Dessert just may be my favorite part of Christmas dinner. It’s not just because I love sweets, though. By the time dessert rolls around, the busyness of the day is over. I can relax, enjoy some sweets, and spend time with my family. Easy desserts that can be made ahead are ones that I always gravitate to.
“This is the easiest frosting I have ever made and it is to die for,” thinks Clare Butler (Phoenix, AZ). “It goes perfectly with a deep dark chocolate cake or any cake that goes well with a light frosting.”
Clare’s Marshmallow Vanilla Buttercream is an easy way to jazz up a cake made with a boxed mix. It reminds me of an Italian meringue buttercream but without the extra steps.
Simple to prepare, it’s buttery and light with a silky smooth texture. In this recipe, vanilla extract is used, but you can try other extracts to alter the frosting’s flavor.
Sherry Symmonds (Hamilton, MS) uses rum extract in her Caribbean Christmas Cake to create a no-rum rum cake.
“This reminds me of visiting the rum factory in Grand Cayman and sampling all the delicious cakes,” shares Sherry.
In this Bundt cake, you get all the tropical and rum flavors without the harsh flavor of straight rum in the glaze.
Very tender, the cake is filled with coconut and rum flavor. A buttery coconut glaze seeps in from the top and the bottom permeating through the entire cake.
“For as long as I can remember, during the holidays my family has always gotten together to share our holiday cookies,” reminisces Brenda Watts (Gaffney, SC). “One of our favorite ones is these yummy Frosted Spicy Sweet Potato Bars.”
One bite of these bars and your family will think you’ve made a pumpkin dessert. The flavors are very similar.
Raisins and pecans add texture to the bars. I love the slightly tangy and sweet cream cheese frosting on them. They’re a great addition to a holiday dessert tray.
Anne Bruscato Nunez’s (Kansas City, MO) Tatus (Totos Italian Chocolate Cookies) are what happens when a chocolate cookie meets a spice cookie.
“This is a very old, passed-down recipe in our family,” reveals Anne. “We always bake them at Christmas.”
The cookie is thick, chewy, soft, and cake-like. Not super sweet, you taste cloves and cinnamon, but they’re not overpowering. Dipping the cookies in a glaze adds the needed sweetness and is the perfect final touch.
If pie is a favorite for your family, try Judy Parlier’s (Alabaster, AL) Chocolate Bourbon Pie. It uses a pre-bought pie shell which means you don’t need extraordinary baking skills to make one.
“This pie is a special family holiday tradition,” reveals Judy. “Hope you will make it one of yours.”
Rich and decadent with a slight bourbon flavor, this pie is amazing. Once baked, a sugary crust forms on top. The layer of chocolate pecan gooeyness is similar to a pecan pie filling.
Serve warm with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream. Your family is going to fall in love with you even more than they already do.
Try any of these easy desserts that can be made ahead and you’ll have one less thing to think about on Christmas Day. I hope one of them ends up on your dessert table. Happy Pinching!