An Island Chef

My Six favourite Sweet Seasonal Treats

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My six favourite sweet seasonal treats. Do you have festive recipe that you make every year? Christmas baking starts early in our household when we make the Christmas cakes before the end of summer. We always follow this by making mincemeat for my serious mince pie addiction. But with Christmas just around the corner here are my personal favourite festive bakes and my recipe for a Baileys hot chocolate that might just get you on Santa’s naughty list.

My Bûche de Noël or Chocolate Yule Log. One of the first things I can remember making every Christmas with my mum was a chocolate Yule log. Or to give it its rather grander name Bûche de Noël.

Mince pies are a peculiarly British individual pie now eaten across the English speaking world. They are traditionally served over the Christmas period. Although in America they are more likely to be made in large tart cases and eaten at Thanksgiving. It is thought the name is derived from mince meat and preserved fruit pies first bought back during the crusades.

A Linzertorte is a tart made using a rich buttery sable pastry. Popular at Christmas the pastry is flavoured with almond, cinnamon and lemon zest. Traditionally the pastry case is then filled with blackcurrant jam and topped with a lattice pastry top. The first recipe for Linzertorte dates back to Austrian in 1653. Linzer biscuits are made with the same sable pastry which is cut into rounds and baked.

If you follow the blog you know I have a great, go to chocolate cupcake recipe ( see my Scary Halloween Double Chocolate Cupcakes ). So, it was just a matter of finding some fun way to decorate them. Flicking through magazines and online in the run to the festive season is a great way to find inspiration and I had already seen an idea for Christmas Tree light cakes I wanted to put a spin on.

Last year I thought it would be good to come up with an alternative to Christmas Pudding that was lighter but still very in keeping with all the other festive recipes I love so much. After some experimenting in the kitchen, I think I came up with a great alternative a festive Cranberry and Apricot Sponge Pudding with Caramel Sauce.

Deliciously smooth homemade hot chocolate laced with one of the world’s favourite liqueurs. Finished with lashings of Jersey cream, melted marshmallow pieces, and more chocolate.

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