New Year 2026 is inexorably approaching, and hostesses are once again scratching their heads: how to surprise guests when the standard set of salads is already planned?
The main pastry trend of this winter comes to the rescue — the "Pine Cone" dessert. This pastry looks realistic and is made from simple ingredients.
What ingredients are needed for the dessert?
Cooks offer two ways to create this treat. The first is expensive, using mascarpone cheese and Italian savoiardi cookies. The second is our folk version, made from simpler ingredients. We choose it. It will not only save the budget but also turn out to be less caloric, which is especially important on festive night.
Ingredients for three "Pine Cones":
2 ripe bananas;
1 chicken egg;
4 tsp cocoa powder (for a rich chocolate color);
3–4 tbsp flour (the amount may vary);
3 tbsp nut paste (any flavor you like: peanut, hazelnut, or chocolate-nut);
1 tsp honey;
vanilla and cinnamon — to taste;
chocolate cornflakes (in a convex shape) — for decoration;
powdered sugar — for sprinkling.
The ingredients need to be mixed and then whipped until smooth.
Preparation of the "Pine Cone" dessert
The base of the dessert is a simple homemade biscuit. For the dough, mash two ripe bananas with a fork in a bowl until pureed. Add one egg, four teaspoons of cocoa, and two tablespoons of nut paste — this will make the flavor rich. For aroma, add vanilla and cinnamon. You can also add sugar or a sugar substitute if the bananas were unripe or the nut paste is unsweetened.
Gradually introduce the flour. The dough should not be too thick or, conversely, too liquid — find the golden mean. Mix all the ingredients until smooth.
Place the resulting mixture into a mold and send it to the oven preheated to 180 degrees. After 15–25 minutes, the aromatic chocolate cake will be ready.
When the biscuit cools, crumble the cake into fine crumbs with your hands. To make the mixture pliable and easy to mold, add binding elements: a teaspoon of honey and another tablespoon of nut paste. Mix thoroughly.
From the resulting "dough," form three cone-shaped blanks — these will be the bases of our future pine cones.
Finally, sprinkle the pine cones with powdered sugar — this will give them a festive look.
At this stage, be sure to call the children to the kitchen. Decorating the dessert is an exciting and beneficial process for fine motor skills.
Take the chocolate cornflakes (it’s better to choose those without sugar — they are cheaper and not as cloying) and start inserting them into the soft base in rows, from bottom to top. The flakes should be placed at a slight angle and overlapping, mimicking the scales of a real forest pine cone.
The final touch — powdered sugar. Sprinkle the finished pastries through a sieve. The white dust will settle on the chocolate sides, like the first snow. This dessert will become the main decoration of the New Year's table and a great source of pride for the little cooks.
