiday party, you ask? Well, part of it is determining your budget. After all, it wouldn’t be a nice party if you did a lot of party planning but didn’t have the funds to carry out your vision, right? And thankfully, the best parties aren’t always the ones that are the most expensive!

Start by assessing what kind of party you want to have and then set a clear budget. Use a spreadsheet to keep track, and make sure to list everything. That way, you can avoid unnecessary expenses and, simultaneously, know if you have emergency money for unforeseen happenings.

How To Throw A Great Holiday Party: Make A List Of Things To Do

One thing you want to avoid during holiday party planning is to feel overwhelmed. That can actually happen, especially if you’re the only one doing all the work. To keep things manageable, create a to-do list and check off tasks as you complete them—yes, even trivial ones, such as if you already have enough garbage bags and trash cans.

Not only will you feel more accomplished when you cross an item off, you’ll also know where you currently stand regarding preparations.

How To Throw A Great Holiday Party: Get Help

While it’s your party, the guests you plan to have over would actually be eager to lend a hand, believe it or not. Struggling to find a particular supplier? Reach out to friends or family for recommendations. 

Their assistance not only lightens your load but also makes them feel more invested in the celebration’s success. And when they’re involved, they’re rooting for a fantastic party just as much as you are.

How To Throw A Great Holiday Party: Prepare Some Activities

Any typical Filipino Christmas party involves a lot of eating… But after that, what happens? Do you just let people mingle? What if people want to play games or do something in general?

Well, don’t be caught with your pants down—include activities in your to-do list! For example, rent a karaoke machine so that your guest can belt out their latest tunes or prepare some standard party games. Even before the day of your event, you can make people prepare White Elephant gifts for a fun time during the actual party.

How To Throw A Great Holiday Party: Serve Good Food

Food is important in any celebration. Think about what your guests might like. It doesn’t have to be fancy; sometimes, simple and yummy food is the best. 

Of course, just make sure that when guests arrive, they get offered some food right away. You can make finger foods or just prepare chips to tide them over until the main course.

Just make sure there’s enough for everyone and that it’s made with care, and you’ll have happy guests!

Oh, and of course, cooking ahead of time is the key. Doing so means you can hang out with your guests more instead of staying in the kitchen. Look for easy recipes for faster preparation.

Speaking Of Serving Good Food…

Thinking of what you should cook ahead, whether you’re throwing a lunch or dinner party? Well, here’s an idea for you: Chef Anthony Ang’s Perfect Party Food Trays class!

Enroll in this class and you’ll get to make these Pinoy party food favorites:

• Egg Drop Soup: a light broth with delicate strands of egg for a perfect starter.
• Lengua with Creamy Mashed Potatoes and Seared French Beans: a mouth-watering combination of succulent Lengua paired with creamy mashed potatoes and crunchy French beans
• Chicken Cordon Bleu: tender chicken breast filled with ham and cheese, fried to a golden perfection, and drizzled with a luxurious Special Cheese Sauce
• Garlic Scampi Pasta: spaghetti perfectly cooked al dente, tossed in a fragrant garlic sauce, and topped with juicy shrimp

Each dish has been crafted to ensure a gastronomic journey that will keep guests talking for future seasons. With offerings like these, it’s practically guaranteed that your holiday menu will be a hit with your visitors!

And if you’re in the catering business or even considering venturing into it, this class is perfect for jumpstarting your career!

So what are you waiting for? Sign up at The Bailiwick Academy, enroll in Chef Anthony’s class, and elevate your culinary skills to dazzle your guests at your party!

How To Throw A Great Holiday Party: Enjoy Your Party!

Once guest arrival has commenced, it means your party has started. Dive right into the moment! While it’s essential to ensure everything runs smoothly, don’t be anchored to the kitchen or get lost in party logistics. Instead, immerse yourself in the laughter, the conversations, and the shared memories. After all, it’s your celebration too! 

Engage with your guests, dance to the music, savor the food, and most importantly, let yourself be in the heart of the revelry. The best hosts not only create wonderful experiences for their guests but also partake in the merriment themselves.

Conclusion

We hope this party planning guide has helped you solidify your vision for your event. One last thing to keep in mind is that there’s no such thing as a perfect holiday party. Things can go wrong, guests won’t arrive at the last minute, and so on.

But isn’t what truly matters the joy, laughter, and memories you create with your loved ones? Celebrations are about connection, not perfection. Embrace the imperfections, stay adaptable, and most importantly, just enjoy!

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Keep coming back to The Bailiwick Academy blog for more kitchen tips, tricks, and much more!

Fair warning though – you might end up craving after reading!

Why are cashews great in desserts, though?

That’s a good question. Well, you see, cashew nuts have a nice, crunchy texture. Plus, they’re soft enough to become cashew cream for desserts. 

Got it? Good. 

Now, on to our list of desserts with cashew!

1. Caramel Cashew Cheesecake – a cashew dessert classic

Raw cashews have a nice, buttery flavor that works well with caramel and cheesecake. Imagine a crust with a delicious filling of cream cheese, brown sugar, cashew, and caramel sauce. That sounds delicious already, right?

Now, add the following ingredients: vanilla extract, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt… Yum! Now that’s a caramel cashew cheesecake!

