Two beautiful, make ahead holiday dessert recipes to bring and share – vegan salted chocolate pudding cups and citrus curd and yogurt fools. This post is sponsored by Mirassou Winery. Thanks for supporting our sponsors! Jump to recipe.
The first holiday party invites arrived before Thanksgiving. For a few weeks anyway, I resolved to ignore them – Christmas planning makes me panicky. The obligations of the season – the cooking, driving, shopping, decorating, baking, wrapping, recitals – can quickly become overwhelming. Before they do, I’m reminding myself that the trappings of Christmas are supposed to make the holiday fun; when they do the opposite, it’s time to step back and focus on the joyful moments – putting a Christmas record on the turntable; pouring mugs of apple cider and sitting on the couch with Brian; listening to the girls read their (hilarious) wish lists. These are the moments that make the season.
In the spirit of keeping the holidays enjoyable and festive, I’ll be bringing a few bottles of Mirassou wine to give to my hosts. I’ve also been tinkering with easy, delicious make-ahead holiday dessert recipes that will transport well to all my yuletide events. And these two sweets – vegan chocolate pudding cups and yogurt and citrus curd fools – fit the bill perfectly. The pudding is made in a blender, while the fools call for a quick stovetop citrus curd.
A cheery staple of the holiday season, fresh citrus doesn’t get much better than the satsuma, a beautifully sweet and tender variety of mandarin, that was once a rarity in the States but is now increasingly common. They maintain their lovely sweetness when made into a curd, which offers more nuanced flavor than traditional lemon curd. Greek yogurt adds creaminess and a gentle tang for contrast. The sliced satsumas on top are eye-catching but also provide a little texture in these creamy treats. The resulting citrus fool went wonderfully with Mirassou Chardonnay, whose tangerine notes and creamy mouth feel complemented the layers of fresh citrus delightfully.
This vegan salted chocolate pudding is an especially great dessert for a diverse crowd. It’s dairy-free, so revelers who are vegan or lactose-intolerant can partake, but it’s so rich, creamy, and chocolaty that partygoers without any special dietary concerns will be just as smitten. What’s more, in this season of overdoing it, a pudding with a base of avocado and banana serves as a welcome respite from butter and sugar. I paired my pudding with Mirassou Winery’s Pinot Noir – its balanced body and hints of cherry and red currant highlighted the rich depths of the pudding wonderfully.
Lastly, we have a very exciting announcement: as part of our partnership with Mirassou Winery, we’re thrilled to offer a giveaway that will help you create these holiday treats at home.
Update: The Brooklyn Supper + Mirassou giveaway is now closed and a winner has been selected! Thanks to all who participated! See entry details and official rules here.
An easy vegan blender chocolate pudding recipe made with wholesome avocados and bananas. For best results, make pudding ahead of time and chill in the fridge overnight.
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk (13.5-ounce), refrigerated upside down overnight
- 2 firm, ripe avocados
- 1 large banana
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
- 2 - 3 tablespoons non-dairy milk of choice
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, plus more for top
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In the pitcher of a blender or food processor, combine avocados, banana, maple syrup, cocoa powder, non-dairy milk, and sea salt.
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Spoon into 1/2 - 1 cup containers, press a sheet of plastic wrap on the top of the pudding to prevent a skin, and chill for 2 hours or overnight.
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Before serving, make coconut cream (recipe here).
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To serve, top pudding with a generous pinch sea salt and a dollop of whipped coconut cream.
A light, tangy recipe for citrus curd fools made with Satsuma mandarins and Greek yogurt. For best results, make fools ahead of time and refrigerate overnight.
- 2 satsuma oranges, preferably organic
- 1 large lemon, preferably organic
- 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar, divided
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups Greek yogurt
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Zest citrus. Set aside.
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Juice satsumas and lemon for 1/2 cup juice. Pour juice into a heavy-bottomed saucepan; turn heat to medium or medium-high. Bring juice to a simmer, whisking frequently, and cook until it has reduced to 1/4 cup, 5 – 8 minutes. Return heat to medium, whisk in butter and 3 tablespoons sugar, stirring until melted. Turn heat to low.
