Try Jane's Patisserie recipes for the easiest Christmas desserts ever

Ensuring a showstopping end to your festive feast does not have to mean last minute stress, says Jane Dunn of Jane's Patisserie

No-bake Gingerbread Cheesecake, Black Forest Pavlova and a no-bake Irish cream tart from Jane's Patisserie by Jane Dunn.

No-bake Gingerbread Cheesecake

Can we truly go through the festive period without something fragrant and gingerbread themed?

No, no we cannot. I am an absolute gingerbread fiend and I am in love with this No-bake Gingerbread Cheesecake. I love adding little gingerbread people and some cute sprinkles for decoration, it makes it the best showstopper for the Christmas table. However, if you wanted to make this at any other time of the year, I really wouldn’t judge!

No-bake Gingerbread Cheesecake

I love adding little gingerbread people and some cute sprinkles for decoration, it makes it the best showstopper for the Christmas table.

Servings

12

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Total Time

 20 mins

Course

 Dessert

Ingredients

• 90g unsalted butter

• 300g gingernut biscuits

• For the filling:

• 750g full-fat soft cheese, at room temperature

• 75g icing sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 tsp ground ginger

• ½ tsp ground cinnamon

• 300ml double cream

• For decoration:

• 150ml double cream

• 2 tbsp icing sugar

• Gingerbread cookies

• Gingerbread cookie crumbs

Method

1. Melt the butter in the microwave in short bursts or in a small pan over a medium heat.

2. In a food processor, blitz the biscuits to a fine crumb, add the melted butter and pulse a few times until the mixture is well combined. Press the mixture firmly into the base of a 20cm springform cake tin.

3. In a large bowl, whisk the soft cheese and icing sugar until combined. Add the vanilla extract, ginger and cinnamon and whisk again until combined. Pour in the double cream and continue to whisk the mixture until it starts to thicken to a mousse-like texture.

4. (Alternatively, you can whip the cream separately and then fold through the cheesecake mix.) Spread the mixture over the biscuit base, smooth over evenly, cover with foil and chill in the fridge for at least 5–6 hours, or preferably overnight.

5. Once chilled, run a knife around the edge of the tin and remove the cheesecake to a serving plate.

6. In a large bowl, whip the double cream and icing sugar together to form soft peaks. Transfer to a piping bag with a piping nozzle fitted and pipe the whipped cream in swirls over the cheesecake. Add a gingerbread cookie to each cream swirl and sprinkle over some crushed gingerbread cookie crumbs and sprinkles.

7. This cake lasts 3+ days in the fridge.

Black Forest Pavlova

If you know me, you will know that meringues are on my list of top desserts. Although surprisingly easy to make, meringues always look like showstoppers and when you add one of the most retro flavour combinations ever to the mix, you get this fabulous creation... YUM!

This dessert is slightly life changing and it is IDEAL for Christmas festivities and would look fabulous at the centre of any dinner party table. Lighter than a traditional Black Forest gateau because of the meringue base, it’s the perfect dessert after a heavy meal when you’re craving something sweet, but don’t think you have enough room left.

Black Forest Pavlova

This dessert is slightly life changing and it is IDEAL for Christmas festivities and would look fabulous at the centre of any dinner party table.

Servings

12

Preparation Time

 25 mins

Cooking Time

 60 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 25 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 6 egg whites

• 275g caster sugar

• 45g cocoa powder

• ½ tsp vanilla extract

• 1 tsp white wine vinegar

• For decoration:

• 450ml double cream

• 2 tbsp icing sugar

• 250g cherry pie filling

• 250g cherries soaked in kirsch

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 150ºC/130ºC fan. Line a large square baking tray with baking parchment.

2. Using a clean bowl and whisk (otherwise the egg whites won’t stiffen), add the egg whites to the bowl and whisk until stiff peaks form. Start adding 1 teaspoon of sugar at a time, while continuously whisking, until all of the sugar has been incorporated and the mixture is glossy.

3. Sieve in the cocoa powder and add the vanilla extract and white wine vinegar to the egg white mixture. Fold in with a large spatula as carefully as you can until smooth and combined.

4. Using a small dab of meringue mixture in each corner, stick the parchment paper to the baking tray. Spoon the meringue onto the tray, creating a large circular shape (the meringue will spread slightly when baking so don’t go right to the edge of the baking tray!). Bake in the oven for 1 hour – turn the oven off and leave to cool completely, without opening the door, for about 3 hours.

5. Decoration: In a large bowl, whip the double cream with the icing sugar.

6. In a separate bowl, mix together the cherry pie filling and the cherries soaked in kirsch. Alternatively, use cherry jam if you don’t want alcohol, fresh cherries, or anything similar.

7. Dollop the whipped cream onto the meringue and then add the cherry mixture on top. Add some fresh cherries for decoration and sprinkle over some chocolate shavings.

8. This dessert lasts 2+ days, in the fridge.

Irish cream tart

This dessert is one of the most luxurious no-bake treats you can make. I used digestive biscuits for the base with the addition of cocoa powder to make it extra chocolatey. Alternatively, you could use a chocolate digestive biscuit instead, but you would only need to use 100g of the butter. For the filling, the mix of milk chocolate and dark chocolate gives the ideal balance, especially when paired with the Irish cream liqueur. I serve this every Christmas season as it always goes down well, but you know it would suit a New Year’s Eve or a dinner party!

Irish cream tart

This dessert is one of the most luxurious no-bake treats you can make.

Servings

12

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Total Time

 20 mins

Course

 Dessert

Ingredients

• For the base

• 300g digestive biscuits

• 35g cocoa powder

• 150g unsalted butter, melted

• For the filling:

• 175g dark chocolate

• 175g milk chocolate

• 50g unsalted butter

• 300ml double cream

• 150ml Irish cream liqueur (I use Baileys Original)

• For the tipping:

• 125ml double cream

• 25ml Irish cream liqueur

• 2 tbsp icing sugar

• Grated milk chocolate

Method

1. In a food processor, blitz the biscuits and cocoa powder to a fine crumb, add the melted butter and pulse a few times until well combined. Transfer to a 23cm loose-bottomed tart tin and press firmly into the base and sides.

2. Filling In a large bowl, add the dark chocolate, milk chocolate and butter. In a small pan, add the double cream and Irish cream liqueur and heat until just before boiling point. Pour over the chocolate and butter and whisk together until smooth.

3. Pour the filling into the biscuit crust and chill in the fridge for around 3 hours until set.

4. Carefully remove the biscuit crust from the tin and transfer to a serving plate.

5. In a large bowl, whip the double cream, Irish cream liqueur and icing sugar together to form soft peaks. Transfer to a piping bag with a piping nozzle fitted and pipe swirls over the tart. Grate some chocolate over the dessert before serving.

6. This cake lasts 3+ days in the fridge.

• Recipes extracted from Jane's Patisserie by Jane Dunn (Ebury Press, £20) Photography by Ellis Parrinder