Creme brulee and chocolate bundt cake: Nicola Lamb’s Christmas crowdpleasers – recipes
Even though our to-do lists are longer and our homes busier than ever, there’s something about Christmas that gives us the extra chutzpah to bake.And not just any baking, but baking for a crowd.So, with this in mind, here are two crowdpleasing recipes – a rich hazelnut “Nutcracker” creme brulee and a resplendent chocolate fondant bundt cake – with a few make-ahead and shortcut secrets to give you a head start.Serve this rich, decadent dessert warm from the oven in the centre of the table, piled with ice-cream (and perhaps pouring cream, too – why not? It’s Christmas!).The batter can be made and kept in the fridge for up to 24 hours, then baked from chilled; add an extra 10 minutes to the cooking time if you do so, though.
Prep 5 min Cook 45 min Serves 8-10250g butter, plus extra for greasing 6 large eggs 150g caster sugar 250g dark chocolate 50g milk chocolate 50g malt syrup 100ml whole milk 120g plain flour 20g cocoa powder ½ tsp fine sea salt Ice-cream and/or pouring cream, to serveHeat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4 and generously butter a large bundt tin (or spray it with cooking spray),In a stand mixer (or with an electric whisk), beat the eggs and caster sugar on medium-high for five to seven minutes, until very pale, thick and tripled in volume,Meanwhile, melt the butter, both chocolates, malt syrup and milk in a heatproof bowl set over (but not touching) a pan of gently simmering water (or in short bursts in the microwave), then stir until smooth,With the mixer running on low, slowly pour the warm chocolate mixture into the whipped eggs, mixing it in until just combined,Sift the flour, cocoa powder and salt into a bowl, then gently fold into the batter until no streaks remain.
Pour into the greased bundt tin and smooth out the top.Chill this until ready to bake, or bake immediately for 20 minutes, until the edges are just set and the centre still has a gentle wobble.Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then carefully turn out on to a platter and take to the table.Slice and serve warm with scoops of ice-cream and plenty of cream.This luxurious custard can be made ahead of time.
If you have a blowtorch, by all means, finish it off like a regular creme brulee, but I’ve devised a crunchy, nutty and sugary topping that can be made in advance and sprinkled on top of the set custards.Prep 5 min Cook 1 hr, plus cooling Chill 3 hr+ Makes 690g whole roast hazelnuts, or hazelnut butter120ml whole milk360ml double cream90g light brown sugar 3 large eggs A big pinch of saltFor the topping120g caster sugar 60g roast hazelnutsHeat the oven to 140C (120C fan)/275F/gas 1 and put six ramekins in a deep baking dish.If using whole hazelnuts, blend them with the milk (and a splash of the cream, if needed) until you have a smooth paste; if using hazelnut butter, simply whisk it into the milk.In a saucepan, combine the cream, milky hazelnut mixture and brown sugar and heat gently until steaming and the sugar has dissolved.Lightly whisk the eggs in a bowl, then slowly pour in the hot cream mixture, whisking continuously but gently (you don’t want to incorporate any air).
Stir in the salt,Strain the custard into a jug, then divide it between the six ramekins,Fill the baking dish with hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins, then bake for 30-40 minutes, until the custards are just set with a slight wobble in the centre,Remove, leave to cool to room temperature, then chill for at least three hours (or overnight),For the hazelnut caramel topping, line an oven tray with baking paper.
Heat the caster sugar in a small pan until it melts and turns into a golden caramel, stir in the hazelnuts, then pour on to the tray and leave to cool completely.Once set and hardened, blitz into a fine crumb.Just before serving, sprinkle this generously over the chilled custards.Alternatively, for a classic brulee topping, sprinkle a thin, even layer of caster sugar over each custard and torch or grill until melted and caramelised.Leave for a minute or two to harden into a glassy crust, then serve.
Nicola Lamb is a pastry chef and author of the weekly Kitchen Projects newsletter and Sift, published by Ebury Press at £30.To order a copy for £27, go to guardianbookshop.com
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