Henley Bridge the Magic of Christmas 2022

The magic of 

Christmas 

Winter 2022 

A season to 

celebrate luxury . . .

Contents . . . 

Welcome ............................. 2 

Meet the experts . ...................... 3 

The gift of self-care ..................... 5 

Push the (gravy) boat out this Christmas ...7 

Christmas turkey parcel .................8 

The fairytale of new pork ................9 

Braised beef cheek, celeriac and 

horseradish espuma, rosti potato ........11 

Chickpea, potato and olive tagine ........12 

Wild mushroom, lentil, oats and 

cabbage parcels .......................13 

The retro revolution ...................14 

Christmas spiced toffee apple . ...........17 

Choose churros! ......................18 

Dark and chai .........................20 

Nuts for chocolate and whisky . ..........21 

Chocolate and spiced hazelnut tart .......23 

All I want for Christmas ................24 

The spirit of Christmas .................27 

Ginger sponge fingers and white 

chocolate sauce .......................28 

Guittard and spiced pear tarts ...........29 

Christmas sticky buns ..................30 

Pistachio and white chocolate swirls ......31 

‘Dec’ the (food) halls ...................32 

Have a nice spray! .....................35 

Ginger, nutmeg and muscovado 

caramel chocolate bar ..................36 

Stollen? No, it’s mine! ..................37 

Snowflake bon bons ...................39 

Hazelnut crunch bars ..................41 

2022 Christmas crackers . ...............43 

Dark chocolate and cherry bon bons .....45 

Christmas pudding bon bons ............46 

Yuletide tipples and trends ..............47 

Tulle ................................49 

Silky smooth single origin ...............51 

Wishing you all 

the best for the 

forthcoming season. 

Let’s make 

some magic! 

Welcome . . . 

This Christmas 2022 promises a 

return to some kind of normality, 

after two years of Covid disruption. 

The vast majority of people are planning to 

make the most of Christmas 2022, spending 

quality time with family and friends and 

enjoying the freedom of being able to socialise 

together out of home. 

It’s fair to say, as an industry, we’re all excited 

- and perhaps a tad trepidatious - about the 

forthcoming festive season. It’s more important 

than ever to get your offering right. Rising food, 

fuel and energy prices are taking their toll on 

consumers and operators alike and as you 

finalise your festive products and menus, you’ll 

need to be more inventive than ever. 

As always, the Henley Bridge team of experts 

are on hand to offer advice and inspiration to 

guide you through. We know how much you 

love our Magic of Christmas magazine and we 

hope, once again, that you’ll enjoy the recipes 

and features we’ve created for you. 

Our customer base is predominantly made 

up of professional bakers, chocolatiers, 

mixologists and chefs – and there’s something 

for everyone. From brilliant bakes to exquisite 

chocolates, magnificent mains to kooky 

cocktails, our development and consultant 

chefs have excelled themselves once again. 

The festive season can also be a very hectic 

and stressful time for the foodservice sector 

and we’re proud to have partnered with 

The Burnt Chef Project, an incredible charity 

providing mental health support for hospitality 

professionals. Find out more about how they 

can help you and your business on page 5. 

Wishing you all the best for the forthcoming 

season. Let’s make some magic! 

Tracey Hughes, Managing Director, 

Henley Bridge 

2

Meet the experts 

behind this year’s creations . . . 

Samantha Rain 

Development Chef 


Robin Dudley 


Essential Cuisine 

Jonathan 

Harvey-Barnes 


Essential Cuisine 

Stephen Griffiths 

Consultant Chef 

Thomas 

Leatherbarrow 

Consultant Chef 

Dominic Hutchings 

Chocolatier and 

Pastry Chef 

3

2 4 / 7 | F R E E | C O N F I D E N T I A L 

T H E B U R N T C H E F 

PROJECT 

The Burnt Chef Project is a not-forprofit 

social enterprise operating 

within hospitality to challenge 

mental health stigma and create a 

healthier, happier and sustainable 

hospitality profession 

84% 

experienced mental 

health issues within 

their career 

46% 

would feel 

uncomfortable 

talking about 

their concerns 

OUR SERVICES 


ACADEMY 

The Burnt Chef Academy 

Free online training available 

around the world 


SUPPORT SERVICE 

Text BURNTCHEF to 85258 

The Burnt Chef Support 

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Free 24/7 Support 


JOURNAL 

The Burnt Chef Podcast 

70,000 downloads in 112 

countries! 

Text BURNTCHEF to 85258 

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Want to learn more? 

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4

The gift of self-care 

Christmas is a time for giving. It’s also an incredibly busy (and often relentless) period 

for chefs who are at risk of burn-out as the festive season takes its toll. 

Earlier this year, Henley 

Bridge became a proud 

partner of The Burnt Chef 

Project, a charity which 

was launched in 2019 

working specifically to 

support and improve the 

mental health of people 

working in the hospitality 

sector. 

Here, the charity’s 

founder, Kris Hall, urges 

industry professionals to 

prioritise their wellbeing 

and highlights the support 

available to those who are 

struggling. 

“We know November and 

December are notoriously very 

busy in the hospitality industry. 

The run up to Christmas throws 

additional pressures both in and 

out of the workplace. Alongside 

pressures of increased demand, 

potentially low resources 

alongside family pressures, 

financial worries, loneliness, 

stress and anxiety - it’s not 

always the ‘wonderful time of 

year’ we’re sold in the movies. 

Our self-care is normally the 

first thing to go out the window 

when we’re feeling up against 

it, but it needs to be the most 

important. Focus on you. 

Prioritise self-care, reach out 

to loved ones, connect, eat 

well, drink plenty of fluids, take 

breaks from social media and 

get the right level of sleep. Be 

sure to give yourself the best 

service possible. And if you need 

us - we’re here to provide that 

support. 

Here at The Burnt Chef Project, 

we have a number of tools and 

resources available to you: 

The Burnt Chef Support 

Service is available 24/7 by 

texting BURNTCHEF to 

85258 

Our podcast, The Burnt Chef 

Journal, can provide a brief 

distraction and offer guidance 

Our social channels are 

packed with tips and tools to 

support your wellbeing 

Our Thrive app is available 

to businesses to provide 

daily mood checking for 

team members and access to 

therapy 

There are a number of ways to 

help alleviate stress as a result 

of long working days. This could 

look like: 

Taking time out after those 

peak services to go for a 

brisk walk, drink plenty of 

water and eat the right types 

of food such as nuts, seeds, 

healthy carbs and fish rich 

in Omega 3. It’s harder to 

go back into service whilst 

fuelled on sugary caffeine 

drinks and chips from 

the pass! Give your team 

members the right fuel to get 

through the service. 

Eat together. It’s clinically 

proven that people in 

the Mediterranean have a 

better mental health and 

wellbeing. Eating a good diet 

in a communal environment 

increases the sense of 

community and connection 

and can help start to tackle 

the high levels of cortisol. No 

work chat, no phones, just 

connect! 

Stress doesn’t just come from 

time. Often, we experience 

stress from our environment 

which results in additional 

noise, light and sound. 

With that in mind consider 

switching from gas hobs to 

induction. They are easier 

to clean and reduce heat 

significantly. Is the fan above 

the oven broken causing 

increased noise? Look to get 

that fixed. Perhaps it’s the 

glass wash behind the bar that 

isn’t working correctly thus 

slowing down service and 

impacting the flow state. 

Be mindful. Think about 

introducing yoga or breathing 

techniques both before 

and after service to help 

normalise heart rate and 

breathing patterns. When was 

the last time you took a deep 

breath? How does it feel now 

that you’ve done that? Check 

in with yourself. 

Make sure your team 

members know about our 

services via our posters or 

perhaps make our end of 

service checklist a standard 

part of your shift. 

For more information 

or to learn how you 

can support The Burnt 

Chef Project, visit www. 

theburntchefproject.com. 

5

Our high quality, versatile range 

y ou reliable solution during the festive season 

With chefs at our heart, there’s no other supplier better placed to understand 

the unique challenges of kitchen life than Essential Cuisine. 

Created by chefs, for chefs, Essential Cuisine’s range of British-made stocks, jus, gravies and sauce 

bases provide kitchens with total peace of mind this festive season whilst saving valuable time. 

What’s more, we are proud that 100% of our range is now gluten free with many of these products 

containing no declarable allergens*. 

