As y'all no doubt know by now, I love to cook. Specifically, I love to bake. The Better Half and I are sharing Thanksgiving duties with my folks as well as hosting the in-laws to-be for Christmas this year, so I've been going crazy looking up holiday desserts. I've gotten the “I must make this!” list down to nine choices based on their potential deliciousness factor. Now all I have to do is wade through all the actual recipes … but first I thought I'd share my tastiest finds with you and see what you think!
Photo Credit: elaynam
Um, could you die? Can you even imagine? The recipe for this dessert looks super involved, but I don't even care. Anything that combines Red Velvet cake and cheesecake is all right by me. With cheesecakes, timing is always key, from mixing to baking, but I think this one is well worth all that work.
Photo Credit: rebecca_84
I've always wanted to make one of these, because it's basically a giant Swiss Roll, and the BH loves Swiss Rolls. That being said, do not attempt this recipe unless you have an enormous baking pan. The recipes I've seen call for nothing less than 15in by 10in by 1in. I'm not sure I even have enough counter space for that...
Photo Credit: Rachel Ford James
I'm really looking forward to trying this one. It is super rich, you can tell that just by looking at it. However, my dad loves caramel turtles with a passion. My grandma used to make the actual candy but has since stopped and I have yet to get the recipe out of her, so this cake with its moist cake and surprising ingredients – like coffee! – seems to be the next best thing.
Photo Credit: tonyadcockphotos
Now, I have made this before and have been asked (or ordered, whatever) to make it again this year. Let me tell you right from the start: this is hard, but it's not as difficult as it seems at the beginning, and you really do end up with a scrumptious dessert. Just make sure you have two pie shells just in case and do not let the cheesecake mixture cook over in the oven!
Photo Credit: Tiffin Tales
This looks so good, and seems so easy to make. The best part is, you get to make your own raspberry sauce. That will not only add a yummy zing to the custard, but it gives the dessert its gorgeous festive appearance.
Photo Credit: Natalie...
Forget Domino's, yo! I made this once, but I did it with a box recipe, and I am dying to find a recipe I can follow to make this cake. It's like a marvel of baking to me. So far I've found a couple that make it seem easy to successfully make these with all their chocolate gooey goodness oozing out of the middle.
Photo Credit: cathydanh
A simple dessert but nonetheless delicious, it's a great alternative for standard apple pie. It's also extremely easy to make, which is a huge plus. Here's a personal tip: if you're a fan of the oatmeal crust and don't mind it soft, put a layer of it on the bottom of your pan. Also, midway through baking, add some butter to the top crust; it melts down into the apples and adds in some delicious glaze.
Photo Credit: International pastry
I think these little pastries just look cute, and I can't imagine they won't taste just as wonderful. They seem surprisingly easy to make, no matter what filling you choose. I'm generally awful with anything involving dough, though, so we'll have to see if this ends in disaster.
Photo Credit: CinnamonSpiceGirl
Oh, I will be making this. I adore toffee so much it's not even funny. I even learned how to make it! The recipes I've found so far look pretty involved, simply because you need lots of ingredients, from molasses to dates, at least in some recipes, but the best part is learning how to make your own toffee sauce. Yum!
Holiday desserts so often follow a tradition. For instance, every year, still, my grandma makes “Impossible Pumpkin Pie,” which involves no crust at all. What are some of the dessert traditions your family follows during their most important holidays?
Top Photo Credit: Swamibu