For those who are only moderately competent in the kitchen, figuring out dishes to make that will be easy, but still look impressive, is always a challenge. One Reddit user decided to ask the forum for ideas that are simple, but will make the cook look like they’re talented. Over 11,000 people decided to weigh in on the topic. Here are some of their top answers.
Bananas Foster
Bananas Foster may look impressive because it involves flambéing the fruit, but the truth is, it’s as simple as melting some butter and brown sugar together in a pan, adding banana liqueur or rum, then adding bananas and (carefully) setting the whole thing ablaze. For a finishing touch, serve with ice cream or pound cake.
Pannacotta
The wobbly dairy-based dessert looks complex when it’s really just a combination of milk, cream, sugar, and gelatin. Of course, for truly sublime pannacotta, it’s worth adding some flavor element. Classics are vanilla or lemon. Just make sure to cool the mixture before pouring it into molds.
Vol Au Vents
Don’t be scared off by the French name of this dish. Vol au vents are as simple as filling puff pastry, which can be easily purchased from any grocery store. The best part is that these can be savory, with fillings like creme fraiche and shrimp, or sweet, with strawberries and cream.
Palmiers
Palmiers are another French dessert that can be thrown together in minutes with the help of store-bought puff pastry. The beautiful layers that characterize the dessert come from the layers of butter worked into the pastry, but all you have to do is roll out the dough, sprinkle it with sugar, and then roll up the two sides to meet in the middle. Then, just slice and bake until they’re golden brown.