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30 desserts / CakeChristmas

Christmas desserts to reveal: gourmand shells and hearts

The surprise of this collection comes from a thin shell to break or an edible lid to lift. The gesture reveals a garnish, a color or a contrast of textures when serving. Choose a Christmas dessert that fits your material and prepare the dish before assembly. Chocolate elements require to respect their cooling to remain easy to handle. A thin shell and a well-distributed garnish allow to share the discovery between the guests.

Explore for example Chocolate Yule Log with Three Lift-Off Panels, Ice-Cream Yule Log under Five White Chocolate Panels or Marzipan-Covered Gingerbread. Each sheet gives the ingredients, the quantities and an order of preparation. Compare the number of parts and the total time, which includes cooking and resting, before starting your weigh-ins.

Read the steps to the service to organize the cooling, assembly and storage. Keep the base ingredients separate from those in the decor. To expand your choice, the Library of Recipes Allow you to search for a flavor and filter the preparations according to your desires.

The recipes of this universe

Whole chocolate log with two small rectangular plates of cocoa shortbread laid flat on top; the third rests next to it. The opening shows candied orange dice between two small ganache rails. No part of the log removed.

Decorations to reveal / 1 hours 05 minutes of preparation

Chocolate Yule Log with Three Lift-Off Panels

Three cocoa shortbread hide a line of candied orange on top of the log.

Ingredients & method ↗

Rectangular whole iced log, chocolate meringue base, vanilla layer and raspberry layer. Four flat plates of white chocolate cover the top; a fifth rests next to it and reveals the red sorbet and some pistachios.

Decorations to reveal / 35 min of preparation

Ice-Cream Yule Log under Five White Chocolate Panels

Plates of white chocolate are removed one by one to discover the red sorbet and pistachios.

Ingredients & method ↗

Whole and rectangular gingerbread, covered with a thin clear sheet of marzipan. A third of the leaf is folded softly on top, revealing small candied orange dice on the crust; no element stands.

Decorations to reveal / 35 min of preparation

Marzipan-Covered Gingerbread

A thin coat of marzipan folds up to reveal the candied fruits of the summit.

Ingredients & method ↗

Good flat ginger men with two white eyes and an oval of dark chocolate laid horizontally on their torso. On one, the removed plastron rests next to it and reveals three white buttons; the cookie is whole.

Decorations to reveal / 45 min preparation

Gingerbread People with Removable Chocolate Armour

A small plate of chocolate masks the white buttons of each ginger cookie.

Ingredients & method ↗

Thick stars of cinnamon biscuit with white icing, topped with small flat stars of white chocolate. One of the lids is placed next to it and reveals a red touch of jam in the center of the intact cookie.

Decorations to reveal / 40 min of preparation

White Stars with Hidden Red Centres

A fine star of white chocolate hides a small touch of red jam on each cookie.

Ingredients & method ↗

Small golden and fluted spritz cups, each closed by a flat disc of dark chocolate. A disc is placed next to it and reveals a small hollow filled with red jam, with a full biscuit background.

Decorations to reveal / 40 min of preparation

Spritz cups with discs to lift

Spirals of biscuit form small cups topped with jam and closed with chocolate.

Ingredients & method ↗

Round linzer powdered with icing sugar, each central window masked by a small disc of white shortbread. A lid rests next to it and shows the round of red jam in the window, while the sandwich remains assembled.

Decorations to reveal / 40 min of preparation

Linzer Biscuits with Closed Little Windows

A mini-sandbread placed on each window pulls out to find the round of red jam.

Ingredients & method ↗

Round Florentines with fine dark chocolate sole and white flat lid. One of the lids is broken, its pieces laid next to it, revealing the flaked almonds, amber caramel and orange dice from the intact puck.

Decorations to reveal / 45 min preparation

Florentines under Thin White Chocolate Plaques

A film of white chocolate breaks to discover caramel, almonds and orange.

Ingredients & method ↗

Whole stollen powdered, asymmetrical oval shape. Two small plates of its own crust rest on a band cut at the top; a third is placed next to it and shows a garnish of brown with small orange dice.

