No-Bake Chocolate Christmas Pudding

Does anyone actually LIKE Christmas pudding? Sure, it wouldn't be Christmas without it, but in our hot South African climate, who wants to eat a heavy, steamy, piping hot custard-coated winter pudding? Bleh. Yes, our Christmas is peppered with all kinds of snow-covered European traditions but that doesn't mean we can't put our own twist on them. Forget reindeer - we should have springbok instead! But let me not get ahead of myself here, let's start with the important stuff; dessert. 

Looks like a figgy pudding - yes! Tastes like a figgy pudding? Well, erm no. It's a gajillion times better! 

Firstly-  it has chocolate in it. 
2) Condensed milk 
3) It's no-bake / no-steam / no-effort
4) It's still got all the Christmassy stuff in, but it's cold
5) You can put whatever the heck you want in it!
6) It's low-fat - JOKES! Oh heck no. Hear that? It's the sound of diets crashing everywhere! But hey, that's what January is for, right?!

Now, you might be thinking, this looks familiar. Remember my Peppermint Crisp Fridge Cake recipe? In celebration of it being shared over 21 500 times on Facebook (see there are LOTS of sugar addicts out there like us) I gave it a festive makeover with an unhealthy amount of Christmas cheer (and treats)! 

I've added ginger biscuits, cherries, pistachios, toasted hazelnuts, candied peel, dried figs, booze-soaked raisins, heck I even threw in some spices and drenched it 

in white chocolate. 

It's like a Christmas party - in your mouth! 

But also, it's muesli. 

No-Bake Chocolate Christmas Pudding

Serves 6-8

100g butter

300g milk or dark chocolate, chopped

½ tin (190g) sweetened condensed milk (eat the rest with a spoon)

1 tsp mixed spice

200g biscuits, crumbled (I used spiced ginger)

240g toasted nuts/soaked dried fruit/cherries/candied peel/caramel popcorn/marshmallows etc

100g white chocolate, melted

Start by lining the inside of a medium-sized 1.5L mixing bowl with 2-3 layers of clingwrap. 

In a saucepan, combine the butter, milk chocolate and condensed milk over low heat and stir until melted.

In a separate bowl, mix together the spice, biscuits, nuts and fruit. Stir into the chocolate mixture and mix well. 

Pour into the lined mixing bowl then place in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours or until set. 

Remove from the mould and turn onto a serving plate. 

Spoon the melted chocolate onto the top and coax it down the sides. 

Decorate with sprinkles or Christmas decorations.

Serve thin slices with strong coffee or a glass of brandy. 

MORE CHRISTMAS RECIPES WITH A TWIST:

Gingerbread Train

Christmas Malva Pudding

Spiced Chocolate Cheesecake

Gingerbread Macarons

Easy Passion Fruit Cheesecake Ice Cream {No Churn}

If there is ONE ingredient that perfectly sums up the flavour of summer it would be passion fruit right? (side note: we call it granadilla here in South Africa and I'd love to be able to tell you a funny, quirky story as to why we do but frankly the internet let me down on this one!) And if there is ONE dish that perfectly sums up the feeling of summer, it's of course, ice cream. Put them together and you're basically eating a summer holiday! My kinda food.

Also, incase you haven't noticed yet, there are TWO desserts in ONE here. Bonus! Cheesecake and ice cream are always a good idea. 

Put them together and you have a damn good idea! 

This ice cream is for those days when someone asks you, would you like cheesecake or ice cream? And your answer? Just say 'YES!'

Now if you're not a passion fruit person (are you even human?!) then imagine this frozen creamy cheesecakey goodness swirled with strawberries, or blueberries, 

or mango - no pineapple! 

I crumbled in my favourite Eet Sum Mores (appropriately named, yet innappropriately spelled) but you could use Oreos or gingersnaps or chocolate chips, throw in some caramel swirl or lemon curd, or crushed up meringue! 

*sigh* I love my job. 

