4 simple festive
desserts ideas

The holidays can be a very stressful time of the year that requires a lot of planning. To help simplify your life, here are a few ideas for original, easy-to-make desserts that will wow your guests, including your in-laws!

Homemade marshmallows

Contrary to popular belief, marshmallows are in fact really easy to make. All you need is 8 egg whites, 1 cup of sugar, 2 teaspoons of plain powdered gelatin, 3/4 cup of water, and 3/4 cup of light corn syrup. In a bowl, beat the egg whites with the sugar using a mixer until you get soft peaks. In a pot, heat the corn syrup on low for 12 minutes. Meanwhile, let the gelatin swell with a bit of water then add it to the corn syrup. Mix delicately. Once you get a creamy white texture, you can add the egg whites. Spread this mixture into a mould and cover it with plastic wrap before refrigerating for six hours. Cut into pieces once it is set.

Chocolate bread pudding

Bread pudding is a delicious, traditional dessert that can be made with different flavours: chocolate, berries, apples, etc. Since it’s the holidays, we want chocolate! For eight servings, you’ll need 4 cups of diced brioche bread, 2 eggs, 1 ½ cup of milk, ½ cup of sugar, 3 tablespoons of butter, ½ cup of dark chocolate, and ½ cup of 35% cream. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, pieces of chocolate, melted butter, cream, and milk. Soak the bread in the mixture for about 10 minutes. Pour into a greased muffin tin and bake at 325°F for 20 to 25 minutes. Because you can never have too much chocolate, you can add a layer of chocolate on top by using Nutella or melted chocolate chips once the dessert cools.

Crunchy caramel nuts

Caramel nuts are without a doubt one of the easiest desserts to make. You’ll need ½ cup of almonds, ½ cup of hazelnuts, 3 tablespoons of butter, and 1 cup of sugar. Spread the chopped nuts on a sheet of parchment paper. In a pan, melt the sugar in the butter to create a delicious caramel. Carefully pour the caramel onto the nuts and let it cool so it sets. Then break into pieces and serve immediately, or store in resealable bags in the freezer.

Chocolate pretzels

Feel like taking pretzels to the next level? All you need to do is melt a generous amount of the chocolate of your choice (dark, white, or milk) in the microwave with a bit of butter. Then open a bag of pretzels and dip them one by one into the melted chocolate. Lay them out on a piece of parchment paper to let the chocolate harden. Once this is done, you can freeze them for later or serve them that day. It’s also a great activity to do with the kids.

If you’re planning to make large amounts ahead of time and freeze your desserts, you should think about purchasing value packs. That way you’ll only need to thaw what you want to serve on the day of your party.