If you’re someone who loves baking, your Christmas pudding must be steamed a month before Christmas, wrapped tightly in foil, and stored in a cool, dark place or frozen.
If you plan on having dishes such as brandy butter, Christmas bombe or a pawpaw granita on your menu, these items should be prepared and frozen within the next 10 days.
Christmas ice-cream bombe (serves 10 to 12)
Ingredients
250g glace fruit mix
2 litres vanilla ice-cream
200g frozen mixed berries, finely chopped
10ml kirsch liqueur
1 litre strawberry ice-cream, softened
100g milk chocolate, melted
Method
Stir the glace fruit into the vanilla ice-cream, and then pack this mixture around the sides of a large bowl, leaving a hollow in the centre.
Insert a smaller bowl into the centre and weigh it down (dried soup beans work well) to keep it in position.
Place into the freezer until the mixture is firm.
In a clean bowl, stir the chopped berries and liqueur into the strawberry ice-cream.
Remove the small bowl from the centre of the vanilla ice-cream mixture, and fill the hollow with the strawberry ice-cream mixture.
Return to the freezer and allow to freeze overnight.
The day before you intend to serve the dessert, remove it from the freezer and dip the base of the bowl into hot water for a few seconds, to loosen it.
Invert the bowl and let the bombe slide out onto a serving platter, then freeze again until firm.
Remove it from the freezer and drizzle melted chocolate over the top, and then return it to the freezer until needed.
To serve, cut the bombe into large wedges and decorate with fresh berries.
Pawpaw Granita (serves 8 to 10)
Ingredients
1kg ripe pawpaw, peeled and seeded
500ml mango juice
100ml castor sugar
Juice of half a lemon
100ml vodka (optional)
Method
Put the pawpaw in a food processor and blend until smooth.
Add the remaining ingredients and pulse until blended.
Pour the mixture into a suitable freezer container and freeze until almost set.
Use a fork to break up the crystals, and return to the freezer until required.
Pile the granita into chilled glasses and serve either as a light, delicious starter or as a refreshing dessert.
If preferred, the pawpaw can be substituted with watermelon.