* 

These products do not contain declarable allergens under 

the EU regulation 1169/2011 (Annex ||)

Push the (gravy) boat 

out this Christmas 

Getting your stocks and sauces 

spot on is the key to any 

successful dish this Christmas, but 

that doesn’t necessarily mean you 

need to make them from scratch. 

Time, cost and skill constraints have seen a growing number 

of professional kitchens turning to ready-made bases, but choosing 

the correct products to suit your applications is vital, advises Robin Dudley, 

Business Development Chef for Essential Cuisine. 

“Good stocks are the cornerstones of the 

kitchen,” he says. “All sauces start from a good 

stock and if they’re not correct, you won’t get 

a good end product. 

“Cost saving is going to be massive this 

Christmas. The rising cost of gas, plus the cost 

of buying in then disposing of bones, coupled 

with a lack of chefs and time pressures, makes 

quality stock and sauce mixes an ideal option. 

“They offer consistency and versatility, as well 

ticking a lot of boxes in terms of allergens, salt 

content and clean declaration.” 

Essential Cuisine’s Premier Jus range is perfect 

for high-end, finished sauces, whilst the 

powdered Stock Mixes are ideal for flavouring 

and braising. They can also be made in bulk 

and frozen for re-use at a later date – a good 

option during the busy festive period. 

Versatility vibes 

Robin recommends choosing a product that 

has multiple uses to cut down on costs as well 

as storage. 

He continues: “we’re finding a lot of places are 

opting to use vegan stocks and sauces in all of 

their dishes, including meat-based meals, for 

added peace of mind. Meat-eaters can’t tell 

the difference so it makes complete sense. 

“As well as making delicious gravy, our Turkey 

Stock Mix can also be sprinkled directly onto 

the bird prior to roasting to flavour the juices, 

as well as on roast potatoes for added flavour 

and crispiness. It also means you can forgo 

using lard so it’s healthier too.” 

A break from the traditional 

Punchy flavours and sharing platters will take 

centre stage for Christmas 2022, predicts 

Robin. 

“A lot of people have missed out on two 

Christmases because of the pandemic so 

they’ll be going all-out to celebrate,” he 

says. “The busy places will be those doing 

something a bit different to traditional turkey. 

“I don’t think we’ll be seeing the traditional 

vegan dishes such as nut roast on festive 

menus. Instead, there’ll be more Asian and 

Mediterranean flavours. 

“I also think ‘family service’ will be popular, 

with smaller turkey roasts or large sharing 

steaks served in the middle of the table 

for either the waiting staff or customers to 

carve. Gravy boats will be central to this as 

customers will be able to enjoy the ‘pleasure 

of the pour’, rather than having it done for 

them prior to service. It’s all about social 

interaction and talking. 

“Sharing desserts will follow in the same vein 

with showstoppers served centre of table. 

Trifles are making a comeback, as are whole 

tarte tatins and pyramids of profiteroles will 

work well too.” 

Essential 

Cuisine’s 

top five for 

Christmas 2022 

Turkey Stock Mix – 

simply add boiling water 

for a tasty, traditional 

stock every time. 

Premier Veal Jus – 

tastes and performs like 

a premium, kitchen-made 

jus but without the timeconsuming 

make up. 

Crème Anglaise – 

a versatile mix which 

can be used as a base 

to create a range of 

quality festive desserts, 

include crème brulee and 

pannacotta. 

Premier Rich 

Vegetable Jus – the 

only premium vegan 

jus on the market. 

The perfect base for 

reductions and sauces. 

No1 Savoury Gravy 

– the ideal all-rounder. A 

flavourful, meat-free gravy 

which can be mixed with 

the Premier Jus ranges for 

a lower cost option. 

For more details about 

the Essential Cuisine range, 

visit https://hbingredients. 

co.uk/pages/essentialcuisine 

7

Christmas turkey parcel 

Recipe by Robin Dudley 

Prep time 2-3 hours | Cook time 1 hour | Serves 4 

Turkey mousse 

600g turkey breast 

2 whole eggs 

2 egg yolks 

200ml double cream 

Method 

Blend the turkey breast until smooth. 

Add the eggs and egg yolks. Blend again. Add 

salt and pepper. 

Add the cream to make a smooth mousse. 

Roll a ball of this in clingfilm and poach in 

boiling water until hard. Check consistency 

and taste. Correct both, then chill until 

needed. 

Sauce filling 

500g turkey thigh, skinned, trimmed and 

diced 

500ml Essential Cuisine signature beef jus 

500ml Essential Cuisine reduced chicken 

stock 

200ml red wine 

1 carrot, peeled and fine brunoise, 

blanched 

1 parsnip, peeled and brunoise, blanched 

20g flat parsley, chopped 

300g creppinette 

Method 

Gently fry the diced thigh until starting to 

colour. 

Add the wine and reduce by two thirds. Add 

the stocks and simmer gently until the turkey 

is cooked. 

Strain out the thigh and set aside. 

Continue to reduce the stocks until quite 

thick. Mix back into the thighs with the 

vegetables and the parsley. Set in a deep 

container. When set, cut into 4cm cubes. 

Premier veal jus bubble 

62g Essential Cuisine premier veal jus 

500ml water 

10g Sosa gluconolactat 

5g Sosa alginate 

1ltr water 

Method 

Mix the veal jus into the 500ml water. Bring 

to the boil, whisking constantly. Simmer for 2 

minutes. Blend in the gluconolactat. Set aside, 

preferably overnight. 

Blend the alginate into the 1ltr water. Spoon 

the veal jus into the alginate solution. Leave 

for approximately 1 minute or until starting 

to set, then carefully remove and refresh in a 

bowl of clean water. Set aside until needed. 

Assembly 

Lay out the creppinette. Spoon a square 

of mousse into the middle. Place a cube of 

turkey leg jus onto this, then cover the tops 

and sides with more mousse. Wrap gently 

with the creppinette. Set in the fridge for 15 

minutes. 

Fry gently on all sides in a little butter until 

starting to colour. Bake in the oven for 15-20 

minutes 180°C until firm to the touch. 

Place in the centre of the plate. Heat the 

veal jus bubble in water and place on top. 

Garnish with seasonal vegetables. 

8

The fairytale of new pork 

Recipe by Stephen Griffiths 

Prep time 2 hours | Cook time 20 hours (including sous vide) | Serves 8 minimum | Additional time overnight pickling 

Sous vide shoulder of pork with a 

steamed bao bun 

1 whole boneless or bone-in pork shoulder 

(Gloucester old spot) 

50g Essential Cuisine Mexican seasoning 

50g dark brown sugar 

15g salt 

12g whole yellow mustard seed 

4g freshly ground black pepper 

24g granulated garlic powder 

12g dried oregano 

12g whole coriander seed 

8 bao buns 

Method 

Combine Mexican seasoning, brown sugar, 

salt, mustard seed, black pepper, garlic powder, 

oregano, coriander seed, in a spice grinder and 

reduce it all to a fine powder. 

Before applying the rub, set aside 35g of the 

mixture, you’ll use that to re-rub your shoulder 

before finishing. Rub the remaining mixture 

generously all over the shoulder. 

Seal the bag either using a vacuum-sealer or, if 

using, a zipper-lock bag. 

Drop your sealed pork into the water bath, 

set a timer for 18 hours. (74ºC for pull-apart 

tender pork, or for 63ºC for pork that is 

tender but still sliceable.). 

Finishing steps 

Remove pork from bag and pat to dry off 

excess moisture. 

Place the pork on a foil-lined rimmed baking 

sheet with a wire rack placed in it. Set it in a 

pre-heated 150ºC oven and cook until the 

exterior achieves a dark, mahogany bark, about 

1½ hours. 

Break up the meat with your fingers or slice 

with a knife. 

Place the bao buns in a Chinese steamer for 

around 8 minutes before serving hot with the 

marinated pork filling. 

Pear caramelised chutney 

200g demerara sugar 

200ml cider vinegar 

100ml Grandes Distilleries Peureux 

Poire William 

1 star anise 

1 tsp ground cumin 

2 red onions, chopped 

1 tsp grated ginger 

10 firm pears, peeled and chopped into 

bite-sized pieces 

red chillies, halved (and deseeded if you 

prefer) 

Method 

Put the sugar, cider vinegar, Poire William, star 

anise, cumin, red onions and ginger in a large 

saucepan and bring to the boil. 

Add the pears and chillies and simmer for 40 

minutes until the liquid is syrupy and the pears 

are just cooked. 

