Nigella christmas pudding

Traditional Christmas Pudding

I think it’s hard to improve on this cake: dark, damp, squidgy and luscious. You don’t taste the chocolate full-on – the cocoa just leaves a hint of smoky richness.

This recipe is my own but at the same time a conflation of a couple of Italian Christmas must-haves: the glorious, fruit-studded panettone and crema di mascarpone, which is best described as tiramisu without the Savoiardi biscuit layer, and sometimes with pieces of chocolate stirred through the mascarpone mixture. I have brought in a cassata element, which means I add, along with the chocolate, some crumbled marrons glaces (though any candied or dried fruits could do) and chopped pistachios…

I love the Christmas ritual of endless cold cuts. For me, that’s an essential part of the season. But I know there are those who can grow restive when they see that poor old bird brought out for th...

I have a bit of a weakness for this sort of cake, which is essentially an assembly–job number, a construction of alternate layers of a rich, boozy cream and some storebought sponge or other. The thing is, I find layering up — whether it’s lasagna, tiramisù or trifle — both calming and celebratory. It can be done without stress, but while building a sense of occasion. Here the layers comprise a confection of cream and mascarpone, seasonally spiked with Advocaat, full of crystallised ginger…

I just throw everything into a pan, let the heat from the stove send buttery rum and citrus juices permeating into the currants, sultanas and raisins, add flour and eggs, a can of chestnut purée to give grainy, Christmassy depth, bung the lot into a cake tin and let this stand in a low oven to produce a cake that is as dense, aromatic and fruity as you could hope for. The input from you is mimimal. Culinary self esteem — and Christmas spirit — never came at so low an emotional cost. You can…

This is every bit as wonderful as it sounds: an Italian torta di riso, refracted through the prism of someone who loves a bowl of very British rice pudding. The Italians like to stud their rice cake with candied peel, bake it in a tin lined with breadcrumbs or crushed amaretti, and eat it cold; I sprinkle mine with nutmeg, and serve it warm, most frequently with a jewel-bright jam sauce. But it's also lovely with poached fruit and I can't help thinking it would be fabulous with a bit of…

Christmas pudding isn’t for everyone and, even though I have faith in my pudding’s ability to convert, there’s no point nagging or, indeed, fighting against real, die-hard antipathies. Besides, I have never met a child who likes Christmas pudding, and it seems unfair not to give a treat to everyone. The joy of this is that you can mix it all up in a processor while the Christmas pudding’s in mid-steam (I dash into the kitchen in the middle of lunch to do just that, with ingredients measured…

This is a sleight of hand, or a trick of equipment rather than an act of brilliance. True, the cake does look incredibly complicated and seasonally impressive as it comes to the table, but that is all down to the shape of the tin. It’s an expense to get a tin that can’t be used all year round, but it really is a beautifully Christmassy creation, and a doddle to make. For the “spruced up” of the cake refers to the Pine Forest bundt tin I bake it in; at other times of the year, I call this…

The cookbook author and host's festive dessert is the kind of joyful excess we could all use this year—without that much effort. Nigella Lawson shares her easy recipe for a Chestnut Pavlova. #dessertrecipes#dessertideas#dessertdishes#sweettreats#christmasrecipes#christmasentreeideas#christmasfoodideas#christmasrecipeideas#holidayrecipes#holidayappetizers#holidayrecipesideas#holidaydesserts

Mary Berry's sticky toffee pudding is the perfect dessert for a cold autumn evenings after a hearty meal - and the best part is that it only takes 30 minutes to prepare

Bake your own sticky toffee pudding! Enjoy this gooey toffee sauce over a moist date sponge. Easy, fun recipe perfect for any dessert occasion!

Forgotten Cookies: These little cookies - described by one friend as tasting like a cookie within a cookie - are really a mixture between a meringue and a cookie. Hence they've become known at home, where they're immensely popular, as Merookies, and are ideal with a cup of coffee after dinner. #Nigella #AtMyTable

Nigella Lawson's Italian Christmas Cake is made with Tuaca liqueur, eggs, caster sugar, mascarpone cheese, double cream, Marsala wine, marrons glacés, chocolate chips, pistachios, and pomegranate seeds. This delicious Italian Christmas Cake recipe creates a delightful dessert that takes about 12 hours to chilling and 20 minutes to prepare and can serve up to 10 people.

Nigella's Christmas Muffins are made with flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, clementines, milk, vegetable oil, egg, and dried cranberries, topped with demerara sugar for a festive treat ready in just 35 minutes!

Nigella Lawson Sticky Toffee Pudding is a fantastic dessert. The cake is springy, spongy and moist; the sauce is full of warm, rich toffee sweetness. It’s a perfectly balanced unbeatable combination!

I don’t need to tell you how beautiful this is: you can see. It’s extravagant, certainly, but it’s meant to be. And it feels like a treat, breaking through that gilt-tortoiseshell crust to the voluptuous depths of egg-nog-scented cream beneath. The tip of freezing the bowl before pouring in the smooth cream-custard I culled from Simon Hopkinson, for which and for whom I am always grateful.

This delicious Baileys tiramisu is a creamy, indulgent dessert that’s quick and easy to prepare. Inspired by Nigella’s classic recipe, it’s the perfect treat for any occasion. With just a few simple ingredients like coffee, amaretto, and Baileys, you can create a decadent, no-bake dessert that everyone will love!

Nigella's Christmas Puddini Bonbons recipe: The cutest little Christmas pudding truffles from Nigella Lawson.