Secrets of making Christmas dessert a sweet success

Dec 11 2008 by Janet Tansley,

Sweet success

WHATEVER you’re serving on your table this Christmas, there is one course that everyone is sure to be looking forward to – dessert.

Most of us will be tucking into a traditional Christmas pudding, which has origins going back to the 1420s when it wasn’t seen as a confection or a dessert, but as a way of preserving meat at the end of the season.

However, Christian Grall, executive chef at Heathcotes at Anfield, tells us not everyone will be tucking into a pud containing dried fruit this festive season.

"He says: “Most countries have their very own idea of the ideal Christmas dessert. In Denmark they enjoy rice pudding with whipped cream and almonds; in Germany they have stollen which is a rich, sweet, yeast-risen bread loaded with dried fruit; in Japan their Christmas cake is usually sponge cake frosted with whipped cream and topped with strawberries.

“Of course, in Italy, they have the famous panettone.”

Christian, who is orginally from Brittany, has worked around Europe as a chef and has had to adapt to many places’ Christmas cooking methods.

He adds: “At Christmas in France, many people make a bouche de Noel which is a log-shaped cake made traditionallyŠof chocolate and frosted chestnuts.”

But if you are wanting to follow tradition this year, Christian, who regularly cooks for football directors, Liverpool FC players, press and thousands of people who are going to the Anfield club this year for the Ultimate Christmas Experience, says he has the perfect recipe for the perfect Christmas pudding, Christmas cake and brandy butter.

“When it comes to making your pudding, try and make it now, two weeks before the big day. Not only does it allow you to tick off the dessert course on your list of things to do, but also, by doing it at this stage, it means the end result is going to taste fantastic.”