Recipe report: Holiday desserts

From a big catered event to a seasonal lunch or dinner, holiday meals call for festive desserts. These six recipes fit the bill.

Abuelo’s Mexican Restaurant celebrates this holiday season by baking capirotada, a traditional Mexican bread pudding made with toasted bread, cinnamon, raisins and pecans. Served warm with a drizzle of scotch envinada sauce, caramel sauce and whipped cream, Abuelo’s capirotada will be offered for a limited time only, from Nov. 21 to Jan. 2.

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Coconut cream pie is piled high in a buttery crust and served with a garnish of whipped cream and toasted coconut at Dakota’s Steakhouse in Dallas. The recipe for this Southern classic makes two pies to grace the holiday dessert menu.

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Pastry Chef Annika Loureiro of Crossroads restaurant takes a classic fizzy soft drink to new levels this holiday season by incorporating it into a cherry spice cake. She infuses cola into dried cherries by simmering the two together until the fruit becomes plump, then purees it and blends the mixture into cake batter along with Chinese five spice blend.

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Pastry Chef Andrea Upchurch of Blossom in Charleston gives blondies a seasonal twist by adding pumpkin spice to the batter and pumpkin puree to the cream cheese layer. At the restaurant, they are served with ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce, but without those extras, the bars make a sweet handheld treat to pass at a holiday party.

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This delicate cake, developed for the menu at Clif Family Winery in California, goes just as well with a cup of coffee or tea as it does with a glass of dessert wine. Almonds add richness and a nutty flavor to both the cake and frosting.

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Few desserts evoke the aromas and memories of the holiday season quite like gingerbread. This old-fashioned recipe gets a modern update with sugared walnuts as a garnish.

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