Dh is a school cook and would like some suggestions for pudding for Christmas lunch

[Miaou]

He is cooking for 70! He doesn't want to do Christmas pudding because too many kids don't like raisins. But he thought mumsnet might have some good suggestions and recipes.

bump - any suggestions?

Chocolate log/roulade( decorate with holly etc)
Cinnamon apple crumble and custard

My mother always makes a summer pudding as well as a Christmas one. Frozen soft fruits are perfect for it as it has to be all squashy anyway. Its nice and refreshing and not too heavy after a big lunch. Or you could do an apple charlotte, which I think is the same principle (bread lining, fruit inside) and add lots of Christmass-y flavours to the apple puree.

Strawberry trifle always go down well in our house at Christmas - my children don't like Christmas cake or mince pies.... jam roly polly and custard goes down a treat too!

we always used to have chocloate log for the same reason. I still don't like raisins/sultanas and i will be making a choclate log (or at least chocolate mess) this year...always with ice cream too YUM

our 'second' pudding is usually either raspberry jelly (with raspberries in it) or chocolate roulade

thanks for the suggestions so far - any fave recipes?

sainsburys

Noooooooo! He's a "cook from scratch" guy - won't even buy in pizza bases. He likes to control the sugar/salt content of what he serves. He's weaned them off added sugar in rice pudding already and they still ask for seconds

bump - any more ideas?

I would second a chocolate log (when we were at school they used to sprinkle icing sugar on top to make it look like snow!).

Your dh sounds fantastic! I wish he would come and cook at dd and ds's school!

lots of brownies?

big meringues with cream?

chocolate mousse with star and Xmas inspired shaped biscuits?

We used to have chocolate log with mint custard. Dread to think what they put in for the vibrant geen shade!

I give the kids a simple tart of filo pastry layers and cinnamon flavoured apple.

brownies....mmm...need suzywong's recipe for that methinks

They don't like raisins?

Well my two (19 mths and 3 yrs) were at a playdate last week with 2 other 3 year olds and a 20 month old (i.e. 5 pre schoolers in total) and they devoured mince pies for dessert (and the mincemeat will contain raisins and sultanas...?) Only once child declined.

So I would think mince pies with custard would be a festive but less stody alternative to Christmas pud. Personally I think it's the stodge element that switches kids off christmas pudding not the raisins.

Maybe older kids are different (raisins are pounced on at snack time in toddler group too)

I like frenchie's idea

I think anything with chocolate in is bound to go down well, but if he's got kids with dairy etc intolerances, then what about orange and cranberry jelly? I think Delia has a recipe in her Christmas book, but it would be relatively easy to do in large quantities, and very festive.

I like French's idea too. I may be inspired to do that myself on Christmas day

don't think he has any dairy intolerances to work with, but I think the raisin thing has reared its head before. As he is cooking for 70 single-handedly it's not really feasible to offer alternatives.

Like the chocolate log idea - a nice light sponge .... are they fiddly to make?

Showed this thread to dh when he came home from work and he is all enthused now - thanks for the good ideas! Will let you know what he does in the end