Decorations to reveal / 55 min of preparation

Stollen with a Lift-Off Crust Panel

A small hatch cut in the crust hides a garnish with brown and orange.

Ingredients & method ↗

Whole panettone and top, dome cut into six quarters. Five quarters remain on the summit; the sixth lies flat next to it and reveals a shallow well of dark ganache. No large slices of brioche removed.

Decorations to reveal / 55 min of preparation

Panettone with Six Lift-Off Sections

The dome, cut into six quarters, serves as a cover for a small reserve of ganache.

Ingredients & method ↗

Whole kouglof fluted with almonds, slightly powdered. At the bottom of its small central well is a layer of brown cream; the flat disc of dark chocolate that closed it is removed and placed next to it. Crown intact.

Decorations to reveal / 40 min of preparation

Kouglof with a Sealed Chocolate Well

The central fireplace receives a brown cream, hidden by a chocolate disc.

Ingredients & method ↗

Oil pump made of six golden oval cushions connected in two rows of three. A small tab of open crust on a cushion reveals a brown apple and fig filling; the other hatches are closed.

Decorations to reveal / 40 min of preparation

Six Olive Oil Bread Cushions to Split Open

Six connected rolls share, each with a tab of crust on top of a fig trim.

Ingredients & method ↗

Whole pudding in dark dome with dried fruits. A small round hat cut from its top is placed next to it, showing a hollow filled with marmalade and small orange dice. No side part removed, no flame.

Decorations to reveal / 40 min of preparation

Pudding with small hat to lift

A pudding disc removed at the top reveals a garnish of candied orange and marmalade.

Ingredients & method ↗

Mince pies in small blonde tarts, each with a round shortbread lid and an almond lying on top. A removed lid rests next to it and reveals the grapes, the apple and the orange candied in the tarts intact.

Decorations to reveal / 40 min of preparation

Mince pies with separate shortbread lids

The tarts are cooked open and then topped with a lid that withdraws to the service.

Ingredients & method ↗

Part of the portions: small, round dark chocolate boxes, closed with flat discs with slightly irregular edges. A lid rests next to it and shows a soft chocolate ganache lightly powdered with cocoa in its intact shell.

Decorations to reveal / 50 min of preparation

Truffles in small chocolate boxes

The ganache is served in an edible shell closed by a chocolate disc.

Ingredients & method ↗

Chocolate discs in small double flat discs of dark chocolate. A hat is placed next to it and reveals on the basis of almonds, hazelnuts, grapes and orange dice between three small touches of ganache that support the lid.

Decorations to reveal / 45 min preparation

Chocolate discs with dark chocolate hats

Dried fruits rest between a base and a lid of chocolate that is removed.

Ingredients & method ↗

Part of the portions: small golden vaults and very fine biscuit, low and laid on their two edges on the flat. A removed vault rests next to it and reveals a small bundle of dark chocolate orangettes; no high arch or floating room.

Decorations to reveal / 55 min of preparation

Chocolate Orange Strips under Arched Tuiles

Small vaults of biscuit hide bundles of orangettes and rise whole.

Ingredients & method ↗

Part of the portions: large dates and whole prunes in appearance, composed of two adjusted halves. The hood of a date is placed next to it and reveals a clear filling of marzipan with half a walnut ring; the fruits remain natural and uncarved.

Decorations to reveal / 30 min of preparation

Stuffed Dried Fruit with Lift-Off Lids

The flesh of dates and prunes becomes a lid that hides an almond-nut filling.

Ingredients & method ↗

Whole dome of frozen nougat wrapped in a thin, slightly irregular white shell. A small panel is broken on the front, pieces placed next to it, and reveals cream ice punctuated with almonds, pistachios and orange; no part of ice removed.

Decorations to reveal / 55 min of preparation

Frozen Nougat with a Breakable White Chocolate Shell

A thin shell hides the iced dome and breaks to reveal the dried fruits.

Ingredients & method ↗

Part of the portions: small low white monts, discs of meringue below and above, brown cream poached in large cords on the sides. A white lid rests next to it and reveals the Chantilly and an candied chestnut in the center.

Decorations to reveal / 45 min preparation

Meringue-Topped Mont Blanc Desserts

A meringue lid hides the chantilly and the candied chestnut in the center of a wreath of brown cream.

