Christmas
Christmas Chocolate Ombre Cake
How about my modern Christmas crowd pleaser for your Christmas celebrations?
Gingerbread Popcorn!
I’m sure I’ve mentioned my family popcorn addiction in the past so this festive gingerbread version is going down a storm here!
12 – Buche de Noel Cake
A traditional Christmas recipe for a Yule log, just switched around a bit to turn it into a showstopper cake instead, I love the stripy inside it makes – a perfect winter dessert! It’s hugely rich and decadent (as you’ll see from the amount of chocolate needed) and the filling is a chocolate French buttercream.
10 – Treacle Spiced Loaf Cakes
Little treacle loaf cakes with punchy Christmas Spice, a quick and easy recipe to share with your friends and family. They’re egg free too, don’t worry I haven’t missed them out of the ingredients list.
Ingredients
90g butter, softened
90g caster sugar
250g plain flour
¾ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp mixed cake spice
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
Zest of ½ orange
110g treacle
110g golden syrup
200ml boiling water
9 – Cinnamon Breakfast Buns
Cinnamon Breakfast Buns – make them up now and bob them in the freezer ready to bake on Christmas Day morning – delicious squidgy cinnamon loveliness, what could be better?
This sticky dough really does make the best of buns so it’s worth the fuss!
8 – Frosted Fancies
So I’ll be honest from the outset, these frosted fancies are a bit of work, they’re not quick to do as there’s a fair few steps from cake making, coating and covering plus the decoration and there’s a fair bit of cleaning to do afterwards!
5 – Baileys Chocolate Mousse
Have you planned your Christmas desserts? You might need to squeeze these in somewhere – a simple luscious Baileys Chocolate Mousse and Shortbread Stars. If you need desserts to serve to Mums to be and the elderly (check and check) then you’ll need to avoid uncooked eggs and this little mousse is a great way to do just that!
4 – Crispy Bacon and Tomato Scrolls
Time to break up this sweet sweet fest with something for the savoury lovers! These crispy bacon and tomato scrolls are perfect for nibbling on whilst you put the finishing touches to the Christmas tree, wrap the presents or indeed sharing with guests.
3 – Chocolate Penguins
I have to admit I love making these little chocolate models, this year I’ve come up with these cutie pie little chocolate penguins, I’m sure you know someone who’d love one of these!
You will need:
Round christmas tree chocolates
Lindt Lindor chocolates
Chocolate ready to roll icing (Renshaws – Amazon) or sugarpaste coloured dark brown
Modelling or flower paste (available in Sainsburys or Tesco)
Gel paste colouring in orange plus another colour for the scarves
Edible ink pen in black (Amazon)
A little pink petal dust (Amazon)
Small cake cards, a square of card covered in foil or a square of baking paper.
2 – Quilted Christmas Cake
If you’re short of time it’s good to have a quick and easy idea up your sleeve for your Christmas cake. This quilted version is more a technique than a design and although I’ve just used almond paste (marzipan) you can do it in just the same way with a Christmas cake covered in both almond paste and ready to roll icing.