Stir in the sultanas, remove from the heat and 

leave to cool, then spoon into sterilised jars. 

Harissa mayonnaise (egg free) 

100g olive oil 

125g sunflower oil 

25g vinegar 

200g water 

Seasoning to taste 

5 tbsp harissa paste 

4g Sosa natur emul paste 

2g Sosa guar gum 

Method 

Blend all the ingredients except the oils with 

hand blender then slowly pour in the oils to 

emulsify. 

Refrigerate for 2 hours. 

FULL RECIPE . . . 

For the full recipe 

and serving suggestions 

visit our website: 

www.hbingredients.co.uk 

9

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www.rakporcelain.com

Braised beef cheek, celeriac and 

horseradish espuma, rosti potato 

Recipe by Robin Dudley 

Prep time (overnight) | Cook time 3-4 hours | Serves 4 

Braised beef cheek 

4 beef cheeks 

500ml Essential Cuisine signature beef jus 

500ml Essential Cuisine signature 

reduced chicken stock 

250ml red wine 

1 carrot, peeled and chopped 

1 onion, peeled and chopped 

1 

/2 leek, washed and chopped 

4 cloves garlic 

2 celery sticks, peeled and chopped 

Rosemary/thyme 

Method 

Marinade the cheeks in the wine, herbs and 

the vegetables overnight. Remove from the 

marinade and seal in a hot pan. Place in an 

ovenproof dish. 

In the same pan, fry the vegetables until 

starting to colour. Add to the pot. Again, in 

the same pot, reduce the wine by two thirds. 

Add the stocks and bring to a simmer. Pour 

over the cheeks and the vegetables. Cover 

with a lid and braise in the oven for 3-4 

hours at 170°C until the cheeks are soft. 

Remove the cheeks and set aside, strain and 

dispose of the vegetables. Reduce the sauce 

to the correct consistency and set aside. 

Potato rosti and pork airbag 

1 baking potato 

20g butter 

20g Sosa pork airbag granet 

10g flat parsley, chopped 

Method 

On a Japanese vegetable slice, turn the 

potato into spaghetti. In a hot pan, make a 

large lattice circle and cook for 2 minutes 

until starting to colour. Add a little butter 

and colour a bit more. Flip over and repeat 

on the other side. Set aside until needed. 

Fry the airbag in a deep fryer. Dry on kitchen 

cloth and mix with the parsley. 

Celeriac espuma and sticks 

1 celeriac, peeled 

500ml milk 

50g horesaradish 

25g Sosa pro espuma hot 

20g butter 

Method 

Slice the celeriac into 1cm slices. Cut these 

into 6cm long matchsticks. Cook in a little milk 

until soft. Refresh and set aside. 

Using the trimmings from the celeriac, cover 

with milk in a pan and cook until soft. Blend 

until smooth, adding the butter, horseradish 

and a little milk if needed. Check the seasoning 

and correct if needed. 

Weigh out and add 25g espuma to 500g mix. 

Pour into espuma gun, double charge and set 

aside in a bain marie at 60°C. 

Assembly 

Reheat the cheeks in the sauce. 

Fry the celeriac sticks in a little butter and 

stack in the centre of a plate. 

Add the cheek on top. Squirt the espuma in 

a couple of dots around. 

Place the rosti on top of the cheek and 

spoon the pork airbag on top. 

Garnish with seasonal vegetables and pour 

the sauce around. 

11

Chickpea, potato and olive tagine 

Recipe by Stephen Griffiths 

Prep time 1 hour | Cook time 1½ hours | Serves 6 minimum | Additional time 1 hour 

Chickpea, potato and olive tagine 

60ml extra virgin olive oil 

2 onions, finely sliced 

4 garlic cloves, finely sliced 

1 green pepper, finely sliced 

1 butternut squash 

1 aubergine 

1 cinnamon stick 

1 tsp ground turmeric 

1 tsp ground cumin 

1 tsp ground coriander 

1 

/2 tsp chilli powder 

100ml white wine 

100g large green olive with 1 tsp brine 

2 preserved lemons, sliced into eighths 

800g waxy potatoes, washed and sliced 

1.5cm thick 

1 bay leaf, fresh if possible 

400ml vegetable stock 

3 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped, plus 

extra to garnish 

400g tin of chickpeas, drained 

1 lemon, zested 

salt 

pepper 

Method 

Preheat an oven to 220°C/gas mark 7. 

Place the chickpeas on a roasting tray and 

toss with olive oil, lemon zest, salt and 

pepper. Place in the oven and roast for 

15 minutes, until they start to crisp up 

and the skins are blistering, then remove 

and set aside. 

Meanwhile, sweat down the onions and garlic 

with the spices and a pinch of salt in the 

oil for 8 minutes in an ovenproof pan. Add 

the green peppers and cook for another 5 

minutes. 

Add the white wine to the pan and reduce 

by half. 

Add the olives with the brine, preserved 

lemons, potatoes, butternut squash, 

aubergine, bay leaf and vegetable stock. Turn 

the oven down to 190°C and place in the 

oven for 45 minutes or until cooked through 

and the potatoes on top are starting to crisp 

up a little. 

Stir through some of the chopped coriander. 

Taste and season. 

Serve topped with more coriander and the 

crispy chickpeas. 

Sweetcorn foam 

300g tinned corn 

160g brine from tinned corn 

100g water 

5g salt 

60g Sosa proespuma cold 

Method 

Mix the corn with the brine, water and salt 

by placing in a blender and blend to a paste. 

Strain and place in the proespuma and blend 

for a minute. 

Put the mixture into a siphon gun and add 2 

charges. 

Rest for 1 hour to hydrate. 

Serve. 

Red pepper pearls 

250g roasted pepper puree 

100g water 

30g Sosa vegetable setting powder 

3g salt 

250ml sunflower oil 

Method 

Mix all the elements in cold and bring to a 

boil. 

Leave to stand at 60 °C in a bottle. 

Keep the oil in the freezer and drip with the 

squeeze bottle on the very cold oil to form 

pearls. 

Strain and wash in cold water. 

Assembly 

Serve the tagine mixture while hot in a earth 

ware dish with a lid, place the foam, pearls 

and raisins on top as a garnish, use the kale 

crisps to gain height to the dish and serve. 






12

Wild mushroom, lentil, oats and 

cabbage parcels 

Recipe by Jonathan Harvey-Barnes 

Prep time 30 minutes | Cook time 1 hour | Serves 10 

For the filling 

50g plant-based margarine 

250g peeled and finely diced onion 

250g peeled and grated carrot 

250g chestnut mushrooms, thinly sliced 

800g cooked black beluga lentils 

Salt and pepper to taste 

5g ground nutmeg 

650g pinhead oats 

20g Essential Cuisine wild mushroom 

glace 

40g Essential Cuisine vegetable stock mix 

1litre hot water 

75g chopped sunflower seeds 

75g Irca roasted hazelnut grains 

30x blanched Savoy cabbage leaves, 

patted dry 

Method 

Heat the margarine in a suitable pan. Gently 

fry the onion and carrot until softened. Add 

the mushrooms and continue cooking until 

any liquid has evaporated. 

Stir in the lentils, seasoning and nutmeg, 

continue cooking for a few minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Stir in the oats, 

glace, stock mix and enough water to make 

the mix moist without being too wet. Bring 

to the simmer and cook slowly, on a low 

heat, stirring regularly, for 10-15 minutes. 

Add more water as required as it is 

absorbed, stir in the seeds and nuts, then 

transfer to an oiled loaf tin and bake for 

30-40 minutes. Remove from the oven and 

allow to stand for 10 minutes. 

Form the mix into 30 equal balls. Lay the 

cabbage leaves onto clingfilm and place the 

balls on top, wrap the balls in the cabbage 

and clingfilm, tie the clingfilm to secure the 

mix. 

Steam gently until piping hot in the middle. 

For the whisky sauce 

10ml rapeseed oil 

10g peeled and crushed garlic 

10ml cider vinegar 

Grandes Distilleries Peureux Glen Turner 

Scotch Whisky to taste 

10g maple syrup 

500ml plant-based cream substitute 

10g Dijon mustard 

10g wholegrain mustard 

Salt and pepper to taste 

Cornflour if required 

Method 

Heat the oil in a suitable saucepan. Gently 

fry the garlic until softened, add the vinegar, 

whisky concentrate and maple syrup. 

Bring to the boil and stir in the cream and 

mustards, season to taste, simmer until you 

achieve a coating consistency, or thicken 

with a little cornflour and cold water paste 

if required. 

