Five classic Christmas dessert recipes from the pastry team at Hayfield Manor

From mince pies to yule log, here are some festive recipes from the team at the five-star hotel

Seasonal treats from Hayfield Manor. Pictures: Chani Anderson

Synonymous with exquisite afternoon tea, who better to create our Christmas dessert spread than the creative pastry team at Hayfield Manor. Working under executive head chef Mark Staple, executive pastry chef Marco Marongiu and his team share their glorious festive treats...

Hayfield Manor's Christmas cake

This cake needs to be started a day ahead of baking. You can also make the icing ahead of time as it can be kept tightly wrapped in the fridge for 3 days. Once iced the cake does not need to be refrigerated.

Servings

6

Cooking Time

 2 hours 0 mins

Total Time

 2 hours 0 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 60g raisins

• 60g golden sultanas

• 60g currants

• 45g orange candied peel, chopped

• 15g glacé cherries, diced

• 15g glacé dried apricots, diced

• 2 tbsp brandy

• 1 tbsp sherry liqueur

• 125g butter

• 125g brown sugar

• ½ lemon zest

• 1 tbsp marmalade

• 2 eggs

• 155g flour

• 1 tsp mixed spice

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• Pinch of salt

• 60g flaked almonds

• 1 tbsp brandy

• For the brandy syrup

• 100ml water

• 100g sugar

• 20ml brandy

• For the fondant

• 250g fondant icing sugar (set aside 1 tbsp for rolling)

• 4–5 tsp water

• 1 dtsp cornflour

Method

1. Begin by making the fondant, sifting the icing sugar (all but 1 heaped tablespoon) into a large bowl and making a well in the centre.

2. Add the water, a teaspoonful at a time, and stir with a wooden spoon until it is too stiff to stir any more.

3. Using your hands, form the icing into a ball before turning out onto a clean, smooth, dry surface dusted with the reserved icing sugar. Knead for about 3 minutes until completely smooth (if the icing is sticky, knead in a little more icing sugar, or if it is dry run a little cold water over your fingers). It can be kept tightly wrapped in the fridge for 3 days.

4. The day before baking, mix the raisins, sultanas, currants, orange peel, cherries, apricots, 2 tbsp of brandy and sherry and leave overnight to steep.

5. Next day, in a mixing bowl, fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the butter with brown sugar until light in colour.

6. Add the lemon zest and marmalade. Add the eggs, one by one.

7. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, mixed spice, cinnamon and salt and add to the butter mixture. When the mix is well incorporated, add the flaked almonds and tablespoon of brandy.

8. Lastly, add the fruit mix from the day before and pour into an 8 inch round form. Bake for 1 hour at 150°C, cover with tin foil and bake for an extra 30 minutes.

9. Make a brandy syrup by boiling the water, sugar and 20ml of brandy. Pour the hot syrup over the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven. Leave to cool for 30 minutes before removing from the tin.

10. Roll out the icing onto a clean surface dusted with a mix of icing sugar and the cornflour, and keep giving it quarter turns after each roll.

11. Once it is rolled to the right size, drape over the cake as soon as possible. Trim to fit and decorate.

Hayfield Manor's Christmas Pudding

Serve with cream or custard

Servings

6

Cooking Time

 8 hours 0 mins

Total Time

 8 hours 0 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 55g sultanas

• 55g raisins

• 55g currants

• 25g chopped glacé cherries

• 25g orange candied peel

• 2 tbsp brandy

• 37g butter, melted

• 55g brown sugar

• 1 egg

• ½ zest and juice of lemon

• 22g plain flour

• 25g flaked almonds

• 35g breadcrumbs

• ½ tsp nutmeg

• ½ tsp mixed spice

• Pinch of salt

• 100g water

• 100g sugar

• 20g brandy

Method

1. A day ahead of baking, mix the sultanas, raisins, currants, cherries, orange peel and 2 tbsp of brandy. Leave overnight to steep in the alcohol.

2. Next day, mix the melted butter with brown sugar. Add the egg, followed by the zest and juice of the lemon.

3. In a separate bowl, mix the plain flour, flaked almond, breadcrumbs, nutmeg, mixed spice and salt and incorporate to the butter mix.

4. Pour the batter into the pudding bowl, cover with cling film and bake at 100°C in a steam oven. If you do not have a steam oven, you can make a bain marie. Half fill a tray with water, standing the covered pudding bowl in the tray and place in the oven at 100°C.

