Tis the time to haul out the bakeware! I love baking, especially in the cold weather months, as it warms up our home. It’s been really cold in L.A. lately! Below are a few dessert recipes I’m planing to make for our different Christmas celebrations.

Gingersnap Pear Cheesecake – In my post about non-traditional Thanksgiving desserts, I said how much I love cheesecake because of it’s versatility. For Christmas, try one with pears and a gingersnap crust. The flavors complement each other wonderfully. Best thing is that if you know how to make a basic cheesecake, you can have this done in no time. Another thing I like is that it travels well to parties and it can be made ahead of time.

Chocolate Truffles – This recipe takes about three to four hours to make, but it’s well worth it! You can make the chocolate truffles on the weekend and store them (good luck not eating them!) to share at your company’s Christmas party or potluck. The best thing is that you can make so many combinations. These little treats are also great for homemade gifts.

Bark – There are bark recipes galore, but this one with mint candies seems most appropriate. I’m going to make bark for my sister so she can share with her friends at school before they go on their winter break. I’m making different varieties to suit everyone’s tastes. One of my favorite combinations is white chocolate with pistachios and cranberries. The color is just so festive! Did I mention it’s so easy to make and transport? I’m using baggies with colorful ribbon to hand out.

Buche de Noel – I’m so excited to make one of these logs. It’s like the grown up version of the gingerbread house. When I was in high school my french teacher brought one to share with the class and I fell in love. It was delicious! This year I’m going to try to make one from scratch. It’s so festive and you can decorate it as you please. The traditional yule log recipe calls for sponge cake and takes considerable time to make, but I found a recipe that it’s doable. And it doesn’t call for crazy, fancy ingredients.

What dessert are you making this Christmas?