‘Tis the season of sugar, spice, and everything nice. To me, this means plates of cinnamon rolls and tins of cookies, swoops of frosting and trays of candies. It’s the most wonderful time of the year—holiday baking season, that is— and here are a few of my very favorite festive recipes.
You can go directly to each of these recipes by clicking on the corresponding photo.
There’s no better gift than homemade bread. Focaccia is one of the lower-maintance breads, doesn’t need a sourdough starter, and most of its rising is done while you sleep. Mix up a batch for Christmas dinners or take to a holiday party to share with friends.
Christmas morning breakfast is one of the most important meals of the holiday season. If you’re looking for a little something savory to balance out your traditional cinnamon roll sugar rush, make a batch of popovers. The batter is mixed together ahead of time so that all that’s left to do on Christmas morning is pour it into a muffin tin, bake them off, and open gifts.
What is a holiday season without a batch of cinnamon rolls? These are a citrusy dough, filled with tahini and orange cinnamon filled and topped with a browned butter cream cheese frosting you will want to eat straight from the spoon.
My rendition of the classic gingerbread cake. This cake is super moist and dense, filled with spicy fresh ginger and dark, chocolatey carob molasses. The bright yellow frosting has a little spice thanks to the addition of turmeric and everything is topped with candied ginger and toasted pecans.
If you’ve never had coquito before, today is the day. Coquito is a traditional Puerto Rican holiday drink made with thick coconut cream, a little bit of cinnamon, and of course, rum. This dessert is a classic tiramisu with a tropical twist—lady fingers soaked in coquito, a sweetened condensed milk zabaglione, and lots of toasted coconut.
What’s a holiday table without cranberries? These festive little fruits shine in this cranberry orange clafoutis. A traditional, but very simple French custard filled with orange zest is poured over sugared cranberries and baked just until set. Serve your clafoutis hot, cold, or at room temperature with a big dollop of whipped cream.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to creating chocolate truffles at home along with three different flavor ideas. There are recipes for chocolate pomegranate truffles, chocolate tahini truffles, and chocolate truffles with sage caramel along with a primer on homemade ganache.
This is one of my very favorite desserts—holiday or not. A creamy cheesecake, lightened up with whipped egg whites, and marbled with an espresso and kahlua layer. It’s topped with a tangy whipped sour cream that you won’t want to miss.
I’m Anna Ramiz. I’m a pastry chef, recipe developer, and culinary educator. Welcome to my table!
