My Favorite Christmas Dessert Recipes: Cookies, Bars, Slices, Loaves, Cakes

Christmas is coming! Do you have good recipes for cookies, bars, slices, loaves or cakes to fall back on for entertaining?

Over the years and through many trial runs, I've amassed a collection of excellent recipes for sweets that I fall back on again and again. These are some of the best dessert recipes I've discovered.

Having good recipes at hand reduces stress about Christmas entertaining. Whip up these delicious treats for your guests and for you!

In this Hub, I share my favorite Christmas dessert recipes. Follow the links to the recipes you're interested in and use the Print function at the bottom of each Hub to print off any of these recipes to have on hand.

Cookies are the perfect edible for Christmas entertaining. They can be made ahead and take just minutes to thaw.

• Cherry Shortbread Cookies Melt-in-your mouth, describes these whipped cherry shortbread cookies you'll want to make again and again. Icing sugar and the addition of cornstarch gives these shortbread cookies their "melting" quality. Top them with bright red or green-colored cherries to add a festive and seasonal touch.

• 4-2-1 Shortbread: Thick Buttery Shortbread Cookies to Die For

  What could be better than a recipe you can remember? Shortbread is one taste sensation that many people feel tops the list as far as richness and satisfaction go. Here's a shortbread cookie recipe sure to become a family favorite. This recipes makes lots of thick, buttery shortbread.

• Lavender Shortbread: How to Make Delicious Cookies With Lavender

  Delicate hints of lavender add an exotic flavor to these shortbread cookies. Lavender goes particularly well with sugar, so this is a winning combo. If you love shortbread this recipe is sure to please. Dusted with icing sugar, these cookies look pretty, too!

• Gingerbread Men Cookies

  Gingerbread men cookies are a traditional favorite around the Holidays. They are cute as a button iced and decorated and they taste delicious with butter icing. These cookies keep well, can be made ahead, and they improve as they sit.

• Peanut Clusters (No Bake Cookies)

  Yummy no-bake peanut clusters have a completely different taste that will have guests guessing at the ingredients and will have you coming back for more! Because they are no-bake, they are made on top of the stove.

• Chocolate Peanut Clusters--Delicious and Easy (No Bake Cookies)

  If you are a chocolate lover, these no-bake cookies are sure to become a favorite. The addition of roasted peanuts adds a nice touch.

Who doesn't enjoy sinking their teeth into chewy and delicious sweet bars?

• Yummy Butter Tart Bars

  If you enjoy the taste of butter tarts but don't have time to make pie crust, butter tart bars offer an easy alternative: the same great taste without all the work.

• Christmas Mincemeat Bars With Crumbly Topping

  Rich-tasting Christmas mincemeat bars are just the thing for holiday entertaining. Make these bars ahead of time and freeze.

• Reeces Pieces Bars--No-Bake Peanut Butter Bar Recipe

  If you like Reeces Pieces or peanut butter cups, this recipe for Reeces Pieces peanut butter bars is sure to please. It's one of my most requested recipes and best of all, it's "no bake." The peanut butter base is topped with thick chocolate.

If you have the energy, slices and loaves are also good items to serve to Christmas guests and round out your offering of sweet treats.

• Pineapple Delight: Dessert That's Light as a Cloud and it Melts in Your Mouth

  Pineapple delight is a piece of heaven, light, fluffy, and creamy. This slice is a melt-in-your-mouth dessert.

In addition to cookies and bars, slices and loaves, cakes make a nice addition to add to Christmas serving trays.

I hope you enjoy these sweet desserts as much as I have. While these cookies, bars, slices, loaves and cake recipes can be made, of course, anytime throughout the year, as I've mentioned at the beginning of this Hub, these are good recipes to fall back on for Christmas entertaining. You'll never be stuck as to what to make when it comes to delicious treats to serve a crowd.

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