Everyone waits in anticipation for Christmas and New Year to indulge in yummy desserts. With friends and family coming over and enjoying a great time together, it’s also the time to give into your sweet tooth. Indulge in yummy desserts without guilt; for this is that time of the year when everyone celebrates and makes merry.
Making desserts at home is quite easy. Numerous dessert recipes are available online with step-by-step instructions.

Here are a few yummy, easy-to-make dessert recipes that will delight your kids and family.

Bread pudding

If it’s Christmas, bread pudding is a must. You don’t have to go far to taste the best bread puddings in town as this dessert recipe can be made within a few minutes. An easy-to-make dessert, bread pudding is an all-time favorite. All you need is challah, Jewish egg bread, eggs, sugar, whipped cream, and milk. For added flavor, nutmeg and vanilla complete the picture.

Here is a step-by-step instruction to make bread pudding:

• Grease a dish and keep it aside.
• In a big bowl, combine 3 ½ cups of whole milk, 1 ½ cups of whipped cream, 2 cups sugar (brown/white is your choice. You can even combine both in equal proportions), 1 tbsp of vanilla extract, and ⅛ freshly ground nutmeg.
• Add 8 eggs and whisk well, until all the ingredients are well mixed.
• Now, it’s time to add a day-old of 1 pound Jewish bread, along with a cup of raisins/cherries.
• Pour this into the dish and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Bake at 350F for an hour and 15 minutes.
• Enjoy your warm bread pudding with sweetened whipped cream.

Gingerbread cookies

These cookies are loved by all. Made in all shapes and sizes, they are a huge hit with kids. Bake them with your kids and carve out a gingerbread house as well.

Here’s a quick n easy dessert recipe for buttery gingerbread cookies:

• Preheat the oven to 350 F.
• Combine 300g plain flour, one tsp baking powder, one tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground cloves, and two tsp of black pepper (freshly ground) in a food processor.
• Keep it aside and slowly blend in 100 g soft butter and 100 g dark brown sugar. Add in 2 beaten eggs and 4 tbsp of honey.
• Divide the dough into two discs. Use cutters in various shapes and cut out the gingerbread cookies.
• Arrange them on the baking tray and keep them in the oven for 20 minutes
• Leave them on a wire rack to cool.
• Bite into the warm cookies, topped with icing and sparkles.

Fruit cake

Candied fruit, dried fruits, nuts, and spices, soaked in spirits, combined with flour, eggs, and sugar, this mouth-watering fruitcake will win you compliments. It’s so delicious that you can’t avoid a second helping.

It’s best to let the fruits and nuts mature in rum/brandy to get the full flavor. The following recipe will  help you make the dessert within few minutes:

• 1 kg of dried fruits (mix of raisins, figs, prunes, sultanas, cranberries)
• One orange- with its juice and zest
• One lemon- with its juice and zest
• 100g ground almonds
• 150 ml whiskey, rum, brandy, or sherry
• 200g brown sugar
• 250g  softened butter
• 175g all-purpose flour
• Four eggs, large
• Two tsp  spice mix
• One tsp cinnamon, finely ground
• ¼ tsp  cloves, finely ground
• ½ tsp baking powder
• One tsp vanilla essence
• 100g flaked almond

Instructions

• Set a big pan over medium flame. Add the dried fruits, sugar, fruit zest, butter, juice, and whiskey/rum/brandy/ sherry. Bring to a boil. Reduce the flame and simmer for 5 minutes. Keep it aside for 30 minutes so that it cools down.
• Heat the oven to 150 degrees C and line a cake mold/ tin with a double-layered baking sheet. Cover the outer side of the tin in two layers of newspaper.
• Add all the other ingredients to the cooled fruit mixture. Stir well and ensure that there are flour pockets. Pour into the cake tin and bake it for 2 hours.
• Take the baked cake out of the oven. Poke holes and add 2 tbsp of rum/brandy and allow it to cool completely
• You can bake this dessert with the help of the recipe before Christmas and keep it moist by regularly adding your choice of alcohol. The more it matures, more delicious would be the taste.

Creamy rice pudding

If you’re looking for how to make rice pudding, here is a quick and simple recipe:

• In a large saucepan, boil 1 ½ cups of water. Add ¾ cup white rice. Lower the heat, close the saucepan with a lid and let the rice cook for about 20 minutes.
• Take another saucepan, mix the cooked rice, 1 ½ cups of milk, ⅓ cup white sugar, and ¼ tsp salt. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, till the consistency, thickens and it gets to a creamy texture. Now, add one egg, well beaten, along with  ⅔ cup raisins and ½ cup of milk. Cook for two more minutes, while you keep stirring for consistency. Take the saucepan off the gas stove and add 1 tbsp butter and one tsp vanilla extract.
• Pull over your aprons, spatulas, and measuring spoons and enjoy a sweet celebration with these yummy dessert recipes.