6 hours ago
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While strictly speaking this is a zuccotto – that is, a dome-shaped cake filled with ice-cream and enrobed in chocolate – I take disproportionate pleasure in the fact that it looks very much like a Christmas pudding. Even more delightful is the knowledge that it can be made weeks ahead of time, and whisked out of the freezer and brought to the table as needed. There’s allo a wibbly-wobbly jelly with a soft melt-in-your-mouth set, rather than the more solid, gelatinous variety I so strongly associate with childhood tea parties. Plus, it has sparkling booze in it, which, of course, makes the whole thing feel very grown-up.
Salted caramel zuccotto
I have a soft spot for salted caramel ice-cream, but you can fill the marsala-drenched panettone shell with whatever flavour ice-cream you like; if you wanted to be extra-fancy, you could even layer different flavours on top of each other, so that, when you slice into the zuccotto, you see stripes of colour down the middle.
Prep 40 min
Freeze 1 hr 45 min
Serves 12-14
2 litres salted caramel ice-cream
500g whole panettone
120ml marsala
260g dark chocolate, finely chopped
150g salted butter
150g white chocolate, finely chopped
80ml double cream
Redcurrants, for decoration
Take the ice-cream out of the freezer, open the lid and leave to soften slightly. Line a three-litre bowl with cling-film.
Cut the panettone into roughly 2cm-thick slices and press them into the lined bowl so the entire surface is lined with cake; save some for the top. Drizzle most of the marsala over the panettone, again saving a little for the top. Spoon the softened ice-cream into the panettone-lined bowl, then cover the top with the last few slices of panettone, so the ice-cream is sealed inside. Drizzle over the last of the marsala, then cover the whole bowl with cling-film and put in the freezer for an hour, or longer.
Melt the dark chocolate and butter in a saucepan on a very low heat, stirring all the while to make sure the chocolate doesn’t burn or catch, then take off the heat.
Unwrap the frozen bowl and turn out the frozen panettone and ice-cream cake on to a serving dish, ideally with a lip. Peel off the cling-film, then pour on the hot chocolate so it covers the entire surface of the cake. Return to the freezer for 30–45 minutes, or longer, so the chocolate can harden.
Warm the white chocolate and cream in a small saucepan over a low heat, until the chocolate melts, then pour this over the chocolate-covered cake. Decorate with a few redcurrants and return to the freezer until you’re ready to serve.
Pomegranate Campari jelly
The joy of jelly is that you can (indeed, you must) make it in advance, which in part at least is what makes it such an ideal dinner party dessert. It’s also low-effort, easy to make and both gluten- and dairy-free, so it’s a good option when navigating dietary restrictions.
Prep 5 min
Cook 15 min
Set Overnight
Serves 8-10
16g gelatine leaves (about 10 leaves)
175ml Campari
175ml pomegranate juice
400ml prosecco
300g caster sugar
Handful of pomegranate seeds, to serve
Put a 1½-litre jelly mould on a small tray, so it’s easy to carry to the fridge once filled; I often use bits of scrunched-up foil to stabilise it on the tray.
Put the gelatine in a small bowl, cover with cold water and leave to soak for five minutes. Pour the Campari, pomegranate juice and prosecco into a saucepan. Add 250ml water and the sugar, give it a good stir to help dissolve, then put on a medium heat. Do not stir once the pan is on the heat, because that will kill the bubbles in the prosecco (you want as many of those in the jelly as you can get). Bring to a boil for about a minute, or just under, until the sugar is completely dissolved, then take off the heat.
Ladle roughly 250ml of the ruby-red liquid into a measuring jug and add the softened gelatine, giving the leaves a good squeeze first in your hands to remove excess water. Whisk until the gelatine dissolves completely, then pour the remaining liquid from the saucepan into the jug. Carefully pour into the jelly mould, carry to the fridge and leave to set overnight for a gentle, wibbly-wobbly texture. It will now keep happily in the fridge for two to three days.
To serve, carefully plunge the mould into a dish of hot (not boiling) water, making sure it doesn’t splash into the jelly. Hold it there for three to five seconds, until you can see the edges begin to separate from the sides of themould, then immediately lift out the mould and put a serving dish on top, taking care to centre the mould on the dish. Using both hands to hold the two together, flip over: the jelly should slip out easily. Sprinkle over the pomegranate seeds to serve.
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These recipes are edited extracts from The Christmas Companion: Recipes, Crafts and Inspiration for a Magical Festive Season, by Skye McAlpine, published by Bloomsbury at £28. To order a copy for £25.20, visit guardianbookshop.com
English (US)