Inspiration needed!

[cowprintavenger]

It's VERY unusual for me not to have ideas for things to make, and even more unusual that looking through all my cookbooks doesn't help, but I'm planning desserts for Christmas day and I'm seriously in need of inspiration so hopefully someone might be able to help

Comments

[kamaliitaru]

If you have access to serve something warm, I would suggest a fruit crisp. Maybe for the holidays, you could use apples and dried cranberries? Or you could even pair apples and pears, with some added walnuts to the crisp part? You could also buy some super premium ice cream to go with this if you want.

The only other thing I can think of is maybe a clafouti? But, since I noticed you don't have anything sort of fruity or nutty, crisp may be your best option.

Candied Cranberries

[cymrullewes]

Candied Cranberries

Re: Candied Cranberries

[cowprintavenger]

They sound pretty cool, I'll be having cranberry sauce with the main meal but I might do some of these for people to nibble at later on in the evening.

Re: Candied Cranberries

[cymrullewes]

They start out sweet until you pop them between your teeth and then they're cranberry tart. Somewhat like pomegranate seeds.

[marveen]

Not sure what "CHristmas cake" even is, but I'll go out on a limb and assume it's like a fruitcake.

A very different approach to fruit would be my favorite, stollen. It's a rich, sweet yeast bread, spiced with cardamom and fresh lemon zest, stuffed with fruit and usually served with an icing glaze or dusted with powdered sugar. I make several every year and freeze them.

The bright lemony-fruit flavor will make a nice contrast with your other offerings, and the white of the glaze can alternate with your darker desserts.

[cowprintavenger]

Christmas cake is a very rich, alcohol-laden fruit cake decorated with marzipan and royal icing, so it's a bit too similar to stollen for me to have both of them. Stollen is fantastic though, I tend to alternate with Christmas cake one year and stollen the next. I have a fantastic recipe for chocolate orange stollen that I make sometimes, it's not traditional but it's AMAZING! http://www.greenandblacks.com/us/recipes/online-recipes/maya-gold-stollen.html

[ufos8mycat]

What about something as simple as cutting up a bunch of fruit like strawberries, blueberries, raspberries etc, sprinkle with sugar and let it make its own syrup and use that as a garnish for some angelfood or pound cake.

[blakdove]

This may be not formal enough, and is not baked, but my husband makes this great fruit salad with canned fruit cocktail (or use fresh), plain yogurt, shredded coconut, and mini marshmallows. Pretty healthy and light, fruity but sweet, cold and served from a big bowl. And easy to make!