Assembly 

Unwrap the hot parcels and place onto 

warm plates, three per person. Dress with 

the chosen garnish and spoon the sauce 

around. Garnish with micro cress if desired. 

HINTS 

AND TIPS . . . 

You can use green, brown 

or Puy lentils if preferred. Serve 

with a spiced mashed potato and a 

vegetable puree of your choice, 

for example, butternut squash, 

carrot or swede. 

Perfect solution 

for your vegan 

customers 

13

The retro revolution 

Desserts are taking a step back in time this Christmas as 

pastry chefs re-visit classic favourites from yesteryear. 

“Retro puddings are going to 

be big news – but always with 

a twist,” advises Henley Bridge 

Development Chef Samantha 

Rain. “The twist could be 

swapping out a traditional 

flavour profile for something 

more on trend, or an update in 

how that dish is presented, so 

that it tastes the same but looks 

completely different from the 

original dessert.” 

Top of the sweet treats will be 

1970s favourite, the trifle. 

“Whilst a classic sherry trifle 

will hit the spot for some, why 

not experiment with some 

different flavour profiles to give 

this nostalgic dish a 21st century 

makeover? 

“Also, give some thought to 

how you plan to serve them. 

Individual or family style 

glassware is vital to show off 

the different layers, and be bold 

with your toppings. Macarons, 

gingerbread men, chocolate 

stars – literally anything goes!” 

continues Samantha. 

A trifle too far? 

Mix things up with these 

adventurous flavour combos: 

Chocolate trifle with layers 

of chocolate mousse, 

mascarpone, chunks of 

brownie and dulche de leche 

Clementine and prosecco 

Apple and custard 

Baileys and Caramilk 

Peach, rose and custard 

Blood orange and Campari 

Fig, port and pistachio 

Rhubarb and gingerbread 

Ginger and passionfruit 

Coconut, strawberry and gin 

Back to black 

Black Forest is another key 

flavour trend which is presenting 

in various guises having morphed 

from the original, beloved 

gateau. Chocolate and cherry is 

a pairing that never goes out of 

favour. 

Perfect as a winter trifle, you 

can also ‘branch’ out with a 

Black Forest yule log or how 

about a Black Forest mess with 

lashings of kirsch?! 

Roll with it 

Get your customers round 

with a trip down memory lane 

to the frozen aisle – and a 

heavenly Artic roll. 

Don’t just stick to vanilla ice 

cream wrapped in jammy sponge 

though. Make it your own with a 

mash-up of different flavours. 

Swiss rolls and roulades will also 

satisfy cravings for nostalgia in 

the post-covid era, again with 

flavour updates. 

Try a mint and white chocolate 

roulade for a dessert that looks, 

as well as tastes, like Christmas, 

lemon sponge with orange 

cream or coffee with walnut 

cream. 

Merry meringues and 

pretty profiteroles 

Other retro puddings headlining 

dessert menus this Christmas 

include Baked Alaska and pavlova 

mash-ups, posh blancmange and 

panna cotta in festive flavours 

such as eggnog or fig leaf. 

Profiteroles are always a big 

hit, but why not try arranging 

them to make a Yuletide wreath 

with colourful icing, instead of 

chocolate sauce? 

14

Christmas trifle 

Recipe by Samantha Rain 

Prep time 1 hour | Cook time 15 minutes 

Makes 1 large trifle | Additional time 90 minutes 

Cranberry jelly 

1l cranberry juice 

50g Sosa vegetal setting 

powder 

Method 

Bring both ingredients to 

the boil and pour into the 

bottom of a trifle dish and 

leave to set. 

Mincemeat 

pannacotta 

600g double cream 

200g whole milk 

200g sweet mincemeat 

5g Sosa propannacotta 

Method 

Bring all ingredients to 

the boil and cool to about 

50°C. 

Pour the pannacotta 

mixture on top of the set 

cranberry jelly layer and 

place in the fridge to set. 

Dom Pacello custard 

540g milk 

160g cream 

110g egg yolk 

50g sugar 

50g Sosa gelcrem hot 

50g Belcolade white 

chocolate 

25g Irca orange joypaste 

25ml Grandes 

Distilleries Peureux 

Dom Pacello 

Method 

In a pan add the milk, 

cream, egg yolk, sugar and 

gelcrem hot. Heat the 

mixture and bring up to the 

boil and cook out. 

Remove from heat and 

pour on to the chocolate. 

Whisk in the chocolate and 

make sure it is all melted. 

Add in the orange paste 

and Dom Pacello and blend 

to ensure all is combined. 

Allow to cool. 

Once cooled, beat back the 

mixture and place on top 

of pannacotta and level off. 

Garnish 

2 large Christmas 

puddings, cooked and 

broken up into small 

pieces 

Chantilly cream 

Grated chocolate 

Assembly 

Make and set the cranberry 

jelly. 

Make and set the Christmas 

pannacotta. 

Make the custard, cool 

and add on top of the 

pannacotta. 

Cook, crumble and cool 

the Christmas pudding and 

add on top of the custard. 

Finally, whip the cream 

with sugar and vanilla and 

pipe decoratively on top of 

the trifle and finish with a 

grating of chocolate. 

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Christmas spiced toffee apple 


Prep time 45 minutes | Cook time 30 minutes | Serves 8 apples | Additional time 2 hours 

Spiced toffee apple filling 

2 large cooking apples 

Knob of butter 

100g sugar 

150g cream, heated 

3g ground cinnamon 


1g ground star anise 

2g ground ginger 

Method 

Dice up the cooking apples. 

In a pan, heat the butter. Once the pan is 

hot, add the apples and very gently cook 

them until just soft to prevent them from 

breaking down. Incorporate the spices and 

leave to cool. 

In a separate pan, caramelise the sugar until 

golden brown. 

Very slowly and carefully add in the warm 

cream and boil for a couple of minutes. 

Remove from the heat and cool slightly 

before combining with the cooked apple 

dice. 

Allow mixture to cool before placing into 

small sphere silicone moulds and blast 

freezing. 

Apple mousse 

500g Leonce Blanc apple puree 

35g Sosa albumina 

30g Sosa instangel 

25g caster sugar 

200g semi-whipped cream 

Method 

Mix the apple puree with the albumina, 

instangel and the sugar and whip until it 

becomes very spongy (like a meringue). 

Add the cream and carefully mix with a 

rubber spatula, then put the mixture into 

a piping bag and pipe into sphere silicon 

moulds to about halfway. 

Take the back of a spoon and pull some of 

the mixture up the side of the sphere mould. 

Take the apple filling sphere from the blast 

freezer and place inside the apple mousse 

sphere. Fill up the rest of the sphere with 

apple mousse and level off. Place the mould 

into the blast freezer. 

Crumble 

100g salted butter 


100g plain flour 

4g cinnamon 

2g nutmeg 

2g ginger 

Method 

Incorporate all ingredients in a kitchen aid 

and mix with the paddle attachment until to 

reach a dough consistency 

Break into small pieces onto a silicone mat 

and place in the oven at 180°C, turning over 

regularly for 15 minutes. 

Remove from the oven and cool. 

Garnish 

Chocolatree red velvet spray 

Barbara Decor dark chocolate bristles 

Mint sprig 

1 litre apple juice, reduced until to 200g 

Assembly 

Start by making the apple filling and getting 

that into the blast freezer. 

Next make the apple mousse and place into 

the blast freezer. 

Make the crumble and allow to cool. 

Reduce apple juice for a sweet sauce. 

Remove apple mousse from the freezer and 

gently push a dip into the top of the sphere 

to create the apple core effect. 

Spray the whole apple with red velvet spray. 

Garnish with a bristle and mint sprig. 

17

Choose churros! 

As handheld snacks go, churros definitely have 

‘the edge’ – or should we say, edges?! 

They taste like deep-fried doughnuts but it’s 

their crispy ridges that elevate them to heavenly 

status. 

Originally hailing from Spain and Portugal 

(although often mistakenly considered Mexican), 

churros get their name from ‘churrera’, a 

syringe-like utensil with a star-shaped nozzle 

which is used to pipe them. Churros can either 

be straight or spiral-shaped, and are most 

commonly served sprinkled with sugar and 

cinnamon, with a side order of either chocolate 

sauce or dulce de leche. 

Sheep dip 

The jury’s out on the exact origin of churros 

but the most popular account is that they 

were created by Spanish shepherds living in the 

mountains, who had limited access to fresh food. 

