How to make mince pies, classic trifle, and other favourite Christmas desserts

Spoil your loved ones this Christmas with Michelle Darmody's festive and fabulous treats

Elements of some of these desserts can be prepared in advance and assembled on Christmas morning or on Christmas Eve.

It is that time of year again and preparation is under way for the big day. It is always a scramble, so the elements of some of these desserts can be prepared in advance and assembled on Christmas morning or on Christmas Eve. For the trifle you can have the sponge discs cut, pomegranate seeds taken from their cosy casing and the custard made.

The Yule log can be assembled a day before and stored in the fridge until an hour before serving. I usually wait until the last minute to add the ‘snow’ and ‘berry’ decorations. When I am making the mince pies, I assemble and fill the pastry in the bun tins and store these in the fridge. On Christmas Eve I then pop them straight into the preheated oven and have lovely warm pies as well as the wonderful fruity, spicy aroma throughout the house.