Squares, Slices & Tarts For Holiday Baking: Recipes

Last week’s Recipe Hit List for holiday baking was 30 Holiday Cookie Recipes, this week it’s Holiday Baking Part II with a big batch of recipes for squares, slices and tarts–perfect for gifts and baking trays.

Lots to choose from, many traditional favorites but also some new ideas to try. There are 9 tart recipes and 21 recipes for squares, bars and slices.

Holiday Tart Recipes

*Note: Descriptions below are quotes from the recipe sites

1. Cocoa Tassies with Peppermint Creme Filling: Cocoa Tassies with Peppermint Creme Filling (Adapted from BH&G). Recipe from Culinary In The Desert.
2. Pecan Tassies…aka Tiny Pecan Tarts!: In all honesty, I do know why I don’t make these little treasures more often (other than the calorie thing!). They are somewhat time consuming and a bit tedious to make. But they are so worth the effort, and everyone loves them. I can also say that the cream cheese pastry just melts in your mouth, and its the only pastry I can make with any shred of confidence. These little tarts are tiny morsels of perfection, and I hate to brag, but they just ARE. Recipe from What’s Cooking In A Southern Kitchen.
3. Lemon Tassies: Being a lemon lover, and knowing that I had some cream cheese that needed using, these were a no brainer. The only complaint I had about these cookies was too much cookie and not enough filling. But as I looked on Martha’s website today, I saw that the recipe listed online has the same amount of filling, but the cookie ingredients are cut in half. I’m not sure why they changed this when they published the book. The recipe below is from the book, but I would suggest halving the cookie dough, or doubling the filling! Recipe found at Taste And Tell.
4. White Chocolate & Cranberries Tartlets: For the tart shells I used dough recipe from La Tartine Gourmande that I already tried before and liked very much. This time I used ground walnuts instead of almond flour and was very satisfied with the taste. Recipe found at Palachinka.
5. Prize Winning Butter Tarts: There’s nothing sweeter than good old fashioned butter tarts. Apparently, this decadent treat is a Canadian classic. Only in Canada, eh? Pity!This recipe won my mom top prize at a Fall Fair years ago. It’s my dad’s favourite, although we don’t make them very often. That’s how he stays so skinny. Recipe found at Christie’s Corner.
6. Butter Tarts: If you like butter tarts you have got to make these ones. I have never tasted any like them. The recipe calls for maple syrup which gives them an extra something and they aren’t too sweet which is nice. Recipe found at Kjmillar.
7. Peanut Butter and Milk Chocolate Chip Tassies: Recipe found at Hershey’s Kitchen.
8. Apricot Cookie Tarts: This recipe calls for dried apricots simmered in a simple syrup spiked with a bit of liqueur. Regardless of the form they take, apricots will always be something I enjoy — especially baked between layers of a brown sugar crumble. Nothing compares to their perfectly sweet tartness. Recipe from Sass & Veracity.
9. Mini Millionaire Shortbread Pies: They turned out to be as everybite as wonderful as pictured and described in the book. The size was perfect to enjoy them without being hit on the head by a spoon full of sugar. Recipe found at Tartelette.

