With cocktail parties, football tailgates, and endless family feasts, the end of the year is rife with opportunities to try some seasonal tipple. But you don’t need a glass to enjoy a holiday buzz.
Adding alcohol to desserts is a traditional way of adding flavor. The alcohol in additions like beer or spirits evaporates when a dessert is prepared with heat, leaving just the taste. The amount of alcohol left in the finished desserts depends on the length and degree of the cooking process. But to get an idea of the flavors possible, The Daily Beast combed through piles of holiday dessert recipes to figure out which used the most alcohol per batch.
Clockwise from top left: Corbis (2); Getty Images (2)
Ingredients:
• 3 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 3/4 cups whole milk
• 5 large egg yolks, 3 large eggs
• ~1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup and 2 tablespoons chocolate stout
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
Ingredients:
• 1 half-gallon Dreyer’s Slow Churned ice cream
• 3/4 cup Biscoff spread
• 22 ounces chocolate porter beer
Ingredients:
• 1 refrigerated pie crust, homemade or store-bought
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup dark corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons Jack Daniels whiskey
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup pecan halves
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Ingredients:
• 3 pounds Granny Smith apples
• 3 pounds Pink Lady apples
• 1 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons bourbon
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 2/3 cup roughly chopped pecans
• 7 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced
Ingredients:
• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 fluid ounces (4 tablespoons) Baileys
• 1 chocolate cookie pie crust
• Coarse salt for sprinkling
• Optional for garnishing: shaved chocolate, caramel sauce for drizzling
Ingredients:
• 6 to 7 very ripe Hachiya persimmons
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted, plus more for coating the dish
• 1/4 cup brandy
Corbis
Ingredients:
• 9-10 cups bread cubes cut into bite-size pieces
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 cups cream or whole milk
• 1/4 cup Kahlúa or rum
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 ounces dark chocolate
Ingredients:
• 1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® devil's food cake mix
• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup bourbon whiskey
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup whipping cream
• 6 oz. semisweet baking chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup coffee liqueur
• 1 jar (7 ounces) marshmallow creme (1 3/4 cups)
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons vanilla-flavored vodka
• 3 cups powdered sugar
Ingredients:
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly zested lime rind
• 1/4 cup gin
• 1/4 cup milk
• Juice of 1 lime
Ingredients:
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup carbonated cola
• 1/4 cup white rum
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup white rum
• Freshly grated zest of 2 limes
Ingredients:
• 3 cups cake flour
• 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup Southern Comfort
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 (1-ounce) bottle red food coloring
• 1 5/8 cups (3 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 6 to 8 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• Chopped toasted pecans, for garnish (optional)
Ingredients:
• 1 cup stout (such as Guinness)
• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 1 to 2 teaspoons Irish whiskey (optional)
• 3 to 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3 to 4 tablespoons Baileys liqueur
Ingredients:
• 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the pan
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
• 5 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 1/4 cup instant espresso powder
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup bourbon, rye or other whiskey, plus more for sprinkling
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Confectioners’ sugar, for garnish (optional)
Ingredients:
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup raisins
• 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons grated orange zest
• 1 cup Irish whiskey
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 eggs, separated
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3/4 cup chopped almonds
• 2 cups heavy cream (35 percent)
• ¼ cup Irish Cream liqueur
• ¼ cup confectioners' sugar
Ingredients:
• 2 cups cake flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons gin
• 2 tablespoons rum
• 2 tablespoons tequila
• 2 tablespoons vodka
• 2 tablespoons triple sec
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons dark cola
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup milk
• 6 egg yolks
• 1 cup and 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
