Spicy praline meringues
These really taste of Christmas, andcome with the added bonus that, once tied up with some white silk ribbon and hanging from the tree, they look thepart, too. The meringues will keep for up to two weeks, so the eating and decorating options are not mutually exclusive. To turn these into a seasonal dessert, serve them with cream and stewed cranberries. These quantities make 12extra-large meringues.
100g whole almonds, skinned
600g caster sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground clove
1½ tbsp finely grated orange zest
½ tsp coarse sea salt
300g egg whites (about 10)
12 long strips white ribbon (if hanging)
Heat the oven to 170C/335F/gas mark3. Spread out the almonds on a small baking tray, roast for five minutes, until lightly browned, thenset aside.
Put 100g of sugar in a small saucepan with 50ml water, and cookover high heat for five minutes,until a light golden brown(do not stir; just gently shakethe pan to help the sugar dissolve). Addthe almonds and cook for a minute longer, shakingthe pan so they get coated and the caramel turns dark withoutburning.
Pour out the mixture on to a baking tray and put aside until set and cool enough to touch. Break thepraline into small pieces, place these in afood processor and blitz toa rough powder. Tip into a bowl, mix with the spices, orange zest andsalt, and set aside.
Spread out the remaining sugar ona large baking tray lined with greaseproof paper, and bake for seven minutes, until it's just startingto melt at the edges. Remove from the oven and turn theheat right down to 110C/225F/gasmark ¼. As soon as the sugar isout of the oven, whisk the egg whites in the large bowl of a freestanding mixer – work on high speed – until they begin to froth up.With the whisk still running, carefully pour the hot sugar intothe egg whites and beat for 10 minutes more, until the mixture is cold. It should now keep its shape when you lift a bit from the bowl, and look very silky and thick.
Line two large baking trays with parchment paper; use a little meringue mix under each corner of each sheet of parchment, tostick it firmly to the tray. Have ready two extra-large serving spoons, and use one to take a large dollop of meringue mix about the size of a large apple. With the other spoon, scrape the meringue ball cleanly into the praline mix: it should land on the praline in a rough ball shape (don't worry if it's not perfect). Roll it slightly, so that one half is covered in praline, leaving the other half snow-white. Use the two spoons carefully to lift the meringue on to the prepared tray, andrepeat with the remaining mixture. Keep the meringueswell apart because they increase in size a lot while cooking.
Bake the meringues in the low oven for about two hours. Check if they are done by lifting them from the tray and gently prodding to make sure the outside is firm and the centre only a little soft. Once done, remove and set aside to cool. If you fancy hanging the meringues on your tree, gently wrap each one ina strip of ribbon, much as you might a present, and tie a bow so youend up with one longer end to hang them from.
Saffron trifle
Aka boozy trilogy. This is a showcasetrifle, and it takes a good few hours from start to finish, butwhen are you going to put in some serious time in the kitchen ifnot at Christmas? Make all the different elements in stages over acouple of days, if you prefer, and cut down onthe work by using shop-bought sponge (about 350g). My sponge recipe will make doublewhat you'll require for this dish; freeze the rest and use as you need it. Theegg whites left over from making the sabayon can be used for the meringues (see previous recipe), or freeze them, too. Serves 10.
For the sponge
170g unsalted butter
170g caster sugar
3 medium eggs, beaten
170g self-raising flour
Salt
80ml brandy
For the pears
250g caster sugar
15 whole black peppercorns
4 bay leaves
4 pears (William or conference), peeled, quartered and cored
For the sabayon
9 medium egg yolks
180g caster sugar
⅛ tsp saffron strands>
140ml Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise
430g mascarpone
For the jelly
500ml champagne
⅛ tsp saffron strands
100g caster sugar
9 gelatine leaves, softened in cold water
300g pomegranate seeds
150g chopped pistachios
Heat the oven to 170C/335F/gas mark 3. To make the sponge, work the butter and sugar in a food processor until light and even, then slowly addthe eggs. Add the flour and a quarter-teaspoon of salt, and work just until combined. Add four or fivetablespoons of water, and workuntil the mixture is a droppingconsistency.
Spread the mixture in a 24cm x 33cm Swiss roll tin lined with greaseproof paper and bake for 25 minutes, or until cooked through. Leave to cool, then cut in two and freeze one half. Pour the brandy evenly over the other and set aside.
Meanwhile, get on with the pears.Put the sugar, peppercorns and bay leaves in a medium pan, add800ml of water and bring to agentle simmer. Add the pears andcook forabout 20 minutes, untilsoft but not breaking down. Remove from the heat and leave tocool down. Once cool, lift out thefruit, cut it into 1.5cm dice and reimmerse inthe cooking liquid (discard the bay and peppercorns).
Next, make the sabayon. Put theegg yolks and sugar in a large heatproof bowl, whisk and place over a pan of simmering water (make sure the hot water is not touching the base of the bowl). Addthe saffron and wine, and whiskcontinuously over the steamfor about 20 minutes; the mixture will lighten in colour andtexture as the eggs cook. Once itreaches ribbon stage, remove fromthe heat and refrigerate, whisking occasionally, until cool. Put the mascarpone in abowl, thin down with two large spoonfuls of sabayon, then stir this mixture through the rest of the sabayon untilsmooth. Keep in the fridge until needed.
