You can’t have a happy holiday without dessert. Try one of our best recipes for Christmas desserts!
1. Gingerbread Trifle
DIRECTIONS:
Make whipped cream. Combine heavy cream, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon in a large bowl. Beat on high until stiff peaks form.
Crumble gingerbread into the bottom of a trifle dish. Pour 1/2 of the pudding mixture over the gingerbread. Drizzle caramel on top then add a layer of whipped topping. Line the sides of the trifle dish with whole gingerbread cookies. Repeat with the remaining gingerbread, pudding, and whipped topping. Sprinkle of the top with crushed gingerbread cookies, if desired.
Refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours or up to overnight.
2. Andes Chocolate Cake
DIRECTIONS:
Bake two 9″ round layers of chocolate cake according to box instructions. Let cool completely.
Make ganache. Make the Ganache: Pour heavy cream into a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring the heavy cream to a simmer, and once you see tiny bubbles form around the edges, remove from heat and add chocolate chips, whisking until combined. Let mixture chill until it reaches a spreadable consistency, at least 30 minutes, before frosting cake.
Cream together all buttercream ingredients in a large bowl until light and fluffy, adding more powdered sugar if the frosting is too loose. Add food drops and stir until evenly combined. Add more until you reach your desired color.
Top one round cake with peppermint buttercream, then place the second cake on top of it. Frost the top and sides of the with ganache. Garnish the bottom of the cake with Andes mints. Top with chopped mints. Serve.
3. Candy Cane Cheesecake
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 325º and grease an 8″ or 9″ springform pan with cooking spray. Wrap bottom of pan with aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet. Make cheesecake filling: In a large bowl using a hand mixer or in a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, then sour cream, flour, peppermint extract, and salt. Gently fold in crushed candy canes.
Make crust: In a large bowl, mix together graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and salt. Press mixture into prepared pan.
Pour filling over crust. Bake until center of cheesecake only slightly jiggles, about 1 hour 30 minutes. (If you want to bake the cheesecake in a water bath, wrap bottom of pan and place in a deep baking pan. Pour in enough boiling water to come up halfway in the baking pan.) Turn off heat, prop open oven door, and let cheesecake cool in oven, 1 hour, then remove aluminum foil and refrigerate cheesecake in pan until firm, at least 5 hours and up to overnight.
Add whipped cream along the border of cheesecake and sprinkle with crushed candy canes.
4. Christmas Light Cupcakes
DIRECTIONS:
Line a muffin tin with liners.
Make chocolate cupcakes according to package directions. Let cool completely.
Make cream cheese frosting: In a large bowl, beat heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Set aside. In another bowl, beat together cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and salt until light and fluffy. Gently fold in whipped cream.
Transfer to piping bag or large Ziploc bag. Frost cupcakes, making sure they are a good height. Trace a black line around the frosting with decorating gel. Stick M&Ms along the black line, imitating rainbow lights. Repeat to frost all 24 cupcakes.
5. Gingerbread Fudge
DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl, mix together white chocolate and sweetened condensed milk. Add nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger and stir until combined. Stir in almost all nonpareils (leave some to sprinkle on top) until combined.
Using a spatula, transfer fudge into a parchment-lined glass baking dish and smooth over top. Sprinkle with remaining nonpareils and let sit until firm, at least one hour. (Transfer to the fridge to speed up the process.) Cut into squares and enjoy.
6. Chocolate-Dipped Peppermint Sticks
DIRECTIONS:
Dip peppermint sticks, one at a time, into melted chocolate. Transfer to a baking pan lined with parchment paper.
Allow chocolate to set slightly, about 5 minutes. Roll chocolate end of peppermint sticks in nonpareils. Return to lined pan and let stand at room temperature until chocolate hardens.
7. Chocolate Toffee
DIRECTIONS:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Let butter melt and sugar dissolve and bring to a boil, then cook, stirring constantly with a spatula, so the butter and sugar don’t separate, until mixture turns a dark amber and is thick, 12 to 15 minutes. (If you’d like to use a candy thermometer for this step, attach it to the saucepan and cook until the temperature reaches 285º.)
Pour toffee mixture onto a prepared baking sheet and immediately top all over with chocolate chips. Let sit 2 minutes so chocolate begins to melt, then spread chocolate all over with a spatula to create a layer on top of toffee.
Sprinkle all over with almonds and pecans (use chopped crumbs too for nice texture!) and flaky sea salt.
Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour, then cut or break into pieces and serve.
8. Mint Chocolate Chip Brownies
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 8-x-8” pan with parchment paper and grease with nonstick cooking spray.
Prepare brownie batter according to package instructions and pour into the prepared pan. Top brownie batter with an even layer of Andes candies. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a brownie comes out with only a few moist crumbs, about 45 minutes. Let cool completely.
Make frosting: In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat butter until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar, mint extract, milk and a few drops of food coloring. Beat until smooth, then fold in mini chocolate chips.
Spread frosting in an even, thick layer over the cooled brownies. Slice into squares. Top with chopped Andes candies.
9. Candy Cane Marshmallow Dippers
DIRECTIONS:
Line a small baking tray with parchment paper. Stick straight side of candy canes into the center of marshmallows.
Dip marshmallows into melted chocolate and sprinkle with crushed candy canes. Place on prepared baking sheet and place into refrigerator to harden, about 10 minutes.
Serve with hot chocolate.
10. Santa Hat Cupcakes
DIRECTIONS:
Line a muffin tin with liners.
Make chocolate cupcakes according to package directions. Let cool completely.
Make cream cheese frosting: In a large bowl, beat together butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy.
Transfer about one third of the frosting to a smaller bowl. Dye the rest of the frosting (in the large bowl) red.
Pipe red frosting onto cupcakes in a conical shape to mimic a Santa hat. Use a smaller star tip to pipe the white frosting around the edges.
