Christmas is nearing and it’s time to prepare to have guests over for a feast of epic proportions. Here are some classic and elegant dessert recipes that will surely bring the festive cheer to your merry party!

1. Pavlova

This dessert looks intimidating with its sophisticated cracks and form but it’s actually really simple to make. You’ll need icing sugar and egg whites, which need to be whisked for about 10 minutes. Add corn flour and vinegar and fold it into the meringue.

The result will be a wonderful marshmellowy meringue mixture with silky and stiff peaks. Distribute a circular dollop evenly on parchment paper and place the layers in the oven. You can use a piping bag to make your bases evenly shaped.

Spread whipped cream between the Pavlova bases and finish it off with some strawberries and you’ll have a quintessential Christmas dessert ready for your guests to dig into.

Here is another easy recipe to make your pavolva.

2. Trifle

The English trifle involves three simple ingredients: sponge cake, cream, and fresh fruit.

Start with your cake layer and begin putting different fruits around the outside of your bowl. Do the same with each type of fruit that you’ve chosen to use. The cream goes in next, followed by more fruits. You can get creative with additional ingredients like liqueur, vanilla extract, or raspberry sauce, but make sure to add them in the centre so they will be soaked up by the sponge cake at the bottom.

What’s great about this dessert is that you can choose to make them in individual portions or leave it up to your guests to help themselves.

If you fancy a beautifully layered trifle yourself, read this.

3. Yule log

Although making a yule log, or a log cake, may take a lot of time, patience, and effort, it is undeniably a mainstay dessert centerpiece, especially during Christmas.

You’ll start off whisking eggs and caster sugar until the result triples in size. Sift in flour and cocoa powder and fold it into the mixture. Again, you can add additional ingredients like liqueur here. Pour the mixture evenly onto parchment paper and pop it into the oven for about 10 minutes.

Invert your sponge onto baking paper and tightly roll it up, and leave it to cool. In the meantime, work on your cream filling. Evenly spread it into the sponge and roll it back up. Finally, pipe your chilled ganache onto your log, dusted with icing sugar.

Here is a step-by-step recipe that will guide you to making a wonderful yule log for everyone!

4. Pumpkin pie

The trick to a perfect pumpkin pie is ensuring that your crust is cooked well.

To do this, you’ll have to blind-bake your pie shell. This means pre-baking it so you don’t end up with something that’s uncooked halfway through the centre. Place parchment paper and pie weights into your pie shell so the shape of your crust doesn’t change.

For the filling, use pumpkin puree, three eggs, vanilla extract, and salt. The secret to the recipe lies in the spices that are added: cinnamon, finely ground nutmeg, ginger, and Chinese five spice. Finally, add evaporated milk and whisk everything, before filling your pie.

To make the perfect pumpkin pie for the festive season, here is a recipe for you!

5. Croquembouche

A croquembouche is made up of profiteroles stuck onto a cone and bound together with spun sugar. Traditionally served as a celebratory cake in France, this dessert is perfect for any party – and it even looks like a Christmas tree!

First, you need to make your choux pastry for the profiteroles. Once out of the oven, poke a hole in each of them with a skewer and pop them back in the oven for them to dry out. For the filling, you’ll need milk, vanilla bean, egg yolks, sugar, and flour. After whisking and cooling, spoon the filling into a piping bag and fill the profiteroles.

You can use any regular cardboard to make a cone, depending on the size you desire. Keep adding your pastries along the sides of the cone using a sugar and water mixture as glue. Finally, add an elegant touch to your extravagant dessert by making enough spun sugar to drape around the croquembouche.

Here is a great recipe should you want a croquembouche to be on your table at your Christmas dinner.

Although some recipes are certainly not easy to make, they are definitely worth the time and effort. Elegant, beautiful and delicious, the desserts are sure to charm your family and friends!