When it comes to Christmas desserts, there are generally two schools of thought:
Go forall of the cookies!
Eleganza to the extreme!
A lot of times, choice two leads down the forest path to a charmingbuche de nöel. A path scattered with the tears, wrath, and deflated meringues of the person who fought against nature and the clock to turn out a cake that (hopefully) looks like a stump.
But there are other desserts. Desserts that require less bark but provide just as much show-stopping bite. Like this pie, which is made with an easy cookie crumb crust. An infusion of puréed cranberries gives it that bang on Christmas punch of color, lime curd adds tart notes, and candied cranberries strewn over the top mimic ornaments glistening on the tree.
Another stunning red dessert, this ruby tart is slicked with a homemade strawberry-vanilla jam that comes together easily and quickly. Serve slivers of it with a cloud ofalmond liqueur–scented whipped creamto match the (naturally gluten-free) almond-date crust. Can't find the rice malt syrup used as a sweetener? Maple syrup, brown rice syrup, or agave will work just as well.
Those who declare mulled apple cider the herald of the season can finally come together with gingerbread fanatics over this next dessert. To make it, coat the bottom of a springform pan with an easy brown-sugar caramel. Next add layers of buttery, paper-thin apples. Use a mandoline to slice them into rounds—through the core—so that theseed pods form star-shapes. Then a fragrant, spicy gingerbread batter goes on top. After baking, the whole thing is turned upside down, all decorated and ready to go.
For something a bit more casually elegant, make a stack of crepes and let each guest garnish his or hers with traditional, tangy-sweet orangeSuzette sauceor decadentmilk chocolate sauce. The crepes can be made several hours in advance—just keep them covered in plastic at room temperature until you're ready to serve. Once wrapped, each crepe is like a perfect edible gift.
If you reaaaaaaalllly want to make Santa pull a u-ey on his way back to the North Pole though, this is the cake to do it. Part of Epi's2016 Christmas Dinner, it has a dense crumb that's made with ground hazelnuts, pear purée, and a smattering of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. To finish, it's crowned with a snowbank of freshly whipped cream, a rush of rich chocolate ganache, a sprinkling of crunchy hazelnuts, and towers of warmly spiced, succulent, wine-poached pears. Who needs stump cake when you have this?
