Flora Shedden’s Christmas Desserts Recipes For Figgy Crumble Mince Pies, Boozy Ice-cream, And Choc Pear Meringues

Out of sheer laziness, this is simply a no-churn, very speedy to combine return connected things. I thin usually not to urge no-churn ice-creams unless location is booze involved, truthful this sherry and raisin 1 is simply a awesome campaigner (the intoxicant stops nan ice-cream from becoming excessively difficult and crystallised). And support nan leftover ovum whites from nan mince pies to make nan chestnut and pear meringue, an replacement for nan Christmas pudding haters astatine your array – location is ever one. I deliberation it’s important to person astatine slightest 2 puddings astatine Christmas.

Chestnut and pear meringues (pictured top)

This is simply a awesome make-ahead pudding, because nan meringues tin beryllium made up to a period successful beforehand and nan pears and cocoa condiment 5 days before. Once assembled, you tin support it successful nan fridge for a fewer hours earlier serving.

Prep 10 min
Cool Overnight
Cook 1 hr 15 min
Serves 8

For nan meringues
100g ovum whites (from astir 3 eggs)
100g soft ray brownish sugar
100g caster sugar

For nan pears
4 pears
125g ray brownish soft sugar
2 tbsp brandy
½ tsp crushed ginger
1 cinnamon stick
4 strips of citrus zest
2 tsp vanilla legume paste

For nan cocoa sauce
45g caster sugar
5g cocoa powder
100g cocoa of your choice (54% cocoa solids aliases supra if you for illustration it darker), chopped

To serve
250g double cream
1 tsp vanilla legume paste
240g sweetened chestnut purée from a tin (Clément Faugier is my favourite)
50g cooked chestnuts, crumbled
Edible golden leaf (optional, but recommended)

Start by making nan meringues (you will request to do this astatine slightest nan time earlier you want to service them). Heat nan oven to 120C (110C fan)/250F/gas debased and statement a ample oven tray pinch baking paper.

Whisk nan ovum whites connected precocious successful nan vessel of a guidelines mixer to stiff peaks. Mix nan sugars successful a 2nd bowl, then, pinch nan mixer running, spoon into nan ovum whites a dessertspoonful astatine a time, making judge each 1 is afloat incorporated earlier adding nan next. Once nan meringue is bully and glossy, cheque that nan sweetener has afloat dissolved by rubbing a spot of nan meringue betwixt 2 fingers: if it feels grainy, proceed mixing. If not, it’s fresh to go.

Spoon nan meringue into 8 mounds connected nan lined tray, usage nan backmost of nan spoon to flatten them a small into rounds, past make a swirl connected nan top. Bake for 30–35 minutes, past move disconnected nan oven and time off nan meringues wrong overnight. You tin past shop them successful an airtight instrumentality for up to a month.

Next, poach nan pears. Peel and halve each pear, past usage a spoon to region nan cores and immoderate stringy stems. Put nan pears successful a saucepan for which you person a lid and that’s ample capable truthful they fresh snugly inside. Add h2o (about 500g) conscionable to cover, past adhd each nan remaining pear ingredients and put nan cookware connected a debased heat. Simmer for 20–25 minutes, until nan consequence is soft but still holding its shape, past return disconnected nan power and time off to cool successful nan syrup. The pears tin past beryllium decanted into an airtight instrumentality and stored successful nan fridge for up to 5 days.

For nan cocoa sauce, operation 100g water, sweetener and cocoa successful a mini saucepan connected a mean heat. Simmer for a fewer minutes, until nan sweetener dissolves, past return disconnected nan power and operation successful nan cocoa until it melts and you person a smooth, glossy sauce. This condiment tin now beryllium stored successful nan fridge for up to 5 days.

To assemble, bring nan cocoa condiment up to room temperature. Whip nan pick and vanilla legume paste to soft peaks. Spoon 30g of nan chestnut puree complete each meringue and dispersed it retired to nan edges. Spoon connected a tablespoonful of nan cocoa condiment and fto it drip down nan sides a little. Dollop a generous tablespoonful of whipped pick connected apical of nan chocolate.

Put half a poached pear connected apical of nan pick and property it down gently. Finish pinch a crumble of cooked chestnuts and a small golden leaf, if using, past shop successful nan fridge for up to 3 hours earlier serving.

Sherry and raisin ice-cream

Flora Shedden’s sherry and raisin ice-cream. Photograph: Matthew Hague/The Guardian. Food and prop styling: Florence Blair. Food styling assistant: Emma Cantlay.

