Two Best Holiday Desserts For Good Christmas Baking and Tasty Treats

For aspiring bakers who like to experiment and anyone with a sweet tooth, these home baking ideas make delicious desserts and sweets for Christmas.

Christmas and Thanksgiving are two favourite times of the year for baking and good desserts. Apple pie, pumpkin pie and shortbread cookies may be holiday favourites, but these suggested recipes for delicious desserts can also be enjoyable baking and are pleasing to the palate.

Marzipan

A very old baking tradition, marzipan is a widely liked treat. It is a rich almond paste that comes in a variety of forms and appeals to many. A cake can be topped with a thin layer of marzipan, and it gives it a rich topping comparable to cream cheese icing. Marzipan can be found in slabs in grocery stores, bulk food stores and bakeries during Christmastime. Special fruit shaped Marzipan can be found in bakeries. They are coloured on the outside and add a touch of elegance to a dessert.

Marzipan can be made either cooked or uncooked. Consider this recipe for homemade uncooked marzipan:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup finely ground almonds
• 3/4 cup icing sugar (confectioner’s sugar)
• 1 egg white
• 1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Sift together the ground almonds, sugar and salt.
2. Add the egg white to the mixture and mix until it is a soft paste. Mixing by hand tends to work best.
3. Store the paste in an airtight container in the fridge overnight to help it set.

This recipe is open to experimentation. The measurements of the ingredients are flexible, as long as the mixture has at least 25% almonds. Note that the almonds need to be very finely ground to make a smooth paste.

Find more on making homemade marzipan.

Lime Marshmallow Parfait

Also known as “green stuff with marshmallows,” a recipe for a fun Christmas dessert could be found on the label of a can of sweetened condensed milk. This recipe for Lime Marshmallow Parfait makes a rich and tasty Christmas dessert.

Ingredients:

• 1 package lime gelatin
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 cups small marshmallows
• 1/2 cup crushed pineapple
• 1 cup whipped cream
• large graham pie crust (optional)

Directions:

1. In a bowl prepare one package of lime gelatin with only one cup of hot water.
2. While the gelatin is warm, add the sweetened condensed milk and the small marshmallows and stir gently. The marshmallows will melt some.
3. Stir in the crushed pineapple and the whipped cream.
4. Pour the mixture into the large flat pan (9×13 works well) and refrigerate until it is like jelly.

This dessert can be made with or without the graham crust and tastes great either way. Stored in a bowl, the ingredients will separate into layers, but in a flat pan, they will remain well mixed.

For adventurous bakers and those with a sweet tooth, celebrate Christmas with fun home baking experiments, a few good treats and delicious recipes.