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Six festive treats from some of our favourite Irish chefs to bake this Christmas

 

Among all the other treats that we all love at Christmas, there’s nothing like a little bit of home baking to tie everything together. Now that we’re all staying at home more this Christmas more than ever, we could even have a little more time on our hands to try baking something new for Christmas.

Whether you’re planning on surprising your aunt with a gorgeous Christmas cake, or whipping up some cupcakes for the kids, there’s something here that everyone will enjoy.

Christmas Pudding – Catherine Leyden

Ingredients:

  • 75g/3oz Odlums Self Raising Flour
  • 175g/6oz Shamrock Dark Muscavado Sugar
  • 175g/6oz Butter
  • 3 Eggs
  • ½ teaspoon Goodall’s Cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon Goodall’s Nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon Goodall’s Mixed Spice
  • Pinch of Salt
  • 225g/8oz Shamrock Raisins
  • 225g/8oz Shamrock Sultanas
  • 125g/4oz Shamrock Mixed Peel
  • 100g tub Shamrock Cherries
  • 100g packet Shamrock Ground Almonds
  • 85g/3oz Breadcrumbs
  • 300ml/½ pint Stout

Click here for the method.

Christmas Cake – Catherine Leyden

Ingredients:

  • 225g/8oz Odlums Cream Plain Flour
  • 175g/6oz Butter or Margarine (at room temperature)
  • 175g/6oz Shamrock Muscavado Brown Sugar
  • ½ teaspoon Goodall’s Mixed Spice
  • ½ teaspoon Goodall’s Nutmeg
  • 4 large Eggs
  • 350g packet Shamrock Luxury Fruit Mix
  • 350g packet Shamrock Fruit Mix
  • 100g packet Shamrock Chopped Almonds
  • 100g packet Shamrock Ground Almonds
  • Rind of 1 Lemon
  • Rind of 1 Orange
  • 2 tablespoons Whiskey

Click here for the method.

Butterscotch Pudding – Donal Skehan

Ingredients:

For the salted caramel sauce:

  • 50g butter
  • 75g soft dark brown sugar
  • 1 generous tbsp golden syrup
  • 75ml double cream
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • Pinch of sea salt

For the pudding:

  • 2 tbsp soft unsalted butter
  • 75g dark brown sugar
  • 120ml cream
  • 1 tbsp cornflour
  • Pinch of salt
  • 190ml milk
  • 2 medium free-range egg yolks
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 125g crème fraiche

Click here for the method.

Cinnamon Rock Buns – Clodagh McKenna

Ingredients:

  • 220g/1 cup plain/all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp of baking powder
  • 110g/¼Ib butter, cubed and chilled
  • 110g/½ cup light brown sugar
  • 80g/½ cup of any of these dried fruits – sultanas, raisins, cranberries, dates, figs, orange peel
  • ½ tsp of ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp of ground cinnamon
  • 1 egg
  • A little milk
  • A sprinkle of brown sugar for the topping

Click here for the method.

Vegan Banoffee Pie – The Happy Pear

Ingredients:

For the base:

  • 100 g almonds
  • 300 g cashew nuts/walnuts
  • 200 g pitted dates
  • 3 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 tbsp coconut oil

For the toffee layer: 

  • 10 tbsp coconut oil
  • 300 g pitted dates
  • 100 g tahini can be replaced with almond butter/cashew butter/peanut butter
  • 10 tbsp water
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • a pinch of salt add more if you like

For the coconut cream:

  • 2 x 400 ml tins of full-fat coconut milk refrigerated overnight
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract

For the topping:

  • 3 ripe bananas
  • 3 squares of good quality dark chocolate

Click here for the method.

Christmas Tart – Catherine Fulvio

Ingredients:

For the fruit mince:

  • 3 plums, pitted and finely diced
  • 100g butter
  • 90g soft dark brown sugar
  • 100g raisins
  • 100g sultanas
  • 4 tbsp dried cranberries
  • 1 orange, zest only
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground ginger
  • A generous grating of nutmeg
  • 3 tbsp sherry
  • 50ml orange juice

For the pastry:

  • 350g plain flour, sifted
  • 180g chilled butter, diced
  • 2 tbsp ground almonds
  • 3 tbsp icing sugar
  • 1 egg yolk, beaten
  • 3 to 4 tbsp cold water
  • Egg wash, to glaze
  • Icing sugar, to dust

Click here for the method.

 

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