Best Desserts for the Holidays
Let’s face it–the holidays are all about indulgence. Satisfy your sweet tooth with these seasonal delights.
Cherry cobbler
Cherry, cheery. They’re practically the same word. The perfect cherry cobbler recipe could fill anyone with holiday cheer.
This timeless dessert is a study of contrasts. Tart and sweet. Crispy and juicy. “Fruit is good for you” and “Who cares? It’s the holidays!”
Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.
Rum and Eggnog Bundt cake
You can stop signing up to bring “napkins” to the holiday party. This unique cake is sure to make a splash. It’s a naughty-list twist on an old favorite.
Eggnog and rum (or rum flavoring) spice up the familiar ring-shaped pastry. Finish it off with a healthy drizzle of rum icing or a blizzard of powdered sugar.
Strawberry cheesecake
Nothing says “merry and bright” like this jolly red-and-white dessert. You can make your own strawberry filling by blending fresh berries and cornstarch. Then boil this blend into a sauce.
The strawberry sauce swirls with the cream cheese mixture atop a buttery graham cracker crust. The result? A festive strawberry cake that looks as wonderful as it tastes.
Gingerbread scones
Gingerbread houses are beautiful, but they often meet more sticky fingers than a ball of putty. The scone version offers all that seasonal flavor in a tidy package.
Serve these crumbly golden pastries with coffee or tea. Even with a sweet glaze, they’re not too heavy on the stomach. In fact, you can whip these treats up with molasses and maple syrup, avoiding refined sugar altogether.
Peppermint brownies
Some people nibble their candy canes. Some lick them for hours. But the smartest people crush them up and add them to a brownie.
Fold peppermint chips into the chocolate-y batter before popping the pan in the oven. Later, dress your brownies up for the holidays in a rich coat of dark chocolate ganache. Sprinkle on the candy cane bits. Voila–a tasty take on a classic Christmas flavor pairing.
Pumpkin pie
Pumpkin or sweet potato? It’s the debate that turns cousin against cousin every Thanksgiving season. But let’s just put it this way: there’s no sweet potato spice latte.
Pumpkin pie originated that famous spice combination, which is just as beloved and inescapable as certain family members. Nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves mingle to create autumnal dessert bliss.
Panettone
Panettone is an Italian sweet bread served at Christmas and New Year’s. It’s fluffy yet firm. And much like a stocking, it’s stuffed with little goodies: candied orange peels, golden raisins, and lemon zest.
Panettone loaves require time and care. They make great gifts for your loved ones. The smell of this bread baking in the oven is like a gift in and of itself.
There’s a reason so many yuletide memories are dough-based. During the holidays, sweet treats bring people together quicker than any Christmas card photo shoot. Your New Year’s resolutions can wait until, well, next year.
