Dietary: Vegetarian

  1. Grease an ovenproof dish (roughly 25 x 25cm). Slice the gingerbread and butter each slice with the softened butter, then cut into triangles.
  2. Arrange the slices in the dish and sprinkle with the sultanas, the orange zest and cinnamon. Continue until you have used up all the slices of the gingerbread.
  3. Gently warm the double cream and milk together in a pan to scalding point but being careful to not let it boil. Crack the eggs into a large bowl and whisk together with the sugar and Maldon Salt until pale, then gradually pour in the milk mixture and whisk until smooth. Strain this through a sieve into a jug. Pour this custard mixture over the gingerbread. Preheat the oven to 180c.
  4. Once the oven is hot, sprinkle the top of the custard-soaked pudding with a little extra demerara sugar and then place it into the oven and bake for 30 – 40 mins until set.
  5. While the pudding is baking, make the eggnog custard.
  6. In a pan gently heat the cream with the vanilla paste, cinnamon stick and nutmeg until scalding point but not boiling.
  7. Place the egg yolks in a large bowl and whisk with the golden caster sugar and cornflour until pale and well combined. Then slowly add the warm cream mixture, whisking continuously to make a smooth custard base.
  8. Pass the mixture through a sieve and back into a clean pan. Heat gently, while whisking until it thickens. Add a splash of brandy if desired.Serve the warm gingerbread and butter pudding from the oven alongside the eggnog custard. Sprinkle with a little Maldon Salt to help cut through the sweetness.
  1. Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line a 900g loaf tin.
  2. Melt the butter, sugar, and treacle together until smooth and the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and whisk in the milk. Set aside to cool slightly and then beat in the eggs.
  3. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, spices and Maldon salt into a large bowl and mix together, then make a well in the middle. Pour in the wet mixture and fold through to make a smooth batter, making sure there are no lumps. Give the bowl a tap on the work surface to get rid of any air bubbles.
  4. Pour into prepared loaf tin and bake for 50 – 60 mins until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin before removing. Once cooled you can slice the gingerbread loaf and use it for the gingerbread and butter pudding.
  1. Heat milk and butter in a pan until butter is melted. Allow to cool slightly until milk is lukewarm. Put the flour into a large mixing bowl with a pinch of Maldon Salt and mix through then add the yeast, sugar and orange zest and mix again.
  2. Make a well in the middle and add the milk, then mix in with the dough hook. Gradually pour in the beaten egg and continue to knead until you have a smooth dough.
  3. Place into lightly greased bowl and cover with clingfilm to prove for 1 hour (doubled in size).
  4. Make the filling by mixing all the ingredients together to form a paste. Set aside.
  5. After your dough has proved, roll out the dough into a large rectangle (30x 40cm) then spread with the filling. Fold the long side in by a third, and then the other side on top of that, like folding a letter. Roll lightly to press the layers together.
  6. Cut into 16 strips long strips. Take each strip and slightly pull and stretch it so it is longer. Then pinch one end between your thumb and middle finger, then wrap it around once, then back around on top in the other direction and then twisting underneath to seal – you are creating a wrapped knot.
  7. Place onto a lined baking tray and cover loosely with cling film and then allow to prove for 30 mins, until they are puffed up. Heat the oven to 175C.
  8. Brush the buns with some egg wash and sprinkle with flaked almonds and sugar crystals then bake for 18-20 mins until golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving still warm.

What’s better than the decadent, light and airy dessert of a soufflé? Get baking with this easy-to-follow recipe, where we use pistachio cream to give a glorious, nutty tone to the dish. We use Le Cresuet’s Mini Ramekins to hold the soufflé in place whilst it gently bakes in the oven. However, don’t stop there with these little sweet treats!

We also show you how to create a coulis sauce, which is a smooth enhanced by the tang of cranberries to give a balance to the sweetened pudding. Serving this in Le Cresuet’s Small Stoneware Jug will make pouring of the cranberry coulis much easier whilst serving to your guests.

  1. Start by making the base of the soufflés (the panade). Add the milk to a saucepan and whisk in the cornflour and a pinch of Maldon Salt until dissolved. Stir in the 50g of sugar and pistachio cream and place onto the heat. Allow the mixture to come to the boil and then continue stirring until the mixture thickens (3- 5 minutes). Then remove from the heat and cool. Once cool place in the fridge to cool completely.
  2. Preheat the oven to 180C and place a baking tray in the oven to heat up (this will help the soufflés rise).
  3. Prepare the ramekins by greasing with butter and the dusting out with icing sugar. Set aside.
  4. Place the egg whites in a bowl and whisk until foaming. Then slowly add the 150g of sugar, a tablespoon at a time. Keep whisking until all sugar is added and the meringue has reached medium soft peaks.
  5. Measure out 300g of the chilled panade mixture and add the final 20g of pistachio cream. Then carefully fold in the meringue egg whites being mindful not to knock the air out of the mixture. Spoon the mixture into the ramekins and smooth off the top with a palette knife. Then use a cutlery knife to “top hat” around the top rim. Place into the oven on the baking sheet for 8 – 10 minutes (do not open the door).
  6. Remove from the oven, dust with icing sugar and serve immediately with pistachio ice cream and cranberry coulis.

