Christmas morning begins sweetly with eggnog and cookies. Tins and tins of cookies lovingly baked by my sisters, children, nieces, and nephews. I can barely try them all. I do my best.

For the holiday dinner, I prefer other dessert options. The main requirements: The dessert should be make-ahead, easy to assemble, and visually appealing.

This year, cookies will be among the layers of a pretty cranberry-and-ginger parfait. Comforting vanilla pudding, spiked with plenty of pure vanilla extract and just a hint of salt, forms the foundation. Homemade cranberry sauce adds a tangy, fruity characteristic, while jammy whipped cream tops it all off luxuriously.

A parfait, like a trifle (the layered English dessert in a glass dish), depends on its distinct layers combining together. First is the bready or cake-like element, often ladyfingers or sponge cake. Ginger cookies bring in holiday flavor, but you can use shortbread, madeleines (French sponge cakes), or vanilla or chocolate wafers as substitutes.

The vanilla pudding layer tastes best when homemade, but no judgment here if a boxed mix makes life easier — just add a little more vanilla and a pinch of salt.

For the fruit layer I like to use something with texture, such as slightly crushed, sugared berries or no-sugar-added bottled fruit spreads. My favorite holiday rendition uses a homemade cranberry sauce, such as the one that follows, or canned whole berry cranberry sauce.

Individual desserts look nice when served in clear wine or cocktail glasses, especially after a big meal. If I need to transport this dessert, I assemble the pudding in mason jars with lids. You can also use a 2- or 3-quart serving bowl, preferably clear, to make one large dessert.

You can make the vanilla pudding and the cranberry sauce several days in advance. Assemble the parfaits at least a few hours in advance so they are chilled and the cookies have softened. Covered tightly, the finished dessert will keep up to a day in the fridge.

Layered Cranberry and Ginger Parfaits

Makes 6 servings

Note: For the ginger cookies, you can use homemade gingerbread cookies or store-bought options such as Trader Joe’s Triple Ginger Snaps, Annas Ginger Swedish Thin, Kimberley’s Bakeshoppe Two Bite Gingerbread Men, and Archway Crispy Ginger Snaps.

For the vanilla custard:

6 large egg yolks

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 cups whole milk

2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

To assemble:

3 dozen small ginger cookies, ginger snaps or ginger thins

1 1/2 to 2 cups cranberry orange sauce (see recipe)

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Pinch salt

2 tablespoons red currant or seedless raspberry jam

Sugared cranberries and small orange slices for garnish

1. Put a fine mesh sieve over a large bowl and set it near the cooktop.

2. For custard, put egg yolks into a medium-sized bowl. Gradually whisk in 1/2 cup sugar until sugar dissolves. Whisk vigorously until mixture lightens and turns a pale yellow, about 3 minutes.

3. Whisk together 1/2 cup of the milk and the cornstarch in bottom of medium-size saucepan until dissolved. Whisk in remaining milk, 1 cup of the cream and salt. Heat until warm, whisking constantly.

4 Whisk 1/2 cup of the warm milk mixture into the egg yolks to warm them gently. Then, whisk the egg yolks mixture back into the pan with the remaining milk mixture. Whisk until smooth. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden or silicon spoon, until mixture thickens and is nearly boiling, about 5 minutes (about 180 degrees on an instant-read thermometer). The custard should lightly coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat. Whisk in vanilla.

5. Immediately pour the custard into the sieve set over the bowl. Use the spoon to press the custard through the sieve into the bowl. Cover the custard with plastic wrap directly on the surface. Refrigerate up to three days. Makes about 3 cups.

6 To assemble, have six wide-bottomed cocktail glasses or small mason jars ready. Break three cookies into small chunks and place in the bottom of one glass. Top cookies with about 3 tablespoons of the custard and 1 tablespoon of the cranberry sauce. Repeat the three layers (cookies, then custard, then cranberry) two more times. Repeat to fill all six glasses. Refrigerate covered up to overnight.

7. To serve, beat 1 cup cream in a large bowl of electric mixer until frothy. Beat in powdered sugar and pinch salt until soft peaks form. Beat in jam just long enough to swirl the jam through the cream. If desired, transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Spoon or pipe the whipped cream over the top of the puddings. Garnish with sugared cranberries and a piece of orange slice. Serve chilled.

Cranberry Orange Sauce

Makes 1 3/4 cups

1 bag (12 ounces) fresh cranberries, rinsed

1/2 cup sugar

Grated rind of 1/2 orange

1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

Grated rind of 1 navel orange or 2 tangerines

1/4 teaspoon each: ground ginger, freshly ground nutmeg, salt

1. Put all ingredients into a medium-size saucepan. Heat to a boil, stirring occasionally, over medium heat. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, until cranberries are soft, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat.

2. Transfer to a bowl. Refrigerated covered up to three days. Use cold.

(JeanMarie Brownson is a James Beard Award-winning author and the recipient of the IACP Cookbook Award for her latest cookbook, “Dinner at Home.” JeanMarie, a chef and authority on home cooking, Mexican cooking and specialty food, is one of the founding partners of Frontera Foods. She co-authored three cookbooks with chef Rick Bayless, including “Mexico: One Plate at a Time.” JeanMarie has enjoyed developing recipes and writing about food, travel and dining for more than four decades.)

©2025 JeanMarie Brownson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.