For anyone hosting Christmas dinner, the last thing you need after hours in the kitchen is a complicated, last-minute pudding. Celebrated chef and restaurateur Angela Hartnett understands this perfectly, offering a festive lifeline with two spectacular Italian-inspired desserts that can be prepared well in advance.
The Ultimate Make-Ahead Chocolate & Hazelnut Tart
Hartnett's show-stopping chocolate and hazelnut tart is designed for maximum impact with minimal day-of effort. The recipe serves six to eight people and begins with a classic sweet pastry. This requires 500g of plain flour, 150g of caster sugar, and 250g of cold butter, brought together with beaten eggs. The key is to rest the dough for at least an hour before blind baking in a 24cm tart tin.
The luxurious filling is a ganache made from 640g of 70%-cocoa dark chocolate, melted with 800ml of double cream and 64g of glucose syrup. Once smooth, 64g of cold butter is beaten in for extra silkiness. This rich mixture is poured into the cooled tart shell and left to set at room temperature for two to three hours. Just before serving, it's crowned with 100g of chopped, roasted hazelnuts.
A Boozy, Set Christmas Zabaglione
Hartnett's second offering is a clever twist on the classic Italian zabaglione, transforming the usually warm, frothy dessert into a set, make-ahead treat. It starts with a base of crumbled amaretti biscuits in the bottom of serving glasses.
The custard is made by vigorously whisking 10 egg yolks and 250g of sugar with a generous dose of alcohol: 200ml of marsala, 50ml of whisky, and 50ml of brandy. This is cooked over a pan of simmering water until thick and creamy, then poured over the biscuits. The dessert must then chill, uncovered, for at least four hours or overnight, until firmly set.
Why These Recipes Are a Festive Game-Changer
Hartnett, the chef-patron of London's Murano, Café Murano, and Cicoria, as well as Lime Wood in Hampshire, specifically designed these recipes to alleviate the Christmas Day pressure. Both desserts eliminate the frantic final-hour preparation, allowing the cook to truly relax after the main course. The tart's deep chocolate flavour and crunchy nut topping provide decadence, while the zabaglione offers a lighter, boozy alternative that pays homage to Italian tradition with a practical, preparable-ahead twist.
By dedicating a little time on Christmas Eve or the morning of the big day, you can ensure a stunning, professional-quality finale to the feast without any last-minute stress. These recipes are the perfect culinary gift to the person who does all the cooking.
