From peppermint candy canes to warm mince pies, these festive desserts are infused with the most nostalgic Christmas flavours.
3 Christmas-themed desserts to try:
Candy cane hot chocolate
By @thezestylime
Warm chocolatey milk with a peppermint kick served with tonnes of whipped cream and shavings of crunchy candy canes, you’ll want to end off every evening with a mug full.
Ingredients
150g dark chocolate
2 cups unsweetened milk
1 tbs maple syrup/sweetener of choice
1 tbs cacao powder
2 drops food grade peppermint oil
Whipped cream
Crushed candy canes
Instructions
Heat milk in a saucepan and stir in cacao powder, maple syrup and peppermint oil.
Add chocolate and allow to melt, stirring occasionally, until hot chocolate is thick and smooth.
Pour into mugs and top with whipped cream.
Place candy canes in a ziplock bag and use a rolling pin to crush them into fine shards.
Sprinkle with crushed candy canes and serve.
Mince pie French toast
By @sachasippycup
Mince pies are a traditional Christmas pudding. Served warmed up with cream, custard or even ice cream, the crust is crisp and buttery and bursting with a juicy fruit filling. With a fresh twist, you can gobble up mince pies for dessert by combining them with French toast.
Ingredients
8 slices of thick sliced crusty white bread
3 eggs
¼ cup milk
¼ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup mince meat
Butter for frying
Powdered sugar
½ cup double-thick cream
Instructions
Whisk the eggs and add milk, cinnamon and vanilla extract and stir until well combined.
Heat a teaspoon of the butter in a frying pan on medium heat.
Dip a slice of bread in the egg mixture on both sides until well coated.
Fry the bread until golden on each side. Repeat for each slice of bread until the mixture is finished.
Heat the mince meat in a bowl using a microwave and add a teaspoon of water to loosen the mixture.
Plate the French toast slices in a stack of 2 or three slices, spoon warm mince meat mixture over the top, lightly dust powdered sugar and finish with dollops of double-thick cream.
Pecan Pie Thumbprint Cookies
By @treatmesweeetly
Pecan pie is a Christmas pudding staple. But this thumbprint cookie version takes away some of the hassle for an easy, yet scrumptious treat.
Ingredients
Cookie dough
1 cup of softened unsalted butter
½ cup of granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 ¼ cups of all purpose flour
Pecan Pie filling
⅓ cup of brown sugar
¼ cup of light corn syrup
1 tbs melted butter
½ tsp vanilla
½ to ¾ cup of chopped pecans
Instructions
Preheat oven to 180ºC.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Cookie dough
In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the vanilla. Add flour and beat on low until just combined. Beat on medium-high speed until well combined and a thick soft dough is formed. Pinch off small portions of dough to form ½cm balls.
This recipe makes 24 cookies, 12 a tray.
Pecan Pie filling
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, corn syrup, melted butter and vanilla. Stir in the pecans until well combined. Lightly press your thumb into the centre of each cookie to form a well. Fill each well with ½ tsp of pecan pie filling.
Bake for 20 to 22 mins or until the filling starts to caramelise on top and the cookie starts to turn a light brown around the edges.
Let cool and enjoy.