No Churn Passion Fruit Cheesecake Ice Cream

Makes 1L

225g full fat cream cheese

1 tin (400g) sweetened condensed milk

1 1/2 cups cream, whipped to stiff peaks

230g passion fruit pulp

5-8 shortbread biscuits, crumbled

Beat cream cheese until smooth then add in the condensed milk and mix until creamy.

Fold in the whipped cream gently and lightly to retain the air.

Pour a third of the mixture into a freezer-proof container (a metal loaf tin works well), swirl 1/3 of the passion fruit into the mix then crumble over some of the shortbread.

Repeat with the rest of the mix, swirling and scattering in between each layer.

Freeze until firm (about 4 hours). To serve, remove from the freezer for 10 minutes then serve scoops with extra passion fruit pulp and crushed shortbread, if desired.

TIP: Swop out the passion fruit pulp for any fruit puree of your choice - think mango, pineapple, strawberries or blueberries!

Chocolate Mousse Pavlova With Syrupy Cherries

This right here, is what a Black Forest cake WISHES it could be. 

Layers of chocolate-swirled meringue with dark chocolate mousse, glossy cherries, soft whipped cream and some chocolate curls thrown in for funzies. Repeat until epic tower of delicious awesomeness is achieved. 

I mean, look at it - I'm committing sugar-on-sugar crime and I'm not even sorry!

Which reminds me, quick poll: If I call this gluten-free (which it is) does that make it diet food? 

Right, so you want to know how to make this epic tower of deliciousness? First, you need to start with the crispy marshmallowy layers of meringue. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE meringue? It's literally food magic. Which, kind of makes me a dessert magician!  I'm totally okay with this title by the way (switches tabs and adds it to twitter bio). 

So meringue is made out of just two ingredients, which means they need to be GOOD ingredients: free-range eggs, people (yes it costs a bit more but you're voting for a better world with your money) and proper, unrefined sugar. It makes a difference, I promise you. Natura Sugars makes this beautiful Golden Caster Sugar (swoon over the colour!) which not only dissolves quickly when you're making meringue but also gives a subtle caramel flavour which is just heaven with the dark chocolate. 

For the chocolate mousse, I've chosen a recipe that uses up all the egg yolks leftover from the meringue because throwing them away just seems like a waste. If you'd like an easier recipe, use my 2-ingredient chocolate mousse and if you're feeling super lazy (no judgement here!) simply grab a tub from the shops. 

 The Natura Golden Caster Sugar is also perfect for the syrupy cherries since it's quick-dissolving (I also sprinkle it over strawberries - yum!). I bought a heap of cherries and plan on preserving them all - they're heavenly spooned over vanilla ice cream or inside these Black Forest Eclairs. 

Now, while you decide for who or what you're going to make this showstopper, I'm going to go and be the dessert magician that I am and make this pavlova dissappear! ;)

Chocolate Mousse Pavlova with Cherries

Serves 6-8

Pavlova:

4 egg whites

1 cup (250ml) Natura Golden Caster Sugar

1 tbsp cornflour

1 tsp white vinegar

1 tsp vanilla extract

50g dark chocolate, melted

Chocolate mousse:

140g good-quality dark chocolate, finely chopped

200ml cream

1 sheet gelatine

4 egg yolks

100g Natura Golden Caster Sugar

Syrupy cherries: 

1 cup (250ml) Natura Golden Caster Sugar

1 cup water

200g fresh cherries, pitted

200ml cream, whipped, for serving

Fresh cherries and chocolate shavings, to decorate

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees celcius. Line 2 baking sheets with non-stick baking paper and draw 4 x 10-cm circles on the paper to use as a template guideline. 

Place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk until stiff peaks form, then gradually add in the caster sugar until completely dissolved. Whisk in the cornflour, vinegar and vanilla. Divide the meringue between the 4 circles and spread into a disc using a palette knife. Drizzle with the chocolate and swirl to create a marble effect. Place in the oven for 1 1/2 - 2 hours or until until crisp but still mallowy in the middle. (If you're not using a thermofam, place a wooden spoon in the oven door to keep it ajar - this will help to dry them out faster). 

