Cookies! Candy canes! Eggnog! Great holiday food we all know and love. Here over at Diversecreatures, I’ve wanted to incorporate some food segments into the blog…so I’m excited to bring the first foodie segment here and its the holidays so lets talk about some Christmas desserts I’ve been checking out (and hopefully make in the future). These recipes include more than your average grandmas cookies, tho. These will blow your mind!
Before we jump into it, all these recipes/ideas can be found over at Bonappetit.com (link below) if you want to read the entire list (over 90 desserts on there). I don’t have time/effort to list all on here. I’m choosing the ones that I find most delicious but take a look for your self!
Chocolate-Peppermint Fudge
Crush candies in a plastic bag with a rolling pin. Using a hand mixer is more effective than a stand mixer for this chocolate-peppermint fudge recipe.
Ingredients
MAKES ABOUT 36
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2¼ cups sugar
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
½ teaspoon kosher salt
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint flavoring or extract or ¼ teaspoon peppermint oil
2 ounces soft peppermint puff candies, finely crushed
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
A candy thermometer
Preparation
Step 1
Line an 8×8″ baking dish with foil, pressing into edges. Lightly coat with nonstick spray. Heat sugar, cream, corn syrup, salt, and 2 Tbsp. water in a medium saucepan over medium, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Add chocolate and stir until melted and mixture is smooth, then bring to a boil. Fit saucepan with candy thermometer and increase heat to medium-high. Cook, brushing down sides of saucepan with a wet pastry brush as needed to dissolve sugar crystals, until thermometer registers 238°.
Step 2
Immediately pour mixture into a large bowl (do not scrape bottom or sides of pot). Dot top of mixture with butter; do not stir. Rinse thermometer, removing any sugar crystals, pat dry, and fit on bowl. Let mixture sit until thermometer registers 110°, 30–45 minutes.
Step 3
Remove thermometer. Add vanilla extract and peppermint flavoring to mixture and beat with a hand mixer on high speed until mixture is light and thick like frosting and has lost its high gloss (will still have a slight sheen), about 4 minutes.
Step 4
Scrape into prepared pan; smooth surface, then top with peppermint candies, pressing gently into surface. Cover with plastic and let fudge sit at room temperature until set, at least 4 hours.
Step 5
Using foil, remove fudge from pan, peel away foil, and cut fudge into a 6×6 grid to make 36 squares.
Step 6
Do Ahead: Fudge can be made 3 days ahead. Keep stored at room temperature.
Bûche de Noël
This holiday dessert will be exponentially more impressive—and downright delicious—than any cake, pie, or sugar cookie on the table, guaranteed.
Ingredients
12 SERVINGS
MUSHROOMS AND BUTTERCREAM
6 large egg whites
1¼ cups sugar
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ teaspoon kosher saltUnsweetened cocoa powder (for dusting)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
SPONGE CAKE
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
¼ cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
¼ cup whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon kosher salt
3 large eggs, room temperature
3 large egg yolks, room temperature
¾ cup sugar
ASSEMBLY
1 ounce marzipan (about 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons dark unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-process
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, melted
Preparation
MUSHROOMS AND BUTTERCREAM
Step 1
Preheat oven to 225°. Whisk egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt in a large heatproof bowl set over a medium saucepan of simmering water (bowl should not touch water) until egg whites are very liquid (mixture will be warm to the touch) and sugar is dissolved (rub between your fingers to check), about 5 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and beat with an electric mixer until stiff, glossy peaks form (bowl will feel cool), about 5 minutes.
Step 2
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and dust very lightly with cocoa powder. Scoop out 1 cup meringue. Dollop heaping teaspoonfuls of meringue onto prepared baking sheet, spacing at least 1½” apart.
Step 3
Lightly dust meringue with more cocoa powder and place a sheet of parchment over top. Use an offset spatula or your hands to flatten meringue into irregularly shaped disks about ⅛” thick. Bake until lightly browned and parchment peels away easily, 75–90 minutes (meringue will be soft when it first comes out of the oven but will dry and crisp as it cools).
Step 4
Meanwhile, with mixer on medium speed, beat butter into remaining meringue, adding a piece at a time and waiting until incorporated before adding more. Beat until mixture is very smooth. (If it looks very loose or curdled, just keep beating; buttercream will come back together.) Add vanilla extract and scrape in vanilla seeds; beat to combine.
Step 5
Do Ahead: Mushrooms and buttercream can be made 2 days ahead. Store mushrooms airtight at room temperature. Cover and chill buttercream; bring to room temperature, then beat until smooth before using.
