No Bake Eggnog Cheesecake Trifle

The layers of creamy cheesecake, crunchy cookies, and juicy berries will impress everyone as they dig in

16 ounce package gingersnaps, chopped
3.4 ounce box instant vanilla pudding
1 ¼ cups eggnog
1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
⅓ cup powdered sugar
8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
½ teaspoon rum extract
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg + extra for garnish
6 cups fresh raspberries + 6 for garnish
10 gingerbread boy cookies
mint leaves, optional

• Place a metal bowl and mixer blades in the freezer for 10-20 minutes.
• Whisk together the pudding mix and eggnog in a bowl. 
• Place in the refrigerator.
• Pour the heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar into the frozen bowl. 
• Beat on high until stiff peaks form. 
• Spoon the whipped cream into another bowl and place in the refrigerator.
• Drop the cream cheese into the mixing bowl and beat until creamy.
• Slowly add the chilled pudding to the cream cheese and beat again. 
• Stir in the extract and nutmeg.
• Fold in half of the prepared whipped cream gently.
• Layer half the chopped cookies in the bottom of a trifle bowl. 
• Top with half the raspberries.
• Place 8 gingerbread boy cookies standing up around the outside of the bowl. 
• Gently spoon in half the eggnog mixture. 
• Use a spoon to spread it out evenly.
• Repeat with the remaining cookies, berries, and eggnog cheesecake.
• Add the remaining whipped cream to the top of the layers. 
• Top with raspberries, mint leaves, and gingerbread boy cookies. 
• Refrigerate until ready to serve. 
• Best served within 1 day of making it.

Recipe: Inside Brucrew Life

Christmas Light Cupcakes

Christmas light cupcakes are the cutest holiday dessert. This cupcake hack using mini M&M's is genius

1 Devil's food cake mix
1 c. water 1/3 c. vegetable oil 3 large eggs
1 cup Granulated sugar
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tsp Vanilla extract, pure
1 1 oz. (8-oz.) block Cream cheese
1 1/2 cup Heavy cream
1 M&ms, Mini
Black decorating gel

• Line a muffin tin with liners. 
• Make chocolate cupcakes according to package directions. 
• Let cool completely. 
• Make cream cheese frosting: In a large bowl, beat heavy cream until stiff peaks form. 
• Set aside. 
• In another bowl, beat together cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and salt until light and fluffy. 
• Gently fold in whipped cream. 
• Transfer to piping bag or large Ziploc bag. 
• Frost cupcakes, making sure they are a good height. 
• Trace a black line around the frosting with decorating gel. 
• Stick M&Ms along the black line, imitating rainbow lights. 
• Repeat to frost all 24 cupcakes.

Recipe: Delish

Eggnog Coffee Cake Muffins

Eggnog Coffee Cake Muffins-the streusel and eggnog glaze make these muffins extra special! They are perfect for Christmas morning!

For the Streusel:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

For the muffins:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup eggnog
1 large egg
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the eggnog glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons eggnog
Pinch of nutmeg

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line a muffin pan with paper liners or spray with cooking spray. The recipe makes 10 muffins.
• Set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
• Add the butter and rub together with your fingers until mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
• Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
• Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine eggnog, egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract.
• Whisk until smooth.
• Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
• Don't over mix.
• Place 1 tablespoon of muffin batter in each prepared muffin cup.
• Top with 1 teaspoon of streusel.
• Add more batter to cover the streusel, about a heaping teaspoon.
• Top muffins with remaining streusel.
• Bake muffins for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Remove from oven and let muffins cool to room temperature.
• While the muffins are cooking, make the eggnog glaze.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, eggnog, and pinch of nutmeg.
• Whisk until smooth.
• Drizzle glaze over the muffins. 

Recipe: Two Peas and their Pod

Eggnog French Toast Bake

Eggnog French Toast Bake is a Christmas morning tradition! This quick-to-prepare overnight casserole features French bread soaked in an eggnog custard. In the morning, simply pop it in the oven for a special holiday breakfast!

½ cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 loaf French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
8 eggs
2 cups prepared eggnog
1 teaspoon vanilla

• Grease a 9- by 13-inch baking dish (or two 8- by 8-inch baking dishes) with butter or coat with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. 
• Stir in brown sugar and maple syrup; continue stirring as mixture comes to a boil. 
• Remove from heat and pour into prepared baking dish. 
• Arrange the bread cubes over the brown sugar mixture. 
• Sprinkle bread cubes with cinnamon and nutmeg, to taste.
• In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and mix in the eggnog and vanilla. 
• Evenly pour this custard mixture over the bread cubes. 
• Press down lightly on the bread to make sure it's all coated/soaked. 
• Tightly cover baking dish with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight, at least 8 hours.
• Remove the baking dish from the refrigerator. 
• Preheat oven to 325°F. 
• Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. 
• Increase oven temperature to 375°F and remove foil. 
• Bake, uncovered, for an additional 5 to 10 minutes or until knife inserted in center of casserole is clean (and mostly dry) and top is puffy and golden brown.

Recipe: Five Heart Home

Christmas Crackle Puddings

Quick and easy to make with no baking. As a youngster my daughter loved making these and and one year sold dozens at her Christmas school fayre

1 x 200g pkt good-quality milk chocolate, finely chopped 100g butter, chopped
105g (3 cups) Kellogg's Coco Pops
100g white chocolate melts
10 red Nestle Smarties.

