It is nice to have a pastry chef in the family, particularly around Christmas. It is the time of year when all the favourite dessert foods come out, and having a skilled pâtissiere around makes it so much sweeter.
Christmas morning starts with some home-baked croissants. As I have witnessed, a good croissant will take a few days to make. Before being baked fresh on Christmas Day, the pastry needs to be prepared days in advance and allowed to sit for several days. Add jam, a little fruit compote, and a cup of tea. Breakfast is served.
The traditional dessert at Christmas lunch has always been plum pudding. Served with custard and cream, it was my father’s favourite, who would say it was not Christmas without a plum pudding. However, the popularity of plum pudding has waned, and it is being supplanted by pavlova. A meringue-based dessert made from egg whites and caster sugar, the best pavlovas have a crisp crust, a soft, light inside, and always come topped with fruit and whipped cream.
The sweet things do not stop when Christmas Day is over. Choux pastries, cheesecake, and Portuguese tarts are just some of the marvellous treats that appear over the festive period. Yum!
Christmas morning starts with some home-baked croissants. As I have witnessed, a good croissant will take a few days to make. Before being baked fresh on Christmas Day, the pastry needs to be prepared days in advance and allowed to sit for several days. Add jam, a little fruit compote, and a cup of tea. Breakfast is served.
The traditional dessert at Christmas lunch has always been plum pudding. Served with custard and cream, it was my father’s favourite, who would say it was not Christmas without a plum pudding. However, the popularity of plum pudding has waned, and it is being supplanted by pavlova. A meringue-based dessert made from egg whites and caster sugar, the best pavlovas have a crisp crust, a soft, light inside, and always come topped with fruit and whipped cream.
The sweet things do not stop when Christmas Day is over. Choux pastries, cheesecake, and Portuguese tarts are just some of the marvellous treats that appear over the festive period. Yum!