Who doesn’t love the holidays? Christmas carols, holiday décor, spending time with friends and family and best of all – lots of delicious meals! I teamed up with my friends at Graeter’s Ice Cream this holiday season to share a few holiday dessert recipes! I’ve created these decadent desserts to make the holidays even more special with my loved ones this year.
I wanted to create desserts that are not only easy to make but also delicious to eat! I came up with a “Spiced Fruit Bake” and a “Peppermint-Chocolate Ice Box Cake” and I’m sure that you’ll love both!
Spiced Fruit Bake:
Note: This recipe was baked in a three-cup baking dish. To bake in a larger dish, double the ingredients.
Ingredients:
1 Cup Chopped Pineapple
2 Chopped Apples (Dealers choice! I used Macintosh but Granny Smith would also be perfect.)
1 Chopped Pear
1/3 Cup Cranberries
Juice from 1/2 of a lemon
4 Tablespoons Butter (Can substitute with coconut oil.)
1 Teaspoon Nutmeg
2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
4 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Chopped Walnuts
1 Pint Graeter’s Bourbon Pecan Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Instructions:
- Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
- Mix chopped pineapple, apple, pear, cranberries and lemon juice together and place into baking dish.
- Melt butter and blend with nutmeg, cinnamon, and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar.
- Pour butter and spice blend evenly over the fruit in the baking dish.
- Top the fruit with remaining 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and chopped walnuts.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until top turns crispy/brown (whichever comes first).
- Let cool for 10 minutes.
- Top with Graeter’s Bourbon Pecan Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
- Enjoy!
Left: fruit topped with butter and spice mix (step 4). Right: pre-baked dish (step 5).
Spiced fruit bake – post bake!
The final product! Spiced-fruit bake topped with Graeter’s Bourbon Pecan Chocolate Chip Ice Cream.
Peppermint-Chocolate Ice Box Cake:
Note: This recipe was baked in a three-cup baking dish. To bake in a larger dish, double the ingredients.
Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Chocolate Wafer Cookies (Chopped/crumbled into crumbs.)
1 Tablespoon Butter (Can substitute with coconut oil.)
1 Cup Heavy Cream
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1 Tablespoon Confectioners’ sugar
2 Large Candy-Canes (Crushed into crumbs.)
2 Small Candy Canes (Optional.)
1 Pint Graeter’s Peppermint Stick Ice Cream
Instructions:
- Whip heavy cream, cinnamon and vanilla extract until you’ve created a thick whipped cream, set aside.
- Melt butter and mix in bowl with chocolate wafer crumbs (keep 2 tablespoons of chocolate wafer crumbs aside).
- Spoon butter/chocolate wafer blend into baking dish and use spoon to flatten the bottom layer.
- Use half of the whipped cream to create an even layer on top of the chocolate wafer blend, use spoon to even out the layer.
- Use entire pint of Peppermint Stick ice cream and create a third layer, on top of the whipped cream, use spoon to even out the layer.
- Use remaining half of whipped cream to create the top layer.
- Use remaining 2 tablespoons of chocolate wafer crumbs to top the entire dish.
- Use crumbs from the two large candy-canes to create a border (or other design!) around the dish.
- Use two small candy-canes to create a heart on top of the dish.
- Set in freezer for at least two hours.
- Slice, serve and enjoy!
Top right: bottom layer (step 2). Top left: whipped cream layer (step 4 & 6). Bottom right: Peppermint stick layer (step 5). Bottom right: Finished product (steps 7, 8, 9).
A Graeter’s peppermint stick slice of heaven.
Who wouldn’t want to indulge in this peppermint deliciousness?!
Post-slice, Graeter’s Peppermint Stick layered ice-box cake!
*Disclaimer: this post was made in collaboration with Graeter’s. My opinions, as always, remain my own.
