‘Tis the season for sweet treats! And, with that comes a lot of guilt on my part! Christmas desserts are just too hard to resist and I’d hate to disappoint a hostess if I didn’t at least try something!
Holiday baking can be nostaligic and many of the recipes I use are ones that have been handed down from one generation to the next.
If you’re in search of new dessert recipes for your family, holiday parties & gifts, you’re sure to find plenty of ideas on today’s Christmas dessert post.
For Christmas dinner, I like to serve the “creme de la creme” dessert, something that is as pretty as it is delicious like this Red Velvet Tiramisu Trifle.
Red Velvet Tiramisu Trifle
Ingredients
- 1cupseedless raspberry jam
- 1/4cupblack raspberry liqueur
- 1/4cupfresh orange juice
- 28 ozcontainers mascarpone
- 2cupsheavy cream
- 1/3cupsugar
- 1 tsptspvanilla extract
- Red Velvet Madeilines without powdered sugar
Instructions
1. Whisk together first 3 ingredients in a small bowl
2. Stir together mascarpone cheese in a large bowl
3. Beat heavy cream at high speed with an electric mixer until foamy; gradually add sugar and vanilla beating until soft peaks form. Stir one-fourth of whipped cream into mascarpone using a rubber spatula; fold in remaining whipped cream.
4. Arrange one third of Red Velvet Madeleines in a 3 qt. trifle dish; drizzle with one-third of jam mixture, top with 1 container of raspberries, and dollop with one-third of mascarpone mixture. repeat layers twice. Cover and chill 4 to 24 hours before serving.
However, if you are not fond of Tiramisu but love red velvet why not try these Red Velvet Madeleines for your Christmas dessert?
Red Velvet Madeleines
Ingredients
- 3/4cupsugar
- 3largeeggs
- 2eggyolks
- 1tspvanilla extract
- 3/4cupbutter, melted
- 2 tbspred liquid food coloring
- 1 1/3 cupscake flour
- 2tbspunsweetened cocoa
- 1/2 tspbaking powder
- 1/4tspsalt
- powdered sugar (optional)
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Beat first 4 ingredients at medium-high speed with an electric mixer 5 minutes or until thick and pale. Add butter and food coloring, beating until blended.
2. Sift together cake flour and next 3 ingredients; fold into egg mixture. Spoon butter into 2 lightly greased shiny madeleine pans, filling three-fourths full (about 1 tbsp per madeleine
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until centers of madeleines spring back when lightly touched. Immediately remove from pans to wire racks and cool completely (about 20 minutes). Dust with powdered sugar just before serving,, if desired.
Christmas Dessert Mousse
This chocolate mousse is a treat after a large meal – just enough to satisfy!
Chocolate Mousse
Servings 6
Ingredients
- 1cupsemi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 1/4cuphalf & halfscalded
- 2egg yolks
- 3tbspbrandy
Instructions
1. Put all ingredients into blender and pour scalded cream over to melt the chocolate chips. Blend until smooth.
2. Pour into 6 cups or small sherbets, filling 2/3 full.
Cover and chill at least 3 hours or until pudding-like consistency. Top with whipped cream & garnish.
Christmas Dessert Cookies Recipes
Do you have the perfect sugar cookie recipe? I have tried a few and this is the one I use the most.
My Mother's Favorite Cookies
Ingredients
- 1cupbutter
- 1 cuppowdered sugar
- 1cupsugar
- 1cupoil
- 2eggs
- 1tspvanilla
- 4cups plus 4 tbspflour
- 1/2 tspbaking powder
- 1tspcream of tartar
- 1tspnutmeg
Instructions
1. Cream butter; add both sugars. Add oil, eggs, vanilla.
2. Sift together flour, salt, soda, baking powder. Add to creamed mixture, along with tartar and nutmeg. Mix well.
3. Form walnut size balls and place on ungreased cookie sheets.
4. Grease bottom of small glass, dip into sugar and press balls down on cookie sheet.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.
A box of home-made cookies can make a lovely Christmas gift…perfect for co-workers and neighbors. There is nothing better than a gift of holiday treats – we have fun tasting each one and picking our favorite.
Gluten-free Almond Macaroons
Ingredients
- 4ouncesalmond paste (about 5 1/2 tbsp)
- pinchsalt
- 1/4tspvanilla extract
- 1/2cupconfectioners sugar, plus more for dusting
- 1largeegg white
- 1/4cupslice almonds
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Put almond paste, sugar and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until crumbly about 3 minutes.
2. Put almond paste, sugar and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until crumbly about 3 minutes.
3. Add egg white and vanilla. Mix until smooth and thickened about 3 minutes.
4. Drop batter by tablespoons onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Place 2 almond slices on each mound of dough.
5. Bake until cookies are golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Just before serving, lightly dust cookies with sugar.
Brownies can become another sweet holiday treat by adding a Santa hat with a strawberry and cream. These would be great for children’s Christmas parties.
Brownies
Ingredients
- 4ozunsweetened chocolate squares
- 2/3cupshortening
- 2cupssugar
- 4eggsbeaten
- 1tspvanilla
- 1 1/4cupflour
- 1tspbaking powder
- 1tspsakt
- 1cupchopped nutsoptional
Instructions
1, Combine dry ingredients and set aside.
