If you know Irish Country Living Food, you’ll know we love a good baking project. What better time to up your dessert game than over the festive season? These whimsical Christmas desserts have not just been tested ‘til perfect; we have incorporated some of our favourite Irish ingredients into them as well. These recipes are extra delicious, because they are injected with Irish-grown and produced flavour.
Sticky gingerbread puddings with vanilla ice cream
Sticky gingerbread puddings with vanilla ice cream. \ Philip Doyle
Serves 6
Spicy gingerbread cake and sticky toffee pudding combine to create a festive and indulgent dessert; the perfect ending to a traditional ham and turkey feast.
For the batter:
165g Dunany rye flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp ground ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp mixed spice
80g butter, softened
100g light brown sugar
2 eggs
60g treacle
½ cup milk
Extra softened butter and demerara sugar, for greasing
For the sauce:
500ml cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp flaky sea salt
½ cup light brown sugar
80g golden syrup
To serve:
The Good Dairy Company vanilla ice cream
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease six oven-safe ramekins with butter and sprinkle with demerara sugar to coat the inside. Set aside until ready to use.
2 Make the batter: in a large bowl, sift together the rye flour, baking powder, ginger, salt, cinnamon and mixed spice. Set aside.
3 In another bowl, cream the softened butter and brown sugar with a handheld mixer until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then add the treacle.
4 Mix the milk into the batter and then, using a spatula, fold the dry ingredients in until you have a smooth batter with no lumps.
5 Make the sauce: in a saucepan, add the cream, vanilla, sea salt, brown sugar and golden syrup. Bring to a boil and cook for 5-10 minutes, until a caramel sauce is created.
6 Evenly divide the pudding batter between the six prepared ramekins, then gently spoon the caramel sauce over the top of each one (as it bakes, the sauce will sink to the bottom). Once baked, you want a pudding which is 70% pudding and 30% sauce.
7 Place the ramekins in a deep roasting tray. Fill the tray with boiling water to reach halfway up each ramekin.
8 Bake the puddings in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes. A skewer should come out clean when inserted into the centre of the pudding.
9 Let cool for 5-10 minutes, then loosen the puddings from the ramekins gently with a knife. Invert the puddings onto a plate so that the sauce is on top and the pudding is on the bottom. Add a generous dollop of The Good Dairy Company vanilla ice cream and serve immediately.
Mulled berry cheesecake trifle
Mulled berry cheesecake trifle. \ Philip Doyle
Serves 8-10
We want to shake up the idea of the traditional sherry trifle and use this deeply flavourful mulled fruit compote as a base instead. A cheesecake filling instead of the traditional jelly and custard combo adds a light creaminess and just enough sweetness.
For the hot milk sponge:
240g plain flour, sifted
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
4 large eggs, room temperature
400g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
60g butter
240ml milk
For the mulled berry compote:
600g Mr Jeffares frozen blackcurrants
200ml red wine
250g caster sugar
Rind and juice of one orange
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
1 tsp mixed spice
1 vanilla bean, split lengthways
2 tbsp corn flour mixed into 3 tbsp water
For the cheesecake mixture:
700g Compsey Creamery full fat cream cheese
300ml cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
100g confectioner’s sugar
Rind and juice of one orange
1 Make the hot milk sponge: preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a rectangular cake tray with parchment paper and set aside.
2 In a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk and set aside.
3 In a separate bowl, combine the caster sugar with the eggs. Using an electric mixer, whip the sugar and eggs together until pale yellow in colour, doubled in volume and ribbony in texture (about 5 minutes).
4 While mixing the eggs and sugar, heat the milk, butter and vanilla in a saucepan. When this mixture comes to a boil, immediately remove from the heat.
5 Add the dry ingredients to the egg/sugar mixture and mix until just combined. Add the hot milk mixture and beat on high until everything is incorporated – about 20 seconds.
6 Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 45-50 minutes; checking for doneness after 40 minutes. A skewer inserted into the centre of the cake should come out clean when the cake is done.
7 Remove from the oven and cool completely. This is better made the day before and wrapped in cling film until ready to assemble.
8 Make the mulled berry compote: in a large saucepan, combine the frozen blackcurrants, wine, sugar, spices, orange rind and juice. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes until most of the alcohol has been cooked out of the wine.
9 While simmering, add the corn flour and water mixture and stir constantly until the compote thickens. This will take 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool completely at room temperature. Chill until ready to use.
