# Christmas desserts



## Qwertyuiop (Oct 9, 2017)

I grew up with a family that isn’t big on desserts around holidays family dinner

im pretty curious on what are typical desserts that families have during Christmas? Is it the yule log, fruit cake, a pie, iced out sugar cookies Or something else?


----------



## chefpeon (Jun 14, 2006)

Having baked professionally over many holidays, the recurrent best seller always seems to be pie. That's always been number one. Other things that sell well seem to be more dependent on the area you're in. In one location, people really loved the decorated xmas cookies. In another, I was able to sell a good number of yule logs. One place I worked had a pretty good demographic of people of Scandinavian heritage and I created build-your-own kransekake kits which included the prebaked almond rings and ingredients to make the icing with instructions. I also included little paper Scandinavian flags (Norway, Sweden, Finland).
I've also made gingerbread house kits with prebaked pieces, candies and a royal icing recipe. They sold surprisingly well. 

I've always taken stock of the area I'm in, what is currently selling well, listening to customer comments (usually overheard), and the general demographic. I also check out other local establishments to see what they're making and taking note of that as well.


----------



## brianshaw (Dec 18, 2010)

Mince pie!


----------



## jcakes (Feb 18, 2007)

People like traditions - they don't want to branch out for the holidays typically. Last year, we sold individual desserts because of the COVID restrictions on gatherings. We did apple pie bars, apple tarts, pecan tarts, flourless chocolate cakes, cranberry walnut tarts, chocolate caramel tarts, carrot cakes, pumpkin rolls and yule logs. I have a hard time selling anything pumpkin after Thanksgiving though!!


----------



## Qwertyuiop (Oct 9, 2017)

chefpeon said:


> Having baked professionally over many holidays, the recurrent best seller always seems to be pie. That's always been number one. Other things that sell well seem to be more dependent on the area you're in. In one location, people really loved the decorated xmas cookies. In another, I was able to sell a good number of yule logs. One place I worked had a pretty good demographic of people of Scandinavian heritage and I created build-your-own kransekake kits which included the prebaked almond rings and ingredients to make the icing with instructions. I also included little paper Scandinavian flags (Norway, Sweden, Finland).
> I've also made gingerbread house kits with prebaked pieces, candies and a royal icing recipe. They sold surprisingly well.
> 
> I've always taken stock of the area I'm in, what is currently selling well, listening to customer comments (usually overheard), and the general demographic. I also check out other local establishments to see what they're making and taking note of that as well.


Oh really … basically like thanksgivig typical pies minus the pumpkin like apple, pecan, cherry etc. Make sense with the decorated xmas cookie, Yule log and gingerbread

I guess they don't really stray away too far to try other flavours like eggnog or peppermint … keep it simple

yeah that's a good tip to check out what other establishment planning to do this year


jcakes said:


> People like traditions - they don't want to branch out for the holidays typically. Last year, we sold individual desserts because of the COVID restrictions on gatherings. We did apple pie bars, apple tarts, pecan tarts, flourless chocolate cakes, cranberry walnut tarts, chocolate caramel tarts, carrot cakes, pumpkin rolls and yule logs. I have a hard time selling anything pumpkin after Thanksgiving though!!


I guess this year, people a little bit looser on the restrictions now .. probably can go back on whole size desserts, I assumed

flscours pretty similar to thanksgiving except pumpkin

what about like mini cakes 4" decorated like snowman face?


----------



## chefpeon (Jun 14, 2006)

Qwertyuiop said:


> I guess they don't really stray away too far to try other flavours like eggnog or peppermint … keep it simple


Oh.....you reminded me: eggnog cheesecake is a big seller, as well as cranberry hazelnut tarts and gingerbread. I never did much in the way of peppermint.


----------



## Qwertyuiop (Oct 9, 2017)

chefpeon said:


> Oh.....you reminded me: eggnog cheesecake is a big seller, as well as cranberry hazelnut tarts and gingerbread. I never did much in the way of peppermint.


