Ina Garten’s Festive Holiday Desserts

Buttery shortbread cookies are dipped in silky melted chocolate and left to harden for the perfect bite. Dip them into the chocolate at an angle or drizzle the melted chocolate over top for a pretty dessert.

There’s truly no resisting rugelach; a cream cheese pastry filled with jam, nuts and raisins. They’re buttery and flaky with just the right amount of sweetness, and will quickly disappear from your holiday table.

A perfect cake for beginners or those who just don’t want to fuss with good ingredients, Ina Garten knows that simple is usually best.

Chock-full of dried fruit, pecans and warming spices, these mini versions of fruitcake are both pretty and practical — the perfect treat for any holiday celebration.

In Ina’s own words, this is “a showstopper dessert, and you can be cool and relaxed when you serve it.”

Sweetened, shredded coconut added to the batter gives this almond-flavoured dessert a satisfying texture. Covered with sweet cream cheese icing and sprinkled with even more coconut makes this angelic cake even better.

Shortbread cookies are impressive — even more so when they’re homemade. Show off your baking know-how with these cute cookies with raspberry preserves, topped with icing sugar. If you’re bold enough to tackle a charming cut-out design, we’ll show you how.

The Barefoot Contessa brings ease to decadent dishes like this fancy cake. The secret is good-quality ingredients (and a little love, too).

Carrots and ginger work harmoniously to create a comforting taste of winter. This recipe features a two-layer cake packed with grated carrots, sweet raisins and crunchy walnuts, and is coated with a punchy ginger mascarpone frosting.

Warm flavours of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves make for the ultimate chewy spiced cookies. Crystallized ginger bits give the treats added crunch and a punch more flavour.

Honey, pecans and brown sugar combine to create a perfectly sticky topping for these buttery squares.

Prep these festive desserts the night before to make things less hectic the day off. They store beautifully in the fridge and just need a dollop whipped cream before serving.

Crunchy on the outside and chewy in the middle, a well-made macaroon is absolutely irresistible.

Molasses plays a big part in many Acadian desserts, from molasses cookies and taffy to sweet, rich cakes. Indulge your cravings for that deep, rich molasses flavour with this scrumptious cake.

With the tangy flavour of lemons and a light dusting of powdered sugar, these must-try lemon bars from Ina Garten will take your holiday dessert from good to best.

This decadent take on classic bread pudding is made with panettone (Italian Christmas bread), which is similar to brioche but studded with dried fruit. It’s baked until the custard is set and the top turns a light golden brown.

This showstopping Grand Marnier-spiked dessert trifle will wow your guests well before they even take their first bite. There are many layers to this sweet recipe but it will be well worth the extra effort!

Half brownie, half pudding, all this warm, soft and fudgy dessert needs is a big scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.

Cut the dough into star shapes for a festive feel. These scrumptious cookies have a hint of spice and are the perfect addition to your holiday dessert table.

If you’re looking for a simple, yet decadent, recipe for this dessert favourite, look no further than Ina Garten’s classic.

Homemade marshmallows covered in shredded coconut on both the top and bottom for extra crunch and sweet flavour.

Ina uses puff pastry when making this buttery, sugar and spice morning treat that’s sure to get you pumped up for the holiday season.

Piled high with fresh mixed berries, this cloud-like pavlova recipe is a show-stopper.

These pretty treats, bejeweled with dried cherries, are so easy to make and taste great too.

Macadamia nuts are toasted, chopped and rolled with condensed milk, almond extract and shredded coconut for a tropical taste. Dip them in melted semisweet chocolate for a final, ultra-rich touch.

Cream cheese, ricotta and limoncello make up the creamy, sunshiny topping for these easy-to-make dessert bars. They’re sure to be a hit with any crowd!

All the delicious goodness of an apple pie, made even better with extra filling. Ina Garten’s version is filled with crisp, Granny Smith apples, warm spices and a touch of fresh citrus zest.

Savour this classic afternoon treat filled with layers of sugary goodness, a crunchy streusel topping and a maple glaze drizzled on top.