Christmas Leftovers Dessert

Recipes by Jackie Cameron

Yesterday’s traditional eggnog – if you have leftovers, that is – can be frozen using the same method as you would when making ice cream. Serve this with fresh cherries and hot cherry sauce. You’ll never have made too much!

Christmas cake made into balls, drizzled with brandy and coated in crumbled shortbread and a dusting of icing sugar makes an unusual, morish treat.

One of my favourite flavour combinations is rich fruitcake with mature cheddar. The union of sweet and savoury tickles the taste buds while tantalising the appetite.

Most occasions call for a selection of cheeses and this, generally, results in many small portions of cheese leftovers.  Place the off-cuts neatly together and top with fresh or preserved fruit, nuts and hot caramelised sugar. This crispy, crunchy extravagance oozes splendid flavours.

*Eggnog ice cream with fresh Cherries and Hot Cherry Sauce

Eggnog

Yields : 4 large glasses

Ingredients :

3 large Eggs

187 g Sugar

132 ml Brandy (Klipdrift)

62 ml Rum (Red Hart)

2 cup Full Cream Milk

2 cup Cream

62 ml Icing Sugar

10 ml Nutmeg – or to taste

10 ml Cinnamon – or to taste

10 ml Mixed Spice – or to taste

Method :

1) Separate your eggs

2) Whisk the yolks slowly and add sugar until pale yellow in colour

3) Add brandy, rum and milk and 1 cup of the cream to the above mixture slowly

4) Set aside until service

5) On service whisk egg whites until firm and fold into eggnog mixture

6) Whip the remaining of the cream and flavour with spices.  Add this to your eggnog before serving

Ice cream

7) Take the left over eggnog mixture and freeze in an ice cream machine as manufacture’s instructions or place the mixture into a freezer. Whisk every 45 minutes until frozen to allow for a light and fluffy textured ice cream. 

Hot Cherry Sauce

Yields : 4 portions

Ingredients :

1 tin Black cherries with syrup

30 ml White Sugar

Method :

1) Separate the cherries from the liquid by straining

2) Heat the liquid with the sugar amount, stirring continuously, and reduce by half

3) Add black cherries and heat up

Serve

1) Roll ice cream balls of the egg nog ice cream

2) Top with the hot cherry sauce, black cherries and fresh cherries if available

*Christmas cake balls drenched in brandy and rolled in crumbled shortbread and dusted with icing sugar

Ingredients :

13 Christmas cake balls

30 ml Brandy

½ cup crumbled Shortbread

15 ml Icing Sugar

Method :

1) Roll balls of Christmas cake and place onto a plate.  Top with brandy

2) Crumble the left over shortbread and roll the moist shortbread balls into this

3) Finish with a light sift of icing sugar

*Christmas cake served with Mature Cheddar, Honey and Roasted Pecan Nuts

Ingredients :

Christmas cake

Cheddar Cheese

Honey

Roasted Pecan Nuts

1) Slice both the cake and the cheese into finger pieces.  Serve with a bowl of honey and hot roasted pecan nuts.

*Leftover Cheese with extra Nuts, Dried and Fresh Fruit finished with Caramelised Sugar

Ingredients :

Left Over Cheese

Variety of : Fresh, Dried and Preserved Fruit

Nuts

1 cup White Sugar

Method :

1) Place all cheeses next to each other

2) Top with a variety of your cheese favourites

3) Caramelise sugar in a pan and pour this over the cheese on serving

Please post your comments and any food-related questions below.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Jackie Cameron 
Head Chef 
Hartford House
www.hartford.co.za
jackie@hartford.co.za
+27 33 263 2713