Happy ever afters: The best light Christmas desserts
GIVE your festive feast a fairy-tale ending with a deliciously light dessert.
A rich and creamy chocolate log is a festive treat
Yule log
Serves: 8-10
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
For the chocolate sponge:
6 eggs
170g (6oz) caster sugar
35ml (1¼fl oz) whole milk
120g (4¼oz) self-raising flour, sifted
50g (1¾oz) cocoa
For the Chantilly cream:
400ml (14fl oz) double cream
150g (5¼oz) icing sugar, plus extra to sprinkle
For the chocolate ganache:
300ml (10½fl oz) double cream
400g (14oz) dark chocolate (70%+ cocoa solids)
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 and line a 40x27cm (15¾x10½in) baking tray or similar with parchment paper.
Separate the eggs into 2 large mixing bowls. Add the caster sugar and milk to the yolks then whisk until pale yellow and slightly thickened. Sift the flour and cocoa into the egg yolks then fold in.
Whisk the egg whites with a clean, dry whisk until they form stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites gently into the egg yolk mixture a third at a time.
Pour the mixture into the baking tray and bake for 8-10 minutes until just firm.
Lay a clean tea towel on a work surface with a sheet of parchment paper on top and turn out the sponge on to this. Allow to cool for a minute then carefully peel off the parchment paper and allow to cool completely.
Whisk the 400ml (14fl oz) of double cream and icing sugar together until they form soft peaks.
Trim the long sides of the sponge so they’re straight. With a long side of the sponge facing you, score a shallow line 2cm (¾in) in from this side. Starting from this score, spread the Chantilly cream evenly over the sponge all the way to the short edges but 5cm (2in) back from the long edge.
Very carefully fold the 2cm (¾in) bottom edge over into the cream. Using the tea towel to spread the weight of the sponge, slowly roll to make a roulade.
In a heavy-based pan, heat the 300ml (10½fl oz) of double cream until warm. In a metal bowl, break the chocolate into small pieces then pour the warm cream over it. Allow the chocolate to melt a little then stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Allow to cool a little so it is spreadable but not set hard.
Trim the ends of the roulade so they are flat. With a spatula, spread the chocolate ganache evenly over the roulade, including the ends. Using the back of a fork, lightly run it across all of the roulade to imitate bark.
Sprinkle with icing sugar and enjoy.
Clementine posset
Serves: 8
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
900ml (2½ pints) double cream
300g (2lb) caster sugar
Zest of 4 clementines and the segments of 2 clementines
Zest of 1 lemon
50ml (1¾fl oz) lemon juice
150ml (5¼fl oz) clementine juice
In a heavy-based pan, warm the cream, sugar, clementine zest and lemon zest. Boil the cream for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in the juices.
Pass through a sieve into a jug and allow to cool. After 10 minutes, pour into bowls. Chill for a minimum of 4 hours but ideally overnight.
Decorate with the clementine segments and serve.
Whip up a Black Forest trifle for a grand finale
Black Forest trifle
Serves: 8
Preparation time: 40 minutes plus 5 hours’ chilling time
For the cherry and sherry jelly:
4 gelatine leaves
2x400g (14oz) tins of black cherries in syrup
100ml (3½fl oz) sherry
50g (1¾oz) caster sugar
For the chocolate sponge:
100g (3½oz) softened butter, plus extra for greasing
100g (3½oz) caster sugar
70g (2½oz) self-raising-flour, sifted
35g (1¼oz) cocoa powder
A pinch of salt
2 eggs
For the custard:
4 egg yolks
30g (1oz) sugar
2 tsps cornflour, sifted
600ml (1 pint) double cream
1 tsp vanilla essence
For the whipped cream:
400ml (14fl oz) double cream
50g (1¾oz) caster sugar
To serve:
Flake chocolate bars
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Grease and line a 24x22cm (9½-8¾in) cake tin.
Soak the gelatine in cold water for a couple of minutes until soft.
Empty the tins of cherries and the juice into a pan with the sherry and 50g (1¾oz) of sugar. Bring to the boil, turn the heat off and leave to cool for 2 minutes. Remove the gelatine from the water, stir into the cherry juice and set aside for 1 hour.
In a bowl, whisk the butter and 100g (3½oz) of sugar until fluffy.
Sift the flour, cocoa and salt into the butter. Crack the eggs in and mix well to form a smooth batter. Pour the batter into the cake tin and bake for 20-25 minutes until firm to the touch. Put the baking tin on a cooling rack for 5 minutes then remove the sponge from the tin and put on the rack.
Using a 5cm (2in) biscuit cutter, cut 8 circles of cake and place them into glasses. Pour over the cooled cherry jelly, cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for 4 hours.
Lightly beat the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour in a metal bowl. Bring the 600ml (1 pint) of double cream to a simmer, pour over the egg yolks and whisk together. Pour back into the pan and cook over a low heat, whisking constantly until thickened. Whisk in the vanilla essence to finish.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes then pour equal quantities over the jelly and chill for 30 minutes.
Whip the 400ml (14fl oz) of double cream and 50g (1¾oz) of caster sugar until it forms soft peaks then spoon on to the custard.
Serve with chocolate Flake bars.
Ginger madeleines
Makes: 24
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 8 minutes
150g (5¼oz) butter, plus extra for greasing
Plain flour, for dusting
3 eggs
75g (2¾oz) golden caster sugar
150g (5¼oz) self-raising flour, sifted
1 tsp ground ginger
A pinch of salt
Zest and juice of 1 orange
4 stem-ginger balls, finely chopped
75g (2¾oz) dried cranberries
Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/gas mark 3.
Grease a madeleine tray with a little butter then lightly dust with the plain flour.
Whisk the eggs and sugar in a bowl until pale and fluffy.
Sift in the self-raising flour then stir in the ground ginger, salt, melted butter (this shouldn’t be too hot), orange zest and juice until you have a smooth batter. Add the stem ginger and cranberries then allow to rest for 20 minutes.
Add 1 dessertspoon of the batter into the centre of each madeleine shape and bake for 8 minutes or until lightly golden.
Remove from the tray, place on a cooling rack and serve.
Ginger madeleines are perfect with hot chocolate
Christmas meringues
Serves: 8
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 1½ hours
For the meringues:
3 egg whites at room temperature
A pinch of salt
165g (5¾oz) caster sugar
For the balsamic plums:
8 plums
100g (3½oz) sugar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
For the Chantilly cream:
300g (10½oz) double cream
100g (3½oz) icing sugar
Preheat the oven to 100°C/210°F/gas mark ½ and line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
With an electric whisk, whisk the egg whites and salt on medium speed until they form stiff peaks. Start whisking the egg whites on high speed, slowly adding the caster sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until the meringues are glossy.
Using a large metal spoon, place 8 equal spoonfuls of meringue on to the lined baking tray and cook for 1½ hours. Turn the oven off and allow to cool in the oven.
Halve the plums and remove the stones. Place the cut sides down in a heavy-based pan with the sugar, balsamic vinegar and enough water to cover the plums plus 1cm (½in). Simmer for 8 minutes or until the liquid is reduced to a light syrup and the plums are tender.
Whisk the cream and icing sugar together until it forms soft peaks.
Spoon the cream into a bowl and add the meringues. To finish, drizzle over the syrup from the plums.
Styling by Victoria Gray
Photographs by Winfried Heinze
Recipes and home economy by Dominic Hoile / Metal place mat, £26 for two, House of Fraser (0345 602 1073, houseoffraser.co.uk); tray with bone handles, £39.99, Zara Home (0800 026 0091, zarahome.com); other crockery, stylist’s own