OT: Favorite Holiday Desserts

[Bama fan]

It is quite common now for people to joke about how terrible it is to be gifted a fruitcake. When I was young my mother made fruitcakes every year. She started soon after Thanksgiving and it took her a couple days to get them all done. They were full of nuts and dried fruit. The batter was dark, thick, sweet, and very heavy. After mixing everything together and spooning it into pans of various shapes and sizes, she would bake all day. When they were done and removed from the pans ,she would wrap them in white cloth and soak them with rum and/or brandy. Then they were put into several boxes and taken to the old coal cellar. About twice a week she would go down and soak the cloth with more liquor. Then on Christmas Eve she would have us bring them upstairs, unwrap them, and rewrap them in foil. She gave some away , but always kept a few for us. I loved those things! She is gone now, and I miss her and the fruitcakes each and every Christmas. My sister, the only surviving sibling, always disliked them and did not save the recipes when they packed up the old house. Posting this makes me both happy and sad at once. But mostly happy to have known the pleasure of Mom and her cakes. Merry Christmas to all, and I hope you eat all the things you love.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Many people really dislike fruitcakes. I, on the other hand, enjoy them, at least certain types. Any cake with pecans can't be too bad. There's a bakery in Texas that ships all kinds of goodies. Here's their Pineapple Pecan Cake. Yum!

 

[reno tony]

Freshly baked toll house chocolate chip cookies with the chips on the verge of melting and the cookies almost too hot to eat and an ice cold glass of milk. But, I wouldn't turn down any of the above deserts.

 

[Shorty Dee]

Sweet potato pie w/coconut, pound cake and vanilla ice cream.

 

[mbr33ct]

As an Italian-American arriving by boat (yes boats at that time) in 1959, our traditional Christmas dessert is this fried cookie "rosette" topped with honey, chopped walnuts and some colored shots. In our hometown of Vieste, in the Puglia region, we called them Colustros (dialect to our hometown). Google search for that name comes up empty, however it seems the true name for them in Puglia are called Cartellate Pugliese. (photo of various stages of dressing the fried "rosette")

 

[Sifaka]

When the British member of the household can be persuaded to get all culinary, we enjoy trifle.

Left to my own devices, I make a salad containing
Fresh mango slices
Fresh papaya slices
Two or three orange varieties, sectioned and chopped
Two or more kinds of pears
Red and green and black cherries, cut in half
Green apple, chopped
Red apple, chopped
Guava, from a can
Raspberries, frozen, from our garden, if possible. Otherwise store bought.

 

[Bama fan]

When the British member of the household can be persuaded to get all culinary, we enjoy trifle.

View attachment 37380

Left to my own devices, I make a salad containing
Fresh mango slices
Fresh papaya slices
Two or three orange varieties, sectioned and chopped
Two or more kinds of pears
Red and green and black cherries, cut in half
Green apple, chopped
Red apple, chopped
Guava, from a can
Raspberries, frozen, from our garden, if possible. Otherwise store bought.

Used to get my wife to make trifle. It was really good. But now it is not healthy enough, in her opinion.

 

[my2cents]

My favorite? Its a tie between Pies, Cakes and Cookies.

 

[Bama fan]

As an Italian-American arriving by boat (yes boats at that time) in 1959, our traditional Christmas dessert is this fried cookie "rosette" topped with honey, chopped walnuts and some colored shots. In our hometown of Vieste, in the Puglia region, we called them Colustros (dialect to our hometown). Google search for that name comes up empty, however it seems the true name for them in Puglia are called Cartellate Pugliese. (photo of various stages of dressing the fried "rosette")

View attachment 37379

Those look very good. My dad had a friend who was an Italian immigrant. His wife could barely speak English, and they were so nice. We would visit them at Christmas during the fifties when I was very young. She baked many traditional desserts, and made a cookie with anise flavoring. They were delicious. I still remember them like it was yesterday. Unfortunately, I can't remember what I did on the actual yesterday! Buon Natale mbr33ct.