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In a medium-sized bowl, beat egg. Whisking vigorously, add several tablespoons of hot citrus mixture. Continue adding a few tablespoons at a time until egg mixture has warmed. Whisking all the while, whisk egg mixture into warm citrus mixture. Adjust heat as needed to achieve a gentle bubble. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture has thickened considerably and the whisk leaves trails in the curd, 3 - 5 minutes. If egg has cooked or clumped up at all, strain curd with a fine mesh sieve. Remove from heat, stir in reserved zest, and set aside.
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Slice top and bottom from two satsumas. Using downward strokes, cut off peel. Slice peeled satsumas into 1/4-inch thick rounds.
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Stir 1 teaspoon sugar into Greek yogurt.
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Add a 2 tablespoon dollop of yogurt to the bottom of 4 1-cup glass jars. Next, add a tablespoon of curd. Continue layering, until all the yogurt has been used. Use a spoon to swirl layers – a single turn will do. Top with 2 satsuma rounds, cover, and chill 4 hours or overnight.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Mirassou Winery. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that make Brooklyn Supper possible!
I’m not much of a cook myself, but I love cookbooks. I own a stack of them just for the photography alone. But when I do get the occasion to cook for friends, just about anything from a Jamie Oliver cookbook works. He has a Thai bake-in-a-foil-bag recipe that is amazing. A wine or a microbrew is always nice to bring as well.
pie, of course 🙂
happy holidays!!!
I love warm, homemade bread for the holidays! The time off from work makes it easy, and its worth the extra effort!
I often get assigned the drink portion of the gathering, so a festive cocktail is often in tow. For a large crowd, mulled wine is generally my go to, but for something smaller…anything with bubbles. 🙂
lately i am loving making a butternut squash dip inspired by ottolenghi….. everyone loves it!
Love making pear and Brie , topped with brown sugar and cinnamon on croissant for Christmas morning.
I love to make duck prosciutto. It’s easy, and in a week of inactive time you have something that’s really lovely as part of a cheese plate for appetizers.
I always like to try new recipes to bring for the holidays. I took a cranberry upside down cake to a tree trimming party over the weekend, and was so sad that I had to leave it behind.
Growing up however, we always gave food gifts to family friends for the holidays. We made loaves of sandwich bread, batter breads like zucchini and pumpkin, and chocolate chip cookies and gingersnaps. It was one of my favorite family traditions.
pumpkin bourbon cheesecake!!!! NOM NOM 🙂
I always bring my family’s “Christmas Tree Cookies” to holiday parties and I even give them as gifts in a cookie tin! They’re a caramel shortbread cookie with confectioners sugar icing and we garnish them with holiday sprinkles. So, essentially they’re like gold in our household during December, our family loves them. This has been a long-standing tradition for years and we always take a full day, usually the first week of December, to make as many cookies as we can (one year I think we made a couple hundred) for gifts and so we can enjoy them all month long. The original cookie press we use to make the shortbread cookies came from my grandmother and we use it every year as part of the tradition.
I really love bringing a specialty drink! Prosecco with a splash of raspberry liquor or Chambord, and a few fresh raspberries. It feels so festive, it has been at every Christmas celebration I can remember and makes me think of happy times, friends, and family!
I’m a trashy traditionalist or maybe nouveau economical guest. I like to bring a good beverage that’s winter appropriate and on-budget and perhaps something that reflects my families traditions without me having to spend a ton of time and stress and dishwashing. Crackers-Fig Jelly and soft cheese is on the fancy side, Ho-Ho’s displayed on the best thrift store plate with attacking napkins and a 6 pack is the other end. It depends how the two year old is behaving.
Now, If I had a Vita-Mix: who knows what wonders could happen!
When we moved to the US, my father always prepared amaretto crêpes on Christmas eve; we would roll them up with fresh lemon & sugar. I’m carrying on the tradition, nostalgic food is the most delicious. 🙂
Labor of love lebkuchen. And a friend’s recipe for a fresh cranberry chutney that has become one of our own family traditions. Happy holidays!
First and foremost, these photos are just stunning! I want to blow them up and frame them in my kitchen (I won’t, obviously, but they’re gorgeous!)
Secondly, love these pudding cups! I’ve gotten into a bad habit of making pudding on the regular as a chocolatey late night snack and this vegan version sounds simply rich and delightful. Can’t wait to give it a go!