For a multi-coloured vibe, dip one end of your 

churros in icing then coat with sugar strands. 

A dusting of cocoa powder will give chocolate 

lovers a double dose. 

Flavour fusion 

Have some fun with your dipping sauces and 

offer some alternatives to the traditional. 

Fruity flavours are a great option. Boiron and 

Leonce Blanc both offer ready-to-use purees in a 

wide range of fruity flavours. 

For a more grown-up version, add a splash of 

alcohol from the Grandes Distilleries Peureux 

range of premium spirits. 

Add some colour 

As with all on-trend foodstuffs, consumers are 

always looking for exciting adaptations, so why 

not try adding a little colour to your churros? 

The Sosa range of powdered food colourings are 

ideal for jazzing up your dough. Try adding green 

to create a fantastic Christmas tree dessert 

(see recipe), or for Valentine’s Day, vibrant red 

churros piped into a heart shape will have your 

customers falling in love. 

Alternatively (or additionally!), add the Sosa food 

colourings to sugar to coat your churros and 

give them a vibrant edge. Brush them with sugar 

syrup first to ensure good coverage of your 

chosen, vibrant shade. 

18

Christmas churro tree 


Prep time 20 minutes | Cook time 15 minutes 

| Makes 2 trees | Additional time 1 hour 

Churros dough 

50g melted butter 


1 tsp baking powder 

300ml boiling water 

Sosa kiwi green food colouring powder 

Method 

Sift together the flour and the baking powder. 

Boil the water and add the melted butter and green 

colouring. 

Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients. 

Pour the liquid into the dry mixture and beat 

together until all incorporated and no lumps. 

Leave mixture to rest for 1 hour before placing into a 

piping bag with a star nozzle. 

Green sugar 

Granulated white sugar 

Sosa kiwi green food colouring powder 

Tiny amount of water 

Method 

In a bowl, add some sugar and the tip of a knife’s 

worth of food colouring. 

Add a tiny amount of water to disperse the food 

colouring and colour the sugar. 

Allow the sugar to dry out before using. 

Assembly 

Heat the oil in a large pan. 

Pipe the churro dough into the hot oil in long lines. 

For the tree effect make the lines smaller as you 

come up so you can stack them up into a tree. 

Once golden and cooked, remove the churros from 

the hot oil and onto some blue paper to absorb 

some of the oil. 

Roll in the green sugar to coat and stack up into a 

tree shape. 

Serve with your favourite chocolate sauce. 

19

Dark and chai 


Prep time 1 hour | Cook time 30 minutes | Makes 4 glasses 

Chai Pannacotta 


100g whole milk 

2 chai tea bags 

50g sugar 

1g Sosa propannacotta 

Method 

Heat to 70°C the cream, milk and chai 

teabags, cover and leave to infuse for 30 

minutes. Strain teabag from the mixture and 

add all other ingredients. Bring mixture to 

the boil and pour into a glass to set. 

Dark Chocolate Cream 

270g milk 

80g cream 

54g egg yolk 

25g Sugar 

25g Sosa gelcrem hot 

90g Belcolade Cacao Trace dark 

chocolate 55% 

Method 

Mix all ingredients except the chocolate and 

bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove from 

the heat and whisk in the chocolate. 

Place in the fridge to set cool and firm up. 

Beat back the paste to a smooth consistency 

and pipe into the glass. 

Spiced Biscotti 

300g flaked almonds 

1 tsp ground cinnamon 

50g amaretto 


250g sugar 

1 dessert spoon baking powder 

2 eggs 

Method 

Mix all the ingredients in kitchen aid until a 

dough consistency is formed. 

Divide the mixture into two and create log 

shapes on a silpat mat. 

Bake in the oven at 180°C for 15-20 

minutes. 

Remove from the oven and cool slightly. 

Whilst the dough is still warm cut the 

biscotti into slices and place back into the 

oven for five minutes on each side to 

dry out. 

Garnish 

Speculoos crumb. 

20

Nuts for chocolate and whisky 

Recipe by Steve Griffiths 

Prep time 45 minutes | Cook time 30 minutes | Serves 6 | Additional time 1 hour 

Hot chocolate foam 


150g Republica del Cacao Ecuador and 

Peru blend 70% 

20g deZaan crimson red cocoa powder 

25g Sosa proespuma hot 

15ml Grandes Distilleries Peureux, Glen 

Turner scotch whisky 

20g hazelnuts 

Method 

Heat the milk, cocoa powder and cream 

to 70ºC. 

Blend in the proespuma hot. 

Melt the couverture and mix in well. 

Place the mixture into a siphon gun with 

2 charges. 

Hold in a water bath at 65ºC when 

not in use. 

Toast the hazlenuts and crush before placing 

on the top of the foam. 

Hazelnut and coffee microwave 

sponge 

180g water 

18g Sosa albuwhip 

30g soft flour 

20g deZaan carbon black cocoa powder 

80g Sosa roasted hazelnut paste 

3g Norohy Madagascan vanilla bean 

paste 

1g salt 

30g Sugar 

Method 

Mix the water and the albuwhip and blend. 

Add the flour, cocoa powder, salt, sugar, 

hazelnut paste and the vanilla paste. 

Blend and strain. 

Pour the mixture in a cream siphon with two 

charges. 

Half-fill slitted cardboard cups with the foam. 

Microwave on high for 30 seconds. 

Let cool upside-down on a rack. 

Chocolate soil 



Sosa maltosec 

Method 

Mix in the maltosec spoon by spoon until 

a crumble type texture is achieved and set 

aside until serving. 

Assembly 

Arrange all elements of your dish in your 

preferred way and serve with pistachio 

shortbread crumb and honeycomb ice 

cream. 






21

A range of premium 

ready-to-fill shortcrust 

tartlets that meet 

the expectations of 

professionals to create 

exceptional desserts.

Chocolate and spiced hazelnut tart 


Prep time 1 hour | Cook time 10 minutes | Serves 12 tarts | Additional time 1 hour 

Crunchy praline 

250g hazelnut praline 

50g roasted chopped hazelnuts 

100g Belcolade vegan milk-alike chocolate 

Method 

Temper the vegan chocolate. 

Heat the praline slightly and add to the 

chocolate and mix to combine. 

Add in the hazelnuts and mix thoroughly. 

Place mixture into a piping bag and pipe into 

bottom of tart case. 

Chocolate ganache 

75g plant-based cream 

22g Sosa invert sugar 


Method 

Bring the cream and invert sugar to the boil. 

Pour the liquid over the chocolate and leave 

to stand for a couple of minutes. 

Use a hand blender to emulsify the mixture. 

Allow the ganache to cool to 30°C before 

placing into a piping bag. 

Spiced caramel hazelnuts 

1g cinnamon 

1g nutmeg 

150g sugar 

50g whole roasted hazelnuts 

Method 

Slowly caramelise the sugar in a pan. 

Once the sugar reaches a medium dark 

golden brown, add in the spices and remove 

from heat. 

Mix to cover the hazelnuts in the spiced 

caramel and take out of pan on to a silicone 

mat. 

Very carefully pull the hazelnuts apart back 

to individual hazelnuts and leave to cool. 

Store in an airtight container until ready to 

serve. 

Garnish and case 

Wrights of Lymm gold leaf 

Pidy vegan sweet tart case 

Assembly 

Caramelise the hazelnuts and allow them to 

cool. 

Make the praline mixture and set into the 

bottom of the tart moulds. 

Make the ganache and cool until pipeable. 

Pipe the ganache on top of the set praline. 

When ready to serve, garnish with edible 

gold leaf and the caramelised hazelnuts. 

Perfect 

dessert solution 

for your vegan 

customers 

23

24 

All I want 

for Christmas… 

Fill your Santa’s stocking with 

these must-have products for 

the festive season . . . 

Cute cookies 

Make your Christmas 

bakes and desserts stand 

out with these adorable 

chocolate cookies. 

Part of the Chocolatree range 

of ready-to-use décor and 

made using Valrhona chocolate, 

the milk chocolate features a 

coloured print in the shape of 

a Christmas cookie, measuring 

36mm x 27mm. 

Fruity numbers 

Introducing the two new additions to 

Boiron’s no-added-sugar range of fruit 

purees: pear and apricot. 

The ready-to-use ambient 

purees from leading 

French manufacturer 

Boiron dramatically cut 

labour by cutting out the 

need to wash, peel, deseed, 

blend and sieve fruit. 

