SWEET ON CHRISTMAS
Although our family favours tried and true traditional desserts at Christmas, we add little twists and tweaks to provide interest. The Yule Log has been a favourite in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada and Vietnam for centuries. A variation of a rolled chocolate sponge that sometimes has a thick, diagonally cut slice placed on top, highlighting the curls of whipped cream that resemble the concentric circles of the growth of a tree.
In Shakespeare’s day, the traditional British Christmas plum puddingwas a plumporridge prepared from meat stock, fruit juice, prunes, mace and breadcrumbs. It morphedinto amore solid temptation over the years— shaped into a ball, tied in a cloth and boiled. The Victorians took it to another level and put it in a basin to boil.
FRENCHYULELOG
Gluten-free. I garnished the log with fresh cherries and red currants, mini meringues and sifted icing sugar. The log can be filled and frozen forupto 2months.
Ingredients
■ Log: 175g dark chocolate, chopped
■ 1⁄4cupcream
■ 5 eggs, separated
■ 1 cupcaster sugar
■ Filling: 3⁄4cupcream
■ 2Tbsp icing sugar
■ 1 cuppitted cherries, optional
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease and line a 23cmx 33cmsponge roll pan. Melt the chocolate in the 1⁄ cup of
4 cream over hot— not boiling— water. Beat, until smooth. Beat the egg yolks and caster sugar in a large bowl until thick. Fold the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture.
With clean beaters, whip the egg whites, until stiff. Fold into the chocolate mixture. Pour into the prepared sponge roll pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a fine skewer inserted in the centre comesout clean.
Removefrom the oven, place the pan on a rack and cover with a clean cloth. Cool for a fewminutes. Turn out on to a sheet of baking orwaxed paper that has been lightly dusted with icing sugar. Cool completely.
Tomakethe filling, whip the cream and icing sugar together, until stiff peaks form. Spread the cherries over the roll— if using— then cover with cream. Carefully roll upusing the baking paper to help roll it firmly. Lift on to a serving dish with awide spatula. — Serves8
CHRISTMASPLUM PUDDINGSTRUDEL
Use a good commercially prepared pudor seemymicrowave Christmas Pudding at janbilton.co.nz
Ingredients
■ Filling: 350gplumpudding, crumbled
■ 2Tbsp each: brandy, mascarponeor lightcreamcheese
■ 1Granny Smith apple, peeled, coredandthinly sliced
■ Crumbmixture: 1⁄4cupdried breadcrumbs egpanko
■ 2Tbsp each: groundalmonds, brownsugar
■ Filo: 4 sheets filo pastry
■ 25g butter, melted
Method
Combine the plumpudding, brandy and mascarpone in a bowl. Mixwell. Peel, core and thinly sliced the apple. Combine thecrumbmixture.
Place a sheet of filo on a clean bench. Brush with the melted butter. Sprinkle with 1-2 tablespoons of the crumbmixture. Continue layering the filo sheets on top brushing each with butter and dusting with thecrumb mixture.
Place the fillingdownone long edge of the filo. Topneatly with the apple slices. Fold in the ends then roll upto enclose the filling. Place on a greased oven tray and brush with morebutter. Chill while the oven heats.
Preheat the oven to 190°C. Bake the strudel for about 20 minutes, until golden and hot.
Serve dusted with icing sugar. Great served with whipped cream or custard. — Serves 6-8
PECANPIE
Americans use corn syrup but golden syrup is a good substitute.
Ingredients
■ 400gsweet short pastry
■ 11⁄ cups lightly toasted pecans
4
■ 75g butter
■ 1 cuplightly packedbrownsugar
■ 4eggs
■ 3⁄4cupgolden syrup
■ 1 tsp vanilla essence
■ 1⁄ tsp salt
4
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C. Lightly grease a 25cmpie or flan dish.
Roll out the pastry and line the pie plate. Trim the edges and prick the base. Press a sheet of foil on the base and sides of the pastry. Bake for 12 minutes. Removethe foil and continue baking for 2-3 minutes.
Removeand place the pecans evenly over the pastry base.
Reduce the oven heat to 180°C. Tomakethe filling, cream the butter and brown sugar until light. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the syrup, vanilla essence and salt. Mixwell and pour over the pecans. Bake for 40-45 minutes until just set in the centre. The pecans should rise to the top. Cool then refrigerate until required. Servewarmor atroom temperature. — Serves8
BAILEYSTIRAMISU
Atwist on the traditional Italian recipe. This tiramisu can be layered in 8-10 individual dishes.
Ingredients
■ 3 egg yolks
■ 1⁄2cupicing sugar
■ 1⁄4cup Baileys Irishcream
■ 250gmascarpone
■ 11⁄ cupscream
4
■ 1⁄ tsp vanilla essence
4
■ 200gbiscotti sponge fingers or savoiardi biscuits
■ 1 cupstrong coffee
■ 3-4Tbsp dark cocoapowder
Method
Beat the egg yolks with icing sugar and Baileys overwarmwater until light. Cool.
Lightly beat the mascarpone. Beat into the egg yolk mixture. Whipthe cream and the vanilla essence until stiff peaks form. Fold into the mascarpone mixture.
Dip the sponge fingers into the coffee to just moisten. Place a layer of fingers in the base of adeep20cm bowl. Spoon themascarpone mixture over. Cover with morefingers. Repeat the layers. Refrigerate for several hours or upto twodays. Sprinkle with cocoa powder before serving.
— Serves 8-10