The hors d’oeuvres have been devoured, the entrees have been loved, and now, with three hours left ’til midnight, dessert has some fairly massive footwear — nicely, bellies — to fill.
To not fear! Whether or not the evening requires one thing wealthy, scooped heat from a casserole dish or simple to eat between dances and delicate like Puerto Rican shortbread cookies (aka polvorones), this listing contains a few of TODAY’s favourite desserts. Every one is the right match for New Yr’s Eve.
Samantha Seneviratne
These cookies are useless easy to make however they style particular. You may make the dough nicely upfront and freeze it. Even the baked cookies freeze nicely. Who does not love a recipe that may be prepped forward?
Quentin Bacon
This cheesecake makes use of ricotta as a substitute of cream cheese for a barely extra textured cake. Lemon zest and candied lemon slices present some distinction in taste and the crust is biscotti, not graham crackers, so it’s Italian-coffee-friendly.
TODAY
The identify of those nutty shortbread cookies comes from the phrase “polvo,” which implies mud in Spanish. It references the powdery sugar and crumbly texture of the cookie itself. Many know these as Mexican Wedding ceremony Cookies and even Russian Tea Truffles. It appears each nation has their very own model — and with good purpose, for they’re as simple to make as they’re scrumptious to get pleasure from.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
Espresso is the key ingredient for making chocolate cake tremendous moist and flavorful. This recipe is simple to make — and the jolt of caffeine will assist hold you up till midnight to ring within the New Yr.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
If you’d like an interactive component to your celebration, create a cream puff bar! Present stuffed cream puffs (or let company fill their very own!), quite a lot of melted candies and topping and let your mates go loopy with their very own cream puff creations.
TODAY
In the event you’ve by no means tried these little, pop-in-your-mouth candies crammed with cookie butter, you should. After which you should make them so all of your family and friends can really feel as satiated as you’ll.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
The basic combo of milk and cookies is remodeled into a simple celebration dessert that can make everybody really feel identical to a child once more. You possibly can bake mini variations of your favourite home made chocolate chip cookie recipe or hold issues easy by selecting up a field out of your native grocery retailer or bakery.
TODAY
Attempt serving this beautiful orange cake with a citrusy glowing cocktail. The Alberti brothers recommend accompanying the cake with nondairy ice cream, however it might even be scrumptious with common ice cream.
Frances Largeman-Roth
These silky vanilla bean cheesecake panna cottas are simply the factor to finish a festive meal. They’re wealthy and creamy, and simply the correct dimension to fulfill. Plus, they appear like little votive candles on the desk!
TODAY
Hummingbird cake is a basic Southern dessert that is excellent for the vacations with its cream cheese frosting, pineapples, bananas and pecans. The recipe requires dividing the batter into 12 particular person Bundt cake pans, so every particular person will get their very own cake.
Grace Parisi / TODAY
Come dessert time, serving particular person glasses of tiramisu is a chunk of cake (nicely not actually). Not solely will these impress your company, however everyone seems to be assured to get one! This recipe simply doubles and might be ready in any 8-ounce glass, ramekin or custard cup.
Elana Besser
Anybody on the lookout for a foolproof, festive recipe that may be made anytime between now and New Yr’s Eve morning, look now additional. This icebox cake is so wealthy and flavorful, however nonetheless mild. Additionally, it solely has 5 elements and lasts for months within the freezer, ought to the unlikely occasion occur that there are some leftovers.
Samantha Okazaki / TODAY
Retailer-bought chocolate cake combine and chocolate pudding combine are the secrets and techniques behind this simple cake from Valerie Bertinelli. However with its wealthy mascarpone-ricotta filling and luscious cocoa-mascarpone frosting, it tastes like a labor of affection.
TODAY
Chocolate and coconut are a match made in heaven. This recipe is simple, so decadent and simply occur to be gluten free so you may have a dessert that much more individuals can get pleasure from.