The range also includes 

strawberry, raspberry, 

mango, passion fruit, 

blackberry and yellow 

peach, with a further five 

flavours due to be added 

in January 2023. 

Handy brandy 

Get into the spirit 

of Christmas 

with a little help 

from Grandes 

Distilleries 

Peureux Camus 

Ile De Re Cognac 

50%. 

The Grandes 

Distilleries Peureux 

brand is a premium 

French craft spirit and 

liqueur distillery, and its 

cognac is aged in oak 

barrels for two years. 

As well as a key 

ingredient for cocktails, 

cognac can be used to 

enrich luxurious sauces 

and pair in meat recipes, 

and also compliments chocolate 

desserts very well. 

Veally good stock 

Save time but don’t scrimp on 

quality with Essential Cuisine’s 

Signature veal stock reduction. 

A light, yet fullflavoured 

stock 

with a gelatinous 

texture, it’s made 

with premium 

ingredients for a 

superior taste. 

Use as a finished 

ingredient, or 

adapt to your 

own unique 

recipe, allowing 

your creativity to 

shine through.

Hot stuff 

Hot chocolate is the 

ultimate winter warmer, 

and deZaan’s new easyto-use 

cocoa mix (2kg) is 

sure to elevate your hot 

beverages menu. 

A gift good enough to eat 

As festive gifts go, this Dobla chocolate 

Christmas house is good enough to eat! 

Create the magical spirit of Christmas with this 

easy and fun to assemble kit. 

The house measures 295 x 220 x 65mm. 

Crafted from 100% single origin 

cocoa from Ghana, it combines 

roasted cocoa, vanilla and 

caramel notes with a velvety 

chocolate finish. 

Containing no preservatives or 

artificial flavours, it’s suitable 

for vegans when made with 

plant-based milk. 

Hang on 

Another easy but eye-catching way 

to make your Christmas desserts and 

bakes pop is to top with these stunning 

white chocolate Christmas tree baubles. 

Available in two designs from Chocolatree, they 

measure 39mm x 48mm and are also made using 

Valrhona chocolate. 

25

The spirit 

of Christmas 

As every great chef, chocolatier and baker knows, 

liqueurs aren’t the sole reserve of the drinks cabinet. 

They can also be used to amplify the flavours of a vast array of 

sweet and savoury dishes and treats, making it taste, smell and, in 

some cases, cook better. 

A shot of the strong stuff can enhance everything from meats and fish to fruits 

and vegetables, and spirits and chocolate are simply a match made in heaven! 

Grandes Designs 

For chocolatiers, chefs, mixologists and bakers looking to get into the ‘spirit’ 

of culinary creativity, look no further than Grandes Distilleries Peureux. 

Established in 1864, the premium French craft spirit and liqueur distillery 

also specialises in griottines and owns a 200-hectare wild cherry orchard 

dedicated to growing fruit with just the right texture and flavour to create its 

stunning liqueurs. 

The range includes: 

Amaretto 60% – combining 

the scent of bitter almonds 

with vanilla and caramel notes 

Massenez Kirsch 48% – a 

colourless cherry eau de vie 

produced by the distillation of 

fermented cherries 

Marc de Champagne 60% 

– a colourless brandy popular 

as a filling for chocolate 

truffles 

Saint James Rhum 54% – 

great in cocktails, desserts, ice 

creams and sauces 

Poire William 45% – a 

colourless fruit brandy, 

produced by distillation of 

fermented William pears 

Camus Ile de Re Cognac 

50% – aged in oak barrels for 

two years 

Dom Pacello Royal 60% 

(orange concentrate) – a 

refined orange liqueur 

A plethora of pouring ideas 

Flavour sauces, for example, 

gravadlax served with a sauce 

made from whipped cream, 

horseradish and kirsch 

Make tipsy fruit, such as brandied 

figs or pears poached in Poire 

William 

Brine your turkey 

Flambe meats and fruits, for 

example, cherries flambeed in 

kirsch 

Create delicious calissons (French 

candies made with marzipan and 

candied fruit). Try candied orange 

soaked in Dom Pacello 

Create delicious jams and 

chutneys 

Use as a marinade 

Use as a glaze for meats and 

cakes 

Add to compound butters, for 

example, cognac butter to elevate 

beef tenderloin 

Add fruit flavoured liqueurs to 

fruit salads for a grown-up treat 

Use instead of extracts to flavour 

baked goods, for example, replace 

almond extract with Amaretto 

Add rum and/or cognac to your 

dried fruits for a brilliantly boozy 

Christmas cake 

27

Ginger sponge fingers and 

white chocolate sauce 

Recipe by Thomas Leatherbarrow 

Prep time 20 minutes | Cook time 15 minutes | Serves 20 fingers | Additional time 10 minutes 

Ginger sponge fingers 

200g gluten free self raising flour 

200g golden caster sugar 

1tps ginger powder 

1tsp bicarbonate of soda 

55g vegan margarine 

60g chia seed “egg” mixture 

40ml golden syrup 

240ml warm water 

Method 

Rub together the sugar, flour, butter, 

bicarbonate of soda and ginger. 

Slowly add the wet ingredients in to the dry 

to form a smooth batter. 

Bake in silicon finger moulds 160°C for 

12 minutes. 

Remove from the oven and allow to cool 

slightly, pop out of the mould and serve 

warm. 

White chocolate sauce 

10ml Grandes Distilleries Peureux marc 

de champagne 

100g Chocolat Madagascar vegan white 

chocolate 

30ml water 

4g Norohy vanilla paste 

Method 

In a pan, boil together the water, vanilla and 

marc de champagne. 

Remove from the heat and whisk in the 

white chocolate. 

Allow to cool and set up and serve with the 

warm sponge fingers. 

Perfect 

vegan treat 

28

Guittard and spiced pear tarts 


Prep time 30 minutes | Cook time 20 minutes | Serves 12 tarts | Additional time 50 minutes 

Guittard whipped chocolate cream 

400g Guittard milk chocolate drops soleil 

d’or 38% 


½ Norohy Tahitian vanilla pod 

3g Sosa smoked powder 

4g sea salt 

Method 

De-seed the vanilla and add to a saucepan. 

Add the double cream and bring to a gentle 

boil, remove from the heat and allow to cool 

slightly to 70°C. 

Add the chocolate drops and leave to stand 

for 10 minutes to cool even more. Whisk to 

incorporate the ingredients together. 

Season with the smoked sea salt and smoke 

powder. 

Spiced pear mousse 

450g conference pears 

½ Norohy Tahitian vanilla pod 

170g light soft brown sugar 

35ml Grandes Distilleries Peureux Poire 

William 

10g cinnamon 



3g Sosa xanthan gum 

Method 

Semi peak the double cream. 

Add the remaining ingredients to a pan. 

Peel and dice the pears. Cook for 30 minutes 

until a thick puree then add the xanthan gum. 

Using a stick blender, blitz to a smooth paste. 

Fold in the double cream. 

Pour into the tart cases and place in the 

fridge to set firm. 

Cocoa nib & lime 

30g Chocolat Madagascar cocoa nibs 

10g lime 

40g muscovado sugar 

Method 

Zest the lime over the top of the tarts. 

Sprinkle small clustered clumps of sugar and 

nibs over the top. 

29

Christmas sticky buns 


Prep time 25 minutes | Cook time 20 minutes | Serves 12 buns | Additional time 60 minutes 

Christmas dough 

450g strong white flour 

14g dried yeast 

50g muscovado sugar 

140ml warm milk 

10ml Grandes Distilleries Peureux Dom 

Pacello royal orange original 

60g whole eggs 

50g salted butter 

Method 

Start by making the dough. Mix together 

the flour, yeast and caster sugar in a large 

mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and 

pour in the warm milk, beaten egg and 

melted butter. Mix well, first with a wooden 

spoon then with your hands until you get a 

soft dough. If it feels dry add a bit of warm 

water, but if it feels too sticky and wet, add a 

spoonful of flour. 

Dust your work surface with flour and tip 

the mixture onto it and start kneading. Keep 

kneading the dough until it feels smooth and 

elastic. Shape into a ball and sit it in a clean 

bowl, lightly greased with melted butter or 

oil. Cover with cling film and leave to rise in a 

warm place for about 40 minutes. 

Heat oven to 200°C and grease a deep 

square tin. Dust the worktop with flour 

then start to knead the risen dough on the 

prepared surface just to knock the air out. 

