Christmas 2016 Recipes: Spread the Festive Cheer with Boozy Desserts

Cooking with alcohol is not new and it is definitely not difficult. In fact, it is my favourite form of relaxation. And in this festive season, what better way to celebrate than make some boozy treats? We could all do with a little extra warmth. While alcohol like rum, whisky and wine are commonly used in marinades, sauces, desserts and the like, I particularly love pairing alcohol with sweets for that fuzzy feeling that makes you feel just a tad happier. So let's get to work to make this festive season merrier!1. Cherry ClafoutisPreparation time: 15-20 minutes
Baking time: 30-40 mins at 190*C or 375*F
Serves 4Ingredients:Unsalted butter for greasing
Castor sugar for dusting
375gms sweet cherries, pitted and halved or sour cherry compote
6 Tbsp dark rum or Contreau (only one of the two)
1/4 cup or 35 gm flour
½ cup or 105 gm castor sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs
1 cup or 250 ml heavy creamMethod:1. Preheat the oven. Grease a baking dish with butter and dust with sugar and remove the excess sugar.
In a bowl soak the cherries with rum and set aside. If using compote, simply mix with rum and set aside.2. In another bowl mix the flour, sugar, and salt and add in the eggs and whisk well till the batter is smooth. Slowly pour in the cream, whisking gently as you do.3. Now add in the soaked cherries with the syrup and fold slowly and gently. Do not over mix. Pour this batter into the baking dish. Fill in only 3/4th with the batter as it rises on baking.4. Bake until puffed and golden for 30-40 minutes at 190 degrees C or 375 degrees F.5. Note: You can bake in a big bowl or small individual bowls. The clafoutis will deflate after cooling but nothing to worry, it will still taste good. You can also replace cherry with strawberry, blueberry or apple.
 2. Gateau BasquePreparation time: 30 minutes
Baking time: 30 minutes at 180 degrees C
Serves 4Ingredients:
For the Dough
150gms sugar
150gms butter
2 eggs
225gms flour
6gms baking powder
4gms salt
Vanilla or lemon zestFor the Pastry Cream:
 
175 ml milk
¼ tsp vanilla essence
1.5 egg yolk
25gms sugar
22gms corn starch
25gms almond powder
30ml rum
14gms butter
1 cup prunes (or sour cherries or blueberries)
Butter for greasingMethod:1. Grease the mould twice with butter and dust with flour and keep ready.2. To make dough, cream butter and sugar and add eggs; sift together flour, baking powder, and salt and add to above mixture. Add vanilla or lemon zest.3. To make pastry cream, bring milk and vanilla to boil. On side blanchir (beat till white) egg yolk, sugar, corn starch, almond powder. Temper the milk with this mixture and cook again on flame, stirring continuously with whisk for about 20 to 30 seconds. Remove from flame, add butter and rum.4. Assembling: Pipe the dough in a spiral format on the base of the mould, leaving no gaps. Start making 'walls' of mould. In center, fill pastry cream with help of piping bag. Add some prunes.5. Then again on top pipe dough in spiral format like you did at the base to seal the mould. Bake at 180 degrees celcius for 30 to 35 minutes.
 3. Plum Cake with Wined FruitsPreparation time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 40-50 minutes at 180 degrees C
Serves 4
 
Ingredients:150gms flour
125gms butter
125gms brown sugar
4 eggs
½ tsp baking soda
250g marzipan
1 bottle red wine (mixed with 450gms dry fruits of your choice - raisins, cashews, walnuts, dates, prunes, almonds, peaches, cranberries etc - this needs to be soaked for two days)
35gms caramel sauce (can add ready made from any brand or make with 100 gm sugar and 100 gm cream)
Method:1. In a bowl, cream butter and sugar well and then add the eggs one by one. Now add the flour and mix well.2. Add all the dry fruits soaked in wine along with about 1/2 cup wine and mix. Then add the caramel sauce.3. In the end add additional 150g softened butter and mix. Pour into greased rectangular loaf moulds lined with butter paper. Fill up to half and add a layer of rolled marzipan like a cylinder and then top it up with the balance cake batter.4. Sprinkle some cherries on top and bake at 180 degrees C for 40 to 50 minutes.