2020 made us more creative in the kitchen, as evidenced by the quarantine food trends we’ve seen come and go these past few months. The holiday season is the perfect opportunity to put all those months of learning and experimenting to use, as desserts also make for fool-proof gifts.

For something a little different (that would, at the same time, highlight your newfound quarantine cooking and baking chops), try transforming classic holiday desserts into something new. Here are some suggestions:

No-bake fruit “salad” cheesecake

The creamy fruit salad is definitely one of the mainstays on any family reunion table. Why not combine it with another party essential, like cake? This recipe incorporates fruit salad into the classic cheesecake, adding a layer of flavor and texture to the dessert.

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Ingredients

Crust:

1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers

1/3 cup melted butter

1 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Topping:

2 tbsp white sugar

1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 5 tbsp fruit cocktail syrup

1 can drained fruit cocktail

Filling:

1 1/2 tbsp unflavored gelatin

1/3 cup fruit cocktail syrup

NESTLÉ All Purpose Cream 250ml, chilled

1/4 cup white sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

225g softened cream cheese

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Procedure

Crust:

Combine and mix crust ingredients
Line bottom of tin pan or pie plate with the crust mixture
Cover and freeze for 30 minutes

Topping:

Thicken cornstarch mixture over low heat while constantly stirring
Add sugar and continue stirring
Stir in fruit cocktail, then set aside

Filling:

Combine gelatin and fruit cocktail syrup, then place over low heat until gelatin is dissolved
Add sugar and vanilla
Let cool.
Beat cream cheese until smooth and fluffy
Gradually add NESTLÉ All Purpose Cream, beat until well blended
Add gelatin mixture, gradually beating it in
Fold in fruit cocktail mixture
Pour over crust
Refrigerate to set
Once set, top with fruit cocktail

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Ube-keso mousse

We love our tita’s and lola’s halaya, but here’s another take we can try with their homemade offering: turn the ube into a mousse. And in honor of the ubiquitous (or shall we say, ube-quitous?) combination of ube-keso, as seen in ice cream, bread and cake, may we suggest topping off the mousse with a sprinkling of grated cheese?

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Ingredients:

NESTLÉ All Purpose Cream 250ml

2 tbsp sugar

1 cup ube jam

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 tbsp grated cheese

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Procedure:

Whip NESTLÉ All Purpose Cream with sugar until stiff peaks form
Fold in whipped cream to ube jam until light and smooth
Transfer into serving cups
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours
Top with grated cheese
Serve chilled

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Creamy bibingka cheesecake

Often seen sold in the early mornings and evenings for simbang gabi, the bibingka is definitely one of the hallmarks of a Filipino Christmas. But instead of having it as a post-mass breakfast treat, you can now also enjoy it as one of the highlights of the holiday dinner table in the form of a cheesecake.

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Ingredients:

Crust

1 tsp butter, for greasing

12 pcs graham crackers, crushed

2 tbsp sugar

6 tbsp butter

Filling

2 bars cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 pack NESTLÉ All Purpose Cream 125ml

1/2 cup coconut cream

2 pcs egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt

Topping

4 pcs salted duck egg, sliced into thin wedges

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Procedure:

Pre-heat oven at 350ᴼF. Grease 8-inch springform pan with butter. Wrap outside of the pan with foil. Boil water in a kettle to be used in hot water bath while baking.
For the crust, mix crushed graham, sugar and melted butter. Press at the bottom of the springform pan and bake for 10 mins at 350ᴼF. Remove and set aside.
Whisk cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add NESTLÉ All Purpose Cream, coconut cream and eggs one at a time. Add vanilla extract and salt. Continue to whisk until smooth.
Pour mixture into the prepared crust. Top with slices of salted duck egg. Place cake pan in a roasting pan and pour hot water from kettle halfway of the cake pan. Bake for 1 hour at 350ᴼF, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the cheesecake. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely.
Refrigerate overnight. Remove cheesecake from the pan. Serve well chilled.

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Buko pandan roll cake

Buko pandan, just like fruit salad, is yet another family reunion table classic. This recipe takes the flavors we always associate with the coconut dessert and transforms them into a chiffon cake roll.

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Ingredients

Cake:

3 egg yolks

1/4 cup white sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tbsp buko pandan flavoring/extract

2 tbsp coconut milk

1/4 cup NESTLÉ All Purpose Cream

3 egg whites

2 tbsp white sugar

1 tsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp powdered sugar

Filling and frosting:

3/4 cup NESTLÉ All Purpose Cream

6 tbsp condensed milk

1 tbsp coconut extract

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Procedure

Whisk egg yolks with 1/4 cup of sugar until light and smooth
Sift in flour and baking powder into egg yolk mixture. Mix until well combined.
Whisk in buko pandan flavoring extract, milk, and NESTLÉ All Purpose Cream
In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites with 2 tbsp sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold into the egg yolk mixture until just combined. Do not overmix.
Grease a small baking sheet with oil and line with parchment paper. Pour cake mixture, spread evenly and bake in 320 degrees F preheated oven for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and let it cool for 5 minutes. Dust top with powdered sugar. Roll and set aside to cool for 30 minutes.
For filling and frosting, whip NESTLÉ All Purpose Cream until doubled in size. Gradually whisk in condensed milk and coconut extract. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Unroll cake, spread half of filling and roll. Spread the rest of the cream mixture on the outside of the roll. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Serve well chilled.

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If you are looking for a versatile partner for your holiday kitchen projects, look no further than NESTLÉ All Purpose Cream. Because it has the right richness, thickness and creaminess, NESTLÉ All Purpose Cream can suit any dish, making it a favorite among home cooks and home bakers alike. Just try it yourself—your kitchen experiments with cream may just be the next up and coming food trend. For more ideas on what you can do with NESTLÉ All Purpose Cream, visit their website and Facebook page.

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