Squares & Slices For The Holiday Tray

*Note: Descriptions below are quotes from the recipe sites

1. Double White Chocolate Layered Bars: Double your chocolate pleasure! White chocolate is in the cookie bars and also drizzled on top. Recipe from Pillsbury.
2. Nanaimo Bars: According to local legend about 35 years ago, a Nanaimo housewife entered her recipe for chocolate squares in a magazine contest. In a burst of civic pride, she chose to dub the entry not “Daphne’s Delights” or “Mary’s Munchies”, but “Nanaimo Bars”. The entry won a prize, thereby publishing the town as much as her cooking. Some American tourists claim sovereignty over the dessert, referred to as “New York Slice” which is sold in many other places in the world. Nanaimo residents refuse to accept this theory, however, believing that once you set foot on Vancouver Island, there are no other places in the world. The official Nanaimo Bar recipe was available as a handout as well as on quality tea towel and apron souvenirs. Recipe found at City of Nanaimo website.
3. Montelimar Nougat: This is ooey, chewy honey goodness at it’s best. It may seem a bit tricky, but once you get over the fear of hot sugar, it’s really not too bad. Recipe from The Barmy Baker.
4. Dark Chocolate Bark with Walnuts & Dried Cherries: It’s festive and pretty, simple and delicious, studded with chewy dried cherries, bits of crystallized ginger and meaty toasted walnuts. I can say with authority it would make an excellent addition to your holiday cookie tray. Recipe found at The Kitchen Sink.
5. Chocolate Mint Fudge Brownies: These brownies are wonderful and exactly what I was trying to create. The texture of these fall somewhere between a ‘cakey’ and ‘fudgy’ but lean a little more toward the fudgy side. In my opinion they have the perfect texture. Recipe found at Baking Blonde’s Weblog.
6. Rainbow Layer Bars with Almond Paste: They remind me of Christmas and also of an Italian flag with the red, green and white layers. All I know is have almond paste in them (which is a LOVE of mine) and I want to make these this Christmas! Recipe found at An American Housewife.
7. Those Valuable Fruitcake Cookies (or Bars): If you make bars, cut when cool into squares. Wrap cooled cookies individually in plastic wrap. They’ll survive mailing to relatives far away, travel in backpacks and pockets, and the brisk school trade. Have fun with them and Happy Holidays to all! Recipe found at The Garden Granny.
8. Butterscotch Confetti Squares: This is probably hands down my favourite “sweets” recipe. My Grandma would make these when I was a kid. Recipe from Tales From The Fairy Blogmother.
9. Chocolate Peanut Butter Confetti: I turned to the Company’s Company cookbook series, and selected this square from Best Loved Treats. The recipe was called Butterscotch Confetti, but I altered it to resemble another square that I had tried before. FOr a colourful and tasty treat, try this out. Recipe from Onions Make Me Cry.
10. Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge: I made this for the first time this summer and realized that this is a perfect Christmas fudge. Creamy, peanut buttery with a crown of chocolate. So tasty and EASY to make. Aren’t those the best kind of recipes? Recipe from Heather’s Recipes.
11. Easy Cherry Almond White Chocolate Fudge: This recipe takes about 10 minutes to prep, and a minimum of 2 hours to cool, so it is relatively quick. I really like to individually wrap each piece in candy foil, which makes a great presentation. Recipe found at This Food Thing.
12. Easy Christmas Fudge: To me, fudge is the ultimate Christmas indulgence. In fact, about the only time I have fudge throughout the year, is at Christmas time. This fudge is super easy to make, and you can dress it up with just about any topping you like. Recipe from What’s Baking.
13. Lemon Bars: These are bold and tart lemon bars, ones I feel are best in smaller doses than Ina Garten suggests. I’ve made a few changes to the recipe–increased the salt in the crust, reduced the sugar in the lemon filling and an encouragement to grease your pan, as mine were all but cemented into their non-stick pan. For those of you who like the 1:1 crust to lemon layer ratio, use the second option. Recipe from Smitten Kitchen.
14. Chocolate-Almond Fudge Squares: These rich, fudgy bites are basically almondy truffles cut into squares, and they are fantastic! Recipe from CookiePie.
15. Holiday Bark: I usually do both versions of this. Salted nuts with chocolate morsels and peppermint candies with white chocolate. it’s always a hit at get togethers. Recipe from C & X Cooking.
16. Cherry Mash Bars: This is a family favorite that my mom always makes every Christmas! Recipe found at Pretty Random Thoughts.
17. 7 Layers in One Bar Cookies: I saw them described as the famed seven layer bars, but all mixed together. I’d say that is an accurate statement. They are amazing – moist, complex and yummy. They were so easy to put together. Recipe found at Lobster & Fishsticks.
18. Dream Bars: If you have that one Christmas party yet that you need to bring treats for, this is it. They are easy, and they will cause a a stir! Recipe found at My Sister’s Kitchen.
19. Date Squares Recipe: How we loved these squares with their two layers of buttery oatmeal crust sandwiched with a layer of pureed dates that have a hint of vanilla. Recipe found at Joy of Baking.
20. Christmas Baking: Recipes for Toffee Bars, White Christmas Fudge, Mocha Toffee Cashew Bars and Coconut Macaroons. Recipes found at Kitchens Are Monkey Business.
21. Nestle Walnut Coconut Slices: Recipe found at Niya’s World.

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