Hello everyone!
Three more sleeps to Christmas!!! By now you have your menu for the big lunch all worked out and you have even started shopping for ingredients.
Today is part 2 of our Christmas edition and we are featuring everyone’s favourite, the sweet stuff! The dessert/ pudding table is always the highlight of any meal for me.
All your favourite lussies are made and you know exactly what you are having first. Be it trifle, pavlova or even a good old chocolate cake, dessert is always the perfect amount of sweetness that just finishes off the meal perfectly.
Although life during a pandemic will have our Christmas and our holiday traditions looking a little different, dessert box gifts are such an amazing trending idea.
Make a boxie of your favourite cakes, cookies or snacks and drop it off by your loved ones for them to enjoy and add to their spread.
Our tables will be smaller, but it is a time to make new memories around the table and reminds us of how grateful we are for the little moments.
“The best memories are made around the table with your loved ones and good food”
This week I am sharing quick, easy, classic desserts that will have you wanting to skip lunch and head straight into the sweet stuff.
With that being said, I wish you a blessed day filled with love, happiness, peace and joy over Christmas and the entire festive season.
Sending extra love to those who are not able to be with loved ones that are far away or not able to celebrate with you.
May the day and this season be filled with light, laughter and cheer for you and your family.
Good luck with the Christmas prep, have a beautiful day and stay safe.
Love your Cooksister
Christmas Berry Trifle
Recipe Credit Capsicum Culinary Studio
Ingredients
700g strawberries, hulled and cut into quarters
400g blueberries
1½ cups cream, whipped
1½ cups custard
1 packet meringues, broken up
24 finger biscuits
Fresh mint for garnish (optional)
Method
Cover the bottom of a large glass bowl with a layer of finger biscuits.
On top of that, spoon a layer of custard, followed by a layer of strawberries and blueberries, then a layer of crumbled meringue and finally a layer of whipped cream.
Repeat layers until you have reached the top of the bowl.
Scatter more strawberries and blackberries on top and garnish with a sprig of fresh mint or two.
Refrigerate overnight, before serving.
To make it more exotic, add raspberries, mangoes or kiwi fruit to the layers and garnish the top with chocolate shavings, cherries or fresh cream.
Festive Peppermint Pudding Chocolate Cake
Recipe Credit Naseema Osman @cookandletcook
Ingredients
2x20 cm of your favourite chocolate cake (store bought or homemade)
360 grams of Nestle Caramel Treat (refrigerated overnight)
250 ml cold whipping cream
2 tablespoons of sugar
150 to 200 grams of Nestlé Peppermint crisp chocolate
Method
Whisk caramel until smooth.
Whisk the cream and sugar until you have soft peaks and place it back in the fridge until you need it!
Place your first layer of chocolate cake at the bottom of your dish.
Cover it with caramel and smooth out the top.
Add half of the chocolate and sprinkle it over the caramel layer.
Add your second layer of cake.
Add cream and smooth out the top.
Finish it off by adding the rest of your chocolate.
Berry Pavlova
Recipe Credit Naseema Osman @cookandletcook
Ingredients for the Meringue
5 large, room temperature egg whites
225 grams caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon maizena
Method for the Meringue
Draw a 20cm circle on a large piece of baking paper (you can use one of your round cake tins to measure).
Preheat your oven to 150 °C (with fan).
Add egg whites to a large clean bowl.
Mix on a low speed until you start seeing bubbles then turn the speed up to high.
Continue whisking your eggs till you have a soft peak.
Now turn the speed back to medium and start adding the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Once all the sugar has been mixed in, turn up the speed until you have stiff peaks, and the sugar has dissolved. (You can assess this by rubbing some of the mixture between your fingers).
Add maizena, vanilla essence and lemon juice and gently whisk or fold this in.
Add meringue to the baking sheet and try to make it even all around, smoothing out the top.
Turn down the oven temperature to 110 °C (with fan) and then place the meringue in the oven for 1hr and 15 minutes.
Once it's baked, turn off the oven and leave the meringue in there for at least 1 hour (keep the oven door closed).
Open the oven door and leave it in for another 30 minutes:
Remove the meringue from the oven and allow it to cool completely.
Originally meringue recipe
@recipe_tin adapted by @cookandletcook
Ingredients for the Topping
250 ml cold whipping cream
1 tablespoon sugar
300 to 400 grams mixed berries
Method for the Topping
Add cream and sugar to a bowl and whisk till soft peaks.
Add cream to the meringue. If you have cracks, you can use the cream to cover it up.
Finally add your fruit and enjoy!
Christmas Tree Brownies
Recipe Credit Farzana Kumandan @sprinklesandspicect
Ingredients
2 eggs
1 ¼ cup sugar
½ cup oil
¾ cup flour
½ cup cocoa
A generous pinch of salt
2 tablespoons milk
½ cup dark chocolate (roughly chopped into small pieces)
2 tablespoons water
Method
Add all the ingredients in a large bowl (except the chocolate) and mix with a spoon until smooth and lump free. Stir in the chocolate but leave some aside to use for the top.
