The holiday season is quickly approaching and most of us spend hours, even days preparing the menu for the big day.  Regardless of all of the prep work and planning, it never seems to fail that something goes wrong.  Whether it be a burned potato casserole or maybe the oven is over-loaded, leaving no more cooking space for the stuffing.  With the primary culinary focus being on the main course, desserts with a long baking time tend to get in the way of cooking the holiday turkey or ham.  To save one’s self from the hassle of tackling the whole meal from start to finish at one time, try these delicious desserts that require little effort and no time in the oven!  They could even be made the day before, which reduces stress and rushing to make everything in the same day.  Enjoy!!

 

No-Bake Cheesecake

You will need:

A pre-made pie shell or graham cracker crust

1/2 cup heavy cream
5 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
pinch of salt

Fresh fruit of your choice or chocolate shavings for garnish

 

Pour the cream into a medium size bowl and whip until soft peaks form.  Set aside.

In another bowl, whip the cream cheese until smooth then combine the granulated sugar, lemon juice, and salt.  Mix ingredients until it reaches a smooth consistency.  Gently fold in the whipped cream until just combined.

Pour the mixture into the pie or graham cracker crust shell.  Cover the pie with foil, making sure it does not actually touch the filling.  Chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight.  Garnish with fruit slices or chocolate shavings right before serving.

 

Pumpkin Tiramisu Dessert Shooters

For the Ladyfinger Layer

3 ounce package of ladyfingers
1 teaspoon instant espresso granules; dissolved in 2 tablespoons hot water

For the Pumpkin Sour Cream Layer

8 ounces of cream cheese; room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup pumpkin
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Whipped Topping Layer

1 1/2 cups of heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar

To make the whipped topping, beat the heavy whipping cream, vanilla, and sugar until the mixture creates stiff peaks.

In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream, pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin, sugar, and vanilla until well mixed.  Set aside.

Lightly brush the ladyfingers with the espresso until dampened on both sides (do not oversaturate).  Using your mini parfait glass as a template, cut out 12 circles from the ladyfingers.  Gently place a ladyfinger circle into the bottom of each mini parfait glass.  Generously spoon or pipe the pumpkin layer over the ladyfingers.

Spoon or pipe the whipped topping directly onto the pumpkin layer.

Repeat layering a second time to fill the parfait glasses.  Chill until ready to serve.  Garnish with chocolate shavings if desired.