Alternative christmas cakes/desserts?

[AuntieMaggie]

I want to make something cakey/desserty for christmas that isn't christmas puuding, christmas cake, etc... any ideas?

[thebluenailbrush]

try over on baking. lots of regulars share their cake pictures.

[LapinDeBois]

Brilliant, thanks for the Delia link thebluenailbrush. Think I'll go for the Lancaster Lemon Tart, as I love bakewell tart and it sounds similar but different.

[lynniep]

I had a bloody lovely desert at a kids party the other week (it was on the 'grownups' buffet table LOL) Recipe must have been a bit like this I reckon. It didnt have ice-cream on the outside though, it was just pudding shaped and solid. Someone made it and boy it was great/calorie laden. Very boozy/raisiny/creamy.

[thebluenailbrush]

lapin , i looked at the lancaster lemon tart you mentioned as i also love bakwell and its sounds lovely- i'm always looking for things to share with work and i do love a lemon tart.

[Wigeon]

I come from a family of Christmas pudding haters, and for Christmas dinner pudding I'm going to make this Nigella Chestnut ice cream meringue cake. It's really not that difficult and tastes amazing!

[AndrewMyrrh]

We are doing:
Pavalova
Flourless chocolate roulade
Nigella's flourless clementine cake

Yum

[sieglinde]

Pavlova. Named for the ballerina. Called 'a lovely pav' in Oz.

[Piffpaffpoff]

Another chocolate roulade fan here. But if you are a bit afraid of rolling it up, Nigella's gooey chocolate stack is a kind of vertical roulade/pavlova kind of thing and the separate parts of it can be made in advance and then just assembled on the day. It is my absolute fave.

[HexGirl]

Inspired by the Nigel Slater webchat this week I'm going to try making this

www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/dec/12/nigel-slater-christmas-dessert-pudding-recipes

[AuntieMaggie]

I have an issue with desserts that mix chocolate and fruit...weird i know!

[louisianablue2000]

Sherry Trifle is a favourite here. Been thinking that Baked Alaska feels suitably wintert as well, although a bit last minute for the big day itself.

[Doshusallie]

Nigella's easy holiday trifle from her feast book is lush, I am making for boxing day.

[tb]

If I want a special cake, I use a choc cake recipe I developed myself - rather than a 2 egg, 60, 60, 60 cake with self-raising flour I do 2 eggs, 60, 60, 60 g plain flour + 2tsp baking powder + 60g melted plain chocolate. ie equal weights of everything. The chocolate is added after mixing the butter/castor sugar and adding the egg yolks only.

I separate the eggs, whisk the whites with cream of tartar and fold in with the flour/baking powder. This cooks in a 10" x 7" tin - enough for 2 layers.

It's then sandwiched with a whipped cream layer, and a truffle fruit layer - ~200/250g of good plain choc with a good slosh - less than 60mls of double/whipping cream whipped until just about milk chocolate colour. To this I generally add raspberries soaked in Cointreau, or blackcurrant with cassis - any combination would work just as well as long as it went with chocolate. This makes the fourth layer.

It's best 'assembled' in something resembling a straight-sided loaf tin - a silicone one would work well - I have one that 'bolts' together at the corners, with a removable base that slides out but the cake often breaks when placing in the base. It's a professional one, but not sure that it's best for the job. The other method is to increase the cake to 3 eggs and use a modern rectangular tin for a 2lb loaf and slice into 3 taking out the middle slice so it fits. However, in a tin that size it tends to crack on the top, so you don't have a 'good' slice for the top.

It's then iced with the choc icing from Larousse Gastronomique. ie plain choc/butter in the proportions of 150g choc to 65g unsalted butter. These are melted together over a bowl of hot water, stirred well, allowed to cool, and then either poured over the cake - need a tray to catch drips to re-pour, or whipped with a balloon whisk until milk choc colour but not too much, when it can be spread like a frosting. You can then roll the sides in grated white chocolate etc chopped nuts and leave the tops plain etc. Hides slightly dodgy plastering - very forgiving really.

Can be cut into slices and frozen individually, so you can eat just 1 slice at a time if you don't want too much. Or even half a slice.

Must post in recipes one of these days - it's been on mumsnet loads of time.

[hermioneweasley]

Marking my place . Am planning a meringue/cream/chestnut/ chocolate combo

[tb]

Blue do you use Lenotre's recipe for your pear amandine?

His I can do from a standing start in 60 mins on a good day. The pastry freezes, the creme patissiere freezes, the creme amandine freezes. Then once baked, the whole tart or slices of it freezes.

Not much gets left in our house - even our 18 year old Maine Coon has a sweet tooth and will cadge scone with jam, cake etc etc. She's never been fat, just wants a taste to feel part of the family.

[tb]

Hermione years ago, woman/woman's own did a 'nut party gateau'. It would have been published between 1969 and 1972.

It was basically a 3 egg sandwich cake with vanilla essence cut into 3 layers. There were then 2 layers of meringue - softish. Cornflour was added to the meringue, but it wasn't as chewy as a Pavlova one. You could add chopped marrons glacés to it to give texture. It was then slathered - no other word - over the top + sides with a butter cream that had chestnut purée added to it. We tried it once or twice, but found it too sickly.

It might work better with a rather 'bitter choc' flavour chocolate cake to cut the sickliness.

I changed it to coffee walnut, with chopped walnuts in the meringue, coffee sponge, and coffee butter cream and decorated the top with walnut halves instead of marrons glacés.

I can dig it out if you want more details - does that sound like the sort of thing you are looking for?

[StoneBaby]

Every year I make this Sticky toffee pud It's a quick one to make in one pot and I als ofreeze it up to a month in advance.

[QuickQuickSleigh]

Sticky date pudding?

[Scheherezade]

I'm making a massive pyramid of profiteroles with baileys whipped cream filling, with hot chocolate sauce poured over the top.

[thebluenailbrush]

scheh that sounds really lovely!
tb never heard of lenotre!

[Snog]

My mum makes an amazing christmas pudding icecream sometimes

[Charltonangel]

Slice a pannetone (Marks's have got theirs on offer at the moment I think), fry in butter and serve with some dried apricots soaked in booze or juice and ice cream. Amazing