SPONGE CAKE
Step 6
Increase oven to 400°. Coat a 18×13″ rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper, leaving overhang on long sides. Spray parchment. Whisk flour, cornstarch, and ⅓ cup cocoa powder in a small bowl.
Step 7
Bring milk, butter, oil, vanilla, and salt to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Keep warm over low heat.
Step 8
Meanwhile, beat eggs and egg yolks with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Increase speed to high; beat until doubled in volume. With motor running, gradually add sugar; beat until very light and fluffy and mixture falls back on itself in a slowly dissolving ribbon (it should be at least quadrupled in volume), about 5 minutes.
Step 9
Reduce speed to medium and gradually stream in milk mixture. Sift one-third of dry ingredients over top; gently fold in until only a few streaks remain. Working in 2 additions, repeat with remaining dry ingredients, scraping bottom of bowl and using as few strokes as possible to keep eggs from deflating (a few streaks are fine). Scrape batter into prepared baking sheet and gently spread to edges of pan. Tap sheet lightly on counter to pop any large air bubbles.
Step 10
Bake cake until surface is puffed and springy to the touch, 10–12 minutes.
Step 11
Let cake cool in pan 2 minutes, then run a knife along short edges to loosen. Invert onto a wire rack and carefully peel away parchment. Using a fine-mesh sieve, dust cake with cocoa powder. Cover with a large kitchen towel. Place another wire rack on top and flip cake over so towel side is underneath. Remove top rack; dust exposed side with cocoa powder. Starting at one of the long sides, gently roll up warm cake inside towel. Let cake cool, seam side down, 30–35 minutes.
Step 12
Do Ahead: Cake can be baked 1 day ahead. Store tightly wrapped in plastic at room temperature.
ASSEMBLY
Step 13
Carefully unroll towel and cake on a flat surface (cake will curl at the ends and may have a few small cracks but should stay in 1 piece). Position cake so the end that was in innermost part of spiral is closest to you; brush off any excess cocoa.
Step 14
Using a pastry brush, gently dab cocoa syrup over entire surface of cake; you may not use it all. Dollop bittersweet ganache over top and smooth with an offset spatula to create an even layer.
Step 15
Dollop mascarpone filling over ganache; carefully spread over surface, trying not to blend with ganache and avoiding last inch of cake along long side farthest from you.
Step 16
Using towel to lift edge nearest you, reroll cake, keeping towel on exterior. Chill, seam side down, until filling is set, about 30 minutes.
Step 17
Transfer filled cake to a baking sheet. Set aside ½ cup buttercream for attaching branches. Evenly spread remaining buttercream over cake with an offset spatula.
Step 18
Using a long serrated knife, trim ½” of cake from each end to create clean edges; discard (or eat!). Slice off a 4″ piece of cake. Starting 1″ from end, divide 4″ piece in half, cutting at a 45° angle, leaving 1″ at opposite end. Transfer log to a platter.
Step 19
Place angled side of each small piece of cake against roll to create branches, positioning one on top and the other on the side using a large dab of buttercream to secure. Cover any exposed cake on sides with more buttercream but leave cut ends exposed.
Step 20
Use spatula to create textured lines in buttercream to look like birch bark.
Step 21
Knead together marzipan and cocoa powder on a surface until smooth. Roll out on a sheet of parchment paper to less than ⅛” thick, then cut out wavy strips to look like tree knots; drape over buttercream and press gently to adhere.
Step 22
Using either a pastry bag fitted with a very small round tip or a disposable plastic bag with one corner snipped off, drizzle melted chocolate over log to mimic birch bark striations. Chill Bûche de Noël, uncovered, until ready to serve.
Step 23
Just before serving, press mushrooms perpendicularly into log in groups of 2 or 3.
Step 24
Do Ahead: Bûche de Noël (without meringue mushrooms) can be assembled 1 day ahead. Wrap in plastic and chill. Attach mushrooms just before serving.
Tie-Dye Butter Cookies
Did you hear? Tie-dye is back. And thanks to our easy Swirl-n-Dip method, it’s also edible.
Ingredients
MAKES ABOUT 24 COOKIES
14 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
1¼ tsp. kosher salt
2 large egg yolks
2 tsp. vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
2 cups (256 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
GLAZE
2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar, divided
6 Tbsp. (or more) whole milk, divided
2 tsp. (or more) any color plant-based food-coloring powder*
2 tsp. (or more) second color plant-based food-coloring powder*
¼ tsp. kosher salt, divided
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
Assorted 2″ cookie cutters
Preparation
COOKIES
Step 1
Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter, sugar, and salt in a large bowl, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl as needed, until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add egg yolks and vanilla and beat until incorporated, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low, add 2 cups flour, and mix until incorporated. Dough will be semifirm but can be rolled out without chilling. If your kitchen is very warm and/or dough is sticky, pat it into a 1″-thick disk, wrap in plastic, and chill 15 minutes to let firm up before rolling out.
