Christmas in Your New Hotondo Home
If you’ve been waiting all year to host Christmas in your beautiful new Hotondo home and show off that stunning new kitchen, elegant dining area, and enjoy relaxing in your living space with family and friends, we’re here to help. We’ve got some tried and true dessert recipes from some of our very own Hotondo team members that you can make ahead of time to help with your celebrations for Christmas Day!
Cinnamon and Brown Sugar Shortbread
Who doesn’t love shortbread? It’s perfect to enjoy with a cuppa as you put your feet up and relax after a long day of celebrating. Best of all, it’s quick and easy to make a couple of days in advance! This recipe serves ten people approximately.
Ingredients
- 250g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 & 1/4 cups plain flour
- 3/4 cup rice flour
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Icing sugar mixture, to dust (optional)
Method
- Preheat oven to 150°C. Brush a slice pan with butter to grease it and line it with baking paper.
- Use an electric beater to beat together the butter, sugar and vanilla in a bowl until well combined.
- Sift the combined flours and cinnamon over the butter mixture. Use a wooden spoon to stir until well combined.
- Press the mixture into the prepared pans with the back of a metal spoon that is greased in melted butter. Gently cut the shortbread crossways, about 1cm deep, into 12 even pieces before it’s baked.
- Bake in oven for 50 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Let it cool completely before turning it out of the pan.
- Dust with icing sugar to serve.
Chocolate Ripple Cake Wreath
A twist on an old favourite, this is another dessert you can make the day before you need to serve it, and just save the decorating for the day of your celebration! This yummy dessert serves approximately twelve people.
Ingredients
- 2 x packets of chocolate ripple biscuits
- 500g thickened cream for whipping
- 2 tablespoons cocoa
- 1 tablespoon icing sugar
- Chocolate cream biscuits
- Peppermint balls
- Malteasers
- Jaffas
- Mint leaf lollies
- Meringues
Method
- Pour half the cream into a bowl and beat with electric mixer an until it thickens and whips.
- Spread a circle of whipped cream on the surface of your serving platter.
- Take a chocolate ripple biscuit and dab a dollop of whipped cream on one side. Take another chocolate ripple biscuit and stick it to the first biscuit, then stand them up on their side on the platter over the whipped cream.
- Repeat this step with all the chocolate ripple biscuits until you have a ring of them joined together.
- Whip the rest of the cream, adding in the icing sugar and cocoa once it’s whipped and gently fold it in to create chocolate cream.
- Using a flat spatula, spread the cream all over the ring of biscuits in a thick layer until it’s completely covered. Leave the cake in the fridge overnight. The cream will soften the biscuits to become cake-like in consistency.
- To decorate, place some chocolate cream biscuits around the surface of the cake by poking them gently into the cream on an angle.
- Place a mix of Jaffas, peppermint balls, mint leaf lollies, and Malteasers around the surface of the cake, ensuring a good mix of red, green, and chocolate is sprinkled around evenly. Crush up some meringue and scatter it all over the decorations.
- Slice diagonally to serve to ensure a nice balance of biscuit, cream, and decorations for each person!
Clootie Dumpling (Cloth Dumpling)
This is a Scottish recipe that takes a little TLC to create, so allow some time a few days before you want to serve it to create this delicious pudding! Serves approximately twenty people.
Ingredients
- 500g self raising flour – for mixture
- 1 cup suet
- 1 cup sugar
- 500g mix of currants and sultanas (any ratio of your choosing)
- 25g mixed spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Treacle for taste (however no more than ½ cup)
- Milk (up to 1 cup if needed)
- Preferred alcohol of choice (that goes well with fruit – sherry, whisky, Drambuie, etc)
- Some extra flour
- Boiling water (from the kettle)
- Calico sheet – you’ll need approximately 50cm2
- 2 large mixing bowls
- 1 large stock pot
- Strong rubber band
- Mixing spoon
Method
- On the night before, soak the currants and sultanas mix in your preferred alcohol and let sit overnight.
- On the day of making the dumpling, take your large pot, half fill with water and bring to the boil.
- Mix the flour, suet, sugar, mixed spice and cinnamon with the currants and sultanas together in one large mixing bowl.