5. Bake overnight.

6. Make a brandy syrup by boiling the water, sugar and 20ml of brandy. Pour a small amount of hot syrup over the pudding as soon as it comes out of the oven. Once cool, remove from the bowl and serve with cream or custard.

Hayfield Manor's trifle

This recipe can easily be served in a glass bowl too. Simply omit the cling film when assembling

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 3 hours 0 mins

Cooking Time

 60 mins

Total Time

 4 hours 0 mins

Course

 Dessert

Ingredients

• For the custard

• 8 egg yolks

• 200g sugar

• 70g plain flour

• 500g milk

• For the Swiss roll

• 3 eggs

• 125g sugar

• 50g plain all-purpose

• flour or gluten-free flour

• Vanilla essence

• Strawberry jam

• For the jelly

• 1 packed fruit jelly, any flavour

• To assemble

• Whipped cream

• Fresh mixed berries

Method

1. For the custard: Mix the sugar and flour in a bowl. Add the egg yolk and combine. Boil the milk, pour over the batter, mixing continuously and return to the hob.

2. Cook over a low heat until it starts to boil. Continue stirring for an extra three minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool before transferring to the fridge. Set aside until required.

3. For the Swiss roll: Whisk the eggs with sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla essence followed by the sieved flour.

4. Pour over a tray lined with parchment paper and bake in a fan assisted oven at 200°C for 5 minutes. Leave to cool.

5. Once cool spread a thin, even layer of strawberry jam across the sponge’s surface. Carefully roll the sponge into a Swiss roll shape, ensuring a tight, even roll. Place it in the fridge or freezer for 30 minutes to firm up.

6. Once chilled, finely slice the Swiss roll into small, even slices.

7. For the jelly: Follow the instructions on the packet of jelly. Pour the jelly mixture into a bowl and place in the fridge to set. This typically takes 3–4 hours or as specified on the packet.

8. To assemble: To assemble, line a large salad bowl with cling film, ensuring it overhangs the edges for easy removal.

9. Begin layering the Swiss roll slices along the inside of the bowl, pressing gently to create a snug, even lining.

10. Once the bowl is fully lined with sponge, add the filling: a mixture of jelly chunks, fresh berries, whipped cream and custard.

11. Fill the centre completely.

12. Cover the bowl and leave in the fridge overnight to set. When ready to serve, carefully flip the bowl onto a plate and gently remove the cling film. Decorate with a few fresh berries.

Hayfield Manor’s Yule Log

Let the ganache set before transferring to a serving plate

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 13 mins

Cooking Time

 45 mins

Total Time

 58 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 3 eggs

• 125g sugar

• 50g plain all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour

• 20g cocoa powder

• For the filling

• 100ml water

• 100g sugar

• 150g butter

• 150g icing sugar

• 30g cocoa powder

• Glacé cherries

• For the ganache

• 200g cream

• 200g dark chocolate pieces

Method

1. Whisk the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Sieve the flour and cocoa powder together and incorporate carefully, in the egg mixture. Pour the mixture evenly into a tray lined with parchment paper and bake at 200°C in a fan oven for 5 minutes.

2. For the filling: Make a syrup with the water and sugar by boiling it and set aside..

3. Whisk the butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy. Add sieved cocoa powder to the buttercream. Mix well.

4. Use a pastry brush, brush the sponge layer with a small amount of sugar syrup. Spread the cocoa buttercream on top, in an even layer and add some glacé cherries , pressing them into the buttercream.

5. Roll the sponge evenly and firmly to create a Swiss roll shape. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to set.

6. For the ganache: Once the Yule log is set in the fridge, boil the cream and add to the chocolate pieces. Mix well and smooth over the Yule log. Let the ganache set before transferring to a serving plate.

Hayfield Manor’s Mince Pies

These golden-brown mince pies are a festive treat

Servings

12

Preparation Time

 1 hours 30 mins

Cooking Time

 20 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 50 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 200g butter

• 100g caster sugar

• 1 egg

• 300g flour

• 200g mincemeat

• Egg wash – egg yolk and milk

Method

1. Cream the butter and sugar together, add the egg and finish with the sieved flour.

2. Let the dough rest for 1 hour before rolling it out. With a round pastry cutter, cut out discs of pastry and press into a 12-hole muffin tin. Cut out star shapes to garnish their tops.

3. Put the tin in the fridge for 30 minutes for the pastry to firm up. Fill the moulds, three-quarters way with the mincemeat and top with the stars

4. Brush with egg wash and bake at 180°C for 20 minutes until golden-brown in colour. Cool on a wire tray.