Which pudding should I do.

I'd go for the cherries. Perhaps that's because I love them, and am no fan of mincemeat ?.

Both sound lovely kittylester you are making me hungry, I’d go with what you feel happier doing

I don't think of baked apples as 'stodgy' but they can be large - are your neighbours the sort who would say 'oh I'll share one'?
As mincemeat keeps well, we have baked apples as our Sunday pudding through the winter.
I'd also guess that you could freeze any left-over cherries cooked in Marsala, so that would be my choice.
Either way, have a good time and I hope there are some left-overs to cheer you through the rest of winter!

Both sound good to me. Perhaps you could leave a gap between courses to make a bit more room for the apples. Savour another glass of wine or play a game.

You could use up the mincemeat another time, in an apple and mincemeat crumble. That’s the destination for my leftover mincemeat - it’s delish.

The cherries thing sounds v nice!

You could make Mincemeat (and brandy) Ice Cream. Simply mash the mincemeat into the ice cream and freeze!

Is it too much work for you to prepare both? Giving your guests a choice or even having a taste of both? That's if they have room after the first course for anything else and there will be nothing in these choices that if unused can't go back in the fridge or freezer for you to use up on another day.?

I was also going to say do both. Always nice to have a choice, or a bit of both!

I had thought about both but our neighbours suppers are just very simple and about meeting up not the food!

If you do both, then anyone who's not a fan of mincemeat or cherries has a choice. (I'd have both, if allowed). My late husband just couldn't stand cherries. When he was ill as a child, the medicine was cherry flavoured.

I have got a fab recipe for Tiramisu if anyone wants it,it's well worth the zillion or so calories once a year!

I would do both. Both sound gorgeous.

Another vote for both from me, but the apples and mincemeat will keep, so it’s cherries and ice cream if you only want one.

Baked apples are my favourite dessert.
But I don't know your neighbours
Concentrate on the company rather than the food, by the sound of it.

Cherries and vanilla ice cream.

I would like to come please and am prepared to masquerade as one of your neighbours ...?

I love the cherries nortsat46. As we will be 7 and the table has 8 chairs there is a space so you would be very welcome!

I’d do the cherries - they sound gorgeous kittylester esp on good ice cream.

Instead of a second pud for a choice why not just put a plate with some individual wrapped chocolate on it - something like the mini bars of Green & Blacks? No effort so you haven’t gone OTT but a taste of something sweet for any non-cherry neighbours!

I would do both.
Whenever we had baked apples I did several and they would last DH and me a few days.
Well, that was when we had our apple tree

I love cherries but some people are very allergic to them.

The Wonderful Man would most definitely go for the apples and mincemeat, whereas I'd leap at the offer of cherries. So not really any help at all from me I'm afraid, but whatever you serve I'm sure it'll be delicious.

I’d settle for the cherries I think. If anyone really doesn’t like them they can have ice cream. I’m far too lazy to cook two different puds.

I do a mincemeat flan with a lattice pastry top which makes it lighter. I do like the sound of the cherries so would do that as well and both could be served with the ice cream.

Good idea toocornergran about the ice cream sans cherries as the alternative.

I get the point kitty was making. It is supposed to be a simple meal. The other neighbours might feel they need to up their game next year when it’s their turn if it’s like an episode of ‘Come Dine With Me’ this weekend.

Keep it simple - I'd do the cherries they sound delicious!

Kitty - where are you going to get cherries at this time of the year?