Recipes reprinted with permission from What Can I Bring? by Casey Elsass © 2025. Published by Union Square & Co., an imprint of Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group. Photographs by Gentl and Hyers.
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Amaro Hot Chocolate
Amaro, an herbal, bittersweet digestif, is a surprisingly wonderful partner to a warm cup of hot chocolate, making it just a little more complex than usual. Baileys, a mixture of cream, cocoa, and whiskey, slips in unnoticed and makes it feel a little more rich. And even if you choose to make this without alcohol, mixing cocoa powder with dark brown sugar gives it an uncommon depth of flavor besides the usual chocolaty and sweet. The mini marshmallows are optional but very strongly recommended for an extra touch of holiday cheer.
Makes 18 cups, enough for 18 people
Ingredients
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 cup unsweetened Dutch- processed cocoa powder
- 1 cup amaro (I use Averna)
- 1 cup Baileys Irish Cream (or similar creamy liqueur)
- 1 gallon whole milk
- Mini marshmallows (optional), for serving
Directions
- In a Dutch oven, whisk the brown sugar and cocoa powder together until there are no lumps.
- Set the Dutch oven on the stove and whisk in the booze until the sugar and cocoa are starting to dissolve. Pour in the milk and whisk until every thing is completely combined. Set over low heat and cover. It should take about 45 minutes to warm up.
- Remove the lid and whisk one more time to make sure it’s all combined. Drop the ladle in, set out cups and mini marshmallows, and let every one go to town.
PARTY TRICKS
- If you’re making this to go, put the lid on the Dutch oven after whisking the sugar and cocoa. Combine the amaro and Baileys in an airtight container. The milk, marshmallows, and cups are already packed for you. Ask your host ahead of time if you can borrow a whisk and a ladle and hog a burner all night.
- This makes a huge batch of hot chocolate, but the recipe can easily be cut in half for a more polite serving.
A Triflin’ Parfait
Do you know the difference between a trifle and a parfait? Yeah, I’m not sure either. Either way, it’s a delicious pile of something creamy, something fruity, and something carby. In this case, we’re really taking the easy way out with a fully store- bought list of ingredients, carefully assembled for the illusion of hours of work. The dairy element is a tangy- sweet mix of cream cheese and sour cream whipped with cream, powdered sugar, and maple syrup. Frozen berries perked up with the juice and zest of an orange thaw into a juicy fruity layer. For the carby, it’s dual layers of cut-up pound cake (dream) and crushed up gingersnaps (twist) to make sure this parfait is triflin’ in name only. (But maybe it is a trifle? I’m still not sure.)
Serves 6
Ingredients
- 1 (14- to 16- ounce) box gingersnaps (see Party Trick)
- 1 (8- ounce) block cream cheese, cubed
- 2 cups sour cream
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 store- bought pound cakes, cut into ½- inch cubes (see Party Trick)
- 1 (16- ounce bag) frozen berries
- 1 navel orange
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
- 3- quart (96- ounce) trifle bowl
Directions
- Put the gingersnaps in a large zip- top bag. Use a rolling pin or meat tenderizer or a can of beans to smash into fine crumbs. (Or pulse in a food processor 6 to 8 times.)
- In a large bowl, combine the sour cream and cream cheese. Use a handheld mixer to beat on low until the cream cheese is mostly broken up. Add the cream, powdered sugar, and maple syrup and beat on low until the sugar is combined, then crank up to medium and beat to stiff peaks, about 3 minutes. (This can also be done using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.)
- Last bit of prep, I promise! Open the bag of frozen fruit and zest the orange right into the bag. Slice the orange in half and squeeze the juice in there, too. Hold the bag closed and give it a good shake to mix.
- Okay, we’re ready to build. Layer a third of the cake cubes on the bottom of a 3- quart trifle bowl or similarly sized glass bowl and press gently to squish them down a little. Add a third of the whipped cream, a third of the gingersnap crumbs, and 1 cup of the frozen berries. Another layer of cake, then whipped cream, gingersnaps, berries, and do it all once more to use everything up. Lightly drape plastic wrap over the top of the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour so the berries can thaw, or up to 12 hours.
PARTY TRICK
- Biscoff, Nilla Wafers, Maria cookies, graham crackers, any shortbread cookie, or a gluten- free replacement all work. A 16- ounce pound cake (thawed) or loaf cake both work great, as do any of your gluten-free favorites.
Parmesan Round
This is a big and spongy round that’s going to be an instant hit at any dinner party. I’m sidestepping the word bread because we really have to give the whipped egg whites all the credit here. They do the hard work, giving lots of height and air, and the small amount of flour really just holds it all together. If the time commitment of a focaccia just isn’t in the cards for you, this has a similar vibe and will hit the same satisfying spot.