For the jelly, pour 130ml of champagne and 65ml of water into asmall saucepan and add the saffronand sugar. Put on a high heatand, assoon as it comes to theboil, take off the heat and add the gelatine, squeezed out of all thewater. Stir gently to dissolve, then tip into a large bowl, add theremaining champagne, stir andpass through afine sieve into apouring jug. Refrigerate until it starts to set (this can take a few hours, so keep an eye on it, and stiroccasionally).
Now you're ready to build the trifle. In a large glass serving bowl, assemble the trifle in this order: jelly, then pomegranate seeds, drained pears and pistachios, then sponge, broken into pieces and, finally, the sabayon. Repeat the layering until you've used up all the ingredients, finishing with a final layer of sabayon topped with pistachios and pomegranate seeds. Chill for at least two hours, orovernight, before serving.
Chocolate-pecan-cinnamon cookies
I normally make these with half the amount of cinnamon, but for Christmas I have doubled it to makea spicy little cookie that is nice and soft (a bit like those German ones); they'll see you through all the way to 2014. These quantities make 35 cookies, orenough to fill a large tin; they'd make a great gift, too.
110g unsalted butter, at room temperature
110g caster sugar
1 egg, whisked
120g plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
20g cocoa powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Salt
100g dark chocolate, broken into 0.5cm pieces
1 small banana, mashed
250g pecans, coarsely chopped
100g icing sugar
Heat the oven to 160C/320F/gas mark 2½. Whisk the butter and sugar until just combined, and without adding any air, then slowly add the egg until just combined, and stop whisking. Sift in the flour, baking powder, cocoa, cinnamon and a pinch of salt, and work in by hand until smooth. Stir through the chocolate and banana, and put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
Take a small piece of the dough (about 15g) and roll it into aball the size of a £1 coin; it will be slightly sticky, sodamp your hands first. Put the pecans and icing sugar in two separate bowls. Dip the ball of dough in the nuts, roll until covered, then roll between your palms so the nuts sinkin a little. Next, roll the cookie ball in icing sugar, making sure it is covered and white all over. Repeat with the rest of the mix. Arrange theballs on two oven trays lined with greaseproof paper – they won'texpand much, so there's no need to space them far apart – then press down on each cookie so it flattens to about 4cm in diameter.
Bake for six minutes only, then remove from the oven. They may seem a bit wobbly and gooey, but they will set after about 30 minutes. Leave to cool for few minute, then use a palette knife carefully to transfer the cookies to acooking rack. They will keep in asealed container for up to threedays.
Spicy pear and mascarpone pie
A simple alternative to mince pie, but every bit as Christmassy. Thesweet spices and red wine are deliciously soul-warming and the polenta pastry rich and buttery. Thepastry is very crumbly due to the texture of the polenta. Use your fingers and some excess pastry to patch it up. This is also great the day after it is made. Serves eight.
10 ripe conference pairs, peeled, cut into eighths lengthways and cored
500ml dry red wine
200g caster sugar
15 cloves
8 star anise
8 bay leaves
Shaved peel of 1 lemon
Shaved peel of 1 orange
250g mascarpone
For the pastry
80g quick-cook polenta
200g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
40g caster sugar
160g cold unsalted butter, diced, plus extra for greasing the tin
1 tsp grated lemon zest
Salt
2 egg yolks
¾ tbsp cold water
First make the pastry. Put the polenta, flour, sugar, butter, lemon zest and a quarter-teaspoon of salt in a large bowl. Rub in the butter until the mix is crumb-like, then addthe egg yolks and water, and stirto bring together. Cover and leave to rest in the fridge for at leastan hour.
Heat the oven to 170C/335F/gas mark 3. Put the pears in a large saucepan, add the wine, sugar, cloves, star anise, bay leaves and citrus peelings. Cut out a circle of baking paper to cover the top, then place on a medium heat and simmer gently for half an hour, until there's hardly any liquid left in the pan. (Ifthere are still lots of juices with five minutes to go, remove the baking paper and turn up the heat.) Leave the pears to cool down.
Grease a 24cm fluted quiche tin with a little melted butter. Cut off one-third of the pastry for the lid; the remaining two-thirds will form the base and sides. Dust a little flouron toa clean work surface androll out the larger piece of pastry to form a circlelarge enough to line the base and sides of the tin (don't worry if the pastry crumbles alittle: just patch it together with some offcuts once you've lined the tin). Spread half the mascarpone ontop.
Remove and discard the aromatics from the pear pan, then tip the fruit into the pastry shell. Roll out the rest of the pastry to make a lid, and lay on top of the fruit. With your fingers, pinch together the lid and sides all around, so the pie is sealed. Cut off any excess and use to patch up any holes in the lid or sides.
Bake the pie for 30-35 minutes, until the pastry has taken on a nice colour and is cooked through. Serve warm or at room temperature, with the remaining mascarpone spooned alongside.