Roll into a rectangle. 

Roll the dough up in a tight spiral from the 

longest edge like a Swiss roll then slice into 

12 equal sized swirled buns. Arrange them in 

the tin, cut side up then cover with a clean, 

damp tea towel and leave to prove in a 

warm place for around 20 mins 

Bake the buns for 10 minutes, then reduce 

the temperature to 180°C and bake for a 

further 10 minutes. 

Sticky bun filling 

30g unsalted butter 

70g currants 

50g golden raisins 

30g dried mixed peel 

20g sweet mixed spice 

5g ground cloves 

5g ground mace 

20g golden caster sugar 

30g ground almonds 

20ml Grandes Distilleries Peureux Dom 

Pacello royal orange original 

Method 

In a stand mixer combine all of the filling 

ingredients to form a rough paste-like 

mixture. Gently spread over the dough. 

Flambe glaze 


20ml warm water 

30ml Grandes Distillieries Peureux Saint 

James Rhum 

Method 

In a saucepan combine the ingredients and 

bring to a simmer to dissolve the sugar. 

Remove from the heat and light the glaze to 

flambe over the baked buns. 

30

Pistachio and white chocolate swirls 


Prep time 40 minutes | Cook time 20 minutes | Serves 12 swirls | Additional time 50 minutes 

Swirl dough 


250g salted butter, diced (room 

temperature) 


50g cornflour 

1 Norohy Madagascar vanilla pod, 

deseeded 

Method 

Sieve together the dry ingredients. 

In a food processor, combine all the 

ingredients to form a smooth pipeable 

dough. 

Pre-heat the oven to 170°C. 

Place a star piping nozzle in your piping bag 

then add the mixture to the bag. 

Pipe 16 x 6cm rosette on a lined baking tray. 

Bake in the oven for 14 minutes until lightly 

golden in colour. 

Remove from the tray and allow to cool 

completely. 

Cherry jam 

100g cherries 


20ml Grandes Distilleries Peureux 

Massenez kirsch 

40ml water 

10g Sosa pectin x58 

Method 

De-stone and stalk the cherries. 

Add to a pan with the water and liqueur, and 

cook on a medium heat to break down the 

cherries. 

Whisk in the sugar and pectin powder. 

Cook out to 115°C on a sugar thermometer 

Remove from the pan and allow to set in a 

bowl. 

Once completely cool in a bowl beat to 

become pipable. 

Pistachio & white chocolate ganache 

200g Republica del Cacao white 

chocolate 


50g Sosa pistachio pralicroc 

Method 

Boil the double cream in a heavy base pan. 

Remove from the heat and pour over the 

chocolate and pistachio pralicroc and allow 

to stand for 20 minutes. 

Whisk together to incorporate and allow to 

cool in the fridge until set. 

31

‘Dec’ the (food) halls 

Looking for ways to elevate your 

festive bakes this Christmas? 

Themed chocolate décor provides an easy and 

cost-effective way of transforming everyday 

products into tantalising yuletide treats, and with 

so many designs on the market, there’s plenty of 

choice. 

Whether it’s a simple, single motif on a cupcake or 

doughnut, or a ‘wow factor’ explosion of mix and match designs, 

here’s how to customise the season with sensational shapes . . . 

Belt up 

Cakesicles continue to be a huge trend, so make sure 

yours are the best dressed this Christmas. 

Henley Bridge customer Stephan Liew, of Stef’s Brownies 

(stefsbrownies.co.uk) used Dobla’s golden Santa belt 

buckles to create these cute cakes-on-a-stick. 

Cakesicles are an ideal takeaway treat, or why not serve 

on a Christmas themed board as an 

eat-in dessert? 

Face up to Christmas 

Add a smile to your festive bakes with the addition of these 

cute chocolate Santa, elf and polar bear faces from Dobla. 

A wreath that’s good enough to eat 

For a stunning festive centrepiece, this brownie wreath, 

also made by Stef, takes some beating. 

Sitting on a ring of marbled chocolate tagliatelle, simply 

place the brownie pieces then top with festive handmade 

chocolates and chocolate décor, such as Dobla holly leaves 

and candy canes, and Barbara Decor chocolate triangles. 

Who wouldn’t want to tuck into this sensational 

sharing dessert? 

Winter wonderland 

Dobla’s pale blue chocolate snowflakes set the 

scene for the chilly winter months. 

32 

Stef used them as a backdrop for these adorable 

Antarctic chocolate penguins - but that’s just 

the tip of the iceberg!

Santa’s sack 

of suppliers 

At Henley Bridge, we’ve done the hard work 

to source the best chocolate décor suppliers 

in the world and bring them all together for 

you to choose from. 

Here are some of our favourites: 

Dobla 

Merry Christmas assortment (3 designs) 

Christmas trees 

White chocolate igloo (which goes really 

well with sweet things) 

Barbara Décor 

Lacrima triangle 

Coloured chocolate blossom curls 

UTZ certified marble triangle 

Hillbo 

Chcolate mini star 

Dark chocolate bastons in an array of 

colourful designs 

Rizo curls in a variety of colours 

Chocolatree 

Vibrant transfer sheets 

Red velvet spray 

Dark green cocoa butter 

33

Chocolatree advert - CONFIRMED

Have a nice spray! 

Cocoa butter is the perfect ingredient 

for adding a splash of colour to your 

chocolate, bakes and desserts. 

Chocolatree’s cocoa butter range is available 

in 11 vibrant shades, and they provide an easy 

solution for time-pressed chocolatiers, bakers 

and pastry chefs. 

Henley Bridge Development Chef Samantha 

Rain advises: “Using a ready-made cocoa 

butter product, such as Chocolatree, is the 

key to consistency of colour. It can be timeconsuming 

making your own colours and 

achieving the correct shade every time. 

“Having said that, you can mix the different 

colours to make your own if you wish.” 

Availability . . . 

Chocolatree coloured cocoa 

butter range is available in 200g 

bottles in 11 stunning shades: 

orange, black, brown, red, purple, 

yellow, pink, dark green, light 

green, dark blue and midnight blue. 

All contain natural colours and are 

free from E171. 

Simply, melt in a steamer or 

bain-marie at temperatures 

above 105°F (40°C) but without 

exceeding 50°C and temper before 

use. 

Add to a spray gun, airbrush or 

paint directly into your moulds and 

shake before use. 

35

Ginger, nutmeg and muscovado 

caramel chocolate bar 

Recipe by Dominic Hutchings 

Prep time 1 hour | Cook time 20 minutes | Serves 10 bars | Additional time 6 hours 

Chocolate shells 

600g Belcolade Amber salted caramel 

white chocolate 

Chocolatree black cocoa butter 

Chocolatree orange cocoa butter 

Method 

Create this wonderful design using electrical 

tape and an airbrush. For full details visit 

www.hbingredients.co.uk. 

Ginger, nutmeg, and muscovado 

caramel 

110g whipping cream 

60g light brown sugar 

5g salt 


60g Sosa liquid glucose 


40g stem ginger 

¼ of nutmeg, grated 

50g Sosa chocolate coated 

popping candy 

Method 

Place the cream, light brown sugar, nutmeg, 

chopped stem ginger and salt into a pan and 

bring to the boil. Keep warm to the side 

while you create the caramel. 

Create a direct caramel using the caster 

sugar and glucose. Once you reach a golden 

colour, pour in the cream mixture slowly and 

cook to 108ºC. 

Pour the caramel into a bowl and let it cool 

to 60ºC. Once cooled, blitz in the butter 

until fully emulsified. 

Place clingfilm over the bowl to stop any skin 

forming on top and cool down to 30ºC. 

Add in the popping candy and then place 

the mix into a piping bag and pipe into the 

cavities leaving a 2mm gap at the top. 

Let it set for a minimum of 6 hours at room 

temperature before capping off. 

Assembly 

Re-temper the chocolate and place into a 

piping bag. Using a heat gun, carefully heat 

the top of the shells only for a second so 

that it creates a seal around the sides. 

Pipe the chocolate over the cavities, 

level using a palette knife and then using 

the chocolate scraper, scrape off any 

excess leaving a clean flat bottom to your 

chocolates. 

Leave at room temperature for 30 minutes 

to set before turning them out. If a couple 

aren’t releasing, place the mould into the 

fridge for 10-15 minutes and then all of them 

should fall out. 

36

Stollen? No, it’s mine! 