Makes an 8- inch round
Ingredients
BREAD
- 1 cup (140 grams) all- purpose flour or gluten-free flour (see Party Tricks)
- ½ cup (80 grams) cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup (115 grams) whole milk
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ¾ cup (75 grams) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
TOPPING
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
- 1 tablespoon extra- virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and set a rack in the center. Set an 8- inch (or 9- inch) cake pan right- side up on a piece of parchment paper. Trace around the bottom of the pan, then cut around the inside of the circle to avoid the ink. Coat the bottom and sides of the pan with nonstick spray, press the parchment round to the bottom, and spray again.
- Make the bread: Set a large bowl and medium bowl next to each other. In the large bowl, whisk the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and pepper together. Make a little well in the middle of the flour. Crack the eggs, letting the whites drop into the empty medium bowl and plopping the yolks in the large bowl’s flour well. Set the whites aside for a second. Whisk the yolks just to break them up, then whisk the milk, butter, and Parmesan into the well. Switch to a spatula to fold the wet and dry ingredients together.
- Going back to the whites, add the cream of tartar to the bowl. Wash and dry your whisk, then beat the whites until they’re puffy and soft, about 5 minutes. When you lift the whisk out of the whites and flip it up, it should make a peak that droops to the side. Use the spatula to scoop half of the whites into the large bowl and fold in, then scoop the rest of the whites and fold until there are no more streaks. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and wiggle the pan to even it out.
- Make the topping: In a small bowl, pinch together the garlic, rosemary, olive oil, and red pepper to coat. Sprinkle over the top of the batter.
- Slide the pan into the oven and set a timer for 30 minutes. (If you’re using a 9- inch cake pan, set the timer for 25 minutes.) Slide a toothpick into the center of the bread. If it comes out clean or with a few crumbs, you’re good. If not, set a timer for 5 minutes and test again. Set aside to cool completely in the pan, about 1 hour. Use an offset spatula or butter knife to slide under and tilt the bread out of the pan, so you can get it onto a serving plate without ruining the topping,
PARTY TRICKS
- Cover the top of the pan with aluminum foil if you’re traveling with it. It can be served at room temperature or rewarmed in a 300°F oven for 10 minutes.
- Any leftover bread can be stored in a zip- top bag at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- My favorite gluten-free flours are King Arthur’s Measure for Measure and Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour, but any brand that includes xanthan gum will work. Remember, gluten-free flour hydrates differently than wheat flour, so always let the batter sit for 5 minutes before transferring it to a pan.
Shrimp Cocktail Ceviche
Just when you thought there could not be anything more chic than a bowl of shrimp cocktail at a party, along comes Mexico, saying I can do you one better and offering up cóctel de camarón. This ceviche- influenced spin, with lightly poached shrimp swimming in a tomato sauce spiked with ketchup, plenty of lime, some crisp veg, and you already know there’s hot sauce in there, is absolute perfection. The traditional serving vessel is a saltine cracker, which is so gorgeous I could cry.
Serves 6
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- Ice
- 1 pound frozen peeled shrimp (large, or around 26 to 30 per pound)
- 1 cup Clamato
- ½ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice (from 3 to 4 limes)
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons Mexican hot sauce, such as Valentina
- 4 Persian or mini cucumbers, diced
- 1 medium red onion, diced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Crackers, for serving
Directions
- In a large saucepan, whisk 4 cups water and 1 tablespoon salt. Set over high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and immediately add the frozen shrimp. Cover and set a timer for 5 minutes. While the shrimp are poaching, fill a large bowl halfway with ice water and another 1 tablespoon salt. When the timer goes off, check a few shrimp to make sure they’re fully opaque. (Back in for 1 minute if they’re not!) Use a spider strainer or slotted spoon to transfer the shrimp to the ice bath and chill for about 5 minutes until they’re completely cool. Now is a really great time to chop your cucumber and onion.
- Drain the shrimp and remove the tails if they’re not already off. Wash and dry the large ice bath bowl. She’s coming back. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels, then chop each shrimp crosswise into thirds.
- In a medium serving bowl, whisk the Clamato, ketchup, lime juice, pepper, and hot sauce. Fold in the shrimp, cucumbers, and onion. Taste for seasoning— there’s a rumor going around that I like to add about ¼ teaspoon of salt to help wake everything up, I don’t know how that started. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. Just before serving, freshly chop the cilantro and fold in.
- Load up that large bowl with ice and set the serving bowl inside it to keep the shrimp nice and cold. Serve with open sleeves of crackers to spoon on little cracker bites.
PARTY TRICK
- If you’re making this ahead, wrap the cilantro in damp paper towels. The crackers and shrimp cocktail are ready to go. Bring the large bowl along or ask your host if they have one (plus some ice) you can borrow.