Mum made a very decadent type of this past Hogmanay, and it was truthful cleanable I vowed to recreate it. The look was taken retired of a mag and I deliberation nan cutting was soon mislaid successful nan caller year, truthful I person had to improvise. When testing, my dad, a keen rum-and-raisin fan, declared that this was really very good. Which, if you cognize my dad, is nan highest of praise.

Prep 15 min
Soak 2 hr+
Freeze 6 hr+
Makes 2 litres

225g raisins
150g sherry (I for illustration to usage a fino aliases very barren one), positive other to serve
Finely grated zest of ½ orange
½ nutmeg, finely grated
600g double cream
397g tin condensed milk
2 tsp vanilla legume paste
Amaretti, to serve

A fewer hours earlier making nan ice-cream, and ideally nan nighttime before, soak nan raisins. Put them successful a mini airtight container, screen pinch nan sherry and adhd nan orangish zest and nutmeg. Stir to combine, past seal and time off nan raisins to sorb nan sherry; don’t worry, location will still beryllium immoderate liquid left.

To make nan ice-cream, operation nan cream, condensed beverage and vanilla legume paste successful a ample bowl. Whisk pinch a manus mixer until nan operation thickens to soft peaks, past fold successful nan soaked raisins and immoderate remaining sherry, and operation until good combined. Spoon into a 2kg airtight container, seal and frost for astatine slightest six hours.

Serve pinch amaretti biscuits crushed connected apical and/or a drizzle much sherry, if you fancy.

Fig and hazelnut crumble mince pies

Flora Shedden’s fig and hazelnut crumble mince pies.

This makes 12 mince pies, but I ever urge doubling this up arsenic 12 ne'er look to past agelong capable successful our house.

Prep 10 min
Chill 30 min
Cook 50 min, positive cooling
Makes 12

For nan pastry
125g butter
100g icing sugar, positive other to serve
250g plain flour, positive other for dusting
2 ovum yolks

For nan filling
110g dried figs, stalks removed, soma chopped
400g mincemeat
30g brandy

For nan crumble
75g hazelnuts, astir chopped
50g oats
25g soft ray brownish sugar
25g butter

To serve
Brown sweetener brandy butter, aliases clotted cream

First, make nan pastry. Put each nan ingredients isolated from nan ovum yolks successful a nutrient processor and blitz connected precocious velocity until nan substance hasa crumble-like consistency (alternatively, do this by hand, moving nan food into nan flour and sweetener until you person a sand-like texture). Stop nan machine, scrape down nan sides and blitz again, stopping erstwhile nan substance conscionable starts to travel together into a dough.Add nan ovum yolks, past activity mildly to bring nan mixed together.

Flatten nan mixed into a unsmooth circle astir 2cm thick. This helps chill nan mixed faster and makes it easier to rotation out. Wrap successful clingfilm and remainder successful nan fridge for astatine slightest 30 minutes (and for up to 3 days).

For nan filling, harvester each nan ingredients successful a ample vessel and operation well.

When you’re fresh to bake, power nan oven to 190C (170C fan)/375F/gas 5. Take nan pastry retired of nan fridge and time off tit o travel to room somesthesia for 15 minutes.

Lightly particulate a activity aboveground pinch flour, past rotation retired nan mixed to 2–3mm thick. Use a 10cm pastry cutter to trim retired 12 discs, re-rolling immoderate scraps arsenic needed. Lightly flour a 12-hole muffin tin and property a disc into each hole, utilizing your fingers to get it into nan corners. Trim disconnected immoderate excess pastry and put successful a vessel pinch immoderate pastry offcuts you person from rolling.

To make nan crumble, adhd nan chopped hazelnuts, oats, sweetener and food to nan pastry offcuts, past operation pinch your hands until you person a chunky crumble.

Divide nan mincemeat filling betwixt nan tart cases, past spoon nan crumble connected top. Bake for 20–25 minutes, aliases until nan crumble is aureate brownish and nan pastry is cooked through. Remove and time off to cool successful nan tin for 10 minutes, past assistance retired mildly pinch a good weapon and transportation to a rack to cool completely. Serve lukewarm aliases astatine room temperature, generously dusted pinch icing sweetener and a bully dollop of brandy food aliases clotted cream. The pies will support successful an airtight instrumentality for up to 2 weeks.

• These recipes are edited extracts from Winter successful nan Highlands, by Flora Shedden, published by Quadrille astatine £26. To bid a transcript for £23.40, sojourn guardianbookshop.com