The perfect Christmas desserts
It's fair to say that Christmas Day is the one day of the year when you HAVE to have dessert. However more and more people are ditching traditional puddings in favour of something special to impress the family.
Phil Vickery's come up with two mouthwatering alternatives, a delicious meringue cake, and a sumptuous trifle.
Honey pear pecan meringue cake with salted caramel sauce
Serves: 6-8 persons, depending on how greedy you are...Preparation time: 10 minutesCooking time: 10-12 minutes
Ingredients
4 medium egg whites (130g) at room temperaturepinch cream of tartar260g castor sugar1 tsp cornflour1 tsp vinegar1 tsp vanilla essence2 x cans pears well drained, sliced lengthways or poach your own150g pecan nuts, roughly chopped4 tbsp honey750mls double cream
Method
Preheat the oven to 120° C, Gas ½
Place the egg whites and cream of tartar into a mixing bowl and whisk until light and foamy
Add half the sugar and whisk well on ¾ speed, until thick and glossy, but not over beaten. If you over whisk, then meringue will become dull and firm.
Add the rest of the sugar and just bring together, say for 2 minutes
Remove the bowl from the machine, then fold in the cornflour, vanilla and vinegar, mix well
Spread into a Swiss Roll tin 37cm x 27cm lined with baking parchment and place into the preheated oven and cook for 1 hour 15 minutes
Then remove from the oven and cool slightly, then cut into 3 even sized pieces, cool
Toast the pecans gently, then when nicely browned pop into a bowl and add the honey and mix well
Whisk the double cream and vanilla, do not over whip
Quickly spread half over one of the meringues. Lay over the sliced pears.
Sprinkle over a little pecan nuts and drizzle with a little caramel sauce
Then top with a second piece, and repeat and then finally the last layer of meringue
Press down with a cooling rack (this keeps it even)
Decorate the top with piped cream, slices of pear and whole toasted pecans and dust well with icing sugar
Just before serving drizzle over a little sauce and dust well with icing sugar
Slice and serve with extra sauce
Raspberry and mandarin chocolate trifle
Makes: 1 large bowlPreparation time: 20 minutesCooking time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
125g milk chocolate, chopped into small pieces100mls whipping cream1 tbsp glucose syrup12 trifle sponges2 packets (1/2 pints) Instant Bird’s custard350g chopped white chocolate200g frozen raspberries1 large can mandarins, drained really well750mls double cream lightly whipped with a little icing sugar and vanilla extract150g grated milk chocolate to sprinkle on top
Method
Melt the chocolate over a pan of gently simmering water, it is really important to ensure that no water or steam gets into the chocolate or the chocolate will thicken rapidly and will spoil.
Bring the cream and the glucose together to the boil, leave to cool slightly, then whisk onto the melted chocolate
Then leave to cool at room temperature
Slice the trifle sponges in half and spread well with the milk chocolate spread, then stick back together. Then chill well.
Make up the custard to makers instructions, then add the white chocolate and mix well until melted
Cut the sponges into small cubes and place half in the bottom of a large bowl
Add half the mandarins and raspberries and cover with half the custard mix
Add the rest of the sponge, fruit and top with the rest of the custard
Chill really well, best really overnight
When ready to serve whip the double cream, icing sugar and vanilla together, do not over whip
Pile into the set trifle
Sprinkle with plenty of grated chocolate and decorate with piped cream, more mandarins and raspberries
Dust well in icing sugar
And Olly Smith joins us with some Christmas cocktails, perfect for finishing off the festive feast.