Raspberry Meringue Tart
Somehow anything pressed into a tart pan comes out looking so professional when you slide the sides off. This easy cookie crust is no exception. Filled with a sweet- tart raspberry curd and finished with huge clouds of peaky Italian meringue, well, I’m not sure if I could ever go back to lemon. It’s worth the small investment in a kitchen torch to get those dreamy browned edges that make a meringue pie so picture- perfect.
Makes one 9- inch tart
Optional: Start this recipe 1 day ahead.
Ingredients
CRUST
- 32 Biscoff cookies (250 grams) or other cookies (see Party Tricks)
- ¼ cup (30 grams) powdered sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
FILLING
- 16 ounces frozen raspberries
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 large egg yolks (save those whites for the meringue!)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 (0.25- ounce) packet unflavored gelatin (from a 1- ounce box)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1- tablespoon pieces
MERINGUE
- 11/4 cups (250 grams) granulated sugar
- 3 large egg whites
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
- 9-inch tart pan
- Stand mixer
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set a rack in the center.
- Start the crust: Before it’s out of commission, whirl your cookies in the food processor. Make sure you end up with 2 cups of fine crumbs— process more cookies if you need to. Cookies go in a large bowl, the food processor gets a quick rinse and snapped back into place.
- Make the filling: In a medium saucepan, combine the raspberries, granulated sugar, salt, and ½ cup cold water. Set over medium heat, cover, and set a timer for 10 minutes. While that’s simmering, whisk the egg yolks and cornstarch in a small bowl, then sprinkle the gelatin over top. When the timer goes off, ladle a little of the raspberry mixture into the egg mixture and whisk to combine, then pour it all back into the saucepan. Stir until the mixture starts to thicken, about 2 minutes, then scrape into the food processor. With the processor running, add the butter one piece at a time. Scrape down the sides and process for 30 more seconds to make sure everything is combined. Keep the lid on the processor and set a timer for 1 hour to let it cool.
- While the filling is cooling, let’s come back to the crust: Whisk the powdered sugar into the cookie crumbs. Melt the butter and drizzle it into the cookie bowl. Mix until the crumbs are hydrated. Eyeball about two- thirds of the mixture and sprinkle that over the bottom of a 9- inch tart pan. Press into an even layer. Sprinkle the rest of the mixture around the edges of the pan and press to make the sides. Do another press around to make sure there are no cracks or uneven patches. Slide the crust in the oven and set a timer for 10 minutes. Remove and very gently press a measuring cup around the edges to make sure the crust perfectly cools in all the nooks and crannies. Cool completely while the filling finishes setting up. (We’re done with the oven, you can turn it off.)
- When the hour is up, the filling should have a skin on top and still be very warm. Process again, just for 30 seconds. Hold a medium mesh strainer over the crust and pour the filling in. Give the pan just the tiniest littlest wiggle to help the filling settle in an even layer, then press plastic wrap directly on the surface. Set a timer for 2 hours and let the filling set at room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator for another 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
- When it’s getting close to go time, make the meringue: Set a small saucepan on the stove and attach a thermometer. Pour in the granulated sugar, then slowly pour in ½ cup cold water. Don’t stir or move the saucepan. Set over high heat and let the sugar melt on its own and boil. It’s ready when the thermometer hits 240°F.
- Before that happens, put the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on low for about 1 minute, until they’re foamy. Add the cream of tartar, then increase the speed to medium and whip until the whites are fluffy and soft peaks form, about 2 minutes.
- As soon as the sugar syrup hits 240°F, remove it from the stove. I like to pour mine into a liquid measuring cup because a pour spout makes all the difference for this next part. With the mixer running on low, very slowly pour the syrup down the side of the bowl until it’s all mixed in. (You want to stream it down the side so it mixes with the egg whites instead of tussling with the whisk.) Increase the speed to high and whip until the sides of the bowl are back to room temperature and the meringue is at stiff peaks, around 8 minutes.
- Scoop and swirl the meringue into a big pile over the top of the tart. It’s beautiful in its glossy, snowy whiteness, but if you have a kitchen torch, singe the meringue for a perfectly toasted finish. If you’re not serving it within the next hour, store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours. To serve, center the base of the tart pan on a can of beans or something small with some height and slide the side down to remove. You can serve straight from the base of the pan or carefully slide the tart onto a serving plate.
PARTY TRICKS
• Biscoff, Nilla Wafers, Maria cookies, graham crackers, any shortbread cookie, or a gluten- free replacement all work. A 16- ounce pound cake (thawed) or loaf cake both work great, as do any of your gluten- free favorites.
•Any leftovers can be wrapped and refrigerated for 2 more days.