I was thinking about cheesecake … how do you make eggnog cheesecake? you actually use eggnog from a carton and mix In the cheesecake batter?

my cheesecake is just cream cheese, mascarpon, egg, sugar and vanilla extrac…. Adding straight up eggnog to the batter will change the consistency of my cheesecakes


----------



## chefpeon (Jun 14, 2006)

Qwertyuiop said:


> I was thinking about cheesecake … how do you make eggnog cheesecake? you actually use eggnog from a carton and mix In the cheesecake batter?
> 
> my cheesecake is just cream cheese, mascarpon, egg, sugar and vanilla extrac…. Adding straight up eggnog to the batter will change the consistency of my cheesecakes


Pretty easy to find a recipe on the internet😉 https://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/eggnog-cheesecake/#tasty-recipes-32070


----------



## fatcook (Apr 25, 2017)

Honestly, you can just add nutmeg and call it eggnog flavor and people will be happy.


----------



## Qwertyuiop (Oct 9, 2017)

chefpeon said:


> Pretty easy to find a recipe on the internet😉 https://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/eggnog-cheesecake/#tasty-recipes-32070


Yeah I know but don't want the added liquid eggnog

we offer different flavours cheesecakes as well… we only picked flavours that doesn't change the consistency of the cheesecake filling itself, it what my customers like, it not like soft Cheesecake Factory type .. like fruit for example, we reduce fruit purée to almost like paste or thick enough that can hold up itself and we swirl it in or flavours that is already dry type


----------



## Qwertyuiop (Oct 9, 2017)

fatcook said:


> Honestly, you can just add nutmeg and call it eggnog flavor and people will be happy.


Lol funny timing, you posted the same time as me
i could try add nutmeg and see if it work


----------



## chefpeon (Jun 14, 2006)

Qwertyuiop said:


> Lol funny timing, you posted the same time as me
> i could try add nutmeg and see if it work


In addition, add rum compound. I've flavored my cheesecakes with just nutmeg and rum and called them eggnog cheesecakes; it works fine and people buy them. The link I included to an eggnog cheesecake recipe was merely an example that information can be found pretty easily on the internet.

I mean....adding flavorings to an already existing and preferred cheesecake recipe is kind of basic knowledge if you're a professional. It surprises me it didn't occur to you.


----------



## Qwertyuiop (Oct 9, 2017)

chefpeon said:


> In addition, add rum compound. I've flavored my cheesecakes with just nutmeg and rum and called them eggnog cheesecakes; it works fine and people buy them. The link I included to an eggnog cheesecake recipe was merely an example that information can be found pretty easily on the internet.
> 
> I mean....adding flavorings to an already existing and preferred cheesecake recipe is kind of basic knowledge if you're a professional. It surprises me it didn't occur to you.


Not every flavour work out from making a version of the real ingredient/product …. Sometime it work, sometime it just suck with a bad imitation… has nothing to do with being a pro lol … I had thought of just adding nutmeg, I just don't think it can be as good as the real thing … will do a sample to see


----------



## brianshaw (Dec 18, 2010)

I’m not sure of your recipe proportions but it’s likely that the custard will support a fair amount of eggnog or rum and still have great texture. If adding 2 cups of eggnog to a batch, for example, one more egg will balance out the filling.

Most likely, replacing the marscapone with eggnog and adding some nutmeg will get you started in a very positive way.


----------



## fatcook (Apr 25, 2017)

brianshaw said:


> I'm not sure of your recipe proportions but it's likely that the custard will support a fair amount of eggnog or rum and still have great texture. If adding 2 cups of eggnog to a batch, for example, one more egg will balance out the filling.
> 
> Most likely, replacing the marscapone with eggnog and adding some nutmeg will get you started in a very positive way.


But really, there is no point adding eggnog to a cheesecake - they are the same base ingredients (egg, sugar, dairy). Once you add the nutmeg to the cheesecake it tastes like eggnog. We do a 'Eggnog Creme Brulee' and the only difference is the added nutmeg - creme brulee is pretty much baked eggnog to begin with.


