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

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.