Looking to mix up your festive menu this year?
These Christmas dessert recipes are sweet, zingy and indulgent — everything that the most wonderful time of the year should be.
Dona Hay’s Chewy caramels with salted peanuts
MAKES 50
![](https://www.platinum-mag.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/chewy-caramels-with-salted-peanuts.jpg)
420g salted peanuts
1.1kg granulated sugar
1.125 litres single cream
350g golden syrup
100g unsalted butter, chopped
- Line a 20cm x 30cm slice tin with non-stick baking paper. Sprinkle the base with half the peanuts and set aside. Place the sugar, cream, golden syrup and butter in a large saucepan over high heat and stir with a metal spoon until the butter and sugar have melted.
- Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring, for 20–25 minutes or until the temperature reaches 122°C on a sugar thermometer.
- Working quickly, pour the caramel into the tin and carefully sprinkle with the remaining 210g of peanuts.
- Allow to cool completely at room temperature for 3–4 hours. Refrigerate for 25–30 minutes or until firm.
- Turn the caramel out onto a board and, using a large sharp knife, cut into pieces. Wrap each caramel in brown wax paper, twisting the ends to seal.
- Keep refrigerated and bring to room temperature to serve.
Baked apples with cinnamon stuffing and orange syrup
![](https://www.platinum-mag.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Baked-Jazz-Apples-with-Cinnamon-Stuffing-and-orange-syrup-e1575555568359.jpeg)
4 apples
¼ cup hazelnuts
¼ cup dates (You can use prunes or apricots too)
½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
For the orange syrup
Juice from 2 big oranges
¼ cup date/rice/maple syrup
- Line a baking tray with baking paper and preheat your oven to 180 degrees.
- Wash and core the apples. Using a sharp knife carefully cut out the core, then use a spoon to scrape out the bottom of the core.
- Put the cored apples on the prepared baking dish.
- Make the filling by processing the hazelnuts, dates, cinnamon and vanilla extract in a food processor until coarsely chopped.
- Spoon the filling into the apples until it’s about to overflow.
- Bake apples for around 30 minutes, or until they are tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife.
- Set baked apples aside and make the orange syrup by squeezing the juice from oranges into a small saucepan. Add in the sweetener and simmer over medium heat until reduced by half. You should have a syrupy like texture.
- Serve the apples with the orange syrup and enjoy!
Chocolate Christmas cake with quince glaze
SERVES 12-14
![](https://www.platinum-mag.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/chocolate-christmas-cake-with-quince-glaze-1.jpg)
260g pitted prunes
1½ teaspoons bicarbonate of baking soda
250ml boiling water
240g dried currants
180ml rum
85g unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
260g light brown sugar
1½ tablespoons finely grated orange rind
6 eggs
225g self-raising flour, sifted
35g cocoa powder, sifted
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground allspice
150g dark chocolate, melted
FOR THE GLAZE
300g store-bought quince jelly
50g dark chocolate, finely chopped
- Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F). Grease a 2.75-litre bundt tin. Place the prunes, bicarbonate of soda and water in a medium bowl, mix to combine and allow to stand for 10−15 minutes. Using a hand-held stick blender, blend the mixture into a puree and set aside.
- Place the currants and rum in a small saucepan over high heat, stirring, for 5–6 minutes.
- Place the butter, vanilla, sugar and orange rind in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 10−12 minutes or until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour, cocoa, cinnamon, allspice, chocolate and the fruit mixtures. Beat to combine.
- Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for one hour or until cooked when tested with a skewer.
- Allow to cool in the tin for 10–15 minutes.
- To make the chocolate quince glaze, place the quince jelly in a small saucepan over medium heat and whisk until melting.
- Add the chocolate and whisk to combine. Bring to the boil and cook, whisking, for 2–3 minutes or until thickened.
- Place the cake on a cake stand or plate and pour the glaze over just before serving.
Find all of our festive recipes in the Platinum food & drink pages – from delicious desserts and savoury meals, to kids’ treats and unique bakes, we have it all.