10 Make the cheesecake: in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, add the cream cheese, sugar, confectioner’s sugar, vanilla, orange rind and juice. Using the whisk attachment, mix until everything is completely incorporated.
11 Slowly add in the cream and continue to mix until you have a light, fluffy cheesecake mixture.
12 Assemble the trifle: cut the sponge cake into slices or cubes. Place a layer of sponge in the bottom of a trifle bowl. Add a layer of mulled berry compote, followed by a layer of cheesecake. Repeat with another layer of each; finishing with a smooth layer of cheesecake on top.
13 Dollop softly whipped cream on top and garnish with chocolate shavings and berries. You will need to allow the trifle to sit for 1-2 hours (minimum) before serving.
No-bake mocha tartlets. \ Philip Doyle
Serves 6
One of our favourite flavour combinations is coffee and chocolate. These mocha tartlets are perfect for entertaining, because you can make all of the components ahead of time and chill until ready to assemble.
For the base:
500g Oreo cookies
100g Salt Rock Dairybutter, melted
150g Hazel Mountain Coffee and Cardamom dark chocolate, melted (plus more for garnish)
For the mocha mousse:
500ml cream, divided
100g ground Badger and Dodo coffee beans
300g white chocolate
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
To serve:
Softly whipped cream
Hazel Mountain Coffee and Cardamom dark chocolate, finely grated
1 Make the tartlet base: in a food processor, add the Oreo cookies and pulse until you have achieved a fine crumb. Drizzle in the melted butter and continue pulsing until the butter is fully combined into the cookies.
2 Divide the Oreo mixture evenly among the six tins and using your fingers, gently press along the bottom and up the sides of the tin. You want to create a bowl-like base for the mousse to be spooned into.
3 Chill or freeze the bases for 30 minutes for them to firm up.
4 Melt 150g of Hazel Mountain Chocolate in 30 second intervals in the microwave, stirring after each interval. When it is mostly melted with 1-2 solid pieces left, leave it at room temperature to let the final pieces melt naturally. Stir until smooth.
5 Brush the inside of each tartlet base with the melted chocolate and chill for an additional 30 minutes or overnight.
6 Make the mocha mousse: heat half the cream with the ground coffee until nearly boiling. You want the coffee beans to infuse into the cream as much as possible. Once the cream/coffee mixture reaches a boil, remove it from the heat.
7 Break up the white chocolate and place the pieces into a heat-proof bowl. Carefully pour the hot cream/coffee through a fine mesh sieve lined in muslin cloth to catch all the coffee grinds. Do this directly over the white chocolate; allow the hot cream mixture to melt the chocolate.
8 Stir the white chocolate/coffee/cream mixture until the white chocolate has melted entirely. Then, stir in the remaining cold cream, vanilla and sea salt.
9 Chill this mixture for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.
10 When the mixture is completely chilled, use a hand mixer to whip the ganache/cream until it is light, fluffy and doubled in volume.
11 Carefully remove the chilled tartlet bases from the tins and place on individual plates or a platter. Add generous dollops of the mocha mousse to each tartlet followed by another dollop of gently whipped cream. Finely grate the extra Hazel Mountain chocolate over each tartlet and serve.
Nutshed Mont Blanc. \ Philip Doyle
Serves 6
This is a dessert of epic proportions and sure to impress even the most discerning holiday diners. A classic French Mont Blanc is a small mountain (literally) of meringue, cream and sweetened chestnut puree. We decided to switch things up and top our Mont Blancs with a creamy peanut butter parfait.
For the meringue:
4 egg whites, room temperature
¼ tsp cream of tartar
225g caster sugar
2 tsp corn flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Chantilly cream:
300ml cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
60g confectioner’s sugar
For the peanut butter parfait:
100g melted butter
150g digestive biscuits
240g confectioner’s sugar
280g Nutshed Original Smooth Peanut Butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp sea salt
500ml cream
For the base:
1 package Roll It Frozen Puff Pastry, thawed
1 Preheat the oven to 150°C and line a large baking tray with parchment. Set aside until ready to use.
2 In a large bowl, add the egg whites and cream of tartar. Using an electric mixer, whip the egg whites until stiff peaks begin to form (about 2 minutes).
3 Gradually add the sugar, a few tablespoons at a time, while still whisking on high speed. The egg whites will become stiff and glossy as you continue to whisk. Once all of the sugar is incorporated, the mixture should be thick, glossy and pipeable. Add the vanilla extract and corn flour and whisk until completely incorporated.
