The quark dessert recipe
for your table
Drain the poached pears in a sieve and reserve the liquid. Then cut them into pieces of about one centimeter; whole pears fall apart in the glass as soon as a spoon goes in.
Stir the quark loose with a tablespoon of the reserved liquid. This turns it slightly pink and makes it a little creamier, so it stays in a smooth layer in the glass instead of forming lumps.
Layer in the glass: a layer of speculaas crumbs, then quark, then the pieces of pear, and quark on top again. Work with a spoon along the side, so each layer is visible from the outside as a straight band.
Whip the cream until just stiff and add a dollop on top. Sprinkle the remaining crumbs over it and keep the glass chilled until serving; when cold, the quark stays firm and the layers don’t collapse into each other.
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Send this Christmas dessert recipe to your own email, so you have it at hand when you are about to make it. You will also receive a € 5 discount code when spending € 50 or more, for the glasses that go with it.
The story
A Christmas dessert doesn't have to be a project. Most of the time in a Christmas kitchen goes into the main course, and whoever starts on a dessert afterward is usually the person who doesn't get to taste any of it themselves. A four-ingredient dessert in a glass solves that: you can layer it in fifteen minutes, prepare it a few hours in advance, and through the glass it looks better than the work that went into it. The art lies not in difficult techniques but in the choice: something creamy, something crunchy, something tart and something on top.
The right glass
A simple dessert becomes expensive because of the glass it is served in. A clear, smooth glass shows the layers from the outside, and as soon as someone sees three bands stacked on top of one another, they assume effort went into it. The coupe below stands on a sturdy foot and is, according to the description, 8.6 cm high with a diameter of 10.9 cm; precisely because the glass is clear, the layers of a dessert are easy to see. The bowl holds a couple of scoops of ice cream with room for cream and topping, so you have space left for a serving of quark with pear. The low glass next to it is the smaller size for anyone who would rather serve two small desserts than one large one; it is 5.6 cm high, has a wide base and is therefore stable on a crowded table. A tall, narrow parfait glass in which the layers form neat rings one above another is not part of our selection. You can find more models among our dessert glasses and tumblers.
Onis Primavera Ice Cream Coupe 28 cl (6 pieces)
RCR Circus Low Tumbler 17 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 54,90.
The right tools
For this Christmas dessert, besides the glass, use a bar spoon to place the layers right down to the bottom and a zester for the chocolate curls on top. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Long handle, so you can place the bottom layer without brushing against the side
Thin curls of chocolate or lemon zest over the whipped cream
Glass set (our choice 01) + 2 bar tools together € 54,85.
What will you pour with it?
With a sweet pear and speculaas dessert, pour something light, preferably in a small glass. Moscato is light and sweet and complements the dessert, while prosecco and cava offer dry bubbles, and if you want to finish Dutch-style, serve a glass of vieux, as with boerenjongens. Without alcohol, a cappuccino goes well with it. On each drink page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it works well in and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
The same structure works with anything you have at home. Replace the quark with Greek yogurt or mascarpone, the poached pears with cherries in syrup, cinnamon applesauce, or stewed plums, and the speculaas crumbs with crumbled almond cookies or toasted oats. If you do not want to do anything at all, use good ice cream as the bottom layer and build the rest on top. For children, custard with crumbs and banana pieces works better than anything with speculaas spices. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Servingtip
Refrigerate the glasses for at least half an hour before serving, otherwise the quark will slump and the layers will run into each other. Add the dollop of whipped cream and the final crumbs only after the plates have been cleared, because the cream sinks and the crumbs soften. Put out a small spoon that reaches all the way to the bottom.
Good to know
A festive dessert in fifteen minutes
Choose four components and no more: something creamy, something crunchy, something with fruit, and something on top. Have everything ready before you begin, then stacking takes five minutes for six glasses. The time you save comes not from working quickly but from not having to cook: quark, crumbs, and a jar of pears do not need to see a pan.
What can come from the store?
Almost anything, as long as you do one thing yourself. Good ice cream, a jar of poached pears, cherries in syrup, and a bag of sliced almonds are all good starting points; dry-roast the almonds briefly in a pan yourself, and the kitchen will smell wonderful and you will taste the difference. What you should not buy ready-made is whipped cream in an aerosol can, because it collapses within ten minutes.
The garnish that makes all the difference
Three things elevate a simple dessert: something green, something dark, and something crunchy. A leaf of fresh mint, a strip of chocolate shaved from a bar with a vegetable peeler or zester, and a handful of nuts you have roasted yourself. Add them at the last moment, because mint wilts and nuts soften as soon as they absorb moisture.
How do you make layered desserts look expensive?
Use a spoon or bar spoon along the inside of the glass so that each layer is visible from the outside as a straight band. Keep the layers roughly the same thickness and make sure they differ in color; otherwise you will not see the distinction through the glass. Make the top layer the highest and let the cream rise just above the rim.
Why must the glass be chilled?
Quark and whipped cream become runny within half an hour at room temperature, causing the layers to collapse and the crumbs to become soggy. When cold, everything stays where you put it. Place the glasses on a shelf in the refrigerator and take them out only when you put them on the table. As an upper limit, allow two hours for dairy products outside the refrigerator.
How much dessert do you calculate per person?
After a full Christmas dinner, 100 to 150 grams per person is enough. That's about a glass filled two-thirds full. If the dessert stands on its own, for example with coffee in the afternoon, you can be a little more generous and fill the glass to just below the rim.
Frequently asked questions
What is an easy Christmas dessert?
A four-ingredient dessert in a glass: quark, speculaas crumbs, poached pears, and a dollop of whipped cream. You layer it in fifteen minutes, it doesn't need a pan, and the clear glass makes it look polished without much effort.
Which Christmas dessert can you make quickly?
Anything you layer instead of bake. Quark or yogurt with crumbs and fruit from a jar, vanilla ice cream with warm cherries, or a glass of mascarpone with crumbled cookies. Prepare all the components before you start; the layering itself then takes five minutes for six glasses.
What can you use from the store for a Christmas dessert?
Good vanilla ice cream, a jar of poached pears, cherries in syrup, and flaked almonds that you briefly toast yourself. It won't look cheap as long as you prepare one component by hand, such as whipping the cream or toasting the nuts. Whipped cream from a can collapses within ten minutes.
Which drink goes with a Christmas dessert?
Moscato is light and sweet and goes well with dessert, prosecco and cava bring dry bubbles, and a small glass of vieux suits the Dutch character of pears and speculaas. Without alcohol, a cappuccino goes well with it.
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