Christmas Pudding Cheesecake Food

CHRISTMAS PUDDING CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• To make the base, mix the gingernuts and sugar in a large bowl and sprinkle in the flaky salt. Pour in the melted butter and mix with a wooden spoon to form a biscuit crumb-like mixture. Press into a 20cm round springform cake tin, spreading the mixture in an even layer to the corners. Chill in the fridge for 30 mins until set.
• Put the Christmas pudding, brandy, stout and orange zest in a blender, and whizz to a purée.
• Using an electric hand whisk, beat the cream cheese with the double cream, sugar and vanilla seeds, then fold through the purée. Spread the mixture over the biscuit base and leave to chill in the fridge overnight.
• The next day, peel the clementines, slice into rounds and place on a baking tray. Sprinkle them with sugar, then blowtorch until caramelised and leave to cool. Release the cheesecake from the tin and arrange the clementines on top. Will keep for three days in the fridge.

THE QUEEN'S CHRISTMAS PUDDING

Steps:

• Select a heat-proof bowl of any size or shape and generously grease with butter.
• Combine dates, apricots, currants, raisins, cranberries, ginger, whiskey, orange zest, and orange juice in a mixing bowl. Toss thoroughly to combine.
• Pour in melted butter and stir until everything is evenly coated. Mix in egg, heavy cream, and buttermilk. Add salt, pecans, bread crumbs, and flour and mix until batter is very thick and sticky.
• Transfer dough to the prepared bowl and press it down to flatten with a spatula. Place a circle of parchment paper over the top and press down to seal. Stretch 2 pieces of plastic wrap over the bowl, then place the bowl on a third piece of plastic wrap. Bring the ends up and over the bowl and seal tightly. Cover the bowl with 2 pieces of foil, then tie a piece of string around and secure tightly.
• Place in the refrigerator, 8 hours to overnight.
• Lay rosemary sprigs in the bottom of a large Dutch oven. Place the wrapped pudding on the rosemary sprigs and fill the Dutch oven halfway with water.
• Place over high heat, cover, and bring to a boil. As soon as it boils, reduce heat to medium and steam, covered, for 4 hours, checking every hour to see if you need to add more water.
• Use kitchen towels and carefully lift the pudding out of the Dutch oven. Snip the string, take off the foil, remove the plastic wrap, and peel off the parchment. Place a plate over the bowl and invert the pudding to unmold.
• Brush maple syrup over top. Cut and serve immediately.

CLASSIC CHRISTMAS PUDDING

Steps:

• Get everything for the pudding prepared. Chop the almonds coarsely. Peel, core and chop the cooking apples. Sharpen your knife and chop the candied peel. (You can chop the almonds and apples in a food processor, but the peel must be done by hand.) Grate three quarters of the nutmeg (sounds a lot but it's correct).
• Mix the almonds, apples, candied peel, nutmeg, raisins, flour, breadcrumbs, light muscovado sugar, eggs and 2 tbsp brandy or cognac in a large bowl.
• Holding the butter in its wrapper, grate a quarter of it into the bowl, then stir everything together. Repeat until all the butter is grated, then stir for 3-4 mins - the mixture is ready when it subsides slightly after each stir. Ask the family to stir too, and get everyone to make a wish.
• Generously butter two 1.2 litre bowls and put a circle of baking parchment in the bottom of each. Pack in the pudding mixture. Cover with a double layer of baking parchment, pleating it to allow for expansion, then tie with string (keep the paper in place with a rubber band while tying). Trim off any excess paper.
• Now stand each bowl on a large sheet of foil and bring the edges up over the top, then put another sheet of foil over the top and bring it down underneath to make a double package (this makes the puddings watertight). Tie with more string, and make a handle for easy lifting in and out of the pan. Watch our video to see how to tie up a pudding correctly.
• Boil or oven steam the puddings for 8 hrs, topping up with water as necessary. Remove from the pans and leave to cool overnight. When cold, discard the messy wrappings and re-wrap in new baking parchment, foil and string. Store in a cool, dry place until Christmas.
• To make the brandy butter, cream the butter with the orange zest and icing sugar. Gradually beat in the brandy or cognac and chopped stem ginger. Put in a small bowl, fork the top attractively and put in the fridge to set. The butter will keep for a week in the fridge, or it can be frozen for up to six weeks.
• On Christmas Day, boil or oven steam for 1 hr. Unwrap and turn out. To flame, warm 3-4 tbsp brandy in a small pan, pour it over the pudding and set light to it.
• Get everything for the pudding prepared. Chop the almonds coarsely. Peel, core and chop the cooking apples. Sharpen your knife and chop the candied peel. (You can chop the almonds and apples in a food processor, but the peel must be done by hand.) Grate three quarters of the nutmeg (sounds a lot but it's correct).
• Mix the almonds, apples, candied peel, nutmeg, raisins, flour, breadcrumbs, light muscovado sugar, eggs and 2 tbsp brandy or cognac in a large bowl.
• Holding the butter in its wrapper, grate a quarter of it into the bowl, then stir everything together. Repeat until all the butter is grated, then stir for 3-4 mins - the mixture is ready when it subsides slightly after each stir. Ask the family to stir too, and get everyone to make a wish.
• Generously butter two 1.2 litre bowls and put a circle of baking parchment in the bottom of each. Pack in the pudding mixture. Cover with a double layer of baking parchment, pleating it to allow for expansion, then tie with string (keep the paper in place with a rubber band while tying). Trim off any excess paper.
• Now stand each bowl on a large sheet of foil and bring the edges up over the top, then put another sheet of foil over the top and bring it down underneath to make a double package (this makes the puddings watertight). Tie with more string, and make a handle for easy lifting in and out of the pan. Watch our video to see how to tie up a pudding correctly.
• Boil or oven steam the puddings for 8 hrs, topping up with water as necessary. Remove from the pans and leave to cool overnight. When cold, discard the messy wrappings and re-wrap in new baking parchment, foil and string. Store in a cool, dry place until Christmas.
• To make the brandy butter, cream the butter with the orange zest and icing sugar. Gradually beat in the brandy or cognac and chopped stem ginger. Put in a small bowl, fork the top attractively and put in the fridge to set. The butter will keep for a week in the fridge, or it can be frozen for up to six weeks.
• On Christmas Day, boil or oven steam for 1 hr. Unwrap and turn out. To flame, warm 3-4 tbsp brandy in a small pan, pour it over the pudding and set light to it.

