Frozen Chocolate Christmas Pudding

A few weeks ago an email went out amongst a group of my friends regarding our annual Christmas party.  It’s an event we’ve enjoyed for the past few years that’s always a Sunday lunch with around 12 adults, a handful of kids and everyone provides a dish.

Frozen Chocolate Christmas Pudding

Frozen Chocolate Christmas Pudding

I put my hand up to bring a dessert.  We’ve had some very hot weather recently in Sydney and so I didn’t want to make anything that needed to be served heated.  Or even room temperature.  I was thinking of something that would help bring down our core temperature, like something frozen.

Pulled pork served with slaw

Pulled pork served with slaw

I still had in my pantry, a lot of dark couverture chocolate left over from Arabella’s 21st.  I was determined to make a Christmas dessert that was frozen and made with my leftover chocolate.

Apple slaw served with the pulled pork

Apple slaw served with the pulled pork

I found a recipe on Taste that ticked all the boxes.  However the photo of the pudding on the website wasn’t very inspiring and it looked like a blob.  I didn’t want to serve something that looked like a blob and wondered how to present it.  I went with toasted slivered almonds with glace cherries on top but I think some white chocolate curls with fresh sprigs of holly would be another lovely option.

Duck breast salad

Duck breast salad with caramelised eschallots

The pudding itself isn’t difficult to make but clearly it’s not something you can whip up an hour before wanting to serve it.  You need to start the process a few days before your event.  It’s a fairly easy recipe however, you’re going to need a lot of bowls; it’s seems every ingredient just about requires a separate bowl.  I almost about ran out!

Organic bread

Organic bread baked that morning

Cheese platter

Cheese platter

But the resultant washing up, (and not to mention the mess), is well worth it.  There wasn’t anyone who thought this dessert was terrible or even just okay.  Everyone raved about it and said it was the highlight of the day and there were several requests for the recipe.  It’s very chocolatey and creamy and there’s lovely texture provided by the nuts with the glace fruits giving delightful bursts of flavour.

Smoked trout on bread with cream cheese

Smoked trout on bread with cream cheese

Pasta salad with shallots and parmesan

Pasta salad with shallots and parmesan

So if you’re after a Christmas dessert of the frozen kind, here’s a pudding you can consider.

Look at Missy in the corner!

Look at Missy in the corner!

Soaking the fruit and nuts in rum

Soaking the fruit and nuts in rum

I’m sorry the photos aren’t better but I was operating ‘on the fly’ at a Christmas party hosted by a friend!

Frozen Chocolate Christmas Pudding

Frozen Chocolate Christmas Pudding

4.9 from 10 reviews
Frozen Chocolate Christmas Pudding
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Australian
Prep time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 12
 
A frozen chocolate Christmas pudding
Ingredients
  • 1¼ cups red and green glace cherries
  • 1 cup raisins, chopped
  • 300g mixed glace fruit (such as pineapple, peach, apricots), chopped
  • ⅓ cup dark rum
  • 250g good-quality dark chocolate, chopped
  • 600ml thickened cream
  • 4 egg yolks
  • ⅓ cup caster sugar
  • ½ cup hazelnuts, roasted, chopped
Instructions
  1. Set 3 cherries aside to decorate. Halve remaining cherries and combine with raisins, glace fruit and rum in a bowl. Stir to combine. Cover and allow fruit to soak for 2 hours or overnight, if time permits.
  2. Line an 8-cup capacity pudding bowl with plastic wrap. Combine chocolate and 1 cup cream in a heatproof, microwavesafe bowl. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH (100%) for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring every minute with a metal spoon, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
  3. Combine egg yolks and sugar in a large heatproof bowl. Using electric beaters, beat for 5 minutes or until pale and thick. Add cooled chocolate mixture and beat well. Place bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (make sure bowl does not touch water). Beat chocolate mixture on low speed for 5 minutes or until warm and thickened slightly. Remove from heat. Set aside for 20 minutes to cool.
  4. Whip remaining cream in a bowl until soft peaks form. Fold cream through cooled chocolate mixture. Stir in fruit mixture and hazelnuts. Spoon mixture into pudding bowl. Cover with foil and freeze overnight.
  5. Turn pudding onto a plate. Remove plastic. Decorate top with reserved cherries. Use a sharp knife to slice. Serve.
Frozen Chocolate Christmas Pudding

Frozen Chocolate Christmas Pudding

Missie eyeing the photographer

Missie!