4 Add the meringue to a piping bag. Pipe six cone shapes onto the prepared baking sheet (the base should be around 6cm in diameter). This is meant to look like a mountain. You will have leftover meringue, so feel free to make another meringue for a pavlova at the same time.
5 Place the meringues in the oven and immediately lower the heat to 120°C. Bake for 1.5 hours and then, without opening the oven door, turn off the heat completely and allow the meringues to cool in the oven overnight or 2-3 hours, at least.
6 Make the base: roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Using a circle template (or a circular cutter), cut out circles approximately 8cm in diameter. Preheat the oven to 180°C and place the puff pastry circles on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Place another sheet of parchment over the top and place another baking tray on top. This will keep the puff pastry from rising as it bakes and will result in a crunchy, flat base for the Mont Blancs.
7 Bake the puff pastry (with the baking tray on top) for 15 minutes, or until golden brown and crunchy. Cool completely.
8 Make the peanut butter parfait: place the digestive biscuits in a food processor and pulse until you achieve fine crumbs. Pour in the melted butter and pulse to combine. Place this mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the peanut butter, icing sugar, sea salt and vanilla to the bowl and mix until well combined.
9 In a separate bowl, whip the cream until stiff peaks are formed. Fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture until a light and fluffy mixture is achieved. Place the peanut butter parfait into a piping bag and chill until ready to use.
10 Make the Chantilly cream: in a large bowl, whip the cream with the confectioner’s sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks are achieved. Place the whipped cream in a piping bag and chill until ready to use (both the cream and peanut butter parfait can be prepared a few hours in advance).
11 Assemble the Mont Blancs: on a small dessert plate, place the flat circle of puff pastry. Pipe a small amount of cream on top of the puff pastry base. Place a meringue on top of this and then pipe cream all around the meringue cone.
12 Take the piping bag of peanut butter parfait and cut a very small amount off the tip of the piping bag. You want enough of an opening for the parfait to pipe easily, but small enough that the parfait comes out looking like string. Pipe the parfait all around the Mont Blanc, covering the cream covered meringue as best as you can.
13 Finish the Mont Blancs with a nice dusting of confectioner’s sugar and serve immediately.
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If you know Irish Country Living Food, you’ll know we love a good baking project. What better time to up your dessert game than over the festive season? These whimsical Christmas desserts have not just been tested ‘til perfect; we have incorporated some of our favourite Irish ingredients into them as well. These recipes are extra delicious, because they are injected with Irish-grown and produced flavour.
Sticky gingerbread puddings with vanilla ice cream
Sticky gingerbread puddings with vanilla ice cream. \ Philip Doyle
Serves 6
Spicy gingerbread cake and sticky toffee pudding combine to create a festive and indulgent dessert; the perfect ending to a traditional ham and turkey feast.
For the batter:
165g Dunany rye flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp ground ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp mixed spice
80g butter, softened
100g light brown sugar
2 eggs
60g treacle
½ cup milk
Extra softened butter and demerara sugar, for greasing
For the sauce:
500ml cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp flaky sea salt
½ cup light brown sugar
80g golden syrup
To serve:
The Good Dairy Company vanilla ice cream
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease six oven-safe ramekins with butter and sprinkle with demerara sugar to coat the inside. Set aside until ready to use.
2 Make the batter: in a large bowl, sift together the rye flour, baking powder, ginger, salt, cinnamon and mixed spice. Set aside.
3 In another bowl, cream the softened butter and brown sugar with a handheld mixer until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then add the treacle.
4 Mix the milk into the batter and then, using a spatula, fold the dry ingredients in until you have a smooth batter with no lumps.
5 Make the sauce: in a saucepan, add the cream, vanilla, sea salt, brown sugar and golden syrup. Bring to a boil and cook for 5-10 minutes, until a caramel sauce is created.
6 Evenly divide the pudding batter between the six prepared ramekins, then gently spoon the caramel sauce over the top of each one (as it bakes, the sauce will sink to the bottom). Once baked, you want a pudding which is 70% pudding and 30% sauce.
7 Place the ramekins in a deep roasting tray. Fill the tray with boiling water to reach halfway up each ramekin.
8 Bake the puddings in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes. A skewer should come out clean when inserted into the centre of the pudding.
9 Let cool for 5-10 minutes, then loosen the puddings from the ramekins gently with a knife. Invert the puddings onto a plate so that the sauce is on top and the pudding is on the bottom. Add a generous dollop of The Good Dairy Company vanilla ice cream and serve immediately.