Step 2
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°. Roll out dough on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, dusting with more flour as needed to keep dough from sticking, to about ¼” thick. Punch out shapes as desired with lightly floured cookie cutters and transfer to 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 1½” apart. Pat scraps into a 1″-thick disk, wrap with plastic, and chill 10 minutes if soft.
Step 3
Bake 1 sheet of cookies, rotating halfway through, until edges are golden brown, 10–15 minutes. Let cookies cool 10 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Bake remaining sheet of cookies, then repeat process with remaining dough.
Step 4
Do Ahead: Dough can be made 1 month ahead; wrap tightly and freeze. Cookies can be baked 2 days ahead; store airtight at room temperature.
GLAZE
Step 5
Whisk 1 cup powdered sugar, 3 Tbsp. milk, 2 tsp. food-coloring powder, and half of salt in a small bowl until no lumps remain. Glaze should be the consistency of heavy cream; add more milk if needed. For a deeper color, whisk in more powder 1 tsp. at a time until desired color is achieved; adjust with milk if needed. Repeat with second food-coloring powder, remaining salt, remaining 1 cup powdered sugar, and remaining 3 Tbsp. milk, adjusting intensity of color as desired.
Step 6
Spoon 1 tsp. first glaze in the center of a small plate. Drizzle 1 tsp. second glaze over the first and use a toothpick to slightly swirl colors together; don’t go overboard. (If you want to decorate larger cookies, add 1 tsp. glaze to plate for each additional inch.)
Step 7
Gently press the top of a cookie into glaze, then lift up and allow excess glaze to drip back onto the plate. Using a toothpick, pop any air bubbles and swirl colors more if desired. Transfer to a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with 2 more cookies, adding ½ tsp. of each color of glaze to plate before each cookie is dipped. The glaze will lose its swirly effect at this point. Clean plate and repeat process, decorating cookies in batches of 3 until all cookies have been glazed. Let sit until glaze is set, at least 2 hours.
Step 8
Do Ahead: Cookies can be glazed 1 day ahead. Store tightly wrapped on a rimmed baking sheet at room temperature.
Step 9
*Cooks Note: If you want to use regular liquid food coloring, whisk 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 Tbsp. milk, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl until no lumps remain. Add food coloring drop by drop, stirring to incorporate, then thin glaze if needed with 1 tsp. milk at a time until it reaches the consistency of heavy cream.
Blueberry-Lemon Icebox Cake
The more particular you are when building the layers in the loaf pan, the more neat and tidy this will look when sliced.
Ingredients
8 SERVINGS
8 ounces mascarpone or plain whole-milk Greek yogurt, room temperature
¾ cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
2½ cups chilled heavy cream
1 cup homemade or store-bought lemon curd, divided
16 graham crackers, divided
1½ cups Blueberry–Chia Seed Jam, divided
⅓ cup fresh blueberries
Preparation
Step 1
Line a 9×5″ loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving overhang on all sides. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat mascarpone, powdered sugar, and lemon zest in a large bowl until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Reduce speed to low; gradually add cream. Increase speed to medium as mixture thickens; beat until medium peaks form. Transfer two-thirds of mascarpone mixture to another large bowl and fold in ½ cup lemon curd. Cover remaining mascarpone mixture; chill until ready to unmold and cover cake.
Step 2
Place a single layer of graham crackers over bottom of prepared pan, breaking as needed to fit. Using a small offset spatula, evenly spread a quarter of lemon cream over graham crackers. Dollop ½ cup jam over top, then gently spread evenly over lemon cream. Drizzle ¼ cup lemon curd over. Spoon a third of remaining lemon cream over curd and top with another layer of graham crackers. Repeat layering process with half of remaining lemon cream, ½ cup jam, and remaining lemon curd. Finish with a final layer of lemon cream, then graham crackers. Cover with plastic wrap; freeze at least 6 hours. Cover and chill remaining jam until ready to serve cake.
Step 3
Uncover cake and invert pan onto a platter. Using the plastic overhang to help you, unmold cake; peel off plastic. Spread top and sides of cake with reserved mascarpone mixture (if mixture looks a little loose, whisk until soft peaks form before using). Chill in freezer at least 15 minutes.
Step 4
Just before serving, mix blueberries into reserved jam and spoon over cake.
Step 5
Do Ahead: Cake can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep frozen.
Thanks for checking in and I’ll see you all with some new content in 2021!!