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

Sherry trifle

Sorry, I would say white chocolate still counts as chocolate.

If someone else is providing something with chocolate I would go totally different - I think an egg nog tart would be good, or something fruity to give a totally different alternative to the chocolate (but I would add I would be disgruntled to have to prepare the non-chocolate option as I am always going to go for chocolate!).

Winter fruit salad? I guess that’s not indulgent enough.

I had a burnt Basque cheesecake (bbc good food recipe) the other week at a party and it was fab. Also gluten free.

As someone who is allergic to chocolate and who constantly finds that chocolate is EVERYONE'S go-to when asked to bring a dessert - thank you all for the great suggestions! You honestly don't realise how chocolate-heavy everything is until you suddenly can't eat it any more (and yes, I am depressed about that fact!)

It's got to be a trifle, surely?

I made a Christmas ice cream bombe one year. If you have room in the freezer. You need a really fancy flavoured ice cream of your choice, let it soften slightly and press it round a pudding basin. Fill the centre with another flavour, add nuts or fruit according to taste, and freeze. Turn out and decorate with whatever, it looks gorgeous, and is a nice change after all the rich food.

Panacotta log with an orange and cranberry "jelly" topping rather than the usual raspberry?

Delias caramelised orange trifle
some sort of meringue roulade

Limoncello Tiramisu topped with raspberries. Divine

Good old traditional trifle.

Strawberry and Passion fruit cheescake.

Trifle or cheesecake would float my boat.

Baileys Cheesecake

I don't think of chocolate for Christmas at all.

Christmas pudding
Christmas cake
Mince pies
Trifle
Pavlova

There’s a lovely recipe in the latest Sainsbury’s magazine - for some reason, it’s not online yet. It’s called Snowball Creams and is, essentially, a lemon posset but with the addition of clementine juice and Warninks Advocaat.

Cheesecake or a massive meringue with seasonal toppings.
I find it odd you associate chocolate with Christmas, that's normally Easter. Christmas is about fruits and nuts and rich flavours.

I'd do a pandoro and buy the cake for extra easiness, but I am quite lazy 😂
https://www.insidetherustickitchen.com/pandoro-christmas-cake/

Nigella's Anglo Italian Trifle! It's to die for not chocolate involved

a trifle at Christmas is the law. Otherwise perhaps something like a creme caramel?

I made clementine possets in little vintage glasses once, and served mini star shortbreads on the side. It was very easy and pretty 🍊🌟

I think pistachio tiramisu is too close to chocolate in vibe. My mum has done poached clementines in mulled wine and Christmas spices before for people who want something a bit lighter - tasty served with a bit of single cream.

Otherwise I’m a big fan of crumble at Christmas

Yes -something citrusy would cut through the rich meal

There are some amazing ideas here!

I’ve added most of these to the short list (which is getting longer by the post) but am particularly interested in:

• Burnt basque cheesecake if it can be Christmasfied with cinnamon/other spices/winter fruit coulis?

• A Christmassy trifle of some sort - lots of options on this thread to explore

• love the idea of an ice cream bombe but we’re travelling far ish and it’s not my freezer so don’t want to impose on freezer space which somehow feels harder to negotiate than fridge space

• the pannacotta log with wintry fruit jelly

• using the snowball creams as part of a layer of something maybe?

I love the idea of orange/citrus but I think the chocolate counterpart is a chocolate orange cheesecake so don’t want to stray too close to those flavours!

This is completely fair. I think it stems from me not enjoying steamed puddings/christmas cake that much and gluttonously associating Christmas with decadent indulgence, which translates as chocolate in my mind!

Trifle is the only thing I’d choose to eat on this list BUT I have to remember that I’ll have a chocolate orange cheesecake to gorge on, so maybe I don’t need to tailor it to my specific tastes

Trifle, surely?

I think a pomegranate makes the pudding look very festive, sort of jewel like. I made a mascarpone tart on the weekend with mango and pomegranate scattered on top. A Cherry-misu is popular in this house and the white layers with the dark red looks lovely. I love a burnt basque cheesecake, you could do a beautiful raspberry coulis and a caramel sauce so that people can choose.