 

[MilfordHusky]

As an Italian-American arriving by boat (yes boats at that time) in 1959, our traditional Christmas dessert is this fried cookie "rosette" topped with honey, chopped walnuts and some colored shots. In our hometown of Vieste, in the Puglia region, we called them Colustros (dialect to our hometown). Google search for that name comes up empty, however it seems the true name for them in Puglia are called Cartellate Pugliese. (photo of various stages of dressing the fried "rosette")

View attachment 37379

Oh, yeah!!!!! Beyond delicious!

 

[MilfordHusky]

When the British member of the household can be persuaded to get all culinary, we enjoy trifle.

View attachment 37380

Left to my own devices, I make a salad containing
Fresh mango slices
Fresh papaya slices
Two or three orange varieties, sectioned and chopped
Two or more kinds of pears
Red and green and black cherries, cut in half
Green apple, chopped
Red apple, chopped
Guava, from a can
Raspberries, frozen, from our garden, if possible. Otherwise store bought.

Ding! Ding! Ding! Another winner! Yummmmmmmm!

 

[vtcwbuff]

Papaya is the last fruit that God created, perfection had been attained.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to get a ripe papaya here in the northeast. I long ago gave up on buying the unripe, tasteless, Caribbean grown papayas that we get locally.

 

[mbr33ct]

Used to get my wife to make trifle. It was really good. But now it is not healthy enough, in her opinion.

, since when are desserts healthy to begin with? That's why we only make them on Christmas time.

p.s. and a Buon Natale to you also Bama fan...and to all a Merry Christmas.

 

[triaddukefan]

this thread makes me hungry

Can I ignore my own thread?

 

[triaddukefan]

Sweet potato pie. End of story. To me the love of pumpkin pie over sweet potato pie is not a regional thing but a cultural thing. No, sweet potato pie is not made or prepared the same way as pumpkin pie. That mistake is a cultural thing which makes some people believe they taste similar. They do not. Nevertheless, I'm convinced that if an alien from another planet where given a taste test that alien would choose sweet potato pie 9 of 10 times. This to me is evidenced by many foreigners that have tried the two and made this taste test. So. End of story.

Sweet Potato pie is the best pie ever created.... ... nothing else comes close. Pumpkin pie is ok..... my father loves it.... but its just ok. Pumpkie pie needs to be topped with whipped cream. There is a long standing (125 years??) Farmer's Market in the city open on Wednesday and Saturday mornings... and besides fruits,vegetables, eggs, and meat.... local vendors sell baked goods as well. There is a elderly black woman who sales sweets... including whole sweet potato pies for 5 bucks... I havent been in quite a while.. (hard to get up on saturday mornings sometimes) but I will make a concerted effort to go tomorrow. I will say....... a whole pie is usually devoured within 12 hours I might have to buy 2

In a pinch... Ive bought the Patty Labell's Sweet Potato Pie that they sell in Walmart. Its not bad... not as good as homemade... but like I said... good in a pinch. They have started to sell the sweet potato mini-pies for .50 cents now.

 

[Beemer]

Warm home made apple pie topped with vanilla ice cream.

 

[JordyG]

Sweet Potato pie is the best pie ever created.... ... nothing else comes close. Pumpkin pie is ok..... my father loves it.... but its just ok. Pumpkie pie needs to be topped with whipped cream. There is a long standing (125 years??) Farmer's Market in the city open on Wednesday and Saturday mornings... and besides fruits,vegetables, eggs, and meat.... local vendors sell baked goods as well. There is a elderly black woman who sales sweets... including whole sweet potato pies for 5 bucks... I havent been in quite a while.. (hard to get up on saturday mornings sometimes) but I will make a concerted effort to go tomorrow. I will say.. a whole pie is usually devoured within 12 hours I might have to buy 2

In a pinch... Ive bought the Patty Labell's Sweet Potato Pie that they sell in Walmart. Its not bad... not as good as homemade... but like I said... good in a pinch. They have started to sell the sweet potato mini-pies for .50 cents now.