ROCKY ROAD CHEESECAKE PUDDING

Steps:

• Line a 2 litre pudding bowl with cling film, leaving some overhanging to cover the top later. Thinly slice the cakes lengthways (8-9 slices per cake) and use the slices to line the base and sides of the bowl, making sure there are no gaps.
• Mix the ingredients for the filling with an electric hand whisk until thick and smooth. Fill the lined bowl with it, leaving some space for the rocky road to go on. Set aside.
• Break the chocolate for the rocky road into pieces in a heatproof bowl. Add the butter and golden syrup. Set over a pan of simmering water and leave for a few mins until melted - turn the heat off if the water boils, the residual heat will be enough to melt it. Stir until smooth and glossy.
• Tip the biscuits into a food bag and crush to a rubble with a rolling pin, creating some fine crumbs and some bigger pieces. Tip into the chocolate mix with the pretzel pieces and marshmallows. Mix until everything is coated in chocolate. Spoon it all over the cheesecake, covering the surface. Wrap the bowl in cling film and place a plate on top with a can to weigh it down. Chill for at least 24 hrs, or up to three days.
• Decorate the cheesecake on the day you want to serve it. Heat the cream, chocolate and golden syrup in a pan over a low-medium heat until the chocolate has melted and you have a pourable mixture - don't let it boil. Unwrap the cheesecake and turn onto a wire rack with a tray underneath. Pour over the chocolate glaze to cover the entire cake. When it stops dripping, use a fish slice to transfer to a plate. Chill until the glaze has set (about 10 mins).
• Meanwhile, melt the white chocolate in shorts bursts in the microwave. Drizzle it over the top of the cake, then decorate as you like. We used edible glitter, gold sprinkles and chocolate truffles.

CHRISTMAS PUDDING CAKE

Steps:

• Roll the fondant out on a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar to about the thickness of a £1 coin. Using the cake tin the fruitcake was baked in as a template, cut a 20cm circle from the fondant. Cut horizontally across the circle, about a third of the way down, in an undulating motion to create the dripping custard effect of your pudding design. Set aside, keeping the offcuts covered.
• Warm the jam in a small pan over a low heat until loosened. Brush over the top third of the fruitcake, then carefully place the fondant shape on top, gently pressing down to stick the fondant to the cake. Pull a small amount of fondant from the offcuts, dab with a little red food colouring and briefly knead to distribute the colouring, adding more as you go to create a deep red colour. Roll into one or two grape-sized balls. Colour the remaining fondant offcuts a deep green, then roll out. Cut out two or three holly leaf shapes using a sharp knife or a shaped cutter. If you like, use a cutlery knife or skewer to create veins in the leaves for a more realistic look.
• Arrange the leaves and berries at the top end of the fondant 'custard' using a little jam to help them stick. Use a fine paintbrush to dust the holly and berries with a little edible gold leaf, if you like.

GINGER & CHRISTMAS PUD CHEESECAKE WITH GINGER SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 5. Grease and line a roughly 1.3-litre ovenproof pudding basin with 4 strips of baking parchment, criss-crossing the bowl like spokes of a wheel. Beat the cream cheese, mascarpone, vanilla, eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until combined and light. Fold in the flour, Christmas pud and stem ginger, then spoon into the prepared tin. Carefully put in the oven.
• Check after 1 hr - it should be set with a slight wobble; you may need to give it 10 mins more. Remove and allow to cool slightly (it will puff up, then sink a little). Brush with 1 tbsp ginger syrup, then arrange the ginger loaf cake on top, pressing to form a base. Brush with 1 tbsp more syrup, then place a saucer on top to press down. Chill for at least 4 hrs (or up to 2 days).
• To make the sauce, bubble together all the ingredients plus 3 tbsp ginger syrup in a saucepan until syrupy. Turn the cheesecake out onto a serving plate and serve with the hot ginger sauce.