Buttermilk Christmas pudding: a warmly spiced, molasses-dark steamed pudding studded with raisins and made tender by buttermilk and suet. The traditional British holiday dessert, served with brandy sauce or custard.
Italian panettone bread baked in the bread machine: a Christmas yeast bread with raisins, currants, candied citron, honey, and a hint of star anise. The Milanese holiday classic made easy.
An Italian Christmas is not complete without this high-domed cylinder of fruit-studded sweet bread.
Glazed plum bundt cake with chopped fresh plums, walnuts, cinnamon, and a warm brown sugar glaze. A late-summer fruit cake with juicy plum pockets and a tender, oil-based crumb.
A simple but delicious Christmas bread that tastes wonderful plain, or toasted with a sweet jam.
Dark Christmas cake is the real, old-fashioned fruitcake: dense with raisins, currants, figs, dates, and almonds, deepened with brown sugar, prune juice, and brandy, then aged in brandy-soaked cheesecloth. Make it now, slice it at Christmas.
Easy chocolate mousse made with semi-sweet and unsweetened chocolate, brandy, and whipped cream beaten right into the eggs and sugar. Two methods: bowl for light, blender for dense.
Panettone Italian fruitcake with orange zest, dried fruit, and a tender yeast dough. Baked in a coffee can for the classic tall dome shape. Ready in about an hour.
A buttery, breadcrumb-based Christmas plum pudding rich with two kinds of raisins, currants, bitter orange marmalade, and warm spice. Steamed, aged, then flamed at the table and served with silky zabaione.
This Christmas pudding has plenty of delicious fruit and nuts, but it's really simple to make - just plan ahead and then make the warm vanilla-bean custard on the day.
Intensely chocolatey bundt cake using boxed mix, instant pudding, and chocolate chips. Rich, moist crumb ready in an hour with minimal effort for maximum impact.
Applesauce raisin spice cake: a moist Bundt cake built on plumped raisins, unsweetened applesauce, and 3 tablespoons of cinnamon. No butter, just oil for a tender crumb that stays moist for days.