Chef shares dessert recipes for Christmas

Story by Emily Sparacino

Photography by Dawn Harrison

’Tis the season for indulging in desserts. Anyone whose sweet tooth demands the perfect ending to Christmas dinner will appreciate the following recipes from the kitchen of Jefferson State Community College’s Culinary and Hospitality Institute at the Shelby-Hoover Campus.

In the second part of a two-part holiday recipe series, program director Chef Joseph Mitchell provides ingredients and step-by-step instructions on how to create desserts family and friends will continue to rave about well after the holidays.

 

German Christmas Cherry Pudding

21 ounces sugar

18 ounces butter

2 pounds plus 4 ounces red sour cherries (drained)

18 ounces toasted bread crumb ground fine

10 ounces Kirshwasser (cherry brandy)

20 egg whites, (add 6 ounces granulated sugar, whipped medium peak)

Directions:

Yield 12-15 6-ounce ramekins

Whip room temperature butter and sugar together until light and fluffy

Soak fine bread crumbs with Kirshwasser

Fold in cherries to butter/sugar mixture

Fold in soaked bread crumbs

Fold in 1/3 meringue aggressively, fold in remainder gently

Place mixture (full) in ramekins lined with softened butter and cake crumbs

Bake in water bath at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until golden brown on top and baked throughout.

Serve with vanilla sauce and a dollop of lightly whipped cream.

 

Christmas Stollen Bread

Fruit and Nut Mixture

10 ounces golden raisins

5 ounces candied lemon peel

2 ounces candied orange peel

3 ounces dark rum

6 ounces whole almonds blanched

1. To prepare the fruit and nut mixture, rinse the raisins and lemon and orange peep with warm water and combine them with the rum in a plastic container. Cover and let the mixture soak at room temperature for at least 8 and up to 24 hours. Just before folding the fruit into the dough in step 4 add the nuts.

Sponge

11 ounce Bread Flour

15 ounces Milk

½ ounce Instant dry Yeast

2. To prepare the sponge, mix the flour, milk, and yeast on low speed until blended, about 2 minutes. Cover and ferment until the sponge has risen and just begun to recede, 30 to 40 minutes at 75 degrees.

Final Dough

Sponge (above)

11 ounce Bread Flour

12 ounces softened butter

1 ounce almond Paste

1 ounce sugar

½ ounce salt

1 tsp Lemon Zest grated

Pinch Ground Cloves

Pinch Ground Ginger

Pinch Ground Allspice

Pinch Ground Cinnamon

Fruit and Nut Mixture (above)

3. To prepare the final dough, mix the sponge, flour, butter, almond paste, sugar, salt, lemon zest, cloves, ginger, allspice, and cinnamon on medium speed for 3 minutes. The dough should be sticky but have sufficient gluten development.
4. Bulk ferment the dough until nearly double, about 35 minutes. Very carefully fold in the fruit and nut mixture. Bulk ferment the dough until nearly double again, about 15 minutes.
5. Divide dough into 4 loafs, about 20 ounces each, roll dough with rolling pen in circle about 12 inches in diameter. Roll out a 6 ounce cylinder of almond paste and place in center of dough, fold over, place on baking sheets, egg wash and bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown and baked through.
6. While loafs are still warm from the over brush butter over the entire of the load and dip into granulated sugar to coat- Enjoy! Great for Christmas gifts and to serve with coffee with friends and family members.

 

Buche de Noel

Spongecake

7 eggs

7 yolks

10 ounces granulated Sugar

1.5 Fl. Oz Vanilla Extract

5.5 ounce Cake flour, Sifted

7 egg whites

Powdered sugar, sifted 2 ounce

Directions:

1. Line a full- sheet pan or 2 half sheet pans with parchment. Lightly butter and flour the paper.
2. Whip the eggs, egg yolks, sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl on medium high speed until the mixture from the machine forms thick ribbons.
3. Remove the yolk mixture from the machine and delicately fold in the flour. Set aside
4. In a separate bowl, use a clean whip to whip the egg whites and powdered sugar to medium-soft peaks.
5. Lighten the yolk mixture with one-third of the whipped egg whites, then fold in the remaining whites.
6. Spread the spongecake batter evenly on the prepared sheet pan using an offset spatula. Bake at 425 degree until the cake springs back when lightly touch, approximately 7 to 8 minutes.

Traditional French Buttercream

19 ounces Granulated Sugar

3 ounce Corn syrup or Glucose

6 fl. ounce Water

3 eggs

10 yolks

26 ounces unsalted butter room temp.

1 fl. ounce Vanilla extract

2 fl. ounce coffee extract

Directions:

1. Combine the sugar, corn syrup and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, place the eggs and egg yolks in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whip attachment; start whipping the mixture on medium speed the moment the sugar solution begins to boil.
3. Continue boiling until the syrup reaches 250 degrees. When the syrup is ready, increase the mixer speed to high and carefully pour the sugar in a steady stream down the inside of the bowl.
4. Continue whipping until the mixture is cool and mousselike
5. Reduce the speed to medium and gradually add the butter; whip until light and aerated.
6. Add the vanilla and coffee extract

Assembly:

1. Remove pan liner from sponge cake, with offset spatula spread icing over cake covering the entire surface of the cake, carefully roll cake into a cylinder, cut off ends at an angle, and ensure the cuts are long enough to serve as short branches normally associated with a Yule log.
2. Arrange cake and end pieces to resemble a log, spread buttercream on the entirety of the log, then fill a pastry bag with medium size star tip and run strips up and down the entirety of the log.
3. Garnish as desired to include powdered sugar, cocoa powder, meringue mushrooms, chocolate shaving. A wonderful tasting cake that become a center piece for the table of buffet. Enjoy!