Make-aheax impressive pud needed for Boxing Day

[squashyhat]

We are at my sister's on Christmas Day, staying over, popping home to feed the cat and then to BIL and SIL for Boxing Day (we all live no more than an hour apart). I need an impressive pud I can make on Christmas Eve and take to BIL's - or at least make the components and then assemble. Any ideas?

That should be 'make-ahead' obvs

Nigella Nutella cheesecake. Mmmmmm

Trifle would be fine if you leave the cream off until the last minute.
Pavlova is lovely and chrissmassy looking and you can just assemble the base, cream and fruit when you get there. A dusting of icing sugar is a lovely finish.
If you have an ice cream machine a home made ice cream (I’d suggest brown bread or cinnamon) paired with home made salted caramel sauce.
A chocolate fondue with a selection of fruit and biscuits. Just make a chocolate ganache with a touch of either brandy or baileys and heat it in the microwave before serving.

www.nigella.com/recipes/nutella-cheesecake

Very easy too

Traditional and not that fancy, but I do a ginger and orange trifle. Ginger cake, jelly, custard etc layered up ready. You can whip the cream when you get there and I usually decorate with crumbled ginger biscuits and mini gingerbread men poking out of the top. Proper simple food but kids and adults love it.

Profiteroles can be made well in advance and frozen then take out of the freezer before you leave and add whipped cream (with a little vanilla added) and have some choc sauce already made up and ready in the pan to reheat before serving

ETA mine doesn't make sense - add cream and chocolate sauce when you arrive not before you leave. They look great piled up on a big cake stand

A nice bit of Cointreau goes in well too.
I put clementines in too.

Chocolate roulade is always good.

Or double baked chocolate meringue brownie.

A cheesecake would easily keep, you could do a Bailey's one, the most popular in my shop at the moment...bourbon biscuit base, a layer of ganache made with Bailey's cream then the cream cheese made with more Bailey's! A winner!

We always have a baked American style cheesecake at Christmas. A lemon one from an Annabel Karnak recipe that I adapted slightly. It’s really easy to make and I make it more festive by using a gingernut base. They have to be made ahead as its too ‘eggy’ on the day. It’s hugely popular but takes no time to prep.

Karmel, bloody phone!

Lemon cheesecake using the ‘strawberry cheesecake’ recipe from BBC Good food. You can freeze it.

I second the pavlova suggestion. The best thing is that if it all goes horribly wrong, as happened to me one year, you can just make it into an Eton Mess.

Delia's chocolate bread and butter pudding is brilliant too.

eton mess trifle is really good taste great and can be made ahead of time.

Strawberry jelly with berries and sponge in it then the custard then whipped cream with icing sugar in it as your about to serve crushed up meringue and fresh berries and dust with icing sugar.

Spare yourself the hassle of making profiteroles. Get a croquembouche kit from Lidl. Easy to assemble, delicious and spectacular.

Annabel Karnak is the Egyptian baby food guru!