Christmas lunch

Make this extravaganza in a large glass bowl to show its many layers at their best. For true baroque splendour, decorate with edible gold leaf, available from cake decorating suppliers

Celebration Saturnalia dessert


SERVES 8-12
250g golden caster sugar
300ml red wine, such as Shiraz
1 cinnamon stick, halved lengthwise
6-8 small dessert pears, peeled, halved, cored
350g good-quality bitter chocolate
1 mandorlata cake or panettone (1 kg)
250g ricotta cheese
500g good-quality vanilla custard 250 ml white rum
500g strained natural Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
2 sheets edible gold leaf, optional


Combine 175g caster sugar, the wine, cinnamon and 650ml boiling water in a saucepan and boil for 5 minutes. Add the pears and poach for 20-35 minutes, then remove. Boil liquid for 20 minutes until reduced to 400ml, and remove the cinnamon. Pour 200ml of this syrup into another pan. Add 200g chocolate; stir and gently cook to create a sauce, then cool. Cut the cake or panettone into chunks and use some to line the base of the serving dish. Sit the pears on top and drizzle with the wine syrup. Pour the chocolate sauce over. Whisk half the ricotta, half the custard and 4 tablespoons of rum, and spoon over. Add a final layer of cake and remaining rum. Whisk together half the yogurt, remaining ricotta and sugar and the vanilla essence, and pour over. Chop and scatter the rest of the chocolate. Whisk the remaining custard and yogurt, and pour on top. Decorate with gold leaf, if liked.


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