Many people ring in the new year at parties or with their loved ones. At these gatherings, you definitely know champagne is a must-have.
And then there are desserts or finger foods. There should be variety to go around the room to keep people full but not so heavy so they can party well.
These dessert ideas should be a good start. Give them a try and your guests will surely enjoy the party even more with every bite.
Photo: Taste of Home
Chocolate truffle cheesecake
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs (about 27 wafers)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
FILLING:
- 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup baking cocoa
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
TOPPING:
- 1-1/2 cups (9 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Whipped cream and miniature milk chocolate kisses, optional
Directions
- In a small bowl, combine wafer crumbs and sugar; stir in butter. Press onto the bottom and 1-1/2 in. up the sides of a greased 9-in. springform pan. Place pan on baking sheet and bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Reduce heat to 325°.
- For filling, place chocolate chips in a small bowl. In a small heavy saucepan, heat cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; let stand 5 minutes. Stir until smooth.
- In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add cocoa and beat well. Add eggs; beat on low just until combined. Stir in vanilla and the melted chocolate mixture just until blended. Pour over crust. Return pan to baking sheet.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes or until center is almost set. For topping, place chocolate chips in a bowl. In a small heavy saucepan, heat cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; let stand 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Stir in vanilla. Spread over filling.
- Cool pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight.
- Remove sides of pan. Just before serving, garnish with whipped cream and miniature chocolate kisses if desired. Refrigerate leftovers.
Photo: Epicurious
Chocolate- tahini linzer cookies
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
- ¾ tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- White sanding sugar (for sprinkling)
- ½ cup white, milk, or dark chocolate chips or wafers (disks, pistoles, fèves)
- 2 Tbsp. tahini
Special Equipment
- Assorted 2″–3″and 1″–1½” cookie cutters
Directions
- Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and 1 tsp. salt in a medium bowl to combine. Beat granulated sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
- Add egg and vanilla and beat to incorporate, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients. Beat just until dough comes together. Divide in half and pat each into a disk; wrap tightly in plastic. Chill just long enough that dough is rollable and no longer sticky, about 30 minutes.
- Working one at a time, roll out dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper until ⅛” thick. Slide onto baking sheets, still sandwiched between parchment, and chill until very firm, about 1 hour.
- Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 350°. Carefully peel away top sheets of parchment from dough and punch out cookies with larger cutters. Punch out centers of half of cookies with smaller cutters. Carefully transfer whole cookies with a spatula to a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing 1″ apart.
- Sprinkle remaining cut-out cookies with sanding sugar, then transfer to another parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake cookies until edges are set, 7–10 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets. Repeat process with scraps (chill dough again before punching out shapes).
- Melt chocolate and tahini in a bowl in a microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring after each, until chocolate is melted (or melt in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water; do not let bowl touch water). Stir to combine and season with salt. Spread filling over whole cookies; top with cut-out cookies.
Photo: Taste of Home
Eggnog ladyfinger dessert
Ingredients
- 2 packages (3 ounces each) ladyfingers, split
- 1 pint raspberry or cranberry sorbet
- 3 cups eggnog
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 packages (3.4 ounces each) instant vanilla pudding mix
- Fresh raspberries or cranberries and fresh mint leaves
Directions
- Arrange 24 ladyfingers around the edge of an ungreased 9-in. springform pan; arrange 16 ladyfingers over the bottom (save remaining ladyfingers for another use). Spoon sorbet over ladyfingers; cover and freeze for 30 minutes.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggnog, evaporated milk, sour cream and pudding mix until thickened, about 2 minutes. Spoon over sorbet. Cover and freeze for 8 hours or overnight. Remove from the freezer 5-10 minutes before slicing. Garnish with raspberries and mint.
Photo: Bon Appetite
Boozy stovetop pears with yogurt
Ingredients
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 2 large pears, peeled, halved, cored
- 2 tablespoons amaretto liqueur
- 1 tablespoon pear or other brandy
- Plain yogurt and crushed amaretti cookies (for serving)
Directions
- Stir brown sugar, salt, 6 Tbsp. butter, and 2 Tbsp. water in a medium skillet over medium heat until smooth. Bring to a boil; add pears, cut side down, and cook, swirling often, until browned, 5–7 minutes.
- Turn pears and remove skillet from heat (leave flame on). Add amaretto and brandy; tilt skillet toward flame to ignite. Cook, shaking skillet, until flames extinguish, then stir in remaining 1 Tbsp. butter and 2 Tbsp. water until caramel is smooth.
- Spoon yogurt onto a platter and give it a swoosh to spread it out. Spoon pears and caramel over and serve topped with crushed cookies.
Photo: Bon Apetite
Glazed and flaky apple tart
Ingredients
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- 6 medium sweet-tart apples (such as Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, or Winesap)
- 1 lemon, halved
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup brandy, preferably apple
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 2 Tbsp. raw sugar, divided
- 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- Shortcut Puff Pastry
- 1 large egg, beaten to blend
- Vanilla ice cream (for serving)
Directions
- Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°. Toast almonds on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 6–8 minutes. Let cool.
- Reduce oven temperature to 275°. Peel apples; cut in half. Using a melon baller or teaspoon, scoop out cores.
- Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°. Toast almonds on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 6–8 minutes. Let cool.
- Reduce oven temperature to 275°. Peel apples; cut in half. Using a melon baller or teaspoon, scoop out cores.
- Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°. Toast almonds on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 6–8 minutes. Let cool.
- Reduce oven temperature to 275°. Peel apples; cut in half. Using a melon baller or teaspoon, scoop out cores.
- Let puff pastry sit at room temperature about 4 minutes to soften slightly. Roll out on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, dusting with more flour as needed to prevent sticking and rotating once or twice, to a 16×12″ rectangle.
- Slide parchment paper with pastry onto a large rimmed baking sheet. Trim around sides to straighten and tidy edges, then cut off a 1″ strip from each side (you’ll have 4 strips).
- Brush around edge of rectangle with egg, then place strips on top, aligning with edges. Trim any overhang from corners. Brush rim you just created with egg and sprinkle with remaining 1 Tbsp. raw sugar. Scatter reserved almond mixture over pastry, staying inside the rim.
- Gently arrange apples on top of almond mixture; reserve juices left in dish. Chill tart 15 minutes.
- Bake tart 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350° and continue to bake until pastry is deep golden brown and puffed, 45–55 minutes.
- Meanwhile, scrape reserved apple juices into a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, swirling pan often, until syrupy (you should have 2–4 Tbsp.), 6–8 minutes. Remove glaze from heat.
- Remove tart from oven and brush glaze over apples. Serve warm or room temperature with scoops of ice cream.
