Eggnog Bread Bake

This is a basic bread pudding or French toast bake, whatever you’d like to call it, with a hint of holiday joy from the eggnog.

Corn Pudding

From the New York Times, “This buttery, fluffy dish comes from Edna Lewis, the African-American chef and cookbook author credited with preserving countless recipes from the old South. It serves as not only a seasonal bridge — a farewell to summer, with winter chill waiting in the wings — but also as a sweetly welcome blurring of the lines between a side dish and a dessert.”

Crème Anglaise

Crème Anglaise

This recipe is very sweet which will be great on a plain cake or unsweet fruit, but if the item being topped is sweet, I would cut back on the sugar content.

Rhubarb curd

Rhubarb curd

This curd is delightful spread on toast, spooned onto a scone, or dolloped onto bread pudding.

Custard

A standard custard recipe that can be served alone or used an ingredient in another rich dessert.

Gianduja Gelato

Gianduja Gelato

You need an ice cream maker for this decadent hazelnut treat. I spent some time house sitting for Jess where I was able to make good use of hers.

Peach Tart

Peach Tart

I used local peaches from the Open Square Farmer’s Market in Holyoke. I baked them into the pillowy love of a goat cheese custard and it was a marriage made in heaven.