As December rolls around, it always brings with it the “most wonderful time of the year” (at least according to Andy Williams). I always enjoy the holiday season because it gives me an excuse to carry out my favourite hobby excessively – baking. No matter which December event you attend, you're sure to steal the spotlight by bringing a homemade dessert for everyone to enjoy. Hence, embracing the festive vibes, I've compiled a selection of both crowd favourites and personal delights in these recipes, guaranteed to evoke a sense of holly and jolly in everyone. Whether you’re a lover of the classic desserts or a holiday cookie box enthusiast, this list has something for everyone.
Show Stopping Classics
If you’re looking for a dish to really wow your friends and family, you’ve come to the right place. These desserts encapsulate the spirit of the holidays and most are surprisingly easy to put together.
This first recipe option comes straight from a classic Christmas carol, We Wish You a Merry Christmas. Figgy pudding, also known as plum pudding or Christmas pudding, is an old English steamed-cake dish with origins dating back to the 14th century. It’s traditionally made weeks before Christmas to allow time for the flavours to develop, and while a relatively simple dish to make, it’s cooked by steaming which can take up to eight hours. If you’re looking to tackle this dish, there’s an authentic recipe from The Daring Gourmet you can follow!
Another classic dessert you’ll see floating around the holidays is fruit cake. Though not typically a children's favourite, this cake boasts a more "mature" appeal, adorned with candied or dried fruit, an abundance of nuts, and an aromatic medley of spices. This is another recipe you’ll want to make ahead of time, but the flavours of this cake only take about 48 hours to develop and give a nice texture. Cakes by MK has a fruit cake recipe that’s packed with flavours to brighten up your festivities.
Panettone is a traditional Italian holiday dessert with a sweet citrus flavoured dough. It’s a buttery bread cake, similar to brioche, that’s sure to be a crowd favourite. Legends of its origin date back to the 1400s but it’s still being enjoyed to this day. While delicious, this dessert is a bit more complicated because you’ll be using yeast to make the dough. First time bakers may want to start with something a little easier and less involved, but if you’re looking for a challenge, then this recipe is perfect for you. Cucina by Elena has an authentic Italian recipe with many tips and tricks to help along the way.
Finally, the best for last (at least in my opinion). Yule Log cakes, also known as Bûche de Noël, are the type to catch everyone’s eyes at a holiday party because you can get very creative with the decorating. It’s made up of a chocolate sponge cake with a sweet whipped cream rolled inside, and the top is decorated with a light chocolate frosting. You can use a fork to make lines through the icing, resembling tree bark, and even throw on some sugared cranberries and rosemary to add some flair to your dish. It’s one of my favourites to make around the holiday season and Preppy Kitchen has a great recipe to follow along with (with a video option too). They also include an optional recipe to make some meringue mushrooms as an extra level of decoration that truly brings your dish to life.
Curating Cookie Boxes
One of my favourite gifts to give out around the holiday season is cookie boxes. I’ll bake four or five batches of cookies, all different types, and package them up into boxes to give out to friends and family leading up to the holiday season. They’re always a big hit and it’s fun to see which flavours are everyone’s favourites.
The first flavour that I always make every year, without fail, is the classic gingerbread cookies. With a whole arsenal of cookie cutter designs, you can get as creative as you want with these cookies and really personalise them for every special person in your life. The hardest part, I find, is getting the royal icing right for the decorations but the cookies themselves are fairly easy to whip up. Preppy Kitchen has my favourite gingerbread recipe, because it’s perfectly spiced and has that great balance of tough on the outside, soft on the inside of the cookie.
Next up on our cookie list is a personal favourite of mine, chocolate crinkle cookies. These are by far some of the easiest cookies to bake, but they look very impressive because of the crackled texture on top left by the powdered sugar when baking. For all the chocolate enthusiasts, these cookies are a fudgy delight, reminiscent of a brownie. Best enjoyed straight out of the oven as they boast a melt-in-your-mouth quality that's simply irresistible. I can personally recommend the Sally’s Baking Addiction recipe, tried and tested.
This next cookie can be perfectly tender and buttery when cooked correctly, but can easily venture into overcooked if the baker isn’t careful. Shortbread cookies are another classic holiday treat that go well with classic holiday drinks, the perfect dunking cookie. This recipe is a very easy one but not one to be underestimated. Love and Lemons has a great recipe and walks you through the steps thoroughly to help you succeed.
Every cookie gift box needs a real show stopping piece that will impress everyone. These candy cane cookies are pretty easy to make, but look beautiful and catch everyone’s eye. While a little more involved, the hardest part about these cookies is getting the twist of the red and white dough right, a task I struggled with my first time making these. Taste of Home has a great recipe for these and I would strongly recommend giving them a go!
Drinks for Dessert
While these aren’t technically desserts, I couldn’t write up a list of things to cook up over the holidays and not include a few classic winter drinks to keep you warm and cozy. While all have alcoholic versions, I’ll include the mocktail substitutions for those who wish to try them.
The first drink on the list is a classic mulled wine. While this drink has origins dating back to the roman empire, these days it’s most popular in the European countries where you can find it served at Christmas markets and food festivals. This is a hot, red-wine based beverage that comes together very quickly and you can serve it in mugs for that additional comfort factor. Gimme Some Oven has a great recipe for this and offers ideas for some interesting variations on the classic recipe. For an alcohol free version, you could either opt for a base of a non-alcoholic red wine or instead go for a pomegranate or cranberry juice.
Another drink served hot is a hot toddy. This drink is light and hydrating compared to a lot of other holiday drinks, and if you’re coming down with a little bit of a cold this winter, it can even serve to soothe your throat with the honey and lemon flavourings. If you’re looking to give this a try, Cookie and Kate has an easy recipe to follow, and if you want to make this non-alcoholic, you can swap out the whiskey for a base of your favourite hot tea instead.
Finally, it’s come time for the final and most classic winter drink, eggnog. This creamy drink is a favourite of many, and it’s a great choice to bring along with you to your next holiday gathering (especially a homemade version). This rich drink is made from a base of milk, cream and, you guessed it, eggs. Tastes Better from Scratch has a delicious recipe that is alcohol free, though they note some optional alcohols to add in such as brandy, bourbon, whiskey or rum.
