Eat Drink & Be Merry!

Spectacular Holiday Desserts

Want to really push the boat out this year? These time-honoured showstoppers capture the essence of traditional Christmas baking and are sure to wow your guests

Photos Courtesy of Adobe Stock

CHRISTMAS TRIFFLE

Serves 6

5 trifle sponge cakes Raspberry jam 225g frozen raspberries 55ml sherry 550ml double cream 3 egg yolks 25g caster sugar 1tsp cornflour 2 small bananas, peeled and sliced thin 50g flaked almonds Break the sponge cakes into pieces and spread a little raspberry jam on each piece. Place them in a large glass bowl and sprinkle the frozen raspberries and sherry over. Stir well. To make the custard, heat 275ml double cream in a small saucepan. Blend the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour together in a basin, and when the cream is hot pour it over the egg mixture, stirring constantly. Return the custard to the saucepan and stir over a very low heat until thick. Leave to cool. Sprinkle the bananas in amongst the raspberries and pour the custard over the top. Garnish with the remaining (whipped) cream, additional berries and the almonds. Cover and chill well before serving.

BAKED ALASKA

Serves 8 300g caramel ice cream 200g black cherry conserve 400g vanilla ice cream 5 egg whites 200g caster sugar 400g Christmas cake (with icing removed)

Line a 900ml pudding basin with a double layer of cling film. Scoop the caramel ice cream into the bowl, patting it down well. Top with the conserve, followed by the vanilla ice cream. Pat down firmly, cover with cling film and freeze for at least 2 hours. Heat the oven to 200°C. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then slowly whisk in the sugar until firm and glossy. Slice the cake and arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet, to make a round the same size as the top of the ice-cream bowl. Press together well to make sure there aren’t any gaps.

Lift the ice cream out of the bowl, remove the cling film and turn onto the cake. Spread the meringue evenly over the ice cream and cake, making sure there are no gaps. Bake for 4-5 minutes until nicely coloured. Serve immediately