The clove-studded holiday ham or flavorful beef tenderloin roast accompanied by filling sides such as balsamic Brussels sprouts, cheesy green bean casserole, and crispy roasted potatoes, may take the spotlight at Christmas dinner, but don’t forget to show some love for the holiday meal’s final act: the dessert table.
The sweets-laden course at the end of your festive meal is sure to be one that your dinner guests eagerly wait to savor. And it’s not just the kids who love a trip to the dessert table. Adults and children alike will joyfully anticipate the chocolate desserts and holiday cookies that put the perfect finishing touches on an already special meal.
If you want to serve showstopping desserts for your holiday meal when hosting family and friends at your house or bring a sweet final course to the home of your loved ones, these seven desserts are sure to have dinner guests asking for the recipe before the night ends.
Italian Christmas Cake
Ingredients:
- 500g mixed dried fruit
- 125g dried figs, chopped
- 140g (1 cup) dried cranberries
- 65g (1/3 cup) mixed peel
- 125ml (1/2 cup) freshly squeezed orange juice
- 250g butter, chopped
- 200g (1 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
- 3 eggs, lightly whisked
- 300g (2 cups) plain flour, sifted
- 35g (1/3 cup) cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 100g dark chocolate, chopped
- 85g (1/2 cup) blanched almonds, lightly toasted
- 75g (1/2 cup) pistachios kernels, lightly toasted
- 60g (1/2 cup) walnuts, lightly toasted
Italian Christmas Cake
Traditional fruit cake combines with dark chocolate and assorted nuts to create a dreamy combination that provides an exceptional end to your holiday meal. Enjoy a slice of this memorable cake with a robust cup of espresso or after-dinner drink as you laugh and chat with loved ones at the dinner table.
If you want to bring a host/hostess gift when attending a holiday dinner at a friend’s house, make two of these delicious cakes: one for the host/hostess and one to be served during the dessert course.
Christmas Cranberry Pound Cake
Ingredients:
- For the Cake:
- 187 grams cake flour-sifted (it’s about 1 1/2 cups plus 3 Tablespoons cake flour before sifting but you better measure it on kitchen scale because the cake could be dense or dry if you overdo it with the flour )
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup cranberries (fresh or thawed)
- 140 grams (5 oz.) white chocolate chunk
- 115 grams (1/2 cup) unsalted butter-softened at room temperature
- 300 grams sugar ( 1 and 1/2 cups)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons browned butter
- Frosting:
- 56 grams (1/4 cup) unsalted butter-softened
- 112 grams (4 oz.) cream cheese-softened
- 1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar (or more to make it thick enough to spread on top of the cake)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Garnish:
- handful dried cranberries
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
Christmas Cranberry Pound Cake
Cranberries are an essential ingredient of the holiday season. Combine this slightly tart, subtly sweet fruit with white chocolate and mascarpone cheese to create a flavorful pound cake that will have your dinner guests coming back for seconds. Bite into your slice of pound cake alongside a hot cup of French press coffee while you exchange gifts alongside the twinkling lights of your Christmas tree.
The cranberry and white chocolate chip garnish give this pound cake an extra festive appearance, too.
Tiramisu
Ingredients:
- For the Coffee Mixture:
- 1 1/2 cups espresso
- 1/2 cup dark rum
- For the Mascarpone Filling:
- 16 ounces mascarpone
- 1/4 cup dark rum (60ml), for the mascarpone
- 6 large eggs
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream (480ml)
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- For the Assembly:
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder unsweetened
- 40 lady fingers (You may need a few more or less depending on your dish)
Tiramisu
Tiramisu is a stellar dessert for any authentic Italian meal; however, it’s also a standout meal finale for your Christmas dinner. This classic tiramisu recipe combines dark rum, espresso, mascarpone, heavy whipping cream, and other delicious ingredients to create a dessert table offering that is certain to go quickly. You may want to double the recipe just to be sure everyone gets to try some of this layered sweet treat — this will also allow for any servings you want to enjoy at home before the big day.
Ginger Cream Christmas Cookies-The Kitchen Magpie
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 cup molasses
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 1/2 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 1/2 cup boiling water
Ginger Cream Christmas Cookies
The ginger cream Christmas cookies feature buttercream icing nestled between two ginger cookies offering a sweet and subtle spice combination. The soft cookies made with dreamy molasses provide flavor in every bite and can be served with additional favorite desserts or all on their own. These cookies are that filling!
Serve the cookies with just the buttercream in the middle or make your dessert creation more festive by adding some red and green sprinkles around the buttercream filling.
Soft Christmas Cookies Recipe
Ingredients:
- 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup margarine, softened
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Soft Christmas Cookies Recipe
This recipe for soft Christmas cookies provides the perfect culinary canvas for all of your dessert decorating goals. Before baking these soft cookies, you can cut them into your favorite holiday shapes, such as candy canes, reindeer, Santa Claus, and Christmas ornaments — the cookie creation possibilities are endless. Best of all, this recipe takes less than ten ingredients!
You can use icing on the baked cookies or decorate them with sprinkles prior to baking. Just be sure to bake a few dozen of these delicious cookies as kids and adults alike are sure to be fans of this treat when they see it on the dessert table.
Nutella Puff Pastry Christmas Tree
Ingredients:
- 1 (17.5 ounce) package frozen puff pastry, thawed
- 4 tablespoons chocolate-hazelnut spread (such as Nutella), or more to taste, at room temperature
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
Christmas Tree Nutella Pie
With just a few ingredients and quick prep and cooking times, you can create this delicious dessert that will have your friends and family members thinking you spent all day in the kitchen. Don’t worry, we won’t tell!
Nutella and almonds combine within two sheets of puff pastry cut in the shape of a Christmas tree. The puff pastry is then cut and twisted prior to baking. The end result is a dessert that is as eye-catching as it is delicious.
Bourbon Pecan Pie Recipe
Ingredients:
- 3eggs, lightly beaten
- 1cup granulated sugar
- ½cup light corn syrup
- ½cup dark corn syrup
- ��cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2tablespoons bourbon
- 1teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼teaspoon salt
- 1unbaked 9-inch pie shell (see recipe)
- 1¼cups coarsely chopped pecans
Bourbon Pecan Pie Recipe
The sweet combination of sugar, corn syrup, and bourbon mingle with other ingredients for a decadent concoction to pour over chopped pecans inside a flaky pie shell. Once you’ve combined the ingredients inside the pie shell, it takes less than an hour to bake and the end result is a winning pie that’s sure to be a fan favorite at your holiday gathering. Top the bourbon pecan pie with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream and you have a holiday dessert that your dinner guests will be talking about for the foreseeable future.
Start Planning Your Christmas Dessert Roster with the Help of Recipe Cloud
It’s never too early to start planning what you’ll be serving for dessert this holiday season. Recipe Cloud can help! You’ll find decadent chocolate cake recipes, flavorful fruit pie options, and a bountiful amount of Christmas cookie recipes, so you can pick and choose your dessert favorites.
Also, with over 250,000 recipes on the Recipe Cloud website and app, you can plan your entire Christmas dinner simply by using the recipes you find on the site. Best of all, when you find your favorite recipes in the weeks leading up to the holiday season, save them on the site and you’ll know exactly where to find these easy-to-follow recipes when it’s time to start cooking.
Explore Recipe Cloud today and make your holiday meal planning easy!
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