Christmas desert showstoppers: yule logs, spiced jellies and meringue towers

For traditionalists, Christmas dinner is not fittingly concluded without the drama of the flaming pudding, but if you would like some alternative but equally jaw-dropping party pieces, try some of these impressive creations.

Aside from flavour, the success of the Christmas dessert lies in its aesthetic appeal. Think architecture. Think centrepiece. Think Victorian Christmas ornateness. The chocolate and hazelnut meringue tower, for example, might appear a little intricate to create, but take the time to prepare it in advance and you will reap the rewards of gushes of admiration come dessert time.

And for those of you who might think that jelly is a tad boring for the festive table, think again – jelly is hip, and in the right configuration a few simple moulds can create a breathtaking display (dig through your mother’s baking cupboard – every home had a great jelly mould at one stage). For further inspiration, check out some spectacular creations from London jelly specialists Bompass and Parr (jellymongers.co.uk). You will never look at jelly in the same way again.

Chocolate and hazelnut meringue tower with mandarin orange curd

This is a great centrepiece – a really dramatic and delicious masterpiece. Please don’t be put off by the Blue Peter-style instructions – it will be worth it. I have based this on a conventional two-shelf oven. so it is made in two batches. The meringue ingredients are the same each time.

Meringue (Note: you’ll be making this recipe twice)

6 egg whites

Pinch salt

350g caster sugar

2 tbsp cocoa powder, sieved

100g peeled hazelnuts

Preheat an oven to 180 degrees/gas 4. As we are doing the recipe twice, take 200g of peeled hazelnuts and spread them in a single layer on a baking tray. Roast until the nuts start to turn slightly golden and smell toasty; this should take about 10 minutes. Allow them to cool and then roughly chop them in a food processor. Divide the nuts in half, for each batch of meringue.

Next, line two baking sheets with baking parchment and draw two circles, one 23cm (9in) and another 20cm (8in).

For the meringue, put the six egg whites in a spotlessly clean bowl with a pinch of salt and whisk until they make soft peaks, then add the sugar and continue beating until the meringue is stiff and glossy. It should be stiff enough that if you turn the bowl upside down the meringue won’t budge. Gently fold in the sieved cocoa with a metal spoon, and add one half of the roasted chopped hazelnuts. Divide the mixture between the two circles, and spread into rounds using a spatula.

Transfer the two trays to the oven and bake at 180 degrees/gas 4 for five minutes – this is to crisp the outside – and then reduce the temperature to 120 degrees/gas ½ for an hour and 10 minutes to set the inside. Do not open the oven whilst the pavlovas are cooking as this will cause them to collapse. When the cooking time is over, turn off the oven and allow the meringues to cool in the oven for an hour or so. When they have cooled, transfer them to a cooling rack and peel off the baking parchment.

For the next batch, line the two baking sheets with parchment paper, and draw three circles. On one tray draw a 18cm (7in) circle, off centre as you want to leave room for a small circular blob of meringue for the top of the tower, and on the next tray draw 13cm (5in) and 10cm (4in) circles. Make the meringue as before, dividing the mixture between the three circles and leaving enough for a large blob of 6cm (2in) or so. Bake as before.

The pavlovas can be made a few days in advance of when you need them. Leave them somewhere safe and cover loosely with a clean tea cloth.

Mandarin orange curd

For me mandarin oranges are synonymous with Christmas. The curd can be made a week or so in advance.

Juice of 5 mandarin oranges

Juice and zest of a lemon

225g caster sugar

125g butter

3 egg yolks beaten

Place all the ingredients in a heavy-based saucepan over a gentle heat, and stir frequently for about 20 minutes until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon – do not allow it to boil as the mixture will split. Allow to cool and pour into a jar or plastic container and store in the fridge until needed – it will thicken up more as it cools. It can be kept for two to three weeks.

To serve

Whip 600ml of cream until it holds its shape. Just before serving you can assemble your masterpiece on a wide-brimmed plate or better still a cake stand – I bought mine in Dunnes Stores.