Comments

  1. Oooooh, I do love the sound of this pudding, Charlie! x

  2. Chocolaty twist on a regular Xmas fruit cake/pudding. Looks very tasty.

  3. It sounds like a frozen boozey chocolatey Christmas pudding – what’s not to love about that?!

  4. Such a fantastic feast!! I love the sounds of your frozen pudding. I think my hubs would love it. 🙂

  5. your pudding looks delightful charlie as does all the food. cold desserts are the best for Xmas aren’t they? i always make a berry semi freddo each year. funny how i only ever make some recipes at this time of year.:)

  6. What a variety of dishes! What a lovely holiday gathering and it sounds like you look forward to it every year. I have a group of friends that gather each year about this time and I always look forward to the occasion. I love chocolate and I love anything frozen, so this dessert is absolutely a winner with me! We won’t have summer heat for Christmas, but I wouldn’t care what time of year–I repeat–I love chocolate and I love frozen. 🙂 ox

  7. Heavenly dessert Charlie and dear Missy has a look on her face like she is going to go without a treat.
    Have a wonderful day.
    🙂 Mandy xo

  8. Nice dessert. Looks like I need to clear out some space in my packed freezer!

  9. What a lovely dessert, those holiday parties are such fun. It looks like everyone made delicious dishes.

  10. Oooh,, that sounds delicious! Like a frozen chocolate mousse with benefits! No wonder it was such a hit at the party.

  11. Beautiful! Love the beautiful dog peeking over the table

  12. What a delicious looking meal! I love frozen Christmas pudding! This might have to make it onto our Christmas table.
    Thanks so much for sharing,
    Julie
    Gourmet Getaways

  13. What a delicious contribution of dessert Charlie. I am usually enticed by a picture which is not always the best (sometimes they don’t turn out like the picture!).

  14. Oh myyyy! I am kinda, sorta, totally … IN LOVE!! <3

  15. This reminds me of the frozen Christmas ice cream my mother made for Christmas when I was growing up – your version is a step up in sophistication (and effort!) and looks delicious 🙂

  16. Oh, yum! I’d even eat this frozen gem with our cold weather—no wonder it got such rave reviews, it sounds fabulous! The whole lunch menu looks wonderful.

  17. Hi Charlie, I keep forgetting that Christmas holidays are very warm for you. Love this dessert, would be delicious no matter what the temperture may be.

  18. Such a good idea serving a frozen dessert when the weather is so hot – I also have a frozen pudding recipe that I mush share on the blog soon! x

  19. That pudding is perfect for our summer Christmas! I’m going to give it a try for our pre-Christmas lunch for the olds.

  20. What a perfect cool dessert for a hot Christmas day – it sounds very indulgent.

  21. Waw, this easy recipe & the cake itself looks quite divine!!
    I will make it soon! x

  22. Your Christmas pudding looks very pretty and delicious, as does all of the rest of the food. We are in Winter here as of today, but our Christmas is supposed to be in the 70’s and stormy. Seems more like your side of the planet! 😉

  23. Ursula Young says:

    Just to let you know – I made your Frozen Chocolate Pudding over Christmas, and it was a hit! Rich, very rich, but a lovey decadent, cool, treat. Thanks for the recipe.

    xx

  24. Ursula Young says:

    Just to let you know – I made your Frozen Chocolate Pudding over Christmas, and it was a hit! Rich, very rich, but a lovey decadent, cool, treat. Thanks for the recipe.

    xx

    • Thanks so much for letting me know, Ursula! I’m so pleased you made this recipe. It’s a bit of what Jamie Oliver would call a palaver with all the bowls you need to use etc, but I found the end result was very worth the effort. Yes, it’s rich, but you wouldn’t have it any other way at Christmas!

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