Ingredients & method ↗

Whole round vacherin, sides covered with white chantilly. Five white areas of meringue form a nearly complete roof; the sixth rests next to it and shows a sector of purple blackcurrant sorbet, without any part of ice removed.

Decorations to reveal / 45 min preparation

Vacherin with Six Meringue Segments

The roof of meringue is already divided into quarters that are removed to discover the blackcurrant sorbet.

Ingredients & method ↗

Whole panforte low and round, covered with a thin clear sheet of powdered marzipan. A quarter of the leaf is flexibly folded on top and reveals small pieces of almonds and candied orange, without part of cake removed.

Decorations to reveal / 40 min of preparation

Panforte under a Fold-Back Marzipan Sheet

A soft almond leaf masks some dried fruits reserved on the top of the cake.

Ingredients & method ↗

Whole Charlotte surrounded by ladyfinger biscuits, topped with a flat disc of white chocolate. A quarter of this disc is broken, pieces next to it, revealing fine pear slats on the brown foam. No part of charlotte removed.

Decorations to reveal / 50 min of preparation

Chestnut Charlotte with a Breakable White Chocolate Disc

A chocolate disc masks the pears arranged on the chestnut mousse.

Ingredients & method ↗

Part of the portions: large round and low lebkuchen, with a biscuit cap simply covered with dark chocolate. The cap of one is placed next to it and reveals a small orange marmalade hollow in its spicy base, which remains whole.

Decorations to reveal / 45 min preparation

Lebkuchen with biscuit caps

The top of the large cookies rises to show a small hollow of marmalade.

Ingredients & method ↗

Whole round dark chocolate pie, with seven blonde shortbread plates arranged flat in two rows on the center. The eighth is placed next to it and a window reveals the crushed hazelnuts on the ganache; no pie tip removed.

Decorations to reveal / 50 min of preparation

Chocolate Tart with an Eight-Biscuit Roof

Plates of shortbread dough hide the hazelnuts on the ganache and withdraw one by one.

Ingredients & method ↗

Part of the portions: rectangles of white nougat with dried fruits and small orange dice, topped with fine white rectangles of azyme leaf. A leaf lies flat next to it and shows a green pistachio and some orange dice on the intact bite; matte, fragile and foody leaf.

Decorations to reveal / 45 min preparation

Nougat with Little Wafer-Paper Sails

Each bite receives a square of azyme leaf placed freely on a small garnish of pistachio and orange.

Ingredients & method ↗

Part of the portions: small narrow glasses of white vanilla cream, each covered flat by three long almond biscotti resting on both edges. On the front glass, the central cookie is removed and placed next to it, revealing the cream; no vertical cookie.

Decorations to reveal / 35 min of preparation

Vanilla Creams under Biscotti Bridges

Three biscotti placed on each glass mask a vanilla cream, which is discovered by removing the central biscuit.

Ingredients & method ↗

Part of the portions: powdered vanilla shortbread croissants, each topped with a very fine half moon of white chocolate with irregular edges. A lid is placed next to it and reveals a small brown line of praline paste in a shallow groove of the intact cookie.

Decorations to reveal / 50 min of preparation

Vanilla Crescent Biscuits with Removable White Topping

A thin half-moon of white chocolate covers a little touch of praline paste on each croissant.

Ingredients & method ↗

Part of the portions: small low coconut coconut clusters with golden tips, composed of a flat base and a coconut dome. The dome of one is placed next to it and shows a central disc of dark ganache on the intact base; visible fibrous coconut texture.

Decorations to reveal / 35 min of preparation

Coconut Macaroon Treasure Chests

A small coconut dome pulls out of a flat base to discover the ganache in the middle.

Ingredients & method ↗

Whole English Christmas cake, round and brown, covered with three flat quarters of slightly translucent and supple orange jelly. The fourth quarter lies flat next to it; the window reveals small dice of candied fruit on the intact cake. No hard plate or slice of cake removed.

Decorations to reveal / 45 min preparation

Christmas cake with orange windows

Four sectors of orange jelly cover the top of the cake and withdraw to discover the candied fruits.

Ingredients & method ↗

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