To make the mousse, heat 75ml of the cream and pour over the chopped chocolate. Allow to stand for a few minutes and then stir until melted and smooth. Set aside. 

Whip the remaining cream and set aside. 

Place the gelatine in a bowl of cold water to soften. 

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a glass or metal bowl and place over a pot of gently simmering water. Add the softened gelatine and gently whisk until the egg yolk mixture is hot to the touch (about 60 degrees celcius). Remove from the heat and whisk vigorously (you can use an electric mixer) until light and thick but still lukewarm. 

Fold the egg yolk mixture into the chocolate along with the whipped cream. Place in the fridge to set for 2-3 hours. 

To make the syrupy cherries, place the sugar, water and cherries in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the cherries are softened. Allow to cool or pour into sterilized bottles and seal. 

Assemble the pavlova by layering the meringue discs with spoonfuls of chocolate mousse, whipped cream and spoonfuls of cherries in syrup. 

TIP: To make the golden cherries, mix 1 tsp edible gold dust (available to baking shops) with a few drops of vodka. Use a pastry brush to splatter or paint the cherries and allow the alcohol to evaporate completely until dry. 

Disclaimer: This post has been sponsored by Natura Sugars who produce a range of really special sugars that are unrefined and made according to traditional Mauritian sugar-making techniques. The sugars are non-GM, non-irradiated and unbleached with no preservatives, colourants or syrups added which basically means they are pure, natural and packed with flavour! 

Homemade Crunchies (Chocolate Honeycomb)

Honeycomb was one of the first things I created that made me fall completely in love with baking. It's got that magic - like meringue - where you can make something glorious out of a handful of very basic ingredients. It really comes down to science, but it's still damn cool when you sprinkle bicarbonate of soda into a molten pot of caramel and it fizzes up like a heavenly volcano. (If there are volcanoes in heaven, I'm pretty sure they will ooze bubbly honeycomb...#justsaying)

There is not a South African alive that doesn't have an affinity for, what we call, crunchies. As a kid, my memory of them is of Friday after-school drives home, eating crunchies while letting the chocolate melt on my fingers so I could lick it off. When I say 'letting the chocolate melt' I mean it was done purposely, because chocolate bars never have time to melt in my hands! We'd buy the crunchies from this glorious little factory shop in George that sold all Cadbury's rejected chocolate bars. Rejected by them and welcomed by me! 

I've covered my homemade version in dark chocolate because I love how the bitterness balances the sweetness of the honeycomb, but feel free to coat yours in milk or even white chocolate. A sprinkling of sea salt also gives these a deliciously grown-up twist!  My memory of them is not quite the perfectly formed crunchies most would be used to, but I urge you to embrace this because cutting honeycomb into perfect bars? Ain't nobody got time for that!  What you will have time for though, is slowly letting the chocolate melt so you can lick it off your fingers! 

As seen on Food24.com 

Homemade Crunchie Bars

Makes 8

50ml water

190g Natura Golden Caster Sugar

50g Natura Light Demerara Sugar

140g glucose (available from pharmacies or baking shops)

60g honey

10g bicarbonate of soda

500g dark chocolate, melted (for coating)

Grease and line a 20cm-square baking tin with non-stick baking paper.

In a medium pot, over low heat, combine the water, sugars, glucose and honey until completely dissolved. Turn the heat up and simmer until the syrup reaches 144°C*

Remove from the heat and, working quickly, add the bicarbonate of soda all at once. Whisk until the honeycomb foams up then immediately pour it into the prepared baking tin.

Allow to cool on a wire rack.

Once completely cold, use a sharp serrated knife to cut the honeycomb into bars.

Dip the bars in the chocolate (you can also use a pastry brush to paint the chocolate on) and allow to set on a sheet of baking paper.

It is very important to store honeycomb in an air-tight container to avoid it becoming sticky. If you have silica gel sachets saved from shoes or handbags, place one of them in the bottom of the container to help absorb humidity.

*if you don’t have a sugar thermometer, simply drop the syrup into a small cup of tap water. It is ready when it forms a hard ball almost immediately.