Home Baker’s Guide To Christmas Desserts With Chef Recipes
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The kitchen sets the spirit of the festive season, and Christmas baking turns the ordinary plates into the highlight of the celebration. When the oven hums for a little longer and the home fills with the aroma of butter and winter spices, you know the magical season has begun. 

And if you’re a professional baker or just wait for December to bake, this is your sign to channelise the festive spirit into experimenting with the seasonal ingredients and make some traditional desserts. From the Christmas classic plum cake to everyone’s favourite sticky toffee pudding, follow these recipes shared by chefs and make your own dessert spread.

Plum Cake

By Chef Ashfaque Ali, Executive Chef, The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace

Ingredients:

  • 250 g butter
  • 125 g castor sugar
  • 125 g blackjack (caramel or treacle)
  • 5 eggs
  • 5 ml vanilla essence
  • 300 g soaked fruits
  • 250 g flour
  • 5 g baking powder

Method:

  1. Cream the butter, caster sugar, and blackjack together until light and fluffy
  2. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla essence and mix.
  3. Sift the flour and baking powder together. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the batter. Mix the soaked fruits into the batter evenly.
  4. Grease a cake tin and line it with butter paper. Pour the batter into the tin and level the top.
  5. Bake at 160°C-170°C for 45–60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
  6. Allow the cake to cool completely before cutting.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Chef Santosh Rawat, Executive Pastry Chef, JW Marriott Bengaluru Prestige Golfshire Resort & Spa

Ingredients:

  • 20 g chopped dates
  • 400 ml hot tea
  • 300 g brown sugar (muscovado)
  • 180 g butter
  • 240 g eggs
  • 60 g black treacle
  • 10 g bicarbonate of soda
  • 350 g flour

For the Caramel Sauce:

  • 400 g brown sugar (muscovado)
  • 160 g butter
  • 30 g black treacle
  • A pinch of salt
  • 500 g cream

Method:

  1. Chop dates into small pieces; soak them with hot tea and leave to soak for an hour.
  2. Meanwhile, cream butter and sugar together, add eggs one at a time with black treacle.
  3. Lastly, fold flour and bicarbonate soda.
  4. Deposit into the mould and bake at 160◦c for 50mins or until the skewer comes out clean.
  5. Soak the pudding with the caramel sauce and bake further for 5 minutes.
  6. For the sauce, combine sugar and butter. Cook to melt the sugar and bring to a boil.
  7. Pour the cream on the sugar liquid, mix well to combine.
  8. Give one boil to achieve a good consistency.

Christmas Plum Pudding

By Chef Nishad Sebastin, The Leela Palace Udaipur

Ingredients:

  • 450 g butter
  • 450 g brown sugar
  • 200 g whole egg
  • 50 ml orange juice
  • 5 g orange zest
  • 250 g sponge crumble
  • 125 g refined flour
  • 50 g cocoa powder
  • 6 g baking powder
  • 3 g nutmeg powder
  • 5 g cinnamon powder
  • 5 g mixed spice
  • 1000 g soaked fruits and nuts

Method:

  1. Mix raisins, sultanas, currants, prunes, and peel with brandy/rum. Cover and soak overnight (or at least 4 hrs).
  2. Cream butter and sugar till light. Add eggs one at a time, beating well.
  3. Fold in breadcrumbs, flour, baking powder, spices, and zest.
  4. Add soaked fruits (with any leftover liquid) and grated apple. Mix till well combined. If too thick, add a little milk.
  5. Grease a pudding basin and line the base with parchment. Spoon in the mixture, cover with foil or cloth, and tie tightly. 
  6. Steam over gentle simmering water for 5–6 hours, topping up water as needed.
  7. Cool completely, then store in an airtight container in a cool place for up to a month. Reheat by steaming 1–2 hrs before serving.
  8. Warm with brandy sauce, custard, or ice cream. Traditionally, pour a little warm brandy on top and flambé before serving!