Mulled berry cheesecake trifle
Mulled berry cheesecake trifle. \ Philip Doyle
Serves 8-10
We want to shake up the idea of the traditional sherry trifle and use this deeply flavourful mulled fruit compote as a base instead. A cheesecake filling instead of the traditional jelly and custard combo adds a light creaminess and just enough sweetness.
For the hot milk sponge:
240g plain flour, sifted
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
4 large eggs, room temperature
400g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
60g butter
240ml milk
For the mulled berry compote:
600g Mr Jeffares frozen blackcurrants
200ml red wine
250g caster sugar
Rind and juice of one orange
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
1 tsp mixed spice
1 vanilla bean, split lengthways
2 tbsp corn flour mixed into 3 tbsp water
For the cheesecake mixture:
700g Compsey Creamery full fat cream cheese
300ml cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
100g confectioner’s sugar
Rind and juice of one orange
1 Make the hot milk sponge: preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a rectangular cake tray with parchment paper and set aside.
2 In a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk and set aside.
3 In a separate bowl, combine the caster sugar with the eggs. Using an electric mixer, whip the sugar and eggs together until pale yellow in colour, doubled in volume and ribbony in texture (about 5 minutes).
4 While mixing the eggs and sugar, heat the milk, butter and vanilla in a saucepan. When this mixture comes to a boil, immediately remove from the heat.
5 Add the dry ingredients to the egg/sugar mixture and mix until just combined. Add the hot milk mixture and beat on high until everything is incorporated – about 20 seconds.
6 Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 45-50 minutes; checking for doneness after 40 minutes. A skewer inserted into the centre of the cake should come out clean when the cake is done.
7 Remove from the oven and cool completely. This is better made the day before and wrapped in cling film until ready to assemble.
8 Make the mulled berry compote: in a large saucepan, combine the frozen blackcurrants, wine, sugar, spices, orange rind and juice. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes until most of the alcohol has been cooked out of the wine.
9 While simmering, add the corn flour and water mixture and stir constantly until the compote thickens. This will take 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool completely at room temperature. Chill until ready to use.
10 Make the cheesecake: in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, add the cream cheese, sugar, confectioner’s sugar, vanilla, orange rind and juice. Using the whisk attachment, mix until everything is completely incorporated.
11 Slowly add in the cream and continue to mix until you have a light, fluffy cheesecake mixture.
12 Assemble the trifle: cut the sponge cake into slices or cubes. Place a layer of sponge in the bottom of a trifle bowl. Add a layer of mulled berry compote, followed by a layer of cheesecake. Repeat with another layer of each; finishing with a smooth layer of cheesecake on top.
13 Dollop softly whipped cream on top and garnish with chocolate shavings and berries. You will need to allow the trifle to sit for 1-2 hours (minimum) before serving.
No-bake mocha tartlets. \ Philip Doyle
Serves 6
One of our favourite flavour combinations is coffee and chocolate. These mocha tartlets are perfect for entertaining, because you can make all of the components ahead of time and chill until ready to assemble.
For the base:
500g Oreo cookies
100g Salt Rock Dairybutter, melted
150g Hazel Mountain Coffee and Cardamom dark chocolate, melted (plus more for garnish)
For the mocha mousse:
500ml cream, divided
100g ground Badger and Dodo coffee beans
300g white chocolate
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
To serve:
Softly whipped cream
Hazel Mountain Coffee and Cardamom dark chocolate, finely grated
1 Make the tartlet base: in a food processor, add the Oreo cookies and pulse until you have achieved a fine crumb. Drizzle in the melted butter and continue pulsing until the butter is fully combined into the cookies.
2 Divide the Oreo mixture evenly among the six tins and using your fingers, gently press along the bottom and up the sides of the tin. You want to create a bowl-like base for the mousse to be spooned into.
3 Chill or freeze the bases for 30 minutes for them to firm up.
4 Melt 150g of Hazel Mountain Chocolate in 30 second intervals in the microwave, stirring after each interval. When it is mostly melted with 1-2 solid pieces left, leave it at room temperature to let the final pieces melt naturally. Stir until smooth.
5 Brush the inside of each tartlet base with the melted chocolate and chill for an additional 30 minutes or overnight.
6 Make the mocha mousse: heat half the cream with the ground coffee until nearly boiling. You want the coffee beans to infuse into the cream as much as possible. Once the cream/coffee mixture reaches a boil, remove it from the heat.
