Great Holiday Desert Recipes

    • Red Velvet & White Chocolate Almond Cookies

      • HANDS-ON TIME 00:15

      • TOTAL TIME  00:45

      •  SERVINGS 36

      Cake batter helps jump-start these cookies, making them easy to whip up. They’re loaded with white chocolate chips and sliced almonds for a colorful holiday treat.

  • INGREDIENTS

    • DIRECTIONS

      1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat cake mix, butter, eggs, food coloring and almond extract in a large bowl at medium-low speed for 1-2 minutes or until well-blended (batter will be thick). Stir in white baking chips and almonds.
      2. Drop 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie onto greased cookie sheets. Bake 9-11 minutes or until set. Cool on wire rack. 

       

    • Chocolate-Bottom Macaroons

      • 00:15 HANDS-ON TIME

      • 00:45 TOTAL TIME

      • 40 SERVINGS

      This six-ingredient cookie is always a hit, especially when dipped in chocolate!

    • INGREDIENTS

    • DIRECTIONS

      1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Toss coconut and flour together in large bowl until combined. Stir in cream of coconut and almond extract.
      2. Drop 1 tablespoon dough per cookie 1” apart onto well-greased cookie sheets. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned on bottom; cool on wire rack.
      3. Combine chocolate chips with oil in medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high 45 seconds; stir until melted and smooth. Dip bottom of cookies into chocolate; place on waxed paper. Refrigerate 10 minutes or until set.

         

        Southern Red Velvet Cake

         Southern Red Velvet Cake

        INGREDIENTS

        Vegetable oil for the pans
        2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
        1 1/2 cups sugar
        1 teaspoon baking soda
        1 teaspoon fine salt
        1 teaspoon cocoa powder
        1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
        1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
        2 large eggs, at room temperature
        2 tablespoons red food coloring (1 ounce)
        1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
        1 teaspoon vanilla extract
        Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows
        Crushed pecans, for garnish
        Cream Cheese Frosting:
        1 pound cream cheese, softened
        4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
        2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup), softened
        1 teaspoon vanilla extract

        DIRECTIONS

        Watch how to make this recipe.
        Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil and flour 3 (9 by 1 1/2-inch round) cake pans.
        In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In another large bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla.
        Using a standing mixer, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined and a smooth batter is formed.
        Divide the cake batter evenly among the prepared cake pans. Place the pans in the oven evenly spaced apart. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through the cooking, until the cake pulls away from the side of the pans, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
        Remove the cakes from the oven and run a knife around the edges to loosen them from the sides of the pans. One at a time, invert the cakes onto a plate and then re-invert them onto a cooling rack, rounded-sides up. Let cool completely.
        Frost the cake. Place 1 layer, rounded-side down, in the middle of a rotating cake stand. Using a palette knife or offset spatula spread some of the cream cheese frosting over the top of the cake. (Spread enough frosting to make a 1/4 to 1/2-inch layer.) Carefully set another layer on top, rounded-side down, and repeat. Top with the remaining layer and cover the entire cake with the remaining frosting. Sprinkle the top with the pecans.
        In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand-held electric mixer in a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, and butter on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to high, and mix until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. (Occasionally turn the mixer off, and scrape the down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.)
        Reduce the speed of the mixer to low. Add the vanilla, raise the speed to high and mix briefly until fluffy (scrape down the bowl occasionally). Store in the refrigerator until somewhat stiff, before using. May be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days.
        Yield: enough to frost a 3 layer (9-inch) cake
        Chef: Sara Moulton
        Recipe courtesy of Cakeman Raven, Cakeman Raven Confectionery, NYC