My favorite thing to bring for the holidays is chocolate mousse. I make it at my sister’s house for Christmas every year at my sister’s request and the guests always gobble it up! 🙂
Wishing you and your fam a happy holiday season! xoxo
I love bringing dessert, especially pies. This way I get to have a piece of my own homemade pie without having a huge plate leftover tempting me 🙂
I typically bring a big cookie plate with a variety of cookies culled from the dozens I’ve baked and frozen in advance.
I’m first generation with both my parents from Mexico. They now live in the midwest and we try our best to preserve our traditions! Favorite being coming together for two days to make more than 300 tamales, with 3 varieties. Labor of love!
Homemade truffles, freshly baked bread, or some great cheese and parmesan crisps are my go-to holiday goods to bring to parties!
I’m the dessert girl — I always come with a tart, pie, or cookies and I especially love gingerbread!
Homemade eggnog ice cream! —homemade eggnog>store-bought eggnog & eggnog ice cream>eggnog
Chutneys- Great to make in batches for give away, and can be opened during the party of the host likes, with leftovers still delicious for them to have later for themselves.
I love to bring nonperishable homemade candy!
Booze is usually what I bring. Something warm and comforting like a mulled wine or a port to sip after dinner.
I really love these desserts, though. Maybe they’ll be my new signature thing to bring!
I really love bringing classic English scones to holiday parties! I mix plump golden raisins in it so there’s a pop of sweet flavor when you eat it with butter or whatever spread available. My favorite is to have these scones with clotted cream and perhaps a seasonal jam or compote.
Vegan and/or gluten free pumpkin maple tart with homemade whipped coconut cream!
Can’t wait to try that choc dessert above!
I love to bring cookies!
Wine, always! And something sweet. You can never have too many desserts.
I usually bring wine
I really like to bring over cheese, a variety of cured meats, and cornichons so that we have plenty to snack on as we cook all day. I usually bring over some kind of dessert; I like a good ginger cake with fresh whipped cream!
I love experimenting with hummus recipes to accompany veggies and chips for the holidays. This year, I plan to make a cranberry-white bean hummus and a butternut squash hummus.
Always a bottle of good red wine, like a Pinot Noir or Meritage, and something sweet and homemade for the hosts, like chocolate bark or sugary toasted nuts.
Rosemary shortbread cookies!
Appetizers! I could eat whole meals of just apps. My most popular ones at parties are sausage cheddar balls, little phyllo cups with a mix of sauteed mushrooms, shallots, thyme, and goat cheese, and a delicious dip made from sun dried tomatoes, goat cheese, and garlic.
My Favorite Hostess Gift this time of year is a Box Filled with Hot Toddy Ingredients: some local Apple Cider / Fresh Lemons / Cinnamon Sticks / Local Honey / and a small bottle of Bourbon. A party in a box!
I love sharing homemade nut mixes, fudge, and cookies during the holidays.
It’s a running joke in my family that I bring a different dish each year, but it always has carmelized onions in it! I love them!
happy wednesday to you! i don’t yet have a favorite or a go-to thing to bring to parties, although i’m really looking forward to finding some. i haven’t actually been to many parties as an adult (beyond the ones that start at 10pm and only require booze of the cheapest variety) so i haven’t had much opportunity to supply party-ready food. there’s a new years brunch party we plan on attending and i’m already thinking about what kind of dish to bring. i do know that i want it to fulfill a role that’s often underrepresented in potluck-type shindigs: something fun and savory yet wholesome and enjoyable for a range of dietary needs (gluten-free, probably vegan). so far, i’m uncharacteristically stumped! wish me luck. haha. xo
oh, and the comments here are gold–good call prompting people to share their holiday party food ideas! Allizon mentioned tamales and now it’s all i can see. glory glory!
My favorite thing to bring to holiday parties are mini indivual-sized portion of different foods, just like the yummy desserts you’ve posted above! These always seem to be a hit at our office potlucks so far and I’ve since been designated as the dessert-bringer :p One of my latest recipes were indiviual 7-layer dips and also a pumpkin praline trifle. Thanks so much for these great dessert ideas!!
I am in love with cheese so my go-to app to bring to a party is a cheese ball. Simple but insanely good!
I like to give jars of hot chocolate mix and I keep the smitten kitchen recipe on my phone. Here it is!
