Christmas Desserts

[tasha99]

Pecan and cherry pies. I basically use Rose Levy Berenbaum's recipes for both. "Secret" ingredients are Lyle's Golden Syrup (instead of corn syrup) for the pecan pie, and Cherry Works Tart Montgomery Cherry Concentrate for the cherry pie (it's actually a dietary supplement, but has so much cherry flavor.) I buy the sour pie cherries in the summer for this--a local farm freezes and sells them (they go bad really fast).

 

[AuntieMe3]

We make lots of cookies and sweets...rice krispie treats, muddy buddy chez mix, rolo treats (addictive) and cake bites. We also have 2 family birthdays around Christmas, one day before and one day after, so we usually have a birthday cake.

 

[jdb in AZ]

I just found a new recipe I'm going to try out for something different this year, gingerbread trifle.

 

[ashley0139]

We usually do homemade cheesecake with raspberry sauce (my favorite), a flourless chocolate cake, creme brulee, and fruit salad. Yum.

 

[cabanafrau]

The fruit makes that one look a whole lot more festive than the one I found. My plan is to liven up the look of the one I'm making by using some colored sugar on my gingerbread cut-outs. I was thinking of using a selection of holly, trees and snowflake shapes to give it the festive look I'm going for.

 

[firefly_ris]

Home made:
- Cannoli
- Rainbow cookies
- Anise cookies

Store bought:
- Pepperidge Farm Cookies
- Cheesecake

 

[pigletgirl]

Yum, it all sounds good. I think the Cheesecake Factory is going to be my friend this year!

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

I do cupcakes. Irish Car Bomb & Maple Bacon.

What is an Irish car dessert? I’ve never heard of that one

 

[Marchand63]

What is an Irish car dessert? I’ve never heard of that one

It is a dark chocolate cupcake made with Guinness filled with a Jameson whiskey chocolate ganache and a Baileys frosting. They are delicious.

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

It is a dark chocolate cupcake made with Guinness filled with a Jameson whiskey chocolate ganache and a Baileys frosting. They are delicious.

Ooh sounds lovely. I’m a big Baileys fan lol. Any chance you’d share your recipe? Sounds like something we’d enjoy although with those ingredients we’d better be home for the night lol

 

[soccerdad72]

Christmas is one of the only holidays that we don't do a lot of prepared desserts - often, we just put out a cookie tray and my MIL will make some sort of bar or bite sized dessert.

 

[Marchand63]

Ooh sounds lovely. I’m a big Baileys fan lol. Any chance you’d share your recipe? Sounds like something we’d enjoy although with those ingredients we’d better be home for the night lol

LOL the only real alcohol that is there is in the ganache should cook out but I do make a version without whiskey ganache. use a cream filling for the kids. I will dig out recipe.

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

LOL the only real alcohol that is there is in the ganache should cook out but I do make a version without whiskey ganache. use a cream filling for the kids. I will dig out recipe.

Thank you

 

[Klayfish]

Definitely not a pie guy, especially fruit filled ones. If I'm going to indulge in a dessert, fruit shouldn't be in it, in its' name or even vaguely implied. Give me sugar, icing, chocolate, butter, etc...

Being tongue-in-cheek of course...but I actually don't really like the taste of most pies.

 

[Marchand63]

This is basically my recipe, I do do the ganache more to taste as long as it is firm enough to not run out or make the cupcake soggy. Also probably easier to follow I am kinda an all over the place baker LOL!

1. 1 cup stout (such as Guinness)
2. 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3. 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
4. 2 cups all-purpose flour
5. 2 cups sugar
6. 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
7. 3/4 teaspoon salt
8. 2 large eggs
9. 2/3 cup sour cream
10. 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
11. 2/3 cup heavy cream
12. 1 to 2 teaspoons Irish whiskey (optional)
13. 3 to 4 cups confectioner's sugar
14. 3 to 4 tablespoons Baileys (or milk, or heavy cream, or a combination thereof)
15. Green sprinkles, for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. To make the stout cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners. Bring 1 cup stout and 1 cup (2 sticks) butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.
2. Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined.
3. Divide batter among cupcake liners, filling them 2/3 to 3/4 of the way. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, rotating them once front to back if your oven bakes unevenly, about 17 minutes. Cool cupcakes on a rack completely.
4. To make the whiskey ganache filling: Chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then stir until smooth. (If this has not sufficiently melted the chocolate, you can return it to a double-boiler to gently melt what remains. 20 seconds in the microwave, watching carefully, will also work.)
5. Add the butter and whiskey (if you’re using it) and stir until combined.
6. Fill the cupcakes: Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped (the fridge will speed this along but you must stir it every 10 minutes). Meanwhile, using your 1-inch round cookie cutter or an apple corer, cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes. You want to go most of the way down the cupcake but not cut through the bottom — aim for 2/3 of the way. A slim spoon or grapefruit knife will help you get the center out.
7. Put the ganache into a piping bag with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.
8. To make the Baileys frosting: Whip the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, for several minutes. You want to get it very light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar, a few tablespoons at a time.
9. To frost the cupcakes: Once cupcakes have cooled, spread or pipe Baileys frosting evenly across all 24 cupcakes. Garnish with green sprinkles, if desired.

 

[Domo]

There's a British tradition to have a Christmas Pudding in which is hidden a silver sixpence. Sweet idea until someone swallows it!

Usually we get a lemon tart and a FABULOUS strawberry pavlova (yum!)

 

[Christine]

Generally a homemade cheesecake that uses 5 blocks of cream cheese. Super easy, super rich and very elegant.

 

[jaybirdsmommy]

It is a dark chocolate cupcake made with Guinness filled with a Jameson whiskey chocolate ganache and a Baileys frosting. They are delicious.

Gonna go looking for a recipe for this one.

edit: Nevermind, I see you posted it while I was typing!

 

[Marchand63]

Gonna go looking for a recipe for this one.

edit: Nevermind, I see you posted it while I was typing!

I will say if you don't use Jameson, make sure you do use a good whiskey. You can buy nips it doesn't take much if you don't need extra Irish whiskey at home. Also don't substitute the Guinness or Baileys, generics or other brands don't give the same rich taste.

tried it one year - yeah not so much.

 

[dgthree]

Growing up, my mom always made a Brandy Alexander Pie for Christmas dessert. On Boxing Day, we would have plum pudding with hard sauce.