Best Christmas Dessert recipes
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CHRISTMAS SUGAR COOKIES WITH ROYAL ICING
Christmas sugar cookies with royal icing are golden brown and crisp on the outside, but soft and tender inside. The best and festive gourmet holiday cookie.
INGREDIENTS
Sugar Cookies:
- ½ cupunsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
Royal Icing:
-
- 3 cupsconfectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons meringue powder
- ¼ cup room temperature water
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- gel food colouring (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
Make the Sugar Cookies:
-
- In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together using a hand mixer (or stand mixer) on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Turn the mixer to low speed and add baking powder and salt. Gradually add flour and mix until combined.
- Form the dough into a ball and wrap it tightly in plastic cling wrap. Freeze for 30 minutes or refrigerate until firm (at least 1 hour, up to overnight).
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a half sheet baking pan with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
- Remove the dough from refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out until it is ¼-inch thick. Use Christmas cookie cutters to cut out cookie shapes.
- Transfer the cookies onto the lined baking sheet, placing them 1-inch apart. Re-roll any scraps and repeat to cut out more cookies.
- Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes, until the edges start to turn golden brown. Let the cookies cook for a couple minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely (preferably overnight, if icing).
Prepare the Royal Icing:
- In medium mixing bowl, combine confectioners’ sugar with meringue powder. Add water and vanilla extract and beat with a hand mixer on medium-high speed, until smooth. If you find that the icing is too thick, add a little water (a teaspoon at a time). If you find the icing too thin, add a little more sugar.
- To colour the icing, add gel food colouring. You can also use liquid food colouring, but this will have a slight effect on the consistency of the icing. You may need to add a little more sugar to get the consistency right.
NOTES
Equipment used: measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowls, hand mixer (or stand mixer), rolling pin, Christmas cookie cutters, half sheet baking pan, wire cooling rack, piping bags and piping tips (or squeeze bottle).
Make ahead instructions: You will need to plan ahead and give yourself enough time when making these cookies. First, the cookies need to completely cool before icing for at least a few hours. Otherwise the icing will get too runny from the warm cookies and won’t set properly. Second, the icing needs a few hours, up to a day, to completely set and harden, otherwise it can easily get smudged when storing, handling, or transporting. If adding multiple layers of icing, you need to allow the bottom layer to dry first, at least 30 minutes.
How to store: Store sugar cookies in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to one week.
How to freeze: Sugar cookies freeze beautifully. Store them in an airtight container, layered in between pieces of parchment paper and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
White forest meringue roulade
Try this ultimate make-ahead dessert for Christmas: meringue, white chocolate, cream and cherries are combined to make a luscious centrepiece
Ingredients
- butter, for the tin
- 100g white chocolate, 50g grated, 50g melted and cooled a little
For the meringue
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 200g white caster sugar
- icing sugar, for dusting
For the cherry filling
The cream filling
- 400ml double cream
- 50g icing sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
Method
- STEP 1
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter, then line a 23 x 32cm baking tray. Using an electric hand whisk, beat the egg whites, lemon juice and a pinch of salt until stiff.
- STEP 2
Add 1 tbsp of the caster sugar, then whisk until the mixture makes stiff peaks. Repeat with the rest of the sugar, spoon by spoon, until the mix is thick and shiny. Spread into the tin, then bake for 15 mins or until crisp to the touch and lightly golden in places. Leave to cool.
- STEP 3
Simmer the cherries, orange juice, sugar and cloves for 10 mins, or until the cherries are soft but still holding their shape. Mix the cornflour with 2-3 tsp cold water to make a paste, stir into the cherries and cook for a couple mins more until the juices thicken. Leave to cool.
- STEP 4
To assemble, sift icing sugar over a large piece of parchment, then carefully flip the meringue onto it. Remove the tin and parchment. With a short end facing you, score a line 2cm into the meringue.
- STEP 5
Whip the cream, icing sugar and vanilla until thick but not stiff, then spread over the meringue. Spoon over about half of the cherry sauce and scatter with the grated chocolate. Roll up the roulade, starting with the scored short end and using the paper underneath to help. Freeze the roulade for up to a month then defrost overnight. Freeze by setting on a parchment-lined tray then, once firm, wrap the parchment around it and cover with cling film. Freeze the remaining cherry sauce for up to a month.
- STEP 6
To serve, drizzle with the melted white chocolate. Top with a few of the whole cherries and serve the remaining sauce on the side.
Christmas pudding with citrus & spice
Ingredients
- 175g each raisin, currants and sultanas
- 140g whole glacé cherry
- 50g mixed peel
- 50g whole blanched almond
- zest 1 orange and 1 lemon
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and finely grated
- 150ml brandy
- 50ml/2fl oz orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier
- 175g light muscovado sugar
- 175g fresh white breadcrumb
- 125g self-raising flour
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
- 175g butter, frozen
- 2 eggs, beaten
- butter, for greasing
- holly sprig, to decorate
Method
- STEP 1
Mix the fruit, almonds, citrus zests and the carrot with the brandy and orange liqueur in a large mixing bowl. Cover and leave to soak overnight.
- STEP 2
Mix all the dry ingredients together, then add to the soaked fruit mixture. Grate in the butter, then add the eggs and stir. Don’t forget to make a wish!
- STEP 3
Grease a 1.5-litre pudding basin with butter and line the base with greaseproof paper. Spoon in the mixture, press down well and make a hollow with the back of the spoon in the centre. Cover the surface with a round of greaseproof paper, then cover the bowl with double-thickness greaseproof paper and foil and tie at the rim with string. Lower the pudding into a pan with an upturned saucer in the base, then fill with water until it comes halfway up the sides of the bowl. Steam for 6 hrs, topping up with water as necessary.
- STEP 4
Alternatively, steam in the oven. Stand the pudding basin in a roasting tin filled with water, then cover with a tent of foil and cook for the same length of time at 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Check roasting tin occasionally as the water may need to be topped up.
- STEP 5
To store, allow to cool, then store in a cool, dry cupboard. The pudding will keep for up to a year.
- STEP 6
On the day, steam for 1 hr before turning out, decorating with holly and serving with extra-thick double cream or vanilla ice cream. Alternatively, try my Orange custard cream.
My Nan’s Christmas pud with Vin Santo
“This light, fruity Christmas pudding recipe makes buying one from the shops a thing of the past. ”
Ingredients
- unsalted butter , for greasing
- 500 g mixed dried fruit , such as cranberries, cherries, apricots, sultanas, raisins
- 100 g dates
- 3 tablespoons crystallised ginger
- 1 orange
- 125 g suet
- 125 g plain flour
- 125 g caster sugar
- 150 g fresh breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons Vin Santo or brandy
- 1 handful of chopped nuts , such as pecans, Brazils, hazelnuts
- 1 large free-range egg
- 150 ml milk
- golden syrup , to serve
Method
- Grease a 1.5 litre pudding bowl.
- Destone and chop the dates, and roughly chop the ginger, then place in a large bowl.
- Finely grate in the orange zest, then mix all the remaining ingredients together, except for the golden syrup.
- Transfer the mixture to the greased bowl and cover with a double layer of tin foil. Tie a piece of string around the side of the bowl.
- Place the bowl in a large saucepan, and pour in enough water to come halfway up the sides of the bowl.
- Bring to the boil, place a tight-fitting lid on the pan, and simmer for 3 hours – don’t forget to check the water regularly, making sure that it never boils dry, because if it does, it will burn and the bowl will crack.
- When the time’s up, remove the foil, turn out on to a plate, drizzle with golden syrup and decorate it as you like. You can also light it with brandy if you want to be really fancy.
