Looking to get some inspiration around Christmas dessert

My family always does a selection of homemade Christmas cookies and homemade peppermint ice cream. I use this recipe for the ice cream. https://www.davidlebovitz.com/peppermint-stick-ice-cream-with-hot-fudge-sauce-recipe-baked-brooklyn/
One nice thing is that these can all be made a few days ahead. If peppermint isn't a seasonal thing for you, maybe cinnamon ice cream?

Hi CMA,

Here is a roundup of our favorite Christmas Cake Recipes to give you some inspiration! https://food52.com/blog/25761-best-christmas-cake-recipes Happy Holidays!

Make lemon budino. It's easy. It's delicious. It's different.

The Germans have TONS of Christmas sweets. You might want to consider something from Italy like the seasonal panettone. Naturally French desserts are an excellent consideration.

You should certainly consider making something you enjoy preparing and are good at.

I am really surprised by how quick I got a response from multiple people 🤯. Thank you! I see there are really great options 🤪 I will keep you updated on which dessert I will make in the end :) Christmas here I come!

My favorite show stopping dessert is Helen Goh and Yotam Ottolenghi's rolled pavlova. https://www.latimes.com/recipe/rolled-pavlova-peaches-and-blackberries You can make the components ahead of time, and can use any fruit. His winter version is Brown Sugar Roulade with Burnt Honey Apples. Equally easy and delicious. https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021695-brown-sugar-roulade-with-burnt-honey-apples?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share

If you’re looking for a real showstopper that most of your guests are likely not ever to have experienced, make a Paris-Brest.

I use Alice Medrich's rice flour pastry cream and for the rest, the recipe from “Cook's Illustrated,” substituting almonds for hazelnuts because we just like them better. This seriously raised the bar for Christmas desserts, when I made one a few years ago.

The “Cook's Illustrated” recipe is behind a paywall. The copyright laws prevent me from posting their recipe here. Happily, Chef June, a trusted and talented early user of Food52, posted a full recipe for Paris-Brest that I would use (in fact, I probably will use it the next time I do this): https://food52.com/recipes/39848-paris-brest Medrich’s pastry cream is sublime, so I would use that instead of ChefJune’s. Here is more about that: https://food52.com/blog/12715-your-pastry-cream-can-do-better It's worth sourcing the rice flour for this pastry cream. You can get it on Amazon quite reasonably. ;o)

There are a few traditional directions (borrowed from Britain abd USA), which can be started now and stored with alcohol until the day:
Fruit cake
Christmas (plum) pudding
Brandied fruits

Each can be served alone or with a side (brandy butter, whipped cream or ice cream) so people can choose if they want dairy or not.

Other choices: gingerbread cake (French, British or American versions).
Fine chocolates and fresh nuts in the shell
A dessert cheese tray with nuts, dried fruits, crackers, cookies, jam and sweet wine.

Looking forward to suggestions from others, and to hearing what you choose to serve.