Category

Dessert

Santa Gnome Treats | Wild West Viking
Christmas, Dessert, Holiday, Recipes

Santa Gnome Treats

Santa Gnome Treats | Wild West Viking

Santa Gnome Treats

These little treats have got to be the most delicious and cutest edible Christmas Santa Gnomes! I made these using sugar cookie bottoms, filled them with chocolate mousse, and topped with whipped frosting, a strawberry for a hat, and red M&M for the nose. These will definitely give you a sugar high, but seriously, who could resist?
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Dessert

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pkg Refrigerated Sugar Cookie Dough (break apart kind)
  • 24 oz White Frosting (I used the whipped white frosting)
  • 24 strawberries
  • 24 red M&M's

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F
  • Spray a mini-muffin pan with cooking spray (or use mini liners)
  • Place one cookie into each muffin cup (don't flatten)
  • Bake cookies for about 18 minutes, and place on wire rack to cool
  • While cookies are still warm, take a small spoon and gently press cookies into a cup shape.
  • Cool completely before filling.
  • Make your favorite Chocolate Mousse recipe or alternately, you can completely fill the bottoms with whipped frosting, vanilla pudding or other yummy filling.
  • Wash strawberries, and cut out the crown into a "V" shape (where the leaves are)
  • Take one of the cookie cups, and fill with chocolate mousse, or whatever you are going to filling them with, and be generous.
  • Then push the strawberry into the filling, cut side down, and add a red M&M for the nose, just under the "V" of the strawberry.
  • Add a little of the white frosting, just below the 'nose' on the cookie cup and draw a beard and make some lines for the beard with a toothpick.
  • Enjoy!
Keyword Chocolate Mousse, Christmas Treats, Gnome Cookies, Santa Gnome Treats, Sugar Cookie
Continue reading
Boozy Pear Frangipane Tarte | Wild West Viking
Dessert, Recipes

Boozy Pear Frangipane Tarte

Boozy Pear Frangipane Tarte | Wild West Viking

Boozy Pear Frangipane Tarte

A perfect fall dessert and an impressive addition to your Thanksgiving dessert table! This French classic dessert has a little boozy twist with an extra shot (or two) of dark rum). The Frangipane comes from the sweet and smooth almond-flavored pastry cream. The tart is topped with fresh slices of pear, with a little apricot-rum glaze. Top the tart with toasted almonds and a little sprinkle of powdered sugar and Enjoy!
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Course Dessert
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 sweet tart crust
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup powdered sugar (plus more for serving)
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • ¼ tsp kosher salt
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 vanilla bean, seeded
  • 2 tbsp dark rum, divided
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 3 firm pears (Bartlett works best)
  • ½ lemon, juiced
  • 1 tbsp sliced almonds, toasted½

Instructions
 

Make Frangipane (Almond Cream filling)

  • Cream the softened butter in a large bowl, and add powdered sugar until the mixture is well combined, and resembles a coarse meal
  • Add almond flour, all-purpose flour, salt and mix well.
  • Add eggs one at a time, and mix well after each addition.
  • Add vanilla bean (scraped), almond extract and 1 tbsp of the dark rum
  • Mix well until cream is smooth. (You can keep this refrigerated for up to 5 days)

Assemble

  • Preheat oven to 375F.
  • Melt apricot jam with 1 tbsp dark rum, and mix until liquefied.
  • Apply jam to base of cooled pastry shell to prevent soggy bottom.
  • Fill tart crust with almond cream, smoothing out to the edges, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to set.
  • Peel pears, cut each lengthwise, scoop out cores, and cut each half crosswise into ⅛ inch slices. Keep the slices together so you can make a "fan". Squeeze a little lemon juice on top of the pear fans to prevent browning.
  • Remove tart crust from refrigerator. Gently take each pear half and "fan" it out on the tart crust, making sure to fan out toward the stem/top side. Slide your knufe under the pear half and fan it out over the almond filling, arranging it so the pear fans out to the center.
  • Bake tart at 375°F until golden brown or filling comes out clean. About 50 minutes.
  • Let the tart cool on a wire rack.
  • Brush pears with the leftover apricot/rum mixture. Once tart is cool, unmold the tart.
  • Sprinkle some of the toasted almonds over the tart, with a little powdered sugar, and ENJOY!
Keyword Fall Desserts, Frangipane, Pear and Almond Tarte, Pear Desserts, Pear Frangipane Tarte, Thanksgiving Desserts
Continue reading
Related posts
Rhubarb Spring Cocktail
May 5, 2026
Rhubarb Cake with Cardamom and Almonds
May 4, 2026
Danish Pebernødder
December 7, 2025