Decorating the table with beautiful dishes is one of the most fun things about cooking for holidays, weddings, or other special occasions. Here are some of our favorite holiday desserts Chef Javier Burillo says you should make on your next special occasion.

Tiramisu

A classic Italian dessert that has recently gained popularity in America as well. Once you try it, you’ll see why. It’s a creamy and sweet flavor explosion.

This cake is very easy to make, and the best part is that it can be done in advance! Make sure to spread some mascarpone onto the cake layers before adding the coffee cream. The Mascarpone cheese will give a softer texture to this delicious treat.

Recipe:

• 2 ounces (about 9 tablespoons) cream cheese or mascarpone, softened.
• 1 teaspoon rum extract (or vanilla extract if you don’t have rum; omit the rum in this case!)

Make sure to buy ladyfingers or savoiardi biscuits/cookies- they are very thin and delicate sponge cakes with a good flavor! If you can only find them in a bag with several layers, use kitchen scissors to cut them apart so that you get individual cookies instead of one long layer. If, when baking, the top of your tiramisu gets too brown, then just add some plastic wrap or aluminum foil on top and put it back into the oven for another 10 minutes at 250 degrees F until it is cooked through.

Alfajores

Argentinian butter cookies sandwiched with dulce de leche, manjar blanco or chocolate are called Alfajores. It is the traditional dessert of the Holiday season in Argentina, and usually, you can find it in every bakery! To make them even more special, try adding some chopped nuts to the dough. This will give your cookies a delicious crunchy texture. If you like salted caramel, go ahead and add some sea salt flakes or fleur de sel on top before baking them! I recommend you substitute half of the sugar with honey because it makes great desserts! Honey is full of antioxidants that help keep your skin young and healthy! ( I highly recommend adding honey to beat cake recipes. )

Dulce de leche (milk caramel) is the Argentinian version of dulce de lech and can be substituted in all kinds of delicious recipes like Crepes or ice cream. It’s made by boiling milk with sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon for several hours until it becomes thick and creamy. I recommend you try this simple recipe and make your own dulce de leche at home as a gift for loved ones! This will give your cookies an extra special flavor that only homemade goods have!

To make alfajores, you need:

• 2 cups of flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 cups whole milk + 1 tablespoon vinegar (or lemon juice)
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (rum if you prefer)

First, mix the milk and vinegar in a small bowl and let sit for about 10 minutes. This is to create ” buttermilk” – Use this mixture instead of regular milk when making the dough! You will not notice any difference in flavor, so don’t worry. Also, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F before starting your dough! I recommend using baking parchment paper or a silicone mat because it makes removing the cookies from the baking sheet once baked. Mix all ingredients until well combined and knead until smooth. Add flour if too sticky. The consistency should be akin to Play-doh.