An innovative twist on Christmas staples

As the Yuletide season approaches, the Food Section reached out to some of our good friends for delicious and innovative recipes that will wow your guests and tantalise your taste buds.

At Christmas we all love eggnog, and who doesn't love a good cheesecake? Well, take your Christmas dessert game up a notch by combining both! Confections of a Sugar Junkie shared this delicious recipe for a Christmas eggnog cheesecake, and we're sure you can't wait to try it.

Christmas eggnog cheesecake

Ingredients

11/2 cups ginger biscuit crushed

2 tbs white sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

3-5 tbs melted butter

2 (8oz) packages cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tbs all-purpose flour

1/2 cup eggnog

2 eggs

4 tbs rum

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 3258F (1658C).

2. In a medium bowl, combine crushed ginger biscuit, two tablespoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, and butter. Mix and press into the bottom of a six-inch springform pan.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool. Preheat oven to 4258F (2208C).

4. In a standing mixer or with a handheld mixer, combine cream cheese, sugar, flour, and eggnog; mix until smooth.

5. Blend in eggs, rum, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

6. Pour mixture into cooled crust.

7. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 2508F (1658C) and bake for 45 minutes, or until centre of cheesecake is barely firm to the touch.

8. Turn off oven and remove the cake when the oven is cool. Place on a wire rack and let cool further. Place in refrigerator 6-8 hours or overnight.

9. Loosen cake from rim before removing cake from pan. (Be careful not to break cake, as cheesecake is very delicate)

10. Top with whipping cream and some cinnamon. Enjoy!

- Recipe by Confections Of A Sugar Junkie

 

Sorrel and Fruit cake are Christmas staples and Chef Andre Sewell has a great way of combining both for a delicious dessert.

Christmas cake & sorrel trifle

Ingredients

Cake

Leftover fruit cake

Sorrel layer

2 cups sorrel juice

6 tbsp cornstarch

Cream layer

2 cups heavy cream

6oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup powdered sugar

Method:

For the cake layer:

Break cake into chunks that can fit into your serving glass.

For the sorrel layer:

1. Whisk cornstarch and cold/room temperature sorrel juice together.

2. Boil until thickened. Set aside to cool.

For the cream layer:

In a large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer, whip heavy cream until soft peaks form (no need to clean beater blades for next step). In a separate medium mixing bowl, whip cream cheese until smooth (scrape down sides of bowl occasionally), add powdered sugar and vanilla, and whip until light and fluffy. Add cream cheese mixture to heavy cream and whip until stiff peaks form.

To assemble trifles:

1. Place chunks of cake in a dessert cup, followed by big dollops of the cream and spoonfuls of the sorrel sauce.

2. Repeat layering process until glass is filled. Garnish each with fruits of your choice and finely-crumbled cake. Refrigerate until cream is set (about two hours), then serve.

- Recipe courtesy of Chef Andre Sewell

Instagram: andre.cooks

Leftover ham & sweet potato frittata

Ingredients

1 medium red onion, diced

1 large sweet potato, cooked & diced

1 medium bell pepper, diced

2 medium tomatoes, diced

1 cup cooked, diced ham

Vegetable oil

1 tsp paprika, (preferably) smoked

1 tsp black pepper

11/2 tsp salt

6 large eggs

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup shredded cheese

Equipment

10- to 12-inch non-stick frying pan

Spatula

Method

1. Heat oven Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 4008F.

2. Saute the ingredients: Cook the vegetables with a little oil over medium-high heat, starting with the longer-cooking veggies like onions and potatoes, and ending with softer veggies like bell peppers, until cooked through. Add ham and cook just enough to warm through.

3. Season the ingredients: Since the ingredients will be mixed with eggs, to over-season them a bit here. Add seasonings along with 1 teaspoon of the salt. Let this cook for a minute, then give it a taste. It should taste strong, but still good. Add more spices or salt if needed.

4. Add the cheese: Spread the vegetables into an even layer. Sprinkle the cheese on top and let it just begin to melt.

5. Add the eggs: Whisk the eggs together with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pour them over the vegetables and cheese. Tilt the pan to make sure the eggs settle evenly over all the vegetables. Cook for a minute or two until you see the eggs at the edges of the pan beginning to set.

6. Bake the frittata: Put the pan in the oven and bake until the eggs are set (8 to 10 minutes). To check, cut a small slit in the centre of the frittata. If raw eggs run into the cut, bake for another few minutes; if the eggs are set, pull the frittata from the oven.

7. Cool and serve: Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then slice into wedges and serve. Leftovers will keep refrigerated for a week.

- Recipe courtesy of Chef Andre Sewell

Instagram:@andre.cooks