A classic sweet treat to share with loved ones over the Christmas period, the light, sweet notes of rum works wonderfully with raisins all combined within the creamy, richness of fudge. Remember to add a generous pinch of Maldon Salt to help balance the sweetness!

  1. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
  2. Soak the raisins in the rum for 1 hour minimum or overnight.
  3. In a pan place the condensed milk, butter, and sugar and bring to the boil. Stir the mixture continuously until the sugar dissolves. Continue to boil for 10 minutes until it reaches ‘soft ball’ stage on a thermometer.
  4. When the mixture reaches this stage, remove from the heat, and quickly add the rum and raisins, a pinch of Maldon Salt, and vanilla. Stir until it thickens, then tip immediately into the prepared tin and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares and serve.

This Christmas we wanted to focus on the gifting element for our beloved friends and family…and what better gift than to create these easy chocolate truffles! Infused with the sweet and nutty flavours of amaretto, this really does pack a punch to the little sweet treat treats, perfect for your fellow chocoholic. When it comes to coating your truffles, you can choose from pistachios, desiccated coconut or cocoa powder.

  1. Place the finely chopped chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Put the cream into a saucepan and heat until just boiling, then remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Allow it to sit for a few minutes before whisking until smooth. Add the butter, amaretto, almond extract, and pinch of Maldon Salt and then whisk again until smooth.
  2. Transfer to a shallow tin and allow to cool at room temp before adding to the fridge to firm up (2 hours). When cooled, roll the ganache truffles in your hands in balls, keeping in the fridge whilst you do the rest. Then roll the truffles in either desiccated coconut, finely chopped pistachios or cocoa powder before serving.

Cookies for Christmas is a must to bake during the festive period! People tend to think dark chocolate has a bitterness to it, however did you know using a pinch of Maldon Salt actually blocks out the bitterness due to salt having sodium ions! With a generous sprinkle of pistachios, these cookies will give off flavours of mild nuttiness and natural sweetness.

  1. Line a baking tray with baking paper and preheat the oven to 190C.
  2. Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks, and then add the flour and cocoa powder. Knead in the chopped chocolate until smooth and well mixed. Roll into a rough disc and wrap in cling film, then place in the fridge to chill.
  3. On a light floured surface, roll the dough until is it 2cm thick and then use a 7cm cutter to cut roughly 25 cookies. Place onto the baking tray and bake for 8 – 10mins.
  4. Take the cookies out the oven and allow to cool. Once cool, dip one half in the melted chocolate and sprinkle with finely chopped pistachios and a sprinkle of Maldon salt.

Join us in creating this quick and easy to follow beetroot hummus. It’s refreshing in flavour and makes a delicious dip or a healthy spread on top of your cracker! Adding a pinch of Maldon Salt and cumin adds a little more spice and richness to the appetizer. A generous drizzle of olive oil on top of the hummus also makes the texture of the smoother in consistency and luxurious in texture.

  1. Place all the ingredients into a food processor and blitz until the elements break down and it becomes completely smooth.
  2. Spoon into a serving bowl and top with a sprinkle of nigella seeds, caraway seeds, a drizzle of olive oil and a final pinch of Maldon Salt.
  3. Serve with your favourite crudités, toasted bread or crackers.

Want a Christmas Cocktail concoction to ‘wow’ your guests this year? We’ve teamed up again with Hayman’s Gin to make the delicious Pomegranate Fizz. Infused with their Sloe Gin, the vibrancy from the red pomegranate juice shaken together creates this cocktail to be perfect for the festive period.

  1. Place the sloe gin, pomegranate juice, lemon juice, sugar syrup and Double Dutch Cranberry and Ginger Tonic Water in a shaker and shake vigorously for 15 seconds.
  2. Add ice to the shaker and shake again for 30 seconds until it feels cold. Add a pinch of Maldon Salt to enhance the sweetness and break down the bitterness of the gin.
  3. Strain into the coupe glass. Garnish with a rosemary sprig and some pomegranate seeds.

We’ve teamed up with Hayman’s Gin to create our very own ‘Maldini’ cocktail. Using their London Dry Gin, we’ve paired this with a Maldon Salt solution base, where you use water and salt together to create a balance to the drink.

Salt with Gin? We know this might surprise a few people, but did you know that the use of salt with alcohol actually enhances the sweetness and balances the bitterness of a dry gin! It really is delicious and makes a great cocktail for your guests at a dinner party.

  1. Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice and stir for approximately 15 seconds until diluted.
  2. Pour into a Nick and Nora or Martini Glass (chilled) and serve with cornichon on a cocktail stick.