Put a little whipped cream directly on the plate and place the largest meringue on it. Spread some cream over the meringue and dollop six dessert spoons of mandarin orange curd on the cream. Place the next size meringue on top, repeat the cream and curd, and continue with the rest of the meringues, reducing the amount of curd and cream each time, until your tower is complete. Decorate with holly leaves and a dusting of icing sugar. For a special occasion you can put a sparkler on top as you bring it to the table.

Spiced orange jelly

I prefer to use leaf gelatine; if you would rather use powdered gelatine, follow the instructions on the packet.This will make one litre of jelly – you will need a one-litre jelly mould or pudding bowl.

10 leaves gelatine (1 leaf to 100ml liquid)

375g sugar

375ml water

2 cinnamon sticks

1 blade of mace

7 cloves

2 oranges, juiced

2 lemons, juiced

A scant tsp citric acid (available from chemists).

Heat the sugar, spices and water until all the sugar has dissolved, and simmer for a few minutes. Take off the heat; add the orange and lemon juice and the teaspoon of citric acid.

Allow the mixture to cool while the flavours infuse (a couple of hours) then strain it through muslin – this is important because it is essential that the jelly is clear. Store in the fridge until needed.

Soak the gelatine in lukewarm water in a large bowl or jug for about five minutes, until it is soft. Pour the spiced orange liquid into a saucepan and heat to simmering point, but don’t allow to boil. Drain the water off the gelatine and pour the hot liquid over the gelatine and stir to dissolve it. Pour into a one-litre jelly mould or bowl. Allow to set in the fridge overnight. To serve, sit the jelly mould into a pan of hot water for a minute to loosen the jelly, and turn it out onto a serving plate – the plate should be wider than the jelly mould as the jelly tends to spread out a little when turned out. Decorate with a couple of star anise, if you have them, and serve with some vanilla ice-cream

Yule log

This is a great seasonal favourite. I made 60 of these on the night before Christmas Eve last year, to fill orders at Country Store, the shop I supply in Dungarvan.

For the sponge

65g cocoa powder

4 eggs

100g muscovado sugar

For the filling

180mls cream

1 cooking apple, peeled, cored and chopped

75g cranberries

castor sugar to taste

For the butter cream

125g butter at room temperature (it should have the consistency of face cream)

250g icing sugar

1 tbsp cocoa powder

3 dsp boiling water

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees/gas 4. Line a 23cm by 32cm Swiss roll tin with baking paper and lightly butter it.

Using an electric whisk, whisk the eggs and sugar together until they have a mousse-like consistency; this will take about 10 minutes.

Lightly fold in the cocoa powder using a metal spoon. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, smoothing with a palette knife. Pop it into the oven and bake for 10 minutes until set. Allow it to cool in the tin.

To make the filling

Cook the apple and cranberries with a tablespoon of water over a gentle heat until the cranberries burst and the apple is soft. Stir it occasionally.

Stir in some castor sugar and sweeten to your taste. Allow it to cool, then transfer to a bowl and chill in the fridge until completely cold. Whip the cream until it holds its shape.

To make the butter cream

Beat the butter and icing sugar together using an electric whisk or mixer until it is pale and creamy.

Stir the cocoa powder and boiling water together in a cup and this add to the mixing bowl. Beat in well until the cocoa is combined and the icing has a lovely shine and a mousse-like consistency.

To assemble

Lay a large piece of greaseproof paper on the work surface. Turn the sponge out on to the greaseproof, so the lining paper is on top, then carefully peel off the paper. Spread the roulade with the whipped cream, leaving a border of about two centimetres all the way around the edges. Dollop the apple and cranberry on the cream using a teaspoon.

Now roll the sponge tightly lengthways. Use the paper to help keep your roll tight, by pulling it away from you as you roll. Don’t worry if the sponge cracks – this is quite normal. Carefully transfer the filled sponge to a serving plate.

Using a palate knife, spread the chocolate butter icing over the roulade, covering the top, sides and each end. Use a fork to make lines along its length, swirling the ends to create a log effect. Decorate with holly.

Chill for an hour before serving. It will keep for up to 24 hours in the fridge. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before serving.

See eunicepower.com