Non-chocolate but still indulgent, Christmas dessert

[EweProfessorSurnameDoctorProfessor]

I'm bringing a non-chocolate dessert to our Christmas meal this year but I'm stumped. Non-chocolate and Christmas dessert seems a huge oxymoron!

I usually make entremets with layers of flourless chocolate cake, a christmas-themed fruit jelly layer, a feuilletine/crunchy layer, all wrapped in a mousse and then mirror glaze but I don't know how to make this non-chocolatey.

Current thoughts:

• pistachio tiramisu
• eggnog tart
• a gingerbread dessert (cake version rather than biscuit) of some sort
• a gingerbread entremet with a gingerbread cake, eggnog mousse, maybe pears? maybe crushed up ginger cookie layer for crunch? not entirely sure

Please help with your christmassy suggestions! We're not huge fans of Christmas puddings/steamed puddings so that's massively limiting

Mont Blanc?

Salted caramel cheesecake
Sticky toffee pear pudding

Limoncello meringue pie
Mary Berry’s royal cherry trifle

A toffee pecan roulade? Maybe a baked cheesecake....you can choose your favourite flavour.

Lemon posset

why Does it need to be chocolate free? Someone allergic or someone else doing chocolate already?

I’d lean into other Christmas flavours- ginger or cinnamon. And then creamy for the indulgence.

I think I’d make a cheesecake with ginger biscuit based with dark berries on top (plus figs as they always look festive), then lots of caramel sauce to go with. (Don’t pour it on top, it’ll look messy)

Feels like something rich sticky cinnamon roll type cake should be possible but not something I’ve made.

Sticky toffee pudding with three times more toffee sauce than the recipe suggests.

Caramel yule log.

Tiramisu

Trad trifle

Please can you tell us more about this toffee pecan roulade?

Lemon syllabub. Limoncello meringue pie sounds great

These are excellent suggestions, thank you! It’s chocolate-free because someone else is bringing a chocolate dessert.

I think I’m finding this tricky because my personal preferences lean against things that are super sweet (chocolate is fine though!) including caramel, meringue, marshmallow, toffee sauce. Having listed that out, I can see why chocolate is the go to

Ginger/cinnamon/figs or cinnamon buns sound good, as does the cherry trifle. Might think about how to replace the meringue in a Mont Blanc as that seems super festive too!

This is the recipe I use.

https://www.thepinkwhisk.co.uk/2013/12/day-9-toffee-pecan-roulade.html

It's very handy as it can be made well in advance and frozen, so you just leave it out for a couple of hours on the day.

Christmas pudding flavour ice cream
Tropical fruit salad

I was going to suggest Pavlova, but that is meringue again.

I love a trifle. Currently trying to find a recipe for a gingery, tropical one but a lot seem to lack a custard layer (which I'm not willing to compromise on). So I'm keeping my eye on the suggestions and will leap on anyone who seems to know about such things...

Nigella’s no bake cheesecake. You can add whatever topping you like. We’ve had peanut butter, caramel, black cherries, strawberries, lemon. Whatever you fancy really. It’s dead easy to make as well.

Pavlova

I came across this in my quest this morning:

www.bbcgoodfood.com/premium/poached-pear-trifle-with-florentine-crunch-almond-custard

Or maybe this one fits the bill more?

www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/fruit/christmas-cake-trifle/

This is what we do (no idea if this is workable as we’re in Australia and I’m not sure what’s in season in the UK)

https://www.taste.com.au/recipes/mango-lime-chiffon-trifle/c159d394-8c30-4174-b5e6-146b039a1bf9

Yay for trifle! The most Christmassy dessert of all.

OP if you don’t want super sweet, and someone else is going indulgent chocolate, Waitrose have a lime and ginger cheesecake recipe on their website that’s a bit more grown up and not sickly sweet. (The ginger base is still a good nod to the season with lime being a bit fresher as a topping).

Sorry forgot link!
https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/recipe/lime-ginger-cheesecake?srsltid=AfmBOopzEi7ivPGUjNyKtUX1q-GcHyAUP0bfH6I9DzcbI2tUdFnk5hha

Oooh you’ve made me think of a white chocolate and ginger cheesecake I make sometimes which is definitely winter vibes. I think I’ve made it a few times for this crowd so might need a new direction BUT do you think white chocolate doesn’t count as chocolate and so could be included?

So much to explore, thank you all for the ideas!

Nigella has a variation on key lime pie which uses ginger biscuits for the base, with limes, condensed milk and cream for the topping. Nice a sharp and gingery but also feels indulgent. I decorate with candied lime peel, you could also grate stem ginger into the filling mix.

I also make little ginger puddings with ginger toffee sauce - like sticky toffee pudding but with a good hit of ginger.

Cheesecake with home made clementine curd swirled through

pistachio tiramisu

trifle with clementines/eggnog custard

puff pastry mincemeat plait, home made mincemeat and plenty of raw cooking apple slices under the mincemeat to make it zing

grand marnier or Cointreau mousse

Pavlova, roulade, cheesecake. That would be my top 3!