How much sweet to order per person

Ordering sweets for a function is mostly an arithmetic problem, and getting it wrong in either direction is annoying. Too little and you are apologising; too much and it sits in a fridge for a week.

A working rule

Plan on two pieces per person when sweets follow a full meal, and three to four when they are served on their own with tea. A 1 Kg tin holds roughly ten to twelve pieces depending on the sweet, so it covers about five guests after a meal.

Reading the tin sizes

A 500 g tin suits a household of two to four, or a small gift. A 1 Kg tin is the everyday family size. The 4 Kg tin is a function tin — it is what caterers and shops buy, and it is the cheapest per kilo by a wide margin.

Mix rather than multiply

Four kilos of one sweet is less interesting than two kilos each of two. Pairing something syrup-based with something milk-based — say Rasgulla with Rasmalai — gives people a genuine choice.

Order ahead for festival weeks

Diwali and wedding season are when the kitchen is busiest. A few days' notice is the difference between getting what you asked for and taking what is left.