Still looking for a Christmas dessert? No time to make a buche??

I ran across this stupidly easy, beautiful, and utterly delicious recipe a few years ago - I'd quote the source, but I don't remember where I found it, and there are several variations out there.

Get yourself an Italian Pandoro (not Panettone that's too sweet and not the right shape.) Any decent Italian deli should have them.

Get some Grappa (ideally) or other liquor of your choice.

Get various berries - your choice.
Optional, if you have time, soak the berries in a little grappa for awhile.

Get whipping cream, or if really pressed for time use a can.
If whipping your own, add some powered sugar and use grappa rather than vanilla.
Ideally, rather than the whipped cream, one should make a simple pastry cream including marscapone, but that may be too much work.
Please don't use cool whip, that's just too far down the "simple" road.

Powdered sugar.

Slice the Pandoro horizontally into 6 or 7 slices, and carefully separate the layers.

Put first slice of Pandoro on serving plate and douse liberally with grappa.

Slather on some of the cream, being sure to reach the end of the points.

Repeat until all cake is used, canting each layer so the points wind up between the points of the previous layer. End with the very tip of the cake.

Place berries on the ends of all the points, and scatter remaining berries around the bottom.

Sprinkle the entire thing with powdered sugar. If feeling really festive, put a sprig of mint and a couple red berries on top.

It looks like a Christmas tree, takes about 10 minutes to make the entire thing - tops, and you'll get many oohs and aahs. And as a bonus it contains enough grappa to bring anyone to their knees!!

NOTE: using berries adds a freshness to this dessert, but one can also use other "festive" things - candied fruit, chocolate nibs, crushed peppermint candies, etc. Whatever you have on hand!