Angela Day pulls out all the stops with indulgent desserts for the festive season.
The desserts on the menu:
Chocolate profiteroles
Raspberry marshmallow pavlova
Chocolate, almond and date meringue cake
Iced christmas pudding
Red velvet trifle
CHOCOLATE PROFITEROLES
Makes 16
250ml water
100g butter
125g cake flour
25g cocoa powder
3-4 eggs
FILLING
375ml cream
45ml icing sugar
30ml brandy
TO SERVE
200g white chocolate, melted
icing sugar for sifting
Combine the water and butter in a pot and heat over a medium high heat until the butter has melted. Bring to the boil.
Remove from the heat and sift in the flour and cocoa powder.
Stir vigorously until the mixture leaves the side of the pot and forms a ball. Let the mixture cool.
Place in the bowl of an electric mixer and add the eggs one at a time, beating well.
Add only enough of the last egg to achieve a mixture that is thick and glossy and will hold its shape.
Place spoonfuls of the mixture on a greased baking tray. Bake at 180C for 25-30 minutes
Remove from the oven and pierce with a knife to release the steam inside.
Return to the oven for another 5 minutes to ensure the profiteroles dry out properly.
Remove and cool.
Fill with the cream, drizzle with white chocolate and decorate as desired.
Serve sifted with icing sugar.
FILLING: Beat the cream, icing sugar and brandy until stiff.
RASPBERRY MARSHMALLOW PAVLOVA
Serves 8-10
6 egg whites
2ml cream of tartar
360ml castor sugar
5ml vanilla extract
125ml raspberry jam
250ml cream, sweetened and whipped
1 packet of marshmallow frosting mix
pink food colouring
raspberry or rose essence
250g fresh raspberries
Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff.
Add the castor sugar a spoonful at a time, beating after each addition.
Beat in the vanilla.
Reserve two large scoops of the meringue mixture.
Divide the remaining mixture into two and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Spread out to form two 20cm discs.
Place in the oven at 100C for 1 hour, then switch off the oven and leave overnight or for at least 5 hours.
Fit a 1cm plain nozzle into a disposable piping bag. Open the piping bag up as widely as possible and, using a thin paint brush, paint four stripes of pink colouring up the side of the bag.
Fill the bag carefully with the reserved meringue mixture.
Pipe meringues on to a baking tray lined with baking paper.
Bake at 100C for 1 hour, then switch off the oven and cool the meringues for a few hours or overnight.
When ready to assemble, place one of the meringue discs on a serving plate.
Spread with raspberry jam.
Top with sweetened, whipped cream.
Place the remaining meringue disc on top.
Make up the marshmallow frosting according to the packet instructions.
Add a drop of pink colouring and raspberry essence.
Spoon on top of the meringue disc.
Scatter over the raspberries and add a few of the small piped meringues.
Keep refrigerated until serving.
NOTE: Marshmallow frosting is available at Woolworths.
CHOCOLATE, ALMOND AND DATE MERINGUE CAKE
150g whole peeled almonds, lightly toasted and roughly chopped
150g dark chocolate chips
200g pitted dates
flour for dusting
180ml dried cranberries, roughly chopped
juice and rind of 1 orange
6 extra-large egg whites
250ml castor sugar
5ml vanilla extract
TO SERVE
whipped cream
white chocolate curls
raspberries
Combine the almonds and chocolate chips.
Cut the dates into small pieces and dust lightly with flour.
Soak the cranberries in the orange juice for 20 minutes. Then drain well.
Beat the egg whites until stiff, then gradually beat in the castor sugar.
Add the vanilla.
Fold in the chocolate, nuts, dates, cranberries and grated orange rind.
Spoon the mixture into a 22cm springform pan lined and sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
Bake in a preheated oven at 160C for 40-50 minutes.
Switch off the oven, open the door and leave to cool.
When cool, remove from the pan. Decorate with whipped cream, white chocolate curls and raspberries if desired.
ICED CHRISTMAS PUDDING
Serves 8-10
100g mixed raisins and cranberries
100g sultanas
100g dried soft figs, chopped
100g mixed peel
80ml brandy
500g cream cheese
160ml icing sugar
500ml bought fresh custard
10ml vanilla extract
250ml cream, whipped
BISCUIT BASE
100g choc mint tennis biscuits, crushed
50g butter, melted
TO DECORATE
bought chocolate sauce
glace cherries
Combine all the dried fruit with the brandy and set aside to soak overnight.
Beat the cream cheese and icing sugar until softened.
Beat in the custard and vanilla until well blended. Fold in the whipped cream.
Mix in the soaked fruit.
Spoon the mix into a 2 litre pudding basin lined with cling film.
Press the biscuit base mixture over the pudding and place in the freezer overnight.
Turn out onto a plate and decorate with chocolate sauce and cherries.
BASE: Combine the biscuits and butter.
NOTE: I used a bought packet mixture containing dried raisins and cranberries but you can use any selection of dried fruit you prefer.
RED VELVET TRIFLE
Serves 10-12
CAKE
220g butter
250ml castor sugar
10ml vanilla essence
3 eggs
450ml self-raising flour
75ml cocoa powder
250ml buttermilk
10ml vinegar
45ml red food colouring
CHOCOLATE GANACHE
500g dark chocolate
375ml cream
CREAM CHEESE LAYER
500g thick cream cheese
15ml lemon juice
180ml icing sugar
5ml vanilla extract
375ml cream, whipped
125ml sherry
500g strawberries, sliced - reserve some whole ones for the top
CAKE: Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the vanilla and eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
Sift the flour and cocoa.
Combine the buttermilk, vinegar and food colouring and mix well.
Add the flour to the creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Mix until well blended.
Divide the mixture into 3x 18cm greased and base-lined spring-form cake tins.
Bake at 180C for 25-30 minutes until a skewer inserted into the cakes comes out clean.
Remove and cool in tins for 10 minutes before removing.
For the trifle, the cakes are best made the day before otherwise they are too fresh and fragile to handle.
GANACHE: Combine the chocolate and cream in a bowl and microwave on 50% power for 2-3 minutes until melted and smooth.
Place in the fridge to cool, but do not allow to set as it will be difficult to spread.
CREAM CHEESE LAYER: Beat the cream cheese and lemon juice until smooth and fluffy.
Beat in the icing sugar, and vanilla.
Gently mix in the whipped cream.
Put the first cake in your container. Sprinkle with a third of the sherry.
Top with a third of the cream cheese mixture. Then carefully pour on a third of the chocolate ganache.
Cover with a layer of sliced strawberries.
Add the second layer of cake, sprinkle with sherry and repeat the cream, ganache and strawberry layers.
Top with the third layer of cake and sprinkle with sherry. Then add the remaining cream cheese, top with strawberries and drizzle with chocolate.
Chill until ready to serve.
* The Angela Day cookery column is published in The Star, the Cape Argus, the Daily News and the Pretoria News.