Showstopper Christmas Desserts

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  Pear Ginger Cake with Rum-Caramel Glaze
  

  It’s a triple-decker stunner that features a soft, tender cake with fresh pears and homemade ginger folded into the batter, and a billowy whipped cream filling and frosting. All is topped with luscious rum-caramel glaze.

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  Chocolate Tart with Salted Caramelized Pistachios

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  Chocolate Tart with Salted Caramelized Pistachios
  

  This buttery shortbread tart crust is filled with rich, dark chocolate and garnished with salty-sweet caramelized nuts and sea salt.

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  Cranberry-Pear Tart in a Walnut Shortbread Crust

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  Cranberry-Pear Tart in a Walnut Shortbread Crust
  

  Bright cranberries steal the show in this over-the-top holiday tart.
  

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  German Chocolate Bombes

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  German Chocolate Bombes
  

  These showstoppers are a creative spin on a classic dessert. Here, individual ganache-glazed chocolate cake bombes are filled with decadent chocolate mousse and creamy pecan-coconut pudding. And, they're the perfect ending for a dinner party because you can make them ahead.

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  Outrageous Coconut-Cream Meringue Cake

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  Outrageous Coconut-Cream Meringue Cake
  

  This cake owes its stunning looks to a billowy meringue frosting that’s spiked and browned all over with a kitchen torch.

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  Hazelnut-Almond Dacquoise

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  Hazelnut-Almond Dacquoise

  This French cake looks dramatic and tastes heavenly. It features layers of light meringue, creamy espresso buttercream, and a chocolate ganache filling.
  

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  Gingerbread-Brandy Trifle

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  Gingerbread-Brandy Trifle
  

  This luscious dessert marries layers of gingerbread cake, chopped crystallized ginger, and a creamy filling spiked with brandy, sparkling wine, and black tea.

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  Chocolate Roulade with Orange-Vanilla Filling

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  Chocolate Roulade with Orange-Vanilla Filling
  

  When you need a showstopper holiday dessert, look no further than this elegant rolled cake, which is inspired by the French bûche de Noël, or yule log.

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  Salty Caramel Croquembouche with Ricotta Cream

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  Salty Caramel Croquembouche with Ricotta Cream
  

  This modern version of the French classic features ricotta cream filling for the puffs and a sea salt caramel coating.

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  Hot Chocolate Layer Cake with Homemade Marshmallows

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  Hot Chocolate Layer Cake with Homemade Marshmallows
  

  All the rich flavor of hot chocolate—in cake form. Homemade marshmallows piled on top seal the deal.

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  Citrus Pomegranate Terrine

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  Citrus Pomegranate Terrine
  

  Much more elegant than a Jell-O mold, this terrine shows off the beauty of fresh winter fruit.

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  Chocolate-Pomegranate Torte

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  Chocolate-Pomegranate Torte
  

  Festive pomegranate meets deep, dark chocolate in this impressive reader-favorite.
  

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  Cheesecake with Cranberry-Cointreau Sauce

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  Cheesecake with Cranberry-Cointreau Sauce
  

  No one passes on dessert when it’s a silky New York-style cheesecake. The cranberry-cointreau sauce makes it especially holiday-worthy.

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  Chocolate Stout Cake

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  Chocolate Stout Cake
  

  Rich, dark, and toasty stout beer plus deeply flavored molasses give the chocolate flavor of this cake some wonderful nuance. With this recipe, you can bake one big beautiful cake, perfect for entertaining, or a dozen irresistible miniature bundt cakes, perfect for gift giving.

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  White Chocolate Macadamia Cake with Raspberries

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  White Chocolate Macadamia Cake with Raspberries
  

  White chocolate leaves, layers of fresh raspberries and raspberry jam, and a sleek coat of buttercream give this three-layer stunner a dressed-up look.
  

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  Savory Ways with Apples