Christmas is all about pushing the boat out.  Created exclusively for CheapEats readers by top chef Garth McColgan of FoodActive and Aldi, this deluxe dessert is a pudding fit for a king, a yuletide treat packed with all things deliciously decadent and guaranteed to end any Christmas dinner on a high note! Serves four.

Vanilla Plums with Foamed Brandy Cream

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

Vanilla Plums:

• 8 Plums, halved and pitted
• 6 tbsp Brandy
• 2 tbsp Caster Sugar
• 2 pinches of Mixed Spice
• 1 Vanilla Pod, split lengthways

Brandy Foam

• 2 Egg Yolks
• 3 tbs Brandy
• 2 tbs Caster Sugar
• 150ml Cream, softly whipped

Method

1. Prepare plums as above and lay (‘cut side’ up) on a baking tray. Add the remaining four ingredients and bake in an oven at 180ºC for 20-25 minutes, until the plums are soft.

2. Meanwhile, to make the brandy foam, put all the first three ingredients into a glass bowl. Put the glass bowl over a pot of simmering water. With an electric hand whisk, mix until light and foamy, around 5 – 10 minutes on full power. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

3. Fold the softly whipped cream into the cooled brandy foam and chill. Serve over the cooled, roasted plums at room temperature with a little of the plum cooking juices.

Garth’s Tip

One of advantages of this dessert is that you can prepare everything in advance and store it in the fridge. However, in order to enjoy the full flavour of the fruit, it’s best to take the plums out of the fridge and let them get back up to room temperature before serving.

For more tempting recipes from Garth visit www.aldirecipesonline.com.

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3. Recipe: Spanish chorizo and brandy chicken