When you’re the cook of the house, you spend quite enough time in the kitchen on Christmas Day as it is. And, after those time-consuming nibbles, the smoked salmon starter and the turkey-with-all-the-trimmings main event, the last thing you want is a pudding that demands even more hands-on time at the culinary coalface. For me, the main requirement of any Christmas dessert is that it can be made well in advance, not least because, by the time the pudding stage comes around, I’ll be completely knackered and more than ready to put up my feet and finally relax (or, more likely, fall asleep on the sofa).
Chocolate and hazelnut tart (pictured top)
Prep 15 min
Rest 3 hr+
Cook 40 min
Serves 6-8
For the sweet pastry
500g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
150g caster sugar
250g cold butter, diced
2-3 eggs, lightly beaten
For the filling
640g 70%-cocoa dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
800ml double cream
64g glucose syrup
64g cold butter, cubed
100g roasted hazelnuts, lightly chopped
Put the flour and sugar in a large bowl, stir to combine, then add the diced butter and work it in with your fingertips until the mix takes on the consistency of rough breadcrumbs. Add two of the beaten eggs, then mix until the dough comes together into a ball; if need be, add the third beaten egg, but take great care not to overwork the dough. Wrap the pastry in clingfilm, then put it in the fridge and leave to rest for at least an hour.
Heat the oven to 190C (170C fan)/375F/gas 5. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the sweet pastry into a roughly 28cm round, then use it to line a lightly greased 24cm tart case with a removable base. Line the pastry with baking paper, fill with baking beans and blind bake for about 15 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven, lift out the paper and beans, and leave tart case to cool in its tin. Once cool, neatly trim off any pastry overhang.
Meanwhile, put the broken-up chocolate in a large bowl. Put the cream and glucose in a medium saucepan, bring slowly to a boil, then immediately pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk until smooth and emulsified. Finish by beating in the cold butter.
Pour the chocolate mix into the cooled tart shell and set aside at room temperature for two to three hours, so it settles and sets.
Just before serving, remove the tart from its tin, carefully transfer to a pretty plate, scatter the chopped hazelnuts all over the top, then slice and serve.
Christmas zabaglione
Prep 10 min
Cook 10 min
Chill 4 hr+
Serves 6
12 amaretti biscuits, roughly crumbled
10 egg yolks
250g sugar
200ml marsala
50ml whisky
50ml brandy
Bring a large pan of water to a boil. Meanwhile, divide the crumbled amaretti between six serving glasses – I use bog-standard wine glasses, but champagne coupes are a bit fancier.
Put the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl that will later sit easily on top of the pan of boiling water without the base touching the water. Whisk until nice and frothy, then add all the alcohol and whisk again.
Turn down the heat under the water pan to a simmer, set the bowl over the top and vigorously whisk the boozy egg mix for about five minutes, until it turns thick and creamy – once the whisk leaves a clear trail in the egg mix, the zabaglione is ready.
Spoon or pour the zabaglione evenly over the biscuits in the glasses, then chill uncovered for at least four hours, and up to overnight, until set. Serve whenever you’re ready.