“HOT CHOCOLATE
Yield: Just under 1 3/4 cups mix, enough for 9 cups; packs up well in a 2-cup jar
Prep time: Seriously like 10 minutes
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon (8 grams) cornstarch
3 ounces (85 grams) semi- or bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
1/2 cup (40 grams) cocoa powder, any kind you like
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract or the seeds from a tiny segment of fresh vanilla bean
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt or 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until powdery. Don’t have a food processor? Chop or grate the chocolate until it is as fine as you can get it, and stir it into the remaining ingredients. Mixture keeps in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 months.
To use: Heat one cup of milk (coconut, almond or others would work here too) in a saucepan over medium heat until steamy. Add 3 tablespoons hot cocoa mix. Whisk over heat for another minute or two, until it begins to simmer and mix is completely dissolved. Pour into mug, top with mini-marshmallows or a dollop of whipped cream and hide somewhere nobody will make you share give it to someone you love.”
I have not won something in a long while, that vitamix is mine!
The salted chocolate pudding cups are calling my name.
I really love bringing infused alcohols or homemade Irish cream to parties or gluten-free cakes. My MIL has celiac, and so I’ve taken on the role of making sure I bring something she can enjoy, which has translated to bringing them everywhere I go.
Unless I know that someone in the household cannot drink alcohol, I often bring a bottle of white wine as a gift
People who invite me to a party during the holiday often ask me to bake a dessert item, such as cookies made from scratch, because they enjoy them, so, if they ask me to prepare a particular baked good, that is what I make and bring to share at the party
Red wine sangria!! Perfect for the holidays!
One of my favorite things to bring is aged Tilamook cheddar, a jar of blackberry Serrano jam, and crackers. It’s tasty, surprising, and if the hostess already has plenty of snacks she can save it for another day.
One of my favorite things to bring to a holiday host are my grandma’s spicy cheese straws. They let me share a piece of my family and some regional flavors.
I typically bring a bottle of wine though if it would nice to bring the ingredients for a dark & stormy or a Kir Royale. For dessert, I’m a fan of bringing really good chocolate bars.
I would have to say that my favorite thing to bring would be my honey glazed carrots
There’s something about an apple pie that says “warmth” and “love” to me, so that’s what I like to share! As friend’s and family’s dietary restrictions have changed, it can also be made gluten-free and delicious. On that note, I can’t wait to try the Salted Chocolare Pudding cups. They look delicious.
My favorite thing to bring to holiday gatherings is a big plate of almond cookies! So classic. Thanks for the giveaway opportunity!
Flowers might be nice if no one is allergic…
I love making the pie’s.
I make a mean butternut, grape, feta and pistachio salad that even the veg averse seem to like- that and humos! It’s still surprising around here when you say you make your own 🙂
My favorite thing to bring is peanut brittle we make a lot for holiday parties
I always bring the wine and always a great variety of cheese and breads!
I love to bring homemade baked goods. My favorite is a tiramisu cheesecake or lemon rosemary cookies. Yummy
When I can I like to bring a treat that features the hosts favorite food, but if I’m unable to I try to bring glassware that I’ve seen in the person’s home. Either it’s a new piece that has come out or an interesting item that is a bit hard to find.
Also, I am ALL about the Salted Chocolate Pudding Cups, that recipe and these images are divine. I can’t wait to make them. And thank you for the awesome giveaway!
First and foremost booze. After that’s been taken care of it would have to be a side dish, a salad, a roasted vegetable, an unexpected grain.
happy holidays!
Carrot cake
I like to bring homemade chocolate truffles. They are vegan and gluten-free so everyone can enjoy them and they do!
In my ideal world, I would love to bake fresh Stollen every Christmas to share. I was introduced to it many years ago and fell in love. Home baked breads are my absolute favorite things to eat and give to others. Maybe I’ll get time to make Stollen this year
These are freaking fantastic! Not done yet, but was licking the spatula on the pudding. Wondering, could you make and top the coconut cream and chill overnight? Or is it better quite fresh?
Great question, Erin! I honestly did not think to do that when I tested these. Coconut cream holds up well (better than whipped cream), so I think it could be a good option, and save you the trouble of using plastic to prevent a skin on top of the pudding. I’d cover the very top with a lid or plastic, but my guess is that it will work.
Keep me posted, please!
Chocolate cookies because there is no such thing as too much chocolate