What are you serving for Christmas dessert?

I need some inspiration!

lloreen
  • Posted by: lloreen
  • December 22, 2013
  • 3758 views
  • 31 Comments

31 Comments

bonbonmarie December 26, 2013
We all--me, mom and sisters--all make our holiday specialties: cookies, biscotti, fruitcake, tartlets, etc. When we put all our cookie contributions together, we have a big, delicious assortment to enjoy after the meal. Seems like after Thanksgiving, everyday seems so full of filling food--especially sweets--and by Christmas none of us wants a heavy dessert. The cookies hit the spot, and we can experiment and try new things to share each year.
 
fmacmac December 26, 2013
Crushed Raspberry Creams. - Jamie Oliver recipe. Light (ish), easy, v. pretty, Christmas colors.
 
Laurie December 23, 2013
Cranberry blueberry shortcakes with homemade biscuits, lots of fruit and lots of whipped cream!
 
Diana B. December 23, 2013
Maple buttermilk custard pie.
 
QueenSashy December 23, 2013
This year we are doing a big roast and a lot of food and will go light for the dessert - meringue, strawberries and whipped cream.
 
amysarah December 23, 2013
Christmas dinner means a chocolate dessert around here - bittersweet choc tart, flourless choc cake, various semifreddos, or mousse. This year I'm doing Merrill's Chocolate Mousse with Cointreau and Chocolate Shards, with a dollop of whipped cream (will let it set up in my grandmother's pretty deco glasses.) Subbing Grand Marnier for Cointreau, since that's what I have on hand.
 
lloreen December 23, 2013
I know, Chef June, but one can fantasize......13 cakes, pies, and custards at midnight. It sounds like something out of a fairy tale.
 
CurioCook December 23, 2013
I'm making the Elote Pay de Chocolate - it's a southwestern chocolate mousse type pie with an almond graham cracker crust. So easy but a huge crowd pleaser!
 
ChefJune December 23, 2013
Lloreen, the 13 desserts traditional in Provence are actually mostly dried fruits and nuts, with one spectacular dessert as the centerpiece.
 
cookinginvictoria December 23, 2013
We are making arielleclementine's wonderful chocolate stout gingerbread cake with pear cider cream cheese icing! http://food52.com/recipes/2907-the-snake-bite
 
Alg13 December 23, 2013
I am making Chocolate Chip Cookie Brittle, Fruit Salad with a Champagne Dressing and either Walnut Crescents or Ricotta Cookies
 
lloreen December 23, 2013
All of these sound so fabulous, I wish I could have a traditional southern French Christmas Eve with 13 desserts!
 
Emily W. December 23, 2013
Hi llorene,

I LOVE this recipe and its a real crowd pleaser. Makes for a fun presentation too! http://food52.com/recipes/19506-salted-pumpkin-creme-brulee

Enjoy!
 
cratecooking December 23, 2013
We're more of a fruit dessert family than chocolate or pastry, so a nice Apple, Pear and Cranberry Crisp is on our menu!
 
Pegeen December 23, 2013
p.s. Frozen pitted cherries are fine, just thaw them. Canned cherries are fine if they're in syrup or water, drain them. But not the kind of cherries in syrupy goo for pie filling.
 
Pegeen December 23, 2013
Lloreen, cherries flambé over vanilla ice cream is a lovely desert for Christmas. This is mine but you can find plenty of recipes on the web:
http://food52.com/recipes/22911-cherries-on-fire
It's much easier than my description - sorry, I tend to over-write things. I just didn't want anyone to set their kitchen cabinets on fire. A great, festive dessert.
 
Pegeen December 23, 2013
bigpan, laughing about the turkey sandwiches. There was a tradition in my family for decades. You'd serve the main beast (crown roast of whatever, turkey, etc.) with all the trimmings and sides. When my grandfather had polished off most things, he'd push back his plate and bark the order, "Now bring out the leg of lamb." It was a joke, after such a full meal, but he sort of meant it. We called his bluff a few times. His laughter at that was the best present. (And believe it or not, people ate it.) I can never hear "leg of lamb" without thinking fondly of him.

A plate of juicy oranges and pomegranate arils sounds refreshing and colorful, like a sorbet between courses.

Because we have such a big group, we have to go full-freight: Buche de Noel, Poached Pears in Wine for those who don't like chocolate cake with meringue woodland bits, mince pie (for a certain generation), raspberry tart. A lot of Cointreau whipped cream on the side.
 
bigpan December 23, 2013
We like to wait a couple hours, then have turkey sandwiches !
But on another note we had an Eastern dessert that was simply a plate of peeled and sliced navel oranges, drizzle with honey, sprinkle with pomogranate arils and a dusting of cinnamon. Light and refreshing. (and save the sandwiches for midnight)
 
ChefJune December 23, 2013
A friend gifted me with a dozen Meyer Lemons from her tree so I'm making a Lemon Tart with Candied Lemon Slices. Extra good because I can make the Lemon Curd (Alice Medrich's Genius Recipe here on food52) ahead of time, as well as candy the lemon slices. Then on Wednesday I'll bake the tart crust, fill it and chill until dinner time. [One little secret I learned from a pastry chef in Lyon is to frost the crust with melted chocolate and let it dry before adding the lemon filling. It's a taste surprise.]
 
Maedl December 23, 2013
I'm serving a cookie plate containing 15 varieties of cookies I made over the past three weeks.
 
savorthis December 23, 2013
I am making the caramelized pear cake from Bi-Rite: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Caramelized-Pear-Cake-103934. It looks beautiful and is great with toasted crushed hazelnuts and vanilla ice cream.
 
kimhw December 22, 2013
Flour less chocolate cake. Make the batter ahead. Only takes 8 minutes to cook. Hot, gooy, yummy.
 
bamcnamara December 22, 2013
apple pie, blueberry pie, ice cream, coffee cake, jello and whipped cream!
 
mrathmel December 22, 2013
Homemade Italian cookies to go along with the big Italian meal for 33 :)
 
Kathy December 22, 2013
I'm making Robert Redford dessert. The pan goes home empty every single time I make it !
 
Pegeen December 23, 2013
What is "Robert Redford dessert"? Thanks.
 
Kathy December 23, 2013
Robert Redford dessert is a chocolate layer dessert with a cream cheese layer on a nutty crust. Delicious !
 
luvcookbooks December 22, 2013
This year I am making Tiramisu for my sister in law's bday and bread pudding or my brother in law's bday. A ew year's ago I made a kumquat cranberry trifle with gingerbread.
 
pat December 22, 2013
I still want pumpkin pie. However I just make the pie filling (any recipe) in a greased casserole and avoid the high calorie crust. Goes over well with kids who don't like crust.
 
Dona December 22, 2013
I'm making white chocolate cheesecake topped with caramel sauce.
 
figgypudding December 22, 2013
Hi lloreen, I wanted to make something i can do ahead of time, but is still really impressive and absolutely decadent, so I'm going make midge's burnt caramel pudding: http://food52.com/recipes/9628-burnt-caramel-pudding

It's heavenly and oh so easy. Best of luck, and happy holidays!
 
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