Midweek Meals: Christmas dessert treats — with a modern twist

From the classic plum pudding to a triple chocolate stout trifle — try out these fresh takes on some seasonal favourites

Some Christmas treats - with a twist

Chocolate Stout Cake with Honeycomb Whiskey Frosting

recipe by:Graham Herterich

After tasting the Salted Caramel Pastry Stout from the White Hag Brewing Company in Sligo and the Irish Whiskey and Honeycomb Liqueur from Dublin Liberties Distillery I knew these two just had to be married in cake!

Servings

8

Preparation Time

 30 mins

Cooking Time

 60 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 30 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 200g butter

• 100g cocoa powder

• 150ml White Hag Brewing Co. Salted Caramel Pastry Stout (or a regular stout)

• 250g plain flour

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 350g caster sugar

• 200ml sour cream

• 2 medium eggs, beaten 1 tsp vanilla

• For the honeycomb whiskey frosting:

• 150g butter, softened

• 300g icing sugar

• 4 tbsp Dubliner Irish Whiskey and Honeycomb Liqueur (or Irish Mist or regular whiskey)

• To decorate:

• 2 honeycomb chocolate bars, broken into pieces

•  

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C fan. Grease and line the base of a 20cm round springform tin.

2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat. Remove the pan from the heat, then add the cocoa powder and stout, mixing well.

3. Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl, then stir in the sugar. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the stout mixture, sour cream, eggs and vanilla. Mix well using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until you have a smooth batter.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared tin. Bake in the preheated oven for 50–60 minutes, until firm to the touch. Allow to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before releasing the sides of the tin, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

5. To make the frosting, put the butter, icing sugar and liqueur in a large bowl. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer again, combine the ingredients slowly at first until everything is combined, then mix at a high speed for about 5 minutes, until everything is whipped to a light, fluffy, spreadable consistency.

6. Pile the frosting on top of the cooled cake and spread to the edges using a palette knife or spoon. Decorate with the broken honeycomb chocolate bars.
   Bake: Traditional Irish Baking with Modern Twists by Graham Herterich is published by Nine Bean Rows (€25)

Mummy’s Plum Pudding with Plum Pudding Sauce

recipe by:Darina Allen

My mother was a wonderful cook; her food was warm and comforting. This recipe makes 2 large or 3 medium puddings - the large will serve 10-12 people, the medium 6-8, but I also like to make teeny weeny ones.

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 350g raisins

• 350g sultanas

• 350g currants

• 300g brown sugar

• 350g good quality, non-GM white breadcrumbs

• 350g finely chopped beef suet

• 110g candied peel (preferably homemade)

• 110g chopped almonds

• 6 eggs, preferably free-range and organic

• 2 Bramley’s Seedling cooking apples, coarsely grated

• 62ml Jamaica Rum

• rind of 1 unwaxed lemon

• 3 pounded cloves, pounded (not ground cloves)

• a pinch of salt

• To Serve

• Plum Pudding Sauce

• For the Plum Pudding Sauce

• 110g butter

• 200g Barbados sugar (moist, soft, dark-brown sugar)

• 1 organic egg, preferably free-range and organic

• 62ml medium sherry

• 62ml port 1.3-1.5 litres

• lightly whipped cream

Method

1. PLUM PUDDING:

2. Mix all the ingredients together very thoroughly and leave overnight. Don't forget, everyone in the family must stir and make a wish! The next day, stir again for good measure and fill into pudding bowls. Cover with a double thickness of greaseproof paper that has been pleated in the centre and tie it tightly under the rim with cotton twine, making a twine handle also for ease of lifting.

3. Steam in a covered saucepan of boiling water for 6 hours. The water should come halfway up the side of the bowl. Check every hour or so and top up with boiling water if necessary.

4. After 6 hours (3 hours/2 hours depending on size of pudding), remove the pudding. Allow to get cold and re-cover with fresh greaseproof paper. Store in a cool dry place until required.

5. On Christmas Day or whenever you wish to serve the plum pudding, steam for a further 2 hours. Turn the plum pudding out of the bowl onto a very hot serving plate, pour over some whiskey or brandy and ignite. Serve immediately on very hot plates with Plum Pudding Sauce or Brandy Butter.

6. You might like to decorate the plum pudding with a sprig of holly; but take care not to set the holly on fire - as well as the pudding!

7. PLUM PUDDING SAUCE:

8. Melt the butter, stir in the sugar and allow to cool slightly. Whisk the egg and add to the butter and sugar with the sherry and port. Refrigerate.

9. When needed, add the lightly whipped cream to taste.

Triple Chocolate Brownie Trifle

recipe by:Graham Herterich

Don’t be too hard on yourself if you decide to just make the brownie and leave it at that, because believe me, it’s a good brownie! If you fancy making something indulgent and showstopping, though, this is it.

Servings

12

Preparation Time

 33 mins

Cooking Time

 25 mins

Total Time

 58 mins

Course

 Dessert

Ingredients

• For the brownie layer:

• 185g butter, plus extra for greasing

• 185g dark chocolate chips

• 85g plain flour

• 40g cocoa powder

• 3 medium eggs, beaten

• 275g caster sugar

• 50g milk chocolate chips

• 50g white chocolate chips

• For the chocolate custard layer:

• 50g caster sugar

• 30g cornflour

• 15g cocoa powder

• 2 medium egg yolks

• 500ml milk

• 100g milk chocolate chips

• For the whipped cream layer:

• 500ml cream

• 25g icing sugar

• 4 tbsp Irish cream liqueur, plus extra for assembling (optional)

• To decorate:

• chocolate pieces, such as Flake, crushed Maltesers or whatever you fancy

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C fan. Prepare a 23cm square baking tin by lightly greasing it with butter and lining with non-stick baking paper.

