Masked Ball: Dessert Party

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Your aim for this party is all-out opulence and an atmosphere that 's a little ghostly. Remind your guests that this is a ball, so costumes are a must. Make it easy for them by including a mask base in the invitation. All they need to do is decorate it- feathers, flowers, or collage are ideal materials. Your invitation phrasing should also encourage fancy dress. You may even want to include ideas on where they might find cast-off formal wear in your town. Since the eighteenth century was the golden age of masked balls, it's the perfect time period to emulate. Think Louis XIV, the Sun King, and Madam de Pompadour.

The fun part of preparing for this party is decorating. We chose a white, gold, and silver color scheme, reminiscent of a Versailles ball. Ghostly branches, painted white and strung with chandelier crystal "icicles" are elegant and eerie. Tulle is inexpensive, easy to find, and adds mystery to the atmosphere. Use it to drape your table and chairs, too. We ran minilights down the center of the table then added a layer of tulle on top. The effect is a subtly glowing table that invites guests to linger nearby. We snaked a white feather boa down the table and nested silver Christmas balls alongside it. The look is over-the-top and luxurious. Since this is a Halloween party, pumpkins and gourds play a part. Luckily, there are several varieties of white pumpkins and gourds. We even masked a few of them to echo the party theme.

Instead of flowers, which might be expensive or difficult to find at Halloween, we used white vases filled with dramatic plumes. These ones come from fall grasses, but you could also use feathers.

Silver and gold tableware are great choices for this party. You can add sparkly decorations to the handles of your trays to dress them up. Use a silver candelabra if you have one, with white candles, of course. If you can find them, vintage tea tins are great for displaying gourmet cookies. Just stuff the tin with silver tissue paper and artfully arrange the cookies inside. You can even tuck silvery decorations among the cookies for added sparkle. Glitter-covered plastic fruits are great in a centerpiece, or you can make real sugared fruit for an inviting display.

Treat your guests to a sumptuous dessert spread. Gourmet cookies and hard candies should spill from the trays. Make traditional Halloween desserts (didn't know there were such things?) such as Cream Crowdies and Soul Cakes. We also provide a tempting punch recipe.

In terms of music, you may want to start the evening with some baroque music that's a little spooky. Harpsichord music has a haunting, Halloween feeling. Verdi's "Un Ballo a Maschera" is a must. If your guests are up for learning some baroque dance steps and you have the space, try a Viennese waltz by Strauss. As the night goes on, switch to something a little more upbeat. Lounge music from the 1950s might be just the ticket.