7 Break up the white chocolate and place the pieces into a heat-proof bowl. Carefully pour the hot cream/coffee through a fine mesh sieve lined in muslin cloth to catch all the coffee grinds. Do this directly over the white chocolate; allow the hot cream mixture to melt the chocolate.
8 Stir the white chocolate/coffee/cream mixture until the white chocolate has melted entirely. Then, stir in the remaining cold cream, vanilla and sea salt.
9 Chill this mixture for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.
10 When the mixture is completely chilled, use a hand mixer to whip the ganache/cream until it is light, fluffy and doubled in volume.
11 Carefully remove the chilled tartlet bases from the tins and place on individual plates or a platter. Add generous dollops of the mocha mousse to each tartlet followed by another dollop of gently whipped cream. Finely grate the extra Hazel Mountain chocolate over each tartlet and serve.
Nutshed Mont Blanc. \ Philip Doyle
Serves 6
This is a dessert of epic proportions and sure to impress even the most discerning holiday diners. A classic French Mont Blanc is a small mountain (literally) of meringue, cream and sweetened chestnut puree. We decided to switch things up and top our Mont Blancs with a creamy peanut butter parfait.
For the meringue:
4 egg whites, room temperature
¼ tsp cream of tartar
225g caster sugar
2 tsp corn flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Chantilly cream:
300ml cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
60g confectioner’s sugar
For the peanut butter parfait:
100g melted butter
150g digestive biscuits
240g confectioner’s sugar
280g Nutshed Original Smooth Peanut Butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp sea salt
500ml cream
For the base:
1 package Roll It Frozen Puff Pastry, thawed
1 Preheat the oven to 150°C and line a large baking tray with parchment. Set aside until ready to use.
2 In a large bowl, add the egg whites and cream of tartar. Using an electric mixer, whip the egg whites until stiff peaks begin to form (about 2 minutes).
3 Gradually add the sugar, a few tablespoons at a time, while still whisking on high speed. The egg whites will become stiff and glossy as you continue to whisk. Once all of the sugar is incorporated, the mixture should be thick, glossy and pipeable. Add the vanilla extract and corn flour and whisk until completely incorporated.
4 Add the meringue to a piping bag. Pipe six cone shapes onto the prepared baking sheet (the base should be around 6cm in diameter). This is meant to look like a mountain. You will have leftover meringue, so feel free to make another meringue for a pavlova at the same time.
5 Place the meringues in the oven and immediately lower the heat to 120°C. Bake for 1.5 hours and then, without opening the oven door, turn off the heat completely and allow the meringues to cool in the oven overnight or 2-3 hours, at least.
6 Make the base: roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Using a circle template (or a circular cutter), cut out circles approximately 8cm in diameter. Preheat the oven to 180°C and place the puff pastry circles on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Place another sheet of parchment over the top and place another baking tray on top. This will keep the puff pastry from rising as it bakes and will result in a crunchy, flat base for the Mont Blancs.
7 Bake the puff pastry (with the baking tray on top) for 15 minutes, or until golden brown and crunchy. Cool completely.
8 Make the peanut butter parfait: place the digestive biscuits in a food processor and pulse until you achieve fine crumbs. Pour in the melted butter and pulse to combine. Place this mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the peanut butter, icing sugar, sea salt and vanilla to the bowl and mix until well combined.
9 In a separate bowl, whip the cream until stiff peaks are formed. Fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture until a light and fluffy mixture is achieved. Place the peanut butter parfait into a piping bag and chill until ready to use.
10 Make the Chantilly cream: in a large bowl, whip the cream with the confectioner’s sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks are achieved. Place the whipped cream in a piping bag and chill until ready to use (both the cream and peanut butter parfait can be prepared a few hours in advance).
11 Assemble the Mont Blancs: on a small dessert plate, place the flat circle of puff pastry. Pipe a small amount of cream on top of the puff pastry base. Place a meringue on top of this and then pipe cream all around the meringue cone.
12 Take the piping bag of peanut butter parfait and cut a very small amount off the tip of the piping bag. You want enough of an opening for the parfait to pipe easily, but small enough that the parfait comes out looking like string. Pipe the parfait all around the Mont Blanc, covering the cream covered meringue as best as you can.
13 Finish the Mont Blancs with a nice dusting of confectioner’s sugar and serve immediately.
Read more
Raising the steaks - three delicious sauces
Cream of the crop: make 2024 the summer of Irish artisan cheese
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