Yum! Here’s some delicious sweet treat ideas for Christmas

Christmas is literally around the corner (next week already!?), and we’re all putting the finishing touches to our plans for the big day.

Although we can assume most households will tuck into a festive turkey & ham dinner with all the trimmings followed by a serving of Christmas pudding, you may want to inject something different into your usual traditions.

Looking for some inspo? We’ve got you covered…

Hazlenut Pavlova (Serves 6-8)

Ingredients

4 egg whites (room temp)

200g caster sugar

3 tsp cornflour

1 tsp white vinegar

150g chopped hazelnuts

2 x 350ml pots Avonmore Caramel Whipped Cream

8 Ferrero Rocher

1 x small bar milk chocolate

Hazelnut chips for sprinkling (optional)

Method

1.  Preheat oven to 140°C/120c Fan/Gas mark 1. Line a baking tray with baking parchment.

2.  Using an electric mixer, beat egg-whites until soft peaks form.

3.  Gradually add the sugar, beating well until the mixture is glossy and the sugar has dissolved.

4.  Mix the cornflour & vinegar in a cup and add the chopped hazelnuts. Add this to the egg whites, and fold in gently –  DON’T mix.

5. Spoon the mixture onto the baking parchment and use a palette knife to make a circle about 20cm in diameter.

6.  Put in the oven, turn the temperature down to 120C/fan 100C/gas ½ and cook for 1½ hours. Turn the oven off and leave the meringue inside until completely cold (you can make this the day before and leave to cool overnight).

7.  Carefully peel off the baking parchment and put the pavlova on a serving dish.

8.  Spoon the 2 tubs of Avonmore Caramel Whipped Cream over the pavlova and spread it out with a palette knife.

9.  Break up the Ferrero Rocher into small pieces & sprinkle on top. Melt the milk chocolate. Sprinkle some chopped hazelnuts (optional) over the top and drizzle with some melted chocolate.

Christmas Jumper Cookies (makes 9)

150g (5 oz) Unsalted butter, very soft

150g (5 oz) Caster sugar

10ml (2 tsp) Dr Oetker Madagascan Natural Vanilla Extract

250g (9 oz) Plain flour

1 sachet/ 7g (1 tsp) Dr Oetker Bicarbonate of Soda

12.5 grams (2 ½ tsp) Ground ginger

12.5 grams (2 ½ tsp) Ground mixed spice

To decorate:

Icing sugar to dust

100g pack each Green, Blue and Red Dr Oetker Regal Ice Ready to Roll Icing Coloured

20ml (4 tsp) clear runny honey

40g (1 ½ oz) Dr Oetker Milk Fine Cook’s Chocolate

15g ( ½ oz) Dr Oetker Natural Marzipan

Dr Oetker White Designer Icing

Dr Oetker Brights Writing Icing

Jumper shaped Cookie Cutter

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C Fan Oven, Gas Mark 4). Line 2 large baking trays with baking parchment. Put the butter and caster sugar in a bowl and beat until well blended and creamy. Stir in the Vanilla Extract.

2. Sieve the flour, Bicarbonate of Soda and spices on top. Carefully combine to make a mixture that resembles a crumble topping and using your hands, bring the mixture together to form a firm dough. Turn on to a lightly floured surface and knead gently until smooth and pliable.

3. Roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/2 cm (1/4 inch). Using an approx. 10cm (4 inch) wide jumper shaped cookie cutter, cut out 9 shapes, re-rolling the dough as necessary. Arrange on the trays and prick with a fork. Chill for 30 minutes.

Ingredients

Siúcra Rollout Icing Sugar

Siúcra Icing Sugar

50g Siúcra Caster Sugar

100g dark chocolate

100g milk chocolate

150g unsalted butter

30g cocoa

115g golden syrup

200g digestive biscuits broken into small pieces

Red & green icing colour

Required: 12 hole muffin tray
Method

1. Put a small strip of parchment paper into each hole of the muffin tray. This will allow you to lift out the cakes once they have set.
2. Melt the butter, chocolate, golden syrup, cocoa and Siúcra Caster Sugar over a very gentle heat.
3. Keep stirring until it has all melted.
4. Pour over the broken biscuits and mix well.
5. Spoon into the holes of the muffin tray and press with the back of a spoon into the corners and leave in the fridge to set.
6. Break off some of the white Siúcra Rollout Icing Sugar and knead until it softens.
7. Dust your work surface with Siúcra Icing Sugar.
8. Roll the Siúcra Rollout Icing Sugar out to a thin layer.
9. Cut out 8 splat shapes to go over the puddings. Carefully lift each splat onto each pudding.
10. Tear off two more pieces of Siúcra Rollout Icing Sugar and colour one piece green for the holly leaves and the other red for the holly berries. To colour the icing put a small amount of colour onto the white icing and knead it in until it is well combined and there are no streaks left. (You may want to wear gloves when doing this.) Add more colour if necessary.
11.  Cut out holly leaf shapes and roll out some red berries and place on top of the splats.