The best holiday desserts for families from NYC bakeries

Lemon meringue tart

This delicious treat has a pâte sucrée shell (a fancy way to say sweet short-crust pastry) filled with creamy lemon and topped with fluffy, lightly browned meringue. All you have to do is keep the kids’ fingers out of it until it’s time for dessert. Lafayette Grand Café & Bakery, 380 Lafayette St (212-533-3000, lafayetteny.com). Individual $6.50, 10" $40.

Stump de Noel

Give chocolate sponge cake a malted vanilla buttercream filling and some carefully applied dark chocolate frosting (oh, and little fondant toadstools). A million painstaking hours of labor later, and you've got yourself an amazing Stump de Noel. Get it. Eat it. It's amazing. Baked, 279 Church St (212-755-0345, bakednyc.com) · 359 Van Brunt St (718-222-0345). 8" $50.

Salted caramel apple pie

Sweet apples wrapped in a divinely buttery crust are sure to please taste testers big and small, and the pie’s latticed, salt-sprinkled top makes for the perfect holiday table presentation. Four & Twenty Blackbirds, 439 Third Ave, Brooklyn (718-499-2917, birdsblack.com). 10" $40.

Fall foliage gift set

Nut-free and kosher, these ultra-adorable cookies enchant everyone with cute shapes, delicate icing and colorful sugar sprinkles. Two squirrels, four acorns and six autumn leaves come in each fall-fabulous package. Eleni’s, 79 Ninth Ave (888-435-3647, elenis.com). Set $39.95.

Caramel apple cake

This autumnal spiced apple cake is a holiday heavyweight—everything from its festive caramel-designed top to its three layers of sweet buttercream will thrill tiny sugar seekers. Baked, 279 Church St (212-755-0345, bakednyc.com) · 359 Van Brunt St (718-222-0345) · 8" $39, 10" $50, 12" $69

and

Seasonal cupcakes

Bite-size dessert? Don’t mind if we do. These
teeny tiny cupcakes are absurdly cute and perfect for little fingers, plus they’re available through December 7 in delicious seasonal flavors like Vanilla Cookies & Cream, Scotcheroo and Deconstructed Cookie Dough. Baked by Melissa, various locations (bakedbymelissa.com). Each $1, 25-pack $20.

Assorted Cookies

Tricolor, butter and chocolate-dipped cookies are sold by the pound at New York City institution Ferrara—it’s worth a visit to Little Italy just to experience the Old World vibe and mouthwatering pastry counter at its original 1892 location. Ferrara Bakery, 195 Grand St (212-226-6150, ferraranyc.com). Various prices.

Chocolate Chess pie

A deliciously flaky crust and gooey, chocolate insides make for the perfect pie pick. Don't forget the vanilla ice cream! Four & Twenty Blackbirds, 439 Third Ave, Brooklyn (718-499-2917, birdsblack.com). 10" $40.

Joy Box

This bundle of bliss (or 12 cupcakes) contains three chocolate-peppermint, red velvet, vanilla and gingerbread cupcakes, each with cute toppings like mini gingerbread men and crushed candy canes. Sprinkles Cupcakes, 780 Lexington Ave (212-207-8375) · 225 Liberty St (212-603-9321) · sprinkles.com · Available Dec 1–24; Joy Box half-dozen $22.50, Joy Box dozen $42.

Rainbow Cookies

These classic Italian William Greenberg treats will melt in your mouth, plus they have adorable pink, yellow, white and green layered insides...and they're covered in chocolate. 110 Madison Ave (212-861-1340, wmgreenbergdesserts.com) · Todd English Food Hall at 5th Ave and Central Park S. Half pound $15, two pounds $56, two pounds in a tin $64.

Fruit Tart

Ok, Ok...We'll admit that this one's more for the parents...but get pumped! It's packed with gorgeous, colorful fruits of the season, looks like an art piece and will be the talk of your dining room table. Lafayette Grand Café & Bakery, 380 Lafayette St (212-533-3000, lafayette.com). Individual $6, 10" $38.