- Add your preferred amount of treacle and continue to stir until the mixture is coated.
- Add milk a small amount at a time and continue mixing until a stiff, cake-like batter forms (only use the full cup if needed).
- Pour the boiling water over the calico to scald then place over the second mixing bowl. Dust with extra flour. This is to create a waterproof layer on the cloth.
- Spoon combined mixture onto the floured side of the cloth.
- Bring the edges of the cloth together, rounding the mixture like a pudding. Tie with a rubber band, leaving the space of about three fingers to allow mixture to expand.
- Place mixture into the boiling water and boil for 3 hours. Keep an eye on water level. If it drops, top up with boiling water.
- Once the three hours are up, take the dumpling out of the water. Carefully open up the cloth and turn the dumpling over onto a clean plate. The outer layer may look a little pale, but this is normal. Allow the dumpling to sit and dry off. The outside will darken and form a skin-like layer.
- Serve with cream, ice-cream or custard and enjoy!
Tobler-Tastic Cheesecake
Cheesecake is always a winning dessert especially on a hot Christmas day, and this one combines some amazing flavours. It serves approximately ten people and best of all, it’s no-bake!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups chocolate ripple biscuits, crushed to crumbs
- 100g melted butter
- 500g cream cheese, softened
- ¾ cup caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon gelatine dissolved in 2 tablespoons of boiling water
- 200g milk chocolate Toblerone, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup thickened cream, softly whipped
- 1 punnet raspberries pureed and sieved into 2 tablepsoons, combined with 2 tablespoons icing sugar
- Toblerone shavings, for decoration
- Extra raspberries for decoration
Method
- Combine the chocolate ripple biscuit crumbs and melted butter, then press into the base of a greased 23cm springform pan and chill for two hours.
- Beat the cream cheese and caster sugar in an electric mixer until just smooth.
- Add the gelatine, melted Toblerone, and vanilla extract to the cream cheese and mix until smooth.
- Gently fold the thickened cream through the cream cheese mixture.
- Pour the mixture over the prepared base.
- Spoon the pureed raspberries onto the top of the cake and use a toothpick to create swirls.
- Chill the cheesecake for three to four hours or until set.
- Decorate with Toblerone shavings and raspberries prior to serving.
Note that you can substitute strawberries and it still tastes delicious!
Ausukes (Little Ears)
Best eaten when made or day of making
Ingredients and Equipment
- 500g plain flour
- 2 sachets dried yeast
- 2 eggs
- 125g butter
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup luke warm water
- ½ cup milk (if necessary)
- Canola oil for frying
- 1 large baking bowl (china or ceramic)
- 1 large frying pan
- Paper towel
- Serving plate or bowl
- Rolling pin
- Knife
Method
Note: in order for the mixture to rise, please keep ingredients warm. This recipe makes about 48.
- Warm bowl and flour prior.
- Mix yeast with Luke warm water and half the sugar (1/4 cup). Set aside to allow to activate (it will froth/foam).
- Melt butter.
- Beat the eggs and remaining sugar.
- Microwave the milk for 30 seconds to warm.
- Make a well in the flour and add the wet ingredients leaving the milk for last.
- Mix into a stiff dough. If the mixture is dry, add some milk a tablespoon at a time until dough becomes stiff.
- Cover bowl with cling wrap and a tea towel. Place bowl in a warm place (e.g. a warm oven) and allow to rise for at least an hour or until dough is about double the size.
- When ready, knead risen dough slightly. Separate into four sections. Taking a section at a time, roll out the dough. Cut rolled dough into approximately 12cm strips. Make a slit in the middle of each strip. Take one end of the strip and fold through the slit to create the twist/curl in the middle.
- Deep fry strips in canola oil until golden brown (approximately 1 minute) turning once.
- Place each cooked ‘ear’ on a paper towel-lined plate or bowl to drain, sprinkling with sugar as soon as they come out for taste.
We hope these delicious dessert recipes help with your meal prep in the lead up to Christmas Day, and that the celebrations in your new Hotondo home are beautiful memories you and your family will treasure for years to come. From everyone at Hotondo Homes, we wish you a very merry Christmas, and a happy and safe new year!
For more home design and interior inspiration ideas, visit the Hotondo Homes website today.