Best enjoyed with a glass of milk for awesome flavors. And speaking of awesome flavors, chocolate cheesecake sounds pretty good too!

Oh, and you can also do cashew cheesecake bars instead of a whole cake. Much better for storage and for light snacking.

2. Cashew Cookies – desserts made from cashew

Raw cashews taste great, but why not cashews in cookie form? We all know that cookies are a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth. We also know that too much sugar can be bad for you. So instead of an actual cookie, try eating a cookie made from cashew nuts. They have amazing health benefits! Plus, they can be more nutritionally balanced. 

Eat them as desserts or as snacks. You can also add chocolate chips and end up with cashew chocolate chip cookies!

3. Cashew Butter – included in cashew desserts or not?

Okay, maybe this isn’t exactly a dessert. But if you’re on the keto diet, this low carb butter can be a dessert! Besides, you can’t exactly put this on bread, right? Unless it’s low carb bread made with cashew flour. Desserts are anything you want to be anyway, so all good.

Cashew butter is great for snacking, too! You can even choose either a smooth, creamy texture or a kind that’s crunchy and chunky. 

And just in case you’re wondering, “What can I make with cashew butter?”, you can make plenty. Your cashew butter won’t go to waste as just a spread or as a snack.

4. Baklava with cashews – a unique cashew dessert

Wait, what’s baklava, exactly? Baklava is a layered pastry dessert made of filo pastry, chopped nuts, and syrup or honey. No one knows the origin of baklava, but it’s pretty popular in Iranian, Turkish, and Arab cuisines. 
If you’re wondering if it’s possible to get baklava in the Philippines, yes, it is. And also, mostly, baklava has walnuts or pistachios for ingredients, but some use cashews. Cashew baklava is something to be experienced, especially if you like cashews over other nuts.

5. Brownie cashew – a classic dessert enhanced by cashews

Who doesn’t like brownies? We bet no one reading this will say no if anyone offered them this classic treat. Of course, if you want to enhance brownies further, why not add cashews? Cocoa powder plus cashews equal one nutty, texture-y treat. Heat them up if store-bought to get the best flavor. Just make sure they cool completely before you dig in.

6. Cashew brittle – not your usual brittle

If you’re not familiar with brittle, it’s basically pieces of hard sugar candy. Nuts protrude from the surface. They taste better than they sound, believe me.

Who here hasn’t enjoyed peanut brittle from Baguio? Too bad for people in Manila, Baguio is kind of far. Thankfully, there are many makers of brittle. And not just any kind – cashew brittle! 

It’s a very simple dessert, composed of cashews, butter, sugar, corn syrup, and baking soda. But the taste… well, we’ll just leave for you to taste it. It’s a must-try, for sure.

7. Greek yogurt fruit tart – a fresh cashew treat

This Greek Yogurt dessert is definitely one of a kind! It’s made with Greek Yogurt and various fruits. So where are the cashews?

Well, the base is made with date and cashew, so you end up with a sweet and salty crust. The combination of the crust with the fruits and yogurt make for one refreshing dessert. Some don’t like Greek yogurt, so some shops use vanilla yogurt instead. That sounds good to us, too!

Make your own cashew desserts with The Bailiwick Academy.

Did our list of cashew desserts get your sweet tooth going? Well, you can go out and buy those desserts with cashew nuts. Or even better, enroll in our latest online classes with Chef Joey Prats. They’re both cashew cake recipes we’re sure you’ll love.

Festive Cashew Tart

You know cashew tarts? Those delicious, boat-shaped tarts made with caramel and cashew filling? Well, they’re so good, Chef Joey decided to make his high-end version in a pie/cake form. And of course, it’s made with ingredients that are so delicious: cashew, salted caramel, and a super buttery crust. And not only that: this tart will have a very rich salted caramel buttercream and caramel shards!

Take one bite and you will feel it melt in your mouth. Flavors are enhanced by Chef Joey’s secret ingredient. It’s one masterpiece you wouldn’t want to miss making!

Nelusko

Have you heard of Nelusko? It’s a classic Filipino cake that’s been around since the 1970s. Apparently, no one knows the origin of this dessert, but all that matters is that it’s delicious! 

Chef Joey grew up loving this cake made by his mother and amazing chef, Chef Myrna Prats. Sadly, the recipe got lost back in the 1990 earthquake. So Chef Joey recreated the original recipe – with a few tweaks of his own. 

Nelusko is another one of the many cashew nut recipes. Sweet and chocolatey. Yum! 

It is basically composed of layers of chocolate chiffon cake, dark chocolate buttercream, and cashew nut praline. But true to Chef Joey’s cooking style, you’re going to enjoy a whole new level of taste and texture.

And as a bonus, Chef Joey will share with you his techniques for tempering chocolate using the seeding method. It’s a process you will find invaluable, especially if you plan to become a professional baker.

Enroll in our cashew desserts classes today!

Like with any of our classes, you will get plenty of useful kitchen tips. You’ll also get advice on costing, shelf life, and more. And don’t worry, these cashew dessert recipes will be easy recipes to follow. You’ll be able to make your own cashew dessert in no time. 

Plus, if you don’t know yet what you’re going to serve for the holidays, why not these dessert recipes? And since they’re from Chef Joey, they’re guaranteed to be delicious!

What are you waiting for? Enroll in The Bailiwick Academy now!