Three Easy Christmas Dessert Recipes

Are you entertaining this Christmas or looking to impress guests? Check out these Christmas themed recipes designed by Si?cra and chef Ciara Fennessy for three easy Christmas dessert options!

Mini Chocolate Biscuit Puddings

Makes 10- 12

Chocolate biscuit cake is decorated with Si?cra Rollout Icing Sugar to give it a festive twist in this delicious recipe that is sure to satisfy chocoholics this Christmas. Easy to make, these bite-sized treats require no baking and will add a sweet end to any meal.

Ingredients
Rollout Icing Sugar
Icing Sugar
50g 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

• 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.
• Melt the butter, chocolate, golden syrup, cocoa and caster sugar over a very gentle heat.
• Keep stirring until it has all melted.
• Pour over the broken biscuits and mix well.
• 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.
• Break off some of the white rollout icing sugar and knead until it softens.
• Dust your work surface with a icing sugar.
• Roll the rollout icing sugar out to a thin layer.
• Cut out 8 splat shapes to go over the puddings. Carefully lift each splat onto each pudding.
• Tear off two more pieces of 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.
• Cut out holly leaf shapes and roll out some red berries and place on top of the splats.

Christmas Tree Cupcakes

Makes 10-12

CUPCAKES

Ingredients
125g Si?cra Light Golden Brown Sugar
125g butter, at room temperature
2 medium free range eggs
150g self-raising flour
3tbsps milk
2tsps vanilla extract

Method

• Preheat oven to 180?C / 160?C fan.
• Line a bun tin with 12 paper cases.
• Beat together the butter and Si?cra Light Golden Brown Sugar until pale and fluffy.
• Beat in the eggs one at a time.
• Mix in the vanilla extract, flour and milk.
• Divide the mixture equally between the 12 cases.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes.
• Cool on a wire rack before piping on the buttercream.

BUTTERCREAM

Ingredients
450g icing sugar
225g butter, at room temperature
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
Green food colouring
Sugar decorations: silver balls, stars, circles

Method

• Beat the butter and icing sugar together. Add the vanilla extract and beat again. It takes a few minutes to turn into buttercream.
• Add the green food colouring gradually until you have the desired colour.
• Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle.
• Pipe onto each cupcake starting wide at the bottom and getting narrower as you go up. Try to do this in one movement.
• Place a star decoration on top and coloured sugar decorations or silver balls around the tree.

SPARKLING POMEGRANATE PUNCH

SERVES 4-6

Say cheers to the holiday season and add some sparkle to your Christmas festivities with this cocktail which is guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser. Refreshingly bright and bubbly, it is the perfect way to celebrate in style. It is also quick and simple to make, leaving you more time to mingle with your guests. When serving, set out glasses, a big bowl of punch and let guests help themselves.

Ingredients
50g caster sugar
granulated sugar
200ml pomegranate juice
40g pomegranate seeds
1 orange, halved and thinly sliced
100g pineapple chunks
1 bottle of Prosecco

Sugar rim on glasses: Run a slice of citrus fruit around the rim of the glass and dip into a bowl of granulated sugar.

?Method

• Put the sugar and the pomegranate juice into a large jug or punch bowl and stir until the sugar dissolves.
• Add the orange slices, pineapple chunks and pomegranate seeds and stir.
• Top up with a bottle of Prosecco and serve.

All three recipes from Si?cra.?For more information on?Si?cra or recipes, visit www.siucra.ie.