Make the holidays even more special with these Christmas-y cocktails

Ingredients:
Full cream: 650 gms
Liquid glucose: 110 gms
Callibuet Ecuador chocolate: 420 gms
Cookie crumble: 90 gms
Egg white: 60 ml
Butter unsalted: 30 gms

Method:
- For the base, mix cookie crumble with butter and egg white with hand
- Set base in a rectangular frame, 1/3 cm thick to make base of the dessert
- For the ganache, heat cream and liquid glucose in a pan and mix to a homogenous mixture
- Add Ecuador chocolate chips and mix till the chocolate melts, ensure make sure that no lumps
are formed
- Remove from heat and cool it to room temperature
- Pour the chocolate mix in the frame with cookie crumble base and refrigerate for 60 minutes
- De-mold the chocolate and serve portioned as per liking
You can also add freshly-cut fruits and chocolate garnish

(Courtesy: Trident Hotels)

Ingredients:
Sultanas: 30 gms
Raisins: 40 gms
Prunes: 80 gms
Black currants, apricot, dates, fig and cranberries: 50 gms
Candied orange and ginger peel finely-chopped: 25 gms
Apple peeled and finely chopped: 1
Orange zest: 1 tbsp
Lemon zest: 1/2 tbsp
Lemon juice: 2 tbsp
Brandy: 4 tbsp
Refined flour: 55 gms
Cinnamon ground: 1 ½ tsp
Veg shortening: 110 gms
Brown sugar: 110 gms
Bread crumbs: 110 gms
Almonds: 25 gms
Large eggs: 2

Method:
- Place dried fruits, candied orange, apple and lemon juice into a large mixing bowl
- Add brandy and mix it all together well
- Cover the bowl with muslin cloth and leave to marinate overnight
- Stir in flour mixed spice and cinnamon together in a large bowl
- Add veg shortening, sugar, lemon, orange zest, breadcrumbs, and nuts
- Stir again to mix all ingredients
- Add the marinated dried fruits and mix
- Spoon the mixture into a greased pudding basin while gently pressing down with back of the spoon
- Cover with a double layer of grease proof paper, then a layer of aluminium foil and tie
securely with string wrapping around the bowl again, then loop over the top and the basin around the bowl again
- Place the pudding in a steamer set over a sauce pan of simmering water and steam the pudding for 7 hours
- The pudding should be a dark brown colour when cooked
- Remove the pudding from steamer, cool completely, remove the paper, prick the pudding with skewer and pour in little brandy
- Cover with fresh grease proof paper and retie with string
- Reheat and serve after couple of days
- Serve pudding with rum sauce

Rum Sauce
Ingredients:
Butter: 56 gms
Plain flour: 56 gms
Milk: 1/2 l
Castor sugar: 56 gms
Brandy: 5 tbsp

Method:
- Melt butter in a non-stick sauce pan over medium heat, then add flour and mix well to make a thick paste, cook for one minute
- Slowly add milk and whisk vigorously until a thick sauce is formed
- Add sugar and whisk little more, lower the heat and cook for 5 minutes stirring from time to time
- Add the brandy or cognag whisking into smooth sauce, chill for a day
- Warm it and serve with the Christmas pudding

(Courtesy: Chef Kalia Murthy, Chef De Cuisine, Elior India)

Ingredients:
Beetroot: 200 gms
Salt: To taste
Black pepper powder: 2 gms
Hung curd: 30 gms
Red onion: 40 gms
Capers: 10 gms
Valencia Orange: 1
Rucola lettuce: 10 gms
Red Radish: 10 gms
Figs: 60 gms
Balsamic vinegar: 30 ml
Breakfast sugar: 10 gms

Method:
- For the tartare, select medium size beetroot, clean and place them covered in water to boil till cooked to 80%
- Remove from hot water and allow them to cool
- Peel the outer hard skin and cut them into dices, size of a green pea. Keep aside in a bowl
- Add salt, pepper powder, hung curd, chopped red onions, chopped capers and mix softly
- In a pan, add balsamic vinegar and breakfast sugar and warm it up
- Add cut figs and stew till soft
- Be careful to avoid high flames as vinegar may caramelize
- In a serving plate, arrange the beetroot mix using a cutter as shown in picture
- Place dressed salad of Rucola leaves, red radish, Valencia orange segments and stewed figs
- Best served cold as an appetizer

(Courtesy: Trident Hotels)

Ingredients:
Button mushroom: 100 gms
Portobello mushroom: 30 gms
Shimeji mushroom: 20 gms
Cep mushroom: 15 gms
Red onion: 40 gms
Olive oil: 20 ml
Truffle oil: 2 ml
Bay leaf: 1 leaf
Risotto rice (carnarolli): 40 gms
Vegetable stock: As required
Parmigiano reggiano cheese: 30 gms
Unsalted butter: 15 gms

Method:
- For the mushroom, wash, peel and cut them into quarters
- Quick boil the mushrooms for 3 minutes and refresh in cold water
- Water not to be thrown; you can use the mushroom water as stock
- In a pan, heat olive oil and add bay leaf
- Now add chopped onions and cook it till translucent
- Add risotto rice and cook till firm
- Keep adding stock gradually till the rice is cooked
- Adjust seasoning
- Finish the risotto with butter and grated parmesan cheese
- Risotto should be consistency of soft scrambled eggs
- Plate the risotto and place the mushrooms on it
- Drizzle it with truffle oil

(Courtesy: Trident Hotels)

Ingredients:
Flour: 500 gms
Butter: 250 gms
Castor sugar: 50 gms
Spice: 15 gms
Vanilla essence: 5 ml
Lemon zest: 1 piece
Marzipan: 50 gms
Yeast (fresh): 50 gms
Milk: 90 ml
Egg: 3 pieces
Sultana: 250 gms
Almonds: 150 gms
Mixed peel: 150 gms
Rum: 200 ml

Method:
- Soak sultana, almonds and mixed peel in rum
- Mix all the other ingredients to a clear dough
- Fold through the fruit and nut mix
- Rest dough for one hour
- Scale and let it rest for further 30 minutes
- Roll dough then prove
- Bake at 200°C

(Courtesy: Courtyard by Marriott Bengaluru)

Ingredients:
Butter: 560 gms
Apple diced: 375 gms
Sultana: 560 gms
Raisins: 675 gms
Cherries: 225 gms
Cannied pineapple: 150 gms
Orange zest: 3 pieces
emon zest: 3 pieces
Prunes: 500 gms
Stout: 450 ml
Rum: 450 ml
Brandy: 450 ml
Ginger: 20 gms
Cinnamon: 15 gms
All spice: 15 gms
Brown sugar: 375 gms
Almond: 90 gms
Bread crumbs: 700 gms
Flour: 337 gms
Eggs: 8 pieces
Baking powder: 20 gms

Method:
- Soak the apple, sultana, raisins, cherries, cannied pineapple, prunes, orange zest and lemon zest with the stout, brandy and rum
- Leave it for 6 months
- Mix ginger, cinnamon, all spice, brown sugar, almonds, bread crumbs, flour and baking powder all together
- Add butter and eggs to it and mix till the consistency is right
- Add the fruit mix and whisk it properly
- Avoid mixing too much
- Bake it at 185 °C

(Courtesy: Courtyard by Marriott Bengaluru)