Prep time 1 hour | Serves 50 balls | Additional time overnight (12 hours) 

Fruit bread ganache 

215g 35% cream 

45g Sosa liquid glucose DE60 

400g Republica del Cacao Peru milk 

chocolate 

40g butter 

100g fruit bread 

Method 

Heat the cream with glucose to 60/65°C. 

Add the fruit bread, pour half of it over the 

chocolate. Mix using a rubber spatula, add 

the rest of the cream and mix to perfect the 

emulsion. 

When the temperature of the ganache is 

between 35/40°C, add the butter (approx. 

18°C) and mix again. 

Pour the ganache at a temperature of 

34/36°C into a lined container and leave to 

crystallise for 24 to 36 hours at 16/18°C. 

Scoop and ball to the desired shape. 

Orange marzipan 

500g Irca marziclass extra fine marzipan 

Zest of two oranges 

Method 

Mix the orange zest with the marzipan until 

fully combined. 

Roll out the marzipan and cut out discs 

much larger than your fruit bread ganache 

balls. 

Wrap and roll the marzipan around the balls 

until all covered and round. 

Allow the balls to dry out slightly. 

Coating 

500g Republica del Cacao Peru milk 

chocolate 38% 

icing sugar 

Method 

Temper the chocolate, then using gloved 

hands roll out the marzipan balls and place 

them into a container with some icing sugar 

to coat. 

Allow them to be in the icing sugar for a few 

minutes before gently picking them out and 

leave them to fully set. 

Sieve the balls to remove some of the excess 

icing sugar before serving. 

Assembly 

Make the fruit bread ganache and allow the 

ganache to crystallise overnight. 

Once fully crystallised, ball up the ganache. 

Next, mix the marzipan, roll out and cut 

out discs. Cover the fruit bread ganache and 

leave for 30 minutes to dry out. 

Temper the milk chocolate and coat the 

marzipan balls before placing them into icing 

sugar. 

37

100% LATIN AMERICAN, TRACEABLE AND SUSTAINABLE 

PROFESSIONAL CHOCOLATES

Snowflake bon bons 


Prep time 1 hour | Serves 42 chocolates | Additional time overnight (12 hours) 

Shell 

Chocolatree midnight blue colouring 

Republica del Cacao white chocolate 

Method 

Temper the blue cocoa butter. 

Using low tack masking tape and a snowflake 

stencil hole punch (available at Hobbycraft), 

stick the snowflakes in the desired design in 

the mould. 

Using a gloved finger, swirl the tempered 

cocoa butter round the mould (no need to 

worry about ensuring it is all fully covered 

as this adds to the effect). Allow the cocoa 

butter to start setting before very carefully 

removing the snowflake stickers. 

Temper the white chocolate and mould the 

shells. 

Once filled, cap the chocolate and allow 

to set and contract before turning the 

chocolates out. 

Eggnog ganache 



500g Republica del Cacao white 

chocolate 

25g Peureux Camus Ile de Re Cognac 



1g ground cloves 

1 Norohy Tahitian vanilla pod 

Method 

Heat the cream, spices and vanilla to 60°C 

and allow to infuse for 30 minutes. 

Once infused remove vanilla pod, add 

inverted sugar and bring to the boil. 

Slowly pour the boiling mixture onto the 

melted chocolate. 

Mix the centre of the mixture using a 

spatula to create a glossy core with a certain 

elasticity. This texture must be maintained 

until the emulsion is completed. 

Add the brandy and finish the mixing with 

a hand blender to perfect the emulsion and 

remove air bubbles. Be careful when filling 

the moulds that the temperature of the 

ganache is lower than 30°C. 

Assembly 

Stick snowflake stickers into the moulds. 

Swirl the blue cocoa butter in the mould 

using a gloved finger. 

Temper the white chocolate and cast the 

shells. Allow to set. 

Pipe the ganache into the shells, leaving 2mm 

from the top to allow for the cap. 

Leave the ganache overnight to crystalise at 

16-18°C. 

Temper more of the white chocolate and 

cap the chocolates. 

Allow to set and contract. 

Turn out and enjoy. 

39

Belcolade 

Selection 

M. Plant-Based 

B.VEGANMILK15 

Download the recipe here 

“Well-balanced and 

creamy plant-based 

milk-alike chocolate 

revealing fine cocoa 

and nutty notes.” 

*Produced in a nut free site, on a production 

line free from dairy. In addition, this product is 

gluten free and without soy allergen.

Hazelnut crunch bars 


Prep time 1 hour | Serves 12 bars | Additional time overnight (12 hours) 

Shell 

Belcolade vegan milk-a-like chocolate 

Roasted hazelnuts 

Wrights of Lymm edible gold leaf 

Belcolade cocoa butter 

Method 

Temper the vegan chocolate and mould a 

shell. 

Hazelnut, cinnamon and cherry 

praline 

250g Sosa hazelnut praline 

50g roasted chopped hazelnuts 

35g Sosa cherry crispies (crushed slightly) 



Method 

Temper the vegan chocolate. 

Slightly heat the praline and add to the 

chocolate and mix to combine. 

Add in the hazelnuts, cherry crispies and 

ground cinnamon. 

Place mixture into a piping bag and pipe 

into shells leaving 2mm from the top of the 

mould to allow for a cap. 

Assembly 

Fill the shell with the praline and leave to 

crystallise. Cap the bars and turn out. Place 

on to a wire rack. 

Temper 300g vegan milk chocolate and 100g 

cocoa butter. 

Add the roasted and chopped hazelnut 

pieces (more for extra texture). 

Place the mixture into a piping bag and pipe 

over the top of the bars, ensuring all corners 

and sides are covered. For an extra crunchy 

texture, allow the bars to set and repeat. 

Once completely set you can garnish with 

edible gold. 

Perfect 

vegan treat 

41

Getting your offering 

right is important 

all year round but 

particularly so in the 

lucrative festive period. 

Luring customers – both new and returning 

– through your doors is key, and success 

rests on your choice of products and menus. 

Every business needs at least one Christmas 

showstopper to create a buzz, be that via 

word of mouth, visually in shop windows or 

on social media. 

With this in mind, we asked some of the UK’s 

leading chefs, bakers and chocolatiers to share 

their thoughts on what will be trending for 

Christmas 2022 and divulge what their festive 

showstoppers will be this year. 

Lee Ann Smith, Co-owner of Printed Chocolates in Whitland 

(www.printedchocolates.co.uk) 

“Within the chocolatier industry, I 

think we’ll be seeing a lot of enrobing 

this Christmas, either by hand or 

machine. Moulded chocolates are 

nice and pretty. They allow us 

as chocolatiers to show off our 

artistic side but I think chocolatiers 

are starting to experiment more 

with flavoured layers and going back 

to the more traditional ways 

of showing off the chocolate. “Everyone has 

done bon bons with colours so I think there’ll be a return to celebrating 

white, milk and dark chocolate. 

“I think caramel will still be top of the flavour profiles; people have 

perfected it and know how to use it. 

“Our showstopper Christmas product is a new product we’re launching 

called the Puzzle Me box. It’s a box of 16 chocolate squares with a 

personalised photo or design printed onto it. The squares are arranged 

all puzzled up so that the recipient has to put it together. It’s a fun and 

thoughtful gift and we think customers are going to love it.” 

202 

Christmas 

42 

Natalie Park, owner and head 

chocolatier at ChocTilly in 

Shropshire (www.choctilly.co.uk) 

“I’ve seen a massive change in how 

people shop. They’re looking for things where 

chocolate is good for them, is ethically sourced and doesn’t contain 

any ‘nasties’ such as palm oil. Consumers want to know what they are 

eating is healthy and better for them, and they associate high quality 

products with that. My business ethos is 100% about quality ingredients 

and which have been sourced ethically. My personal favourites are 

Belcolade Amber and the single origin Chocolat Madagascar range. 

I’m also passionate about working with smaller local businesses who 

have the same ethos. After Covid, consumers want to support 

smaller businesses. 

This Christmas I’ll be pushing the boundaries more than ever 

because you do need to stand out. I’ll be doing my own take on 

festive treats, such as mince pies and Christmas pudding, in the form 

of chocolate bonbons.” 

Halima Ferreira, Consultant 

Chef/Plant Based Nutritionist/ 

Culinary Medicine (www. 

tailoredtaste.co.uk) 

“Wellness is going be a key trend 

this Christmas. It’s in everything and 

everywhere. Particularly in the