Festive desserts
Don’t like Christmas pudding? Try these festive dessert alternatives, including recipes for a salted caramel Yule log and a clementine and almond trifle.
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Chocolate cake recipes
Chocolate, blood orange and hazelnut cake
This terrific chocolate hazelnut cake gets its moistness from whole cooked oranges, and is topped with candied orange peel.
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Italian dessert recipes
Bonet (Italian chocolate and amaretti pudding)
Bonet is a classic Piedmontese dessert showcasing two of the Italian region’s favourite things – chocolate and amaretti biscuits.
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Festive desserts
Michel Roux Jr’s Yule log
Supremo chef Michel Roux Jr shows you how to create a classic bûche de Noël or Yule log, the traditional French Christmas dessert.
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Clementine recipes
Clementine, cardamom and ricotta cake
Light and fluffy, rich with ricotta and fragrant with cardamom, this easy clementine cake recipe is a crowdpleaser.
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Almond recipes
Almond cheesecake meringue nests
Scoops of pillowy amaretto-spiked mascarpone top golden sugar meringue nests to make these individual festive desserts.Â
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Pear recipes
Mulled pears, three ways
This showstopping trio of mulled poached pears - simmered in wine, white tea or cider - offers something for everyone at your Christmas table
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Trifle recipes
Coconut pannacotta and raspberry trifle
Dreamy layers of coconut cake, pannacotta, cream and a surprise layer of raspberry compote make this trifle extra special.
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Stir-up Sunday recipes
Best of the best Christmas pudding
Inspired by a family recipe, this Christmas pudding is intensely fruity and deeply spiced – the best figgy pudding you’ll ever make.
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Ice cream recipes
Spiced fruit and mascarpone ice cream sandwiches
These ice cream sandwiches are inspired by our popular Christmas pudding semifreddo. A delight to have on hand in the freezer this Christmas.
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Baking recipes
Ecclefechan tarts
The Hebridean Baker (aka Coinneach MacLeod), shares his recipe for ecclefechan tarts, a delightful Scottish alternative to mince pies.
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Gingerbread ideas for Christmas
Gingerbread s’mores tree
Break off a few pieces of gingerbread tree, sandwich with toasted marshmallow snowballs and dip in choc for a s’mores-inspired festive bite.
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Show-stopping Christmas dessert recipes
Black forest ‘forest’ trifle
This dramatic Christmas dessert embraces the elements of a black forest gateau – cherries, chocolate and kirsch – using trifle-like layers.
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Chocolate tarts, tortes and pies
Ravneet Gill’s gianduja chocolate tart
Ravneet Gill's rich gianduja chocolate tart has a velvety-smooth filling and wonderfully crisp pastry. Serve with chilled pouring cream.
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Pavlova recipes
Caramelised walnut and coffee pavlova
Chetna Makan's coffee pavlova is topped with cream and beautifully caramelized walnuts, then drizzled with chocolate ganache.
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Chestnut recipes
Chestnut parfait with chocolate bourbon caramel
Creamy chestnut purée is perfect for making into all sorts of wonderful desserts, including this decadent parfait, drizzled with boozy caramel
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Festive desserts
Sweet golden dumplings with ginger sauce
These golden, sweet dumplings are a Christmas favourite in Hungary and Romania. Serve the warm, yeasted buns with a jug of vanilla sauce.
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