"Come for coffee and dessert"—that's a common invitation nowadays, especially on weekday nights, when early rising next morning must be considered. It's a popular way to entertain small groups of friends who enjoy cards, and perhaps a little larger group of friends whom you invite to watch a special television program.

The dessert party is easy on the hostess as she can make all her preparations before her guests arrive. The table may be arranged buffet style with plates, coffee cups, cream and sugar, silver and napkins. If a cold dessert has been chosen, it may already be in place when guests arrive. In any case, they can help themselves to both dessert and coffee. Large rather than demitasse cups are chosen for a party of this sort. There should be provisions for second helpings of dessert which may be one of your particular specials, such as strawberry shortcake in season, baked Alaska, Boston cream pie or a fine layer cake, or perhaps ice cream with a special sauce. If you know that your guests prefer lighter desserts, a fruit combination, such as ambrosia or a mixed fruit in wine or brandy, may be chosen. With this, dainty cookies may be offered if you like.

If you prefer an evening party for a Friday or Saturday night, the food you offer may follow a very different pattern, as it will be served at a later hour. It may consist merely of a cheese tray with a variety of crackers or buttered French or rye bread to accompany it. There should be a choice of beverages such as coffee, beer, or other chilled bottled drinks. You may like to use your chafing dish or electric grill to prepare Welsh Rabbit or a fondue, or perhaps creamed oysters with celery, lobster Newburg, chicken a la king, or a shrimp Creole. Hot toast should be served with these and a relish tray may be an accompaniment if you like. A hearty soup such as French onion or a fish chowder is also suggested for a late snack.

OLD-FASHIONED WELSH RABBIT

1 egg

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon dry mustard

½ bottle beer

1 pound grated cheddar cheese

hot toast

Beat egg slightly with the seasonings. Place beer in upper pan of chafing dish or upper part of double boiler over hot water. When warm, add the grated cheese and stir constantly until the cheese melts. Stir in egg-seasoning mixture and pour at once over hot toast. Yield: 6 servings.

FISH CHOWDER

½ pound salt pork

2 medium onions, sliced

3 cups diced potatoes

2 cups boiling water

1½ pounds fish fillets

1 quart milk

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

salt

pepper

pilot crackers

Dice salt pork and brown in 3-quart kettle or saucepan until crisp. Add onions, and cook 2 minutes. Add potatoes and water. Cover and cook 10 minutes. Flake fish coarsely and add with milk and butter or margarine. Simmer until potatoes are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place crackers in soup plates and pour chowder over them. Yield: 6 generous servings.

SHRIMP CREOLE

3 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 medium onion, peeled and minced

¼ cup minced green pepper

1½ cups tomatoes

¼ cup tomato paste or chili sauce

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 pound cleaned, boiled or canned shrimp

¼ cup sliced olives

¼ cup sherry

Melt butter or margarine. Add onion and green pepper and cook 2 minutes over low heat. Add tomatoes, tomato paste or chili sauce, and seasoning, and cook 10 minutes over low heat until sauce has thickened somewhat. Add shrimp, olives and sherry. Cover and let simmer over low heat 5 minutes. Add more salt, if needed. Serve with hot toast or heated French bread. Yield: 6 servings.

BAKED ALASKA

½ cup sugar

⅛ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

4 egg whites, stiffly beaten

1 layer sponge cake
2 oblong pint cartons ice cream

Fold sugar, salt and vanilla or almond extract into stiffly beaten egg whites. Place cake on baking sheet and arrange 2 pints of ice cream close together on the cake. Cover with the meringue, allowing to stand up in peaks. Bake in hot oven (500° F.) 1 to 2 minutes until lightly browned. Yield: 12 servings.

Note: An angel food cake made in a tube pan may be used, instead of sponge cake. Remove some of the crumbs from the center. Fill with bulk ice cream, sprinkle with cake crumbs, cover with meringue and bake.

INDIVIDUAL STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKES

3 cups sifted flour

¾ teaspoons salt

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

½ cup shortening

¾ cup milk(about)

soft butter or margarine

1 quart strawberries

½ cup sugar(about)

Mix and sift flour, salt, baking powder and sugar. Cut in shorten­ing until mixture is as fine as cornmeal. Stir in the milk quickly. Turn out on floured board and knead a few times to make a smooth dough. Roll 1/2-inch thick. Cut in large rounds with bis­cuit cutter. Place half the rounds on baking sheet, spread with softened butter or margarine and cover with remaining rounds. Bake in hot oven (450° F.) about 10 minutes. Wash berries. Reserve 10 or 12 for garnishing. Hull remaining berries, crush and add sugar. Keep in warm place until shortcakes are ready. Lift tops from the biscuits, place bottom rounds on serving plates and cover with crushed fruit. Cover with remaining rounds. Garnish with whipped cream and whole berries. Yield: 6-8 servings.

AMBROSIA

Combine orange and grapefruit sections with partly thawed frozen pineapple cubes. Serve in glass bowl and sprinkle with coconut. The pineapple syrup will probably provide enough sweetening but a little sugar may be added to the fruit if desired. Sliced bananas may be added just before the coconut.

LEMON SHERBET CAKE

4 egg whites

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cream of tartar

1 cup sugar

4 egg yolks

2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon lemon juice

½ teaspoon grated lemon rind

1 cup sifted flour

lemon sherbet

whipped cream

Beat egg whites until foamy. Add salt and cream of tartar and beat until whites stand in peaks. Beat in ½ cup sugar gradually. Beat egg yolks with remaining ½ cup sugar, water, vanilla, lemon juice and rind until thick and light colored. Fold the yolk mixture into the egg whites and gradually fold in flour. Pour into 2 ungreased 9-inch round layer cake pans. Bake in slow oven (325° F.) 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on rack before removing pans. Put one layer of cake on a plate, cover with sherbet, top with a second layer of cake and garnish with sweetened whipped cream. Yield: 10-12 servings.

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