2. Melt the butter in a saucepan until slightly warmed, then remove the pan from the heat. Add the dark chocolate chips, stirring to melt the chocolate and combine it with the butter. Leave to cool to room temperature.

3. Sift the flour and cocoa powder together and set aside.

4. Using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the eggs and sugar together until they look thick and creamy and have doubled in volume. Pour in the cooled chocolate mixture and gently fold together using a large metal spoon. Add the sifted flour and cocoa powder along with the milk chocolate and white chocolate chips. Gently fold everything together.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared tin. Bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes. The bake should have a slightly shiny look and the top should feel like a sheet of paper.

6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the tin. Keep going to make the trifle or cut the brownies into portions and enjoy them now, just as they are.

7. To make the chocolate custard, in a large bowl, make a paste with the sugar, cornflour, cocoa powder, egg yolks and 2 tablespoons milk (taken from the 500ml).

8. Heat up the rest of the milk in a saucepan. Just before it starts to boil, pour the hot milk into the paste and mix well. Return the mixture to the saucepan and slowly bring to the boil.

9. Once it has reached a boil, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chocolate chips until they have melted and everything is evenly combined. Pour the custard into a clean bowl and press a piece of cling film directly on the surface – this will prevent a skin forming on the custard. Allow to cool completely.

10. For the whipped cream layer, simply whisk the cream with the icing sugar and Irish cream liqueur (if using) until it forms soft peaks. To assemble, cut the brownie into bite-sized pieces and arrange in the bottom of a trifle bowl, then drizzle with a few tablespoons of the liqueur (if using). Pour the cooled chocolate custard over the brownie before adding the final layer of whipped cream.

11. Keep chilled until ready to serve. Decorate with the crushed chocolate pieces just before serving.
    Bake: Traditional Irish Baking with Modern Twists by Graham Herterich is published by Nine Bean Rows (€25)

Coffee and whiskey Christmas mini cakes

recipe by:Caitriona Redmond 

Christmas cake is generous and perfect for slicing but when you’ve picky eaters in the house it makes sense to make minicakes instead.

Servings

12

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 50 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 10 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 165g butter (unsalted)

• 110g light brown demerara sugar

• 2 tbsp black treacle

• 3 free-range eggs

• 165g plain flour

• 1 shot espresso

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1 tsp ground ginger

• 400g mixed fruit, soaked overnight in 100ml whiskey and juice and rind from one orange

• 50 crystallised ginger, finely chopped

• 50ml whiskey

Method

1. Preheat your (fan) oven to 150°C and line your cupcake tray with cases.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together then add the treacle and mix in well.

3. Beat the eggs into the mixture one by one until the batter is smooth and not lumpy. If it is lumpy then add a small spoonful of the flour.

4. Slowly beat in the flour, espresso, baking powder, cinnamon and ground ginger. The batter will become thick.

5. Stir in the soaked mixed fruit and crystallised ginger.

6. Divide the mixture equally between the cupcake cases and bake in the oven for approximately 40 minutes.

7. After 40 minutes using a cocktail stick test the cakes by poking right into the centre, if they are baked then the cocktail stick will come away clean. If the stick does not come away clean then bake for a further 10 minutes and test again.

8. Once cooked remove the cupcakes from the oven and sprinkle the top of each with whiskey and leave to cool covered with a clean tea towel.

9. If you're going to freeze the cupcakes, then once completely cool then (still inside the cases) bag them or box them before putting them into the freezer to protect them from burn.

10. To ice, beat together 150g unsalted butter, 50ml full fat milk and 400g icing sugar. Flavour as you wish although perhaps a little whiskey and espresso in the icing might add a bit of zing!

My Mother’s salt-baked Christmas cake

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

This recipe calls for the cake to be placed onto a bed of salt while it is baking. This acts as an insulator which helps to create an even, gentle bake.

Servings

12

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 4 hours 0 mins

Total Time

 4 hours 20 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 220g mixed peel

• 280g golden raisins

• 270g golden sultanas

• 350g currants

• 250mls dark rum

• 220g muscovado sugar

• 220g soft butter

• 5 medium eggs, lightly beaten

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• 2 tsp mixed cake spice

• 1 tsp nutmeg

• 1 tsp ground ginger

• 275g plain flour, sieved

• 180g Amarena cherries washed, strained from the syrup and chopped

• Zest 3 oranges

• 120g mixed pecan nuts, finely chopped

• 2 medium-sized cooking apples, cored, peeled and grated

• ½ glass of sherry

Method

1. Put all fruit except cherries and grated apple into a bowl, add the rum, and leave to soak overnight.

2. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gently beat in the eggs. Add a little of the flour if the mixture begins to curdle.

3. Mix the flour with spices and stir this into the mixture.

4. Fold in the soaked fruit, cherries, zest, nuts and grated apple. Stir in the sherry.

5. Line an 8-inch square tin with parchment. Cut a strip of brown (rather than printed) carboard that will fit around the four sides of the tin. Tie the rectangle of cardboard securely around the box with a piece of twine. Sit it on a tray of table salt and bake for 3 hours at 100 degrees and then for a further 1 hour at 140 degrees.

6. Allow it to cool in the tin. Once it is cool wrap the cake first in parchment then in tinfoil and store in a cool dark place until you want to ice it. I usually sprinkle it with alcohol every ten days or so until icing day.