• Line ten 125ml (1/2-cup) capacity muffin pans with paper cases.
• Place the milk chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl over a saucepan half-filled with simmering water making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water.
• Stir with a metal spoon until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth.
• Stir in the coco pops.
• Divide among prepared pans. mould into a dome shape.
• Place in fridge for 2 hours or until firm.
• Place the white chocolate in a small heatproof bowl over a saucepan half-filled with simmering water making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water
• Stir with a metal spoon until the chocolate melts and is smooth.
• Spoon a little white chocolate over each pudding and top with a smartie.
• Set aside until set.

 
Recipe: Taste

Buttery Spritz Cookie

These cookies are buttery, tender and such festive Christmas cookies! The cookie dough is super easy to put together and there’s so many ways to decorate them. A great make-ahead cookie!

1 cup butter, softened
1-1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Glaze
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons water
Colored sugar and sprinkles

• Preheat oven to 375°. 
• In a large bowl, cream butter, confectioners' sugar and salt until light and fluffy. 
• Beat in egg and extracts. Gradually beat flour into creamed mixture.
• Using a cookie press fitted with a disk of your choice, press dough 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. 
• Bake 6-8 minutes or until set (do not brown). 
• Remove to wire racks to cool completely.
• In a small bowl, mix confectioners' sugar and enough water to reach desired consistency. 
• Dip cookies in glaze; decorate as desired. 
• Let stand until set. 

Recipe: Taste of Home

Golden Santa Bread

If you’re looking for something out of the ordinary to bake this Christmas, I hope you give this Santa bread a try. The finished loaf looks complicated. but it's actually simple to create.

4 to 4-1/2 cups bread flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup 2% milk
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup butter, cubed
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 raisins
2 large egg yolks
2 to 3 drops red food coloring

• In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt. 
• In a small saucepan, heat milk, water and butter to 120°-130°. 
• Add to dry ingredients; beat just until moistened. 
• Beat in eggs until smooth. 
• Stir in enough remaining flour to form a stiff dough.
• Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. 
• Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. 
• Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350°. 
• Punch dough down. 
• Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into 2 portions, 1 slightly larger than the other.
• Shape the larger portion into an elongated triangle with rounded corners for Santa's head and hat.
• Divide the smaller portion in half. 
• Shape and flatten 1 half into a beard. 
• Place beard over face; using a sharp knife, cut deep slits to resemble hair.
• Use the remaining dough for the mustache, nose, eyebrows, hat pompom and brim. 
• Shape a portion of dough into a mustache; flatten and place on face over beard. 
• Using sharp knife, cut slits to resemble hair. 
• Place a small ball above mustache for nose. 
• With scissors, cut 2 slits for eyes; insert raisins into slits. 
• Form another small portion of dough into eyebrows; flatten and place above eyes. 
• Roll out a narrow piece of dough to create a hat brim; position below hat. 
• Fold tip of hat over and add dough ball for pompom. 
• If desired, using scissors or sharp knife, cut small lines along edges of brim and pompom to resemble fur.
• In separate small bowls, beat each egg yolk. 
• Add red food coloring to 1 yolk; carefully brush over hat. 
• Brush plain yolk over remaining dough.
• Cover loosely with foil. 
• Bake 15 minutes. 
• Uncover; bake until golden brown, 10-12 minutes longer. 
• Cool on a wire rack.

Recipe: Taste of Home

Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake

Creamy cheesecake, rich chocolate, and peppermint candy canes - what's not to love? This chocolate peppermint cheesecake is the perfect showstopper holiday dessert!

 
Oreo Crust
24 Oreo Cookies wafers & filling
4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted

Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake
20 oz full-fat cream cheese softened
1 cup white sugar
5 oz dark chocolate melted & cooled slightly
2/3 cup sour cream
1-2 teaspoons peppermint extract
3 large eggs

Topping
6 oz dark 50-70% or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 teaspoons corn syrup
crushed candy canes

• Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
•  Let the cream cheese, eggs, & sour cream warm up to room temperature before getting started.
• Wrap the outside of a 9-inch springform pan with aluminum foil so that the bottom and sides are fully covered. 
• Wrap at least 3 times so that no edges are showing.
• Add the Oreos to a food processor and blitz until the cookies are fine crumbs.
• Add in the melted butter and blitz until combined.
• Press the cookies into the bottom and slightly up the sides of the pan to form the crust. 
• Place in the freezer as you make the filling.
• In a large bowl beat the cream cheese an sugar until smooth.
• Mix in the melted chocolate, being sure to turn off the mixer and scrape off the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary.
• Beat in the sour cream and peppermint extract.
• Mix in the eggs 1 at a time until the batter is just combined. 
• Be careful not to over mix.
• Pour the cheesecake batter on top of the crust and smooth the top.
• Place the cheesecake crust in the middle roasting dish (the outside still wrapped in foil). 
• Pour about 1/2 inch of water into the roasting pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, or until the top looks just set and it still has a slight wobble in the middle if you give the pan a gentle nudge.
• Cool at room temperature first. 
• Once the water in the pan is room temperature, remove the cheesecake from the roasting pan,
• Cover the top and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• For the Topping..Chop the chocolate into small pieces and place in a heatproof bowl.
• Add the cream to a small saucepan and over low-medium heat. 
• Bring the cream to a simmer.
• Pour the cream over the chocolate and whisk until smooth. 
• Whisk in the corn syrup.
• Remove the cheesecake from the fridge and unclamp the outer ring of your springform pan.
• Pour the ganache over top of the cheesecake, smoothing the top as needed.
• Sprinkle crushed candy canes overtop.
• Optionally top each piece with whipped cream before serving.
• Store leftovers covered, or in an airtight container in the fridge.

Note: Use 1 teaspoon for a less peppermint flavor or up to 2 teaspoons for a stronger peppermint flavor. If you're using semi-sweet chocolate, I recommend only 1 teaspoon.

Recipe: Just So Tasty