Christmas puds - a sticky ginger cake, rum and pear trifle, marmalade on toast sponge pudding and a hazelnut praline banoffee pie.

A bunch of alternative festive puds that are easier than you think to make.

Hey everyone,

Firstly - Merry Christmas! and Apologies for the slowness on todays newsletter, its been a mad week of wrapping up things before the new year.

And so this is Christmas - and by that I mean custard, lashing of cream and billows of butter. Today, i’ve got three delicious and easy desserts that will hopefully stop your reaching for that Marks and Spencers trifle or frozen soggy roulade.

On the subject of trifle, I do love it. In an interview once I panicked and proclaimed that it was my desert island dessert and honestly i’m not unhappy about it. Ive made so many variations over the years. From a banana, tahini whipped cream topped versions to classic whisky and raspberry layered trifles. I really love them all, they are joyful. Even the word Trifle is silly, I feel like its a dessert that just doesn’t take itself too seriously and which can easily be adapted. Last year on Christmas Eve after finding out that we had more quests than my Christmas pudding would serve, I threw together a ginger cake, spiced rum and custard number with layers of lightly poached ginger pears - it was very good and now its yours.

Following on from that my lovely friend and Edinburgh based cook/writer Jess Dennison has donated her sticky marmalade toast pudding. A spongy number with a toasty flavour and glazed marmalade top - I ate it with lots of cold cream, and you should too!

Finally a pud that you can whip out on Christmas or New Year or anytime of the year tbh because it’s a damn good crowed pleaser that i’ve ranked up a notch. A hazelnut praline banoffee pie. Its got a lightly whipped dark muscovado cream, an underline base of hazelnuts and every time I make it it steals the hearts of those who eat it. It’s special, and I hope you love it as much as I do.

Enjoy these puds, note the ingredients down for your Christmas food shop this weekend and do tag me in anything you make.

If you fancy another dessert recipe i’ve got a very good apple, mincemeat frangipane on the Toast website - check it out here!

Thank you all again for sticking around, i’ll be back Saturday with a really good, crumbly mince pie recipe with whisky ice cream.

Don’t forget if you’re still looking for a last minute Christmas present you can give the gift of The Good Home Cook!

Esther x

Picture by Tara Fisher - props by Faye Wears

Marmalade Toast Pudding

PREP 20 MINS COOK 40 MINS Serves 4

130g salted butter, plus a tiny knob for greasing the dish

50g sourdough or rye bread

80g soft brown sugar

140g marmalade plus 4 tablespoons for the glaze

80g plain flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 medium eggs

Small pinch sea salt flakes

Zest of 2 oranges

(Double cream to serve)

Preheat the oven to 180C (400F/gas 6) and using your fingers, grease the base and sides of a medium sized dish with butter.

Cut the bread into rough chunks, place in a food processor and blitz to fine breadcrumbs. Add the remaining butter, sugar, marmalade, flour, baking powder, egg, salt and orange zest, then pulse until combined. (You can carefully use a box grater to crush the bread into crumbs and then beat everything with a wooden spoon in a large bowl until smooth too if you like).

Scrape the batter into the buttered dish and bake in the preheated oven for 35–40 minutes, or until deep golden and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly in the dish.

Meanwhile, place 4 tablespoons marmalade in a small saucepan with 4 tablespoons of water. Warm over a high heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring regularly with a wooden spoon, until you have a syrupy glaze full of orange shreds.

Pour the marmalade glaze over the top of the sponge, allow it to sink in for a minute or two, then serve up with plenty of cold double cream.

Jess Dennison owns Elliots on Sciennes road in Edinburgh and has written three cook books Salad Feasts, Tin Can Magic and Lazy Baking.

https://elliottsedinburgh.com

Hazelnut praline banoffee pie

PREP 30 MINS COOK 25 MINS SERVES 10

100g blanched hazelnuts

4 tbsp caster sugar

300g dark chocolate oat biscuits (Hobnobs work well)

85g salted butter, melted

400g dulche de leche

300ml double cream

3 tbsp dark muscovado sugar

1 tsp vanilla bean paste, or 1 tsp vanilla extract

3 medium bananas, peeled and sliced

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Tip the hazelnuts onto a baking sheet, and toast in the oven for 10-15 mins until evenly golden. Tip into a bowl. Line the baking sheet with baking parchment and set aside.

Tip the caster sugar, half the toasted hazelnuts and a small pinch of sea salt into a small saucepan set over a low heat. Cook gently for 7-10 mins until the sugar melts and turns an amber colour – do not stir, but swirl the pan every now and again. Tip the mix onto the baking sheet. Leave to cool completely, then break up into small pieces.

Line the base of a 23cm fluted tart tin with baking parchment. Break the biscuits into a food processor, and blitz with the rest of the hazelnuts to a fine crumb. Or, seal the biscuits and nuts in a food bag and crush with a rolling pin. Tip the crumbs into a bowl and combine with the melted butter. Press into the base of the tin and up the side, then chill for 2 hrs.

Remove the cold tart base from the tin (if it sticks slightly, put it in a warm oven for 3-4 mins to help release it), then set on a serving plate. Spoon the dulche de leche into a bowl and gently fold in a large pinch of sea salt (don’t overmix, or it will become too loose).

Tip the cream, muscovado sugar and vanilla into another bowl and gently beat with an electric whisk until softly whipped. Spread the salted caramel over the base of the tart, then arrange the banana slices on top. Spoon over the muscovado cream. Chill for at least 3 hrs, or overnight. Scatter with the hazelnut praline just before serving.

Good to know -

• Make sure you use the blanched hazelnuts sold in shops. The skin on ones have a slightly, tart bitter flavour that you’ll want to avoid.

• If you don’t have fluted tart tin you can use a 23cm loose bottomed sandwich cake tin.

• Be careful not to over whip your cream. It should be dropping consistency but still hold its shape. Remember whipped cream gets firmer once chilled in the fridge.

Ginger cake, rum and poached pear trifle

PREP 45 mins + cooling time COOK 20 mins SERVES 8-10