The Queen of pies.

 

[wbbfjlf]

The Eastern European old fashioned nut roll was what I thought of but kept to myself, thinking I'd be the only fan of something so humble. They're not really just a post meal feast sweet dessert, but also often sliced and placed on platters set out all day with cookies and other delicacies including poppy seed or apricot filled rolls. Many are gifted and consumed in EE communities at the holidays.

Today, they're often baked by the hundreds (as fundraisers) by 'Babas' in church kitchens (...rather than home coal stove ovens) where pierogies and cabbage rolls (...uh, not desserts ) are also made.

My Russian Orthodox Church just had its Christmas fair. We Made 140 dozen perogie, 550 stuffed cabbage, 120 nut rolls, 85 poppy rolls, 50 prune rolls, and 200 tins of haluski (cabbage and noodles). Everything handmade. The rolls are absolutely delicious

 

[triaddukefan]

One of the local desserteries has their seasonal specials..... 2 in particular. One is a Christmas cake........ eggnog layer cake with a custard filling... topped with a nutmeg buttercream icing The other is a special treat... a White Chocolate Peppermint Cake. They use crushed peppermint candy and mix it into the cake batter... and its topped with a white chocolate buttercream icing.

 

[CL82]

 

[triaddukefan]

Gotta add a new one to the favorites.... The Eggnog Cheesecake from Cheesecake's by Alex here in town. Had it for the first time a few days ago. Of course its a seasonal thing... not even sure if they will have it when they reopen in January


@JordyG Talked with a co-worker about the wonders of the Sweet Potato Souffle Cheesecake .... and she startled me by saying that she doesnt like sweet potato pie I cant recall ever meeting a native southerner who didnt like sweet potato pie... We might have to take her card away from her.

 

[JordyG]

Gotta add a new one to the favorites.... The Eggnog Cheesecake from Cheesecake's by Alex here in town. Had it for the first time a few days ago. Of course its a seasonal thing... not even sure if they will have it when they reopen in January


@JordyG Talked with a co-worker about the wonders of the Sweet Potato Souffle Cheesecake .... and she startled me by saying that she doesnt like sweet potato pie I cant recall ever meeting a native southerner who didnt like sweet potato pie... We might have to take her card away from her.

Hates sweet potato pie? Well I'll be dipped in it. She's now on notice. One more comment like that from this southern lady and she's officially a darned Yankee. Next thing she'll be saying is she likes her BBQ with mayonnaise.

 

[Beemer]

Made a batch of toll house cookies from scratch, our traditional Christmas dessert along with the home made apple pie. Best part- got to teach my niece how to make them, she'll be the fourth generation to do this.

 

[triaddukefan]

Not sure if a Milkshake qualifies as dessert..... but this is Eggnog season..... and one of the regional drive through joints (Cookout) has EggNog milkshakes for the month of December. Had a Caramel Fudge EggNog milkshake 2 weeks ago.... Chocolate Eggnog milkshake last week... figured I'd up the ante and go for the Chocolate Cherry EggNog milkshake yesterday. Not so good... way too sweet.


So if you are anywhere in the Southeast and are craving a Eggnog or eggnog combo milkshake...... stop in at Cookout...... but remember..... its only until the end of the month.

 

[Rixxx]

The Eastern European old fashioned nut roll was what I thought of but kept to myself, thinking I'd be the only fan of something so humble. They're not really just a post meal feast sweet dessert, but also often sliced and placed on platters set out all day with cookies and other delicacies including poppy seed or apricot filled rolls. Many are gifted and consumed in EE communities at the holidays.

Today, they're often baked by the hundreds (as fundraisers) by 'Babas' in church kitchens (...rather than home coal stove ovens) where pierogies and cabbage rolls (...uh, not desserts ) are also made.

Had neighbors while growing up that were of Slovak heritage. Hard working people and had the skill to make (to a young kid) outstanding nutrolls. They had a knack to produce a nutroll that you could slice pretty thin and they wouldn't disintegrate.