The holiday season is a great time to perfect your baking skills and make the most of your Le Creuset cookware. Treat the person with a sweet tooth in your family and cook some of these classic holiday desserts this Christmas. Whether you’re expecting guests, or visiting family and friends for dinner, it’s always recommended to have a delicious dessert ready.
Le Creuset’s bakeware is ideal to prepare decadent desserts, offering superior heat retention to achieve bakery worthy results. Our stoneware and metal bakeware collections are built to last and will arm your kitchen with everything you’ll need to impress your guests this holiday season.
From a delicious pain perdu to a holiday tiramisu, these are some of our favourite holiday baking staples that are sure to become favorites in your households for years to come. Here are 9 of our favourite baking staples you can prepare this holiday season.
Pear Clafouti
Pear Clafouti is yet another simple yet elegant dessert that is ideal for the holiday season. This recipe requires ingredients commonly found in the pantry, including sugar, all-purpose flour, vanilla extract, and maple syrup.
Start by beating the eggs and granulated sugar until light and fluffy for approximately three minutes. Once that is complete, mix in the flour, heavy cream, vanilla extract, lemon zest, salt, and maple syrup. Next, place the sliced pears at the base of the Oval Baker and bake for about 40 minutes until the top is golden brown.
This recipe takes under one hour to prepare and serves up to four people, making it a great dish for the whole family or for an intimate dinner party.
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Pain Perdu
Pain Perdu, also known as French Toast, makes for a great addition to your breakfast table and will quickly become a staple in your household well beyond the holidays.
Start by bringing the cream, milk, and vanilla to a simmer in a saucepan and cook gently. With the cream mixture simmering, whisk the eggs, egg yolk, sugar, and salt together and mix well. Finish by dipping the sliced brioche in the remaining custard and layering the baking dish accordingly until it is completely full.
The baking dish will take care of much of the rest, delivering a brown and crispy exterior and a fluffy interior. Our pain perdu recipe takes just under an hour to prepare and can serve up to six people at a time.
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Apple Pie
This list would not be complete without a classic apple pie. Whether you’re expecting guests, or simply having an intimate family get-together, this recipe makes for a delicious dessert.
Start by pulsing the flour, salt, and butter together and then add water and vinegar. Once done, transform the dough into two discs and refrigerate for approximately 30 minutes. The key with this recipe is getting the apple filling just right. Cook the apples along with cinnamon, sugar, and butter on high heat in a nonstick pan.
Finish by rolling the dough and arranging a lattice with six strips diagonally across the pie. This recipe goes from stovetop to table in just over one hour and can serve between six and eight people. Add ice cream of your choice atop the apple pie and enjoy!
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Pots de Crème
Pots de crème, also known as pots of cream, is a French custard dessert dating all the way back to the 17th century. Typically, this dessert is served in porcelain cups, hence the name pots de crème.
Begin by preparing the chocolate mixture, combining vanilla, cayenne, cream, and milk over a simmer. Next, whisk the yolks and sugar in a large bowl to blend before gradually introducing the chocolate mixture. Divide the custard into two separate oval baker dishes and place them on a large roasting or baking pan.
Bake for approximately 40 minutes until custards are set but move slightly when gently shaken. All in all, this recipe takes about 3 hours to be ready, including the time it takes to chill it before serving. Our pots de creme recipe serves up to four people at a time and is a thoughtful finishing touch for your next dinner party.
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Cookies and Cream Bar
Are you looking to prepare something different this holiday season? Look no further than our cookies and cream bar recipe. This delicious dessert requires two simple ingredients, including white chocolate chips, and one box of chocolate sandwich cookies.
Place the cookies in a plastic resealable bag and crush them into smaller pieces using a rolling pin. Next, melt the white chocolate on the stove or in the microwave until completely smooth. Fold in the crushed cookies and pour over a parchment paper before placing in the freezer for approximately two hours. This recipe is ready in just under three hours, but is well worth the wait, offering an easy alternative to traditional holiday recipes.
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Chocolate Molten Cake
Our Chocolate Molten Cake recipe is the perfect recipe to make the most out of your mini cocotte. The first step is to preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C) and begin by greasing the ramekins with butter. Getting the oven to the appropriate temperature is crucial and will ensure your chocolate cake cooks evenly.
As the oven is heating up, melt both chocolates with butter until they are smooth. Finish by stirring the eggs, egg yolks, vanilla, and salt and divide the batter evenly. The mini cocotte exposes the cake to a consistent heat source, offering superior heat retention. This recipe is ready in no time, serving up to four portions in under 30 minutes.
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Baked Deep Vanilla Cheesecake
Have you always wanted to make your very own cheesecake? Our baked deep vanilla cheesecake is a great recipe to get started and elevate your baking skills.
Our springform round cake tin is the perfect piece of cookware for this cheesecake, cooking it evenly until the desired texture is achieved. Cook the cake for approximately one hour until there is a slight wobble in the center and all sides are golden. The raspberry sauce and sugar topping adds a much-needed layer of flavour atop the cheesecake, combining caster sugar, lemon juice, and corn flour.
This vanilla cheesecake accommodates between 10 and 12 people and is ideal when welcoming friends over the holidays.
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Holiday Tiramisu
While we all celebrate the holidays differently, tiramisu remains a constant dessert throughout Christmas and New Year’s meals. Our holiday tiramisu recipe may require an element of finesse to pull off the coffee and mascarpone creams, however, once mastered can quickly become your go-to baked good no matter the occasion.
Begin by whisking the cream, icing sugar, and vanilla in a bowl until stiff peaks form. Next, mix the mascarpone and Baileys in a separate bowl before adding the whipped cream, espresso, and cocoa powder.
You will need a rectangular casserole for the tiramisu, arranging six ladyfingers side-by-side in the middle of the dish. Continue layering the casserole with amaretti cookies and rows of ladyfingers until the bottom of the baking dish is filled. Finish by topping evenly with the cream and coffee mixtures and refrigerate at the very least for one hour, or ideally overnight.
Dust with a generous amount of cocoa powder before serving and offer your guests a bakery-worthy tiramisu from the comfort of your own home.
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Panettone
Panettone originates from Milan, Italy and is typically prepared over Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Our panettone recipe is relatively easy to put together, serving the entire family in a flash. Begin by combining all the starter ingredients in a bowl and let it sit out at room temperature for eight to 12 hours.
The Round Dutch Oven is the perfect piece of cookware to prepare this sweet bread recipe in, creating an ideal environment for the dough to rise with its tight-fitting lid. This Dutch Oven goes from stovetop to the oven with the minimum of fuss, reducing the need for additional pots and minimizing cleanup.
The dark chocolate and figs compliment the panettone wonderfully, ensuring it is not lacking in flavour. This recipe takes over two hours to prepare from start to finish and is good for 12 servings.
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Christmas time is synonymous with baking and mastering new cooking techniques and recipes in the kitchen. Le Creuset’s bakeware is the perfect addition to your growing collection and will equip you with all the baking essentials you need to prepare delicious desserts.
From the iconic apple pie to Nutella cupcakes, these baked goods are holiday classics for a reason and will be on your kitchen table for years to come. These recipes are relatively easy to put together with a little practice and will only get better over the years.
These were just 9 of our favourite baking staples that are perfect when welcoming friends and family into your home over the holiday season. For more inspiration, visit our featured recipes or our holiday recipe book and step up your cooking game this holiday season with some of our favourite meals.