----------



## STEPHEN WOODARD (Aug 13, 2019)

stollen, always a favorite, but a little difficult and pricey to make. Anyone else make it?


----------



## chefpeon (Jun 14, 2006)

STEPHEN WOODARD said:


> stollen, always a favorite, but a little difficult and pricey to make. Anyone else make it?


It's so weird......in all my 30 years, I've never been able to get Stollen to sell very well. Even in neighborhoods with an older demographic. Maybe it's not really a West Coast thing. Many 
people don't know what it is, so they don't buy it.


----------



## brianshaw (Dec 18, 2010)

chefpeon said:


> It's so weird......in all my 30 years, I've never been able to get Stollen to sell very well. Even in neighborhoods with an older demographic. Maybe it's not really a West Coast thing. Many
> people don't know what it is, so they don't buy it.


LOL... Cost Plus World Market has more stollen for sale than I've ever seen before. Different brands, etc, etc. Every year. But I never see anyone buying it. Could it be the same stollen every year?


----------



## chefpeon (Jun 14, 2006)

brianshaw said:


> LOL... Cost Plus World Market has more stollen for sale than I've ever seen before. Different brands, etc, etc. Every year. But I never see anyone buying it. Could it be the same stollen every year?


......and here I was bitching about the short shelf life! Maybe they have a super long shelf life......or a half-life......


----------



## STEPHEN WOODARD (Aug 13, 2019)

its a labor of love. Those who like it get it every year, half my family are nordic in backround and we eat it every year, heavy cream and yeast based dough, with a ton of other stuff, I soak pecans and citron in bourbon, after the rise and the bake we plunge it into boiling butter before rolling in vanilla sugar. Old folks say it is fashioned after the swaddled baby jesus, others say the womb of the mother mary. The cardamom makes it a flavor not for everyone, much better than fruitcake and lasts for ever.


----------



## chefpeon (Jun 14, 2006)

STEPHEN WOODARD said:


> its a labor of love. Those who like it get it every year, half my family are nordic in backround and we eat it every year, heavy cream and yeast based dough, with a ton of other stuff, I soak pecans and citron in bourbon, after the rise and the bake we plunge it into boiling butter before rolling in vanilla sugar. Old folks say it is fashioned after the swaddled baby jesus, others say the womb of the mother mary. The cardamom makes it a flavor not for everyone, much better than fruitcake and lasts for ever.


That's what kills me! I worked in bakeries in Scandinavian neighborhoods with an older demographic and you'd think that would be THE PLACE to sell Stollen! But no, it didn't happen. You think you can predict your market, and then you get these kinds of curve balls........


----------



## fatcook (Apr 25, 2017)

I think about stollen, or p_anettone_ each year, but the sales just will not justify the work and time taken away from the real sellers. I am going to try biscotti this year as a pre-packaged grab it and go gift item (in mason jars). If they don't sell, I'll be able to eat the biscotti and reuse the jars.

We do make a limited amount of fruitcake - dried fruit, not candied and lots of rum. They have enough of a following to be worth the time and cost.


----------



## chefross (May 5, 2010)

I always do miniature assortments. Here's my list:
Pecan pie, chocolate eclairs filled with pastry creme, chocolate dipped strawberries, lemon tarts, Lebkuchen, rum balls, walnut crescents, all only 2 bites big.


----------



## dueh (Mar 4, 2015)

Working for a privately owned, and decent sized resort in Colorado we had sliced Stollen, Panettone, Challah braids with pearl sugar, (and many other things from our pastry department) for sale. Then, had to do about 2000 miniatures of each for a Christmas day buffet.

For me at home, I really love an assortment of cookies. I spend a day mixing, and another day baking while trying out a new recipe once in a while. The classics still make it every year. Gingerbread, Sugar Cookies, Shortbread, Oatmeal raisin, Coconut macaroons, etc..


----------

