christmas dessert

Melting Chocolate and Clementine Snowflakes with Salted Cardamom Honeycomb

Uncategorized

I’m not usually one for novelty shapes but when Nordic Ware sent me a six hole snowflake baking tin I couldn’t resist (it is Christmas after all). Chocolate fondants never fail to make me happy so I thought a simple festive twist on the classic melt-in-the-middle puddings was in order; the snowflakes themselves taste predominantly of dark chocolate, spiked with a little clementine zest, but the honeycomb really makes for a well rounded dessert full of flavour and texture. Add ice cream too for optimum indulgence.

Ingredients

Makes 6-8 puddings

  • 1-2tbsp cocoa powder, for dusting
  • 140g 70% dark chocolate
  • 140g butter, plus extra for greasing
  • 140g golden caster sugar
  • 3 eggs, 2 egg yolks
  • 125g plain flour
  • Zest 3 clementines

For the honeycomb

  • 100g caster sugar
  • 2 1/2 tbsp golden syrup
  • 1tsp ground cardamom
  • pinch salt
  • 1tsp bicarbonate of soda

Method

  1. Brush the moulds inside with melted butter then coat in cocoa powder, tap out any excess and set aside.
  2. Melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, then leave to cool a little.
  3. Place the eggs, yolks, sugar and clementine zest in a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment and whisk until pale and thick.
  4. Add the flour and mix together briefly, then add the chocolate mix, a quarter at a time. Mix well between each addition. Split the mix between the moulds then chill for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180c.
  5. Meanwhile, make the honeycomb. To do this line a medium high sided baking tray with baking paper then place the sugar, syrup, salt and ground cardamom in a small saucepan. Heat until the sugar has dissolved and you have a golden, slightly simmering liquid, then add the bicarbonate of soda, remove from the heat and mix (just a few seconds, until the bicarbonate of soda has disappeared.). It will rise up quickly and go foamy. Tip into the prepared tin and leave to set hard.
  6. Take the puddings from the fridge and bake for 9-11 minutes for the perfect saucy middle. Break up the honeycomb and serve a few shards with each pudding.

 

Advertisement

Sticky Date Pudding with Masala Chai Inspired Toffee Sauce

Cakes, Uncategorized

This striking but deeply comforting dessert is perfect for Christmas if you’re after something a little bit different to your bog standard figgy pudding; it’s essentially a twist on the nostalgic sticky toffee pud, but is lifted with ginger, cinnamon, black pepper and orange then drenched in a sauce which I’ve infused with classic chai spices (black peppercorn, cardamom, cinnamon, anise, cloves and fennel seeds). I’m going to be serving this up on Christmas day with vanilla ice cream (though it would be amazing with a rose or pistachio variety!).

Ingredients

  • 225g butter
  • 225g soft dark brown sugar
  • 70g black treacle
  • 135g golden syrup
  • 200g pitted dates, roughly chopped
  • 200ml boiling water
  • 100ml milk
  • 350g plain flour
  • 2tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 2tsp ground ginger
  • 1tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • zest 1 orange
  • 2 eggs

For the sauce

  • 100g dark brown sugar
  • 75g butter
  • 50ml maple syrup
  • 125ml double cream
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 star anise
  • 2 cloves
  • 1/2tsp mixed spice
  • 5 black peppercorns
  • pinch fennel seeds
  • 4 green cardamom pods, cracked
  • pinch sea salt

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 170c. Grease your bundt tin generously with butter then coat with plain flour, tipping out any excess.
  2. Before starting on the pudding mix, infuse the cream for the toffee sauce. To do this pour the cream into a small saucepan and add the cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves, mixed spice, peppercorns, fennel seeds and cardamom pods. Heat gently until just boiling then set aside until required.
  3. Place the dates in a small bowl then pour over the boiling water. While the dates are soaking, melt the butter, sugar, treacle and syrup in a large saucepan. Once the contents of the pan have melted add the milk, orange zest, soaked dates and water. Stir together until well combined. Set aside to cool a little.
  4. Sift the plain flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger, cinnamon and black pepper into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle and break in the eggs. Briefly mix the eggs to break them up then gradually add the contents of the saucepan. Stir together with a wooden spoon until you have a smooth, lump-free batter.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared tin (ensuring that you leave a 1.5 inch gap at the top of the tin for rising) and bake for 40-50 minutes (or until a skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs attached when inserted).
  6. While the pudding is cooking, finish the sauce. To do this simply place the sugar, butter and maple in a small saucepan and melt together until gently bubbling, then remove from the heat and strain in the flavoured cream and salt.
  7. Serve the pudding warm with a generous helping of sauce and vanilla ice cream.

Merry Christmas!

Mince Pie Bars

Pastry, Uncategorized

These Bakewell inspired bars are made up of a crisp pastry base, zesty mince meat centre, cinnamon frangipane top, toasted almond sprinkling and a dollop of obligatory brandy cream; delicious and oh-so festive!

Ingredients:

  • 250g plain flour
  • 140g butter
  • 1tbsp caster sugar
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 3tbsp water
  • 1 jar good quality mince meat (optional: add the zest of 1 orange and a handful chopped walnuts to it)
  • 150g butter
  • 150g golden caster sugar
  • 75g ground almonds
  • 75g self-raising flour
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 3 eggs
  • handful flaked almonds
  • 150ml double cream
  • 1tbsp brandy
  • 2tbsp icing sugar (plus extra for dusting)

 

Method:

  1. First, make the pastry (or skip steps 1 and 2 if you’re using shop bought shortcrust!). Place the butter, sugar and flour in a food processor and blitz until they form breadcrumbs. Pour into a large bowl. In a small bowl whisk together the water and egg. Add 4tbsp of this mix to the crumbs and stir with a cutlery knife. If there are still dry patches add a little more liquid until the mixture comes together to form a dough. Press into a thin disc shape and wrap in cling film. Chill for 15 minutes.
  2. Preheat the oven to 190c. Lightly grease a rectangular tart tin. Take your chilled pastry and roll out to about 3mm thick. Line into the tart tin, pushing it into the corners as you go. Chill again for 10 minutes.
  3. Now it’s time to blind bake. Screw up a piece of greaseproof paper and unfold, then press down into the case. Fill with baking beans and spread out to completely cover the base. Bake for 15 minutes until the sides are set then remove the beans and paper and bake for a further 5-10 minutes until the base is dry and sandy. Don’t let it colour as it will be returning to the oven when filled.
  4. Reduce the oven temperature to 170c.
  5. Now make the frangipane. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy then add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition (add a little of the flour to prevent curdling if you like). Once well combined, beat in the ground almonds and fold in the remaining flour and cinnamon.
  6. Now it’s time to assemble. Take your tart case and spread a generous layer of mince meat across the base. Top this with the frangipane and level out as best you can. Sprinkle with flaked almonds.
  7. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the frangipane is cooked through. If the pastry or almonds are browning too much just cover loosely with foil.
  8. Once baked, cool on a wire rack while you make the brandy cream. To do this simply whisk together the brandy, cream and icing sugar until thick. Spoon onto each bar, dust with icing sugar and serve.