Line a medium rectangle Pyrex dish or baking tray with baking paper and transfer the brownie batter. Even out the batter and sprinkle with the remaining chocolate.
Bake in a preheated oven on 180 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick come out clean.
Once baked, allow to cool.
Cut the brownies into triangles and add a paper straw as a stem
Add a drizzle of green icing and your favourite Christmas sprinkles.
Peppermint Fridge Tart
Recipe Credit Farzana Kumandan @sprinklesandspicect
Ingredients
1 Tin caramel treat
3 x 250ml tubs fresh cream
2 x 400g Peppermint Crisp Chocolate
1 Swiss roll cut into thin slices
Method
Whip 2 tubs fresh cream and until soft peaks are formed
Whip 1 Tin caramel treat until it's smooth
Grate 1 and a half slabs Peppermint Crisp
Mix all ingredients together until combined.
In a large bowl beat your 3rd fresh cream until soft peaks are formed
In a large dish, pack your Swiss roll to cover the base of the tart.
Spread a layer of the Peppermint Pudding.
Repeat with one more layer of Swiss roll and peppermint pudding.
Lastly top with your fresh cream and end off with Sprinkling on your remaining roughly chopped Peppermint Crisp
Refrigerate until you ready to serve
Sago Fruit Pudding
Recipe Credit Farzana Kumandan @sprinklesandspicect
Ingredients
1 cup sago
1½ litres milk
1 tin Ideal milk
1 large tin Dessert Cream
1 tin Condensed Milk
1 large tin Fruit Cocktail
1 cup strawberries
1 cup mango
2 bananas
Method
In a large pot, soak the sago in 2 cups water for an hour.
Once all water is soaked up by the sago and the sago is double in size
Add your milk and bring to boil over a low heat, stirring continuously.
Allow to cool and add in the tin milk and fruit.
Once completely cold, refrigerate and serve cold
Pineapple Pudding
Recipe Credit Farzana Kumandan @sprinklesandspicect
2 tins of crushed Pineapple
Half tin condensed milk
1 tin chilled ideal milk
2 packets pineapple jelly
Method
Ideal milk must be refrigerated overnight.
Prepare the jelly using only one cup of hot water per packet (not two cups as indicated on jelly packet instructions) Once all the jelly sugar has dissolved pop it into the freezer for 10 minutes to chill (not more than that as we need the jelly chilled and not set)
With an electric beater, whisk your chilled ideal milk until it's tripled in volume.
It's needs to resemble an airy, light mousse. Add in your condensed milk and chilled jelly and give it a quick whisk until it all well combined.
Lastly add in your pineapple pieces (drained of all excess liquid and Chill overnight. Decorate as desired
Christmas Fruit Cake
Recipe Credit Farzana Kumandan @sprinklesandspicect
Ingredients
225g butter
225g castor sugar
2 eggs
115ml orange juice
225g flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
500 fruitcake mix
Method
Cream the butter, sugar and egg until light and fluffy. Add in the orange juice and mix well.
Add in the flour and fruit ensuring you toss the fruit in flour to coat as you mix.
Mix until well combined. Line 2 medium bread tins with greaseproof paper and transfer the batter equally. Bake on 150 degrees for 50- 60 minutes or until a toothpick come out clean.
Gingerbread Biscuits
Recipe Credit Farzana Kumandan @sprinklesandspicect
Ingredients
75g butter
3 ½ tablespoon golden syrup
60g brown sugar
¾ cup flour
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp ground ginger powder
Method
On a low heat, melt the butter, golden syrup and sugar until the sugar has dissolved.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Add in the sifted flour, bicarbonate of soda and ginger powder to the cooled syrup and stir together to form a soft dough.
Cover the dough with cling wrap and refrigerate for 40 minutes and allow to firm.
Once firm, roll out and use gingerbread shape cutters, decorate and bake at 180°C for 10-12 minutes.
Remove the biscuits from the oven, allow to cool and harden on tray.
Christmas Strawberry Lamingtons
Recipe Credit Farzana Kumandan @sprinklesandspicect
Ingredients
2 Eggs
¾ Cups Sugar
½ Cup Oil
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Essence
1 ¼ Cup Flour
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
½ Cup Milk
Method
In a mixing bowl add the eggs and sugar and whisk together until light and creamy.
Add in the oil and vanilla essence and mix until well combined.
Sift in the baking powder and flour.
Add in the milk and mix until smooth and lump free.
Transfer to a medium size rectangle Pyrex dish and line the dish with baking paper.
(This ensures a smoother square)
Bake in a preheated oven on 180 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown or a toothpick comes out clean.
Once completely cooled, cut in squares, dip in the cooled strawberry sauce and roll in coconut.
For the Strawberry Sauce
Ingredients
1 Cup Strawberry Jam
2-3 Drops Pink Food Colouring
½ Cup Warm Water
2 Cups Fine Coconut
Method
Stir the Jam with a spoon until smooth.
Add the food colouring and water and mix and allow to cool completely.
Give it a quick dip in the sauce, let the excess liquid drip and roll in coconut.