December, 2023
By Dayana Quezada, Senior Staff Reporter
As Christmas is fast approaching we all have to start planning what to cook for family gatherings, parties, or even a treat for ourselves. Today we are going to suggest desserts you can make at home that are as impressive as anything you can buy at the store. And since we know that money does get a little tight around Christmas, the total prices for each dessert with ingredients are included.
Red Velvet Cake
The first Christmas dessert you can make is red velvet cake. Its eye-popping red color helps in fitting the festive vibes by making for an iconic dessert to bake and decorate for Christmas. This is an excellent dessert to eat and share with others after your big Christmas meal. However, take into consideration that this dessert is quite pricey. But it is for sure worth making. This cake does require you to buy some things you might not have at home. Its taste and texture are worth it due to its perfect balance of soft, sweet, tangy, and creamy deliciousness, making an ideal dessert if you have a sweet tooth.
Based on the ingredients, this dessert will cost you around $32.84 or more (depending on the brands you may choose) making it an expensive dessert. Here are some ingredients you need if you plan on making it:
(1 box) Cake Flour ($3.24)
(1 bag) Cocoa powder ($4.99)
(4 sticks) Butter ($3.98)
(1 bag) Sugar ($3.24)
(12) Eggs ($5.99)
(½ gallon) Buttermilk ($3.62)
(1) Red food coloring ($1.49)
(1 bottle) Vinegar ($1.19)
(1 bottle) Oil ($3.52)
(1 small bottle)Vanilla ($1.58)
Jam-Filled Cookies
One of the classic Christmas desserts is cookies. The tradition of putting cookies and milk for Santa inspired this next dessert: jam-filled cookies. This dessert is small but can be a great sweet treat. Compared to the red velvet cake, this dessert isn’t as hard, will take less time, and is less pricey to make. These cookies are soft and chewy, perfect for people who are craving a treat that isn’t too sweet. As a bonus, these cookies can make for a good little gift by adding them into treat bags for your guests to take!
Ingredients needed to make these cookies are:
All-purpose flour ($4.34)
Vanilla extract ($6.98)
Salt ($0.64)
Sugar ($3.24)
Egg yolks ($5.99)
Jam (any flavor of your liking!) ($2.48)
The total money spent on this dessert in total will be $23.67 or more making it one of the easiest and affordable treats to make.
Apple Pie
In writing about Christmas desserts, of course, we can’t forget about pie. This dessert symbolizes harvest which is why many eat it on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Pie makes a great dessert to share amongst family and friends because its size makes it easy to share among everyone. Pie typically isn’t too sweet, depending on which type you choose to bake, so it’s great for people who don’t have a sweet tooth. It’s known for its flavor and buttery crust which creates a good combination of texture and flavors. This dessert does take some time to bake and requires more ingredients.
The total price for this pie would be around $22.36 or more. There are many types of pies you can make, so here are the ingredients to specifically bake an apple pie:
Pie crust ($1.26)
Butter ($3.98)
Salt ($0.64)
Lemon juice ($0.98)
Cinnamon( $1.24)
Nutmeg ($2.24)
Apple ($5.34 for 5)
All-purpose flour ($4.34)
Brown sugar ($2.34)
Gingerbread Men
Another traditional cookie that you can make during the Christmas season is gingerbread men. With baking gingerbread men, you can decorate them in as many creative ways as possible. It makes for a good and fun activity for children, friends, and families, creating many memories. Once done decorating, they make for a delicious treat to have anywhere or have with a glass of milk or hot chocolate. These cookies tend to have a crunchy and crumbly texture while being crispy and soft on the inside at the same time. You might think it’s gonna be one of the cheapest to make, but it’s not if you are choosing to make it from scratch.
The total for this would be around $36.66 making it the most expensive dessert on our list. The ingredients you’ll need to make the gingerbread men are:
Flour ($4.34)
Butter ($3.98)
Brown sugar ($2.34)
Molasses ($3.48)
Ginger ($2.24)
Cinnamon( $1.24)
Salt ($0.64)
Baking powder ($2.63)
Vanilla ($6.98)
Egg ($5.99)
Baking soda($0.92)
Frosting ($1.88)
These are just some dessert ideas you can make for Christmas. Remember, prices will vary if you are using different ingredients. Of course, there are many different ingredients for each dessert so make sure you double-check and make sure you have all the ingredients and find a recipe online that will help you bake these delicious treats. So in getting ready for the Christmas season, will you be making any of these desserts? If so have fun baking!!
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