Nothing makes a dessert table look better during the holidays than homemade treats. Here is a list of my five go-to recipes that I found on TikTok. 

Chocolate chip cookies – @moribyan – recipe  

Ever since I discovered this recipe a few years ago, this has been my go-to cookie recipe. It is really

easy to follow, and my family members love it when I make them. For this recipe, you will need one cup of cooled browned butter (two sticks), one and one-fourth cup of brown sugar, one third cup of granulated sugar, one large egg and two egg yolks at room temperature, one tablespoon of vanilla extract, two cups of all-purpose flour, three-fourths teaspoon of baking soda, one cup of milk chocolate chips and one cup of semi-sweet chocolate chunks. Although the recipe calls for chocolate chunks, I usually swap it out for a baker’s chocolate bar and cut it myself. When I begin browning the butter on the stove, I take the eggs out of the fridge at the same time so they are room temperature for when I need them. After the butter is done, I transfer it to a different bowl to allow it to cool. 

After combining all of the ingredients, you have to let the dough rest in the fridge for 15-20 minutes. During this time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Scoop the dough onto a baking tray in two-table-spoon-sized balls. I like to add extra chocolate chips on the top for aesthetic pleasure. Then bake them in the oven for 10 minutes, although I prefer to put them in for nine. When they come out, I let them cool on the tray so they can bake a little more, and move them to a cooling rack to be ready to serve. 

Croissants – @la.cuisine.de.geraldine – recipe 

You always hear that croissants are the hardest thing to make, but in my opinion, it’s more time-consuming than difficult. The process is lengthy but worth it in the end; the time span is around two days. 

For the dough, you will need 500 grams of flour (I like to use King Arthur Baking’s bread flour), seven grams of yeast, 60 grams of sugar, 10 grams of salt, 140 grams of cold water, 140 grams of cold milk and 50 grams of butter. To get the flaky layers in the croissant, you will need to make a beurrage, a thin square of butter. So for the beurrage you will need 250 grams of butter. You start by mixing the ingredients for the dough together and letting it rest for one to two hours. Then you incorporate the butter by folding it to create layers. You will do this two times, after the second fold, it needs to rest until the next day. When you take it out of the fridge, you roll it out and cut into eight triangles, and roll them into the croissant shape. Put on a tray and prepare for the final rise. You need to boil a big pot of water, one that fits in the oven. It goes underneath the pan of croissants, allowing them to rise and get soft. Then you will need to add the eggwash to get a golden brown finish. After 15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees, you have warm croissants ready. 

Mini cheesecake bites – @celebratingsweets – recipe

I found this recipe after my sister requested I try making cheesecake, and it ended up being one of my go-to recipes for events. It’s super easy, and it pays out. You will start by making the crust: you will need one and one-fourth cup of graham cracker crumbs (around nine sheets of graham crackers), two tablespoons of granulated sugar and four tablespoons of melted unsalted butter. Mix it and spread throughout the cupcake tray, bake them, and prepare the filling. For the filling, you will need 16 ounces of cream cheese (two eight-ounce bricks) at room temperature, half a cup of sour cream also at room temperature, two-thirds cup of granulated sugar, one tablespoon of pure vanilla extract, with two large eggs at room temperature. I would say this is one of the easiest recipes on this list because it’s mostly mixing and measuring. If you forget to take the ingredients out to reach room temperature, put them in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds, making the cream cheese easier to mix. For the eggs, I have just put them in a cup of warm water because I am too scared to see what will happen if I put them in the microwave. Then you fill up the tray and bake them at 325 degrees for 20 minutes, allow them to cool, and stick them in the fridge overnight. The next day, they will be ready to serve. This recipe makes around 12-15 bites.

Focaccia – @jasbaj_ – recipe

Bread is my personal favorite thing to make; it’s very rich in flavor and customizable. This is also my favorite recipe because I can finish it in one day, so when I’m craving it, I can make it easily. This

recipe calls for two cups of warm water, two teaspoons of dry yeast, two teaspoons of white sugar, four cups of bread flour, two teaspoons of flaky sea salt, olive oil and any topping you want on your bread. The most common types of bread I make are cheddar & jalapeno, cheesy garlic and tomato parmesan. To start, you need to mix the water, yeast and sugar together and let it rest for up to 10 minutes. Then you add in the remaining ingredients, excluding your toppings, and let it rise for one hour. After it’s done rising, you will do four stretch and folds to give the dough gluten. Let it sit for another 30 minutes, then transfer it to a pan and add the toppings inside. Let it rise for another thirty minutes, garnish it, bake it for twenty-five minutes at 425 degrees, and you have fresh bread. It pairs well by itself or with a dish. 

Cinnamon buns – @natashas_baking – recipe

This is one of the more tedious recipes on the list because the process is long but rewarding. In her recipe, she gives you a suggested time to start and what point you should be at, which I really like.

For the dough, you need 360 grams of lukewarm milk, five grams of dry instant yeast, 120 grams of sugar, three large eggs, 720 grams of bread flour, 95 grams of unsalted butter at room temperature and 14 grams of salt. Combine and mix, let it rise for an hour and do one stretch and fold after. Then move to the fridge for at least two hours, it can be left in there for until the next day too. The filling is really easy and only needs three ingredients: two-thirds cup of dark brown sugar, two tablespoons of ground cinnamon and one-fourth cup of softened butter. Most of the time, I do a little extra to make sure everything is coated evenly. Once everything is assembled and shaped, she suggests adding heavy whipping cream on top. It enhances the flavor of them. While they bake at 375 degrees for ten minutes, prepare the icing by combining two ounces of softened cream cheese, two tablespoons of maple syrup, half a teaspoon of vanilla extract, one and a half cups of powdered sugar and a teaspoon of salt. Apply on top of the warm cinnamon buns, and it’s ready to serve. 

Baking is a great way to share holiday spirit, especially when they are baked fresh.