TODAY
Typically a savory twist in my desserts takes the sting off the sweetness. These lemony pecan bars have an earthy component that even non-dessert lovers gained’t give you the option to withstand.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
By mixing in a number of easy elements with pumpkin — suppose vanilla yogurt, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice and a sprinkling of graham cracker — you create a velvety pumpkin pie expertise in a matter of seconds.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
New Yr’s Eve would not be full and not using a few choices of decadent photographs, proper. All kid-friendly, these pie photographs are candy and creamy, and a assured hit at any get-together. Plus, they’re served in shot glasses, which offers the right portion for everybody.
Grace Parisi / TODAY
Use your microwave to organize this molten chocolate cake on your particular somebody and see simply how romantic issues get! Chocolate truffles tucked into the batter soften and create the lava heart for a decadent deal with. They’re simple for a cocktail party, too, and an effective way to rejoice the New Yr.
Courtesy Will Coleman
These little pies are filled with a candy cherry and goat cheese filling and topped off with a savory salt-pepper-sugar coating. The filling is made utilizing each frozen and dried cherries, which provides a complexity of texture and tartness.
TODAY
These cookies are an ode to that gingerbread Christmas basic. The recipe makes use of zesty lemon for a singular twist on the flavour profile that leads to a cookie that is gently crunchy on the skin with a smooth, chewy heart.
Renee Comet / Meals Community
Impressed by the famed Mom’s Restaurant in New Orleans, this dish for a candy, nicely balanced bread pudding is one in every of Sunny Anderson’s go-tos. It has slightly fruit in it, which balances the wealthy chocolate fantastically.
TODAY Illustration / Erica Chayes Wida
The mix of clean peanut butter and wealthy chocolate make this five-ingredient dessert extremely decadent and irresistible to any peanut butter cup fan. It is longstanding household recipe that makes use of boxed cake combine as a base: So simple as it’s scrumptious.
SETON ROSSINI / Candy Envy: Deceptively Straightforward Desserts, Designed to Steal the Present
This recipe is a deconstruction of the Almond Pleasure, reassembled in the very best manner. One chew of this cake, coated in a chocolate fudge sauce and adorned in almonds, and also you’ll be hooked. It is your favourite chocolate bar from childhood, all grown up.
TODAY
Heat, vanilla-scented bread pudding made with Italian Christmas bread is a must-make for the vacations. Whereas it is hearty sufficient to get pleasure from with breakfast, the candy maple and dried fruits make this an exquisite dessert, particularly when company could also be snacking on it up till midnight.
Lanna Apisukh for TODAY
These irresistible, five-ingredient patties from New Orleans have candy notes of creamy caramel and earthy pecans. They don’t seem to be solely filled with taste but in addition an interesting historical past — which you’ll read about here.
Discovery+
Roughly bashed salted pretzels and toasted hazelnuts are stirred into melted chocolate, then adorned with crushed freeze-dried purple strawberries and inexperienced pistachios for additional shade and taste to finish this scrumptious deal with.
TODAY
These bitter cherry and pistachio bars boast sturdy cookie, pie and cobbler vibes multi function. Whereas the bitter cherry provides a vibrant tartness excellent for wintry gatherings, be at liberty to swap out with any jam you get pleasure from. Don’t forget the coconut: That is what makes these bars really shine!
Caroline Choe
This pie, an ode to a basic taste combo, could not be easier to make. Whether or not it is eaten heat out of the oven or chilly the following morning for breakfast, your loved ones or pals will loopy for it.
Johnny Miller
This berry-studded cake is festive sufficient for the vacation desk however comes collectively so simply, you may combine it up anytime. Pop it within the oven as you are sitting down for dinner. You probably have leftovers, nobody will decide you for digging in at breakfast New Yr’s morning.
Waitrose
It is a super-simple, earthy tasting shortbread recipe that mixes candy and savory notes and smells unfathomably like a comfortable fireplace on a chilly winter evening.