2. In medium sauce pan on low heat, melt unsweetened chocolate squares and shortening. Remove from heat.
3. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Mix well.
4. Add dry ingredients and mix.
5. Stir in chopped nuts.
6. Fold into a small pyrex dish (about 10") and bake at 350 degrees or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
Recipe Notes
For Santa brownies bake batter in mini muffin tins.
In addition, another favorite treat in our house is a chocolate-covered covered cherry cookie.
Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies
Servings 4 dozen
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cupflour
- 1/2 cupcocoa
- 1/2cupbutter
- 1cupsugar
- 1/4tsp eachsalt, baking powder, baking soda
- 1egg
- 1/4 tspvanilla
- 48maraschino cherries reserve juice
- 1/2cupsweetened condensed milk
- 16 ozpkg. chocolate chips
Instructions
1. In a bowl combine flour and cocoa.
2. Beat butter about 30 seconds and add sugar, salt, baking powder and soda. Mix well. Add egg and vanilla. Gradually add flour and cocoa.
3. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Place on ungreased baking sheet.
4. Make an indentation in each ball ith thumb or spoon.
5. Drain cherries, reserving juice. Place a cherry in each ball of dough.
6. In small saucepan, combine sweetened condensed milk and chocolate chips. Stir until chips melt (over low heat). Add 4 tsp of cherry juice.
Spoon 1 tsp. of mixture over cherry in each cookie. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
Christmas Dessert Candy Creations
Need chocolate – is it an addiction?! I seem to crave it and one little piece a DAY is acceptable!
Going to Grandma’s house for Christmas as a child I knew I’d find a container full of peanut butter balls waiting for me. Rich & creamy, they are now my kids’ favorite. My friend has the same recipe but leaves the top uncovered and she calls them Buckeyes. For instance, here is a reciepe my children find a treat.
Peanut Butter Balls
Ingredients
- 1/2cupmargarine
- 1lb boxpowdered sugar
- 2cupscrunchy peanut butter
- 3cupsRice Krispies
- 112 oz pkg.chocolate chips
- 1/8 lb.paraffin
Instructions
1. Combine margarine, powdered sugar, peanut butter and Rice Krispies.
2. Form into balls & chill.
3. Melt together chocolate chips and paraffin.
4. Dip balls into mixture, coating evenly. Place on waxed paper. Store in cool place.
Almond toffee is popular at candy stores, but it’s easy to make and share with friends and family.
Toffee Bars
Servings 72 pieces
Ingredients
- 1cupbutter
- 1cupbrown sugar
- 2cupsflour
- 1egg yolk
- 1tspvanilla
- 1 1/25 ozHersheys bars
- 2/3cupground walnuts
Instructions
1. Cream together butter & brown sugar.
2. Add flour, egg yolk and vanilla. Mix well.
3. Press dough onto cookie sheet about 1/8 inch thick.
4. Bake at 300 to 325 degrees. Watch carefully. when just done, remove from oven. Do not let it brown.
5. Melt Hersey's bars in double boiler and spread over top of cookie mixture; putting walnuts over top. Cut before cold.
What would Christmas dessert be without pralines? Here is a reciepe that always makes it on our Christmas dessert preperation list.
Pralines
Ingredients
- 6cupssugar
- 1/2cupbutter
- 2tspsoda
- 2cupsbuttermilk
- 6tbspbourbon
- 2tspvanilla
- 4cupspecan halves
Instructions
1, In a very large pot, combine sugar, soda, butter and buttermilk. Cook to soft boilstage (232 degrees)
2. Add vanilla & bourbon. Beat to soft, creamy peaks. Stir in pecans
3. Drop by teaspoonfuls to waxed paper.
HolidayDrink Ideas
Looking for a hot drink to warm your soul during the crisp holiday season for Christmas dessert? You may want to try this Caffe Mocha or set up a hot cocoa bar.
Cafe Mocha
Ingredients
- 2tbspchocolate syrup, plus more for serving
- 1shot 2 ozwhite chocolate liquer
- 2large dollopswhipped cream
- 6ounceshot fresh coffee
Instructions
1. In a coffee mug drizzle in the chocolate syrup, white chocolate liquer and 1 dollop of whipped cream.
2. Pour hot coffee over the mixture and stir until well blended.
3. Garnish with dollop of whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate syrup.
Love the idea of creating a hot cocoa bar? Therefore, try using mason jars and apothecary jars – they are perfect for containing marshmallows, cinnamon, spice, and chocolate.
In other words, I’m ready to warm my house with Christmas dessert sweet goodness, how about you?
Still looking for gifts? Shop our holiday gift guide here:https://hadleycourt.com/best-holiday-gifts/
Photo credits: Southern Living, skinny points, utter Buzz!, Food Network, Cooking Classy, Nutritious Eats, Martha Stewart, AllRecipes, The Enchanted Home, Just one Cookbook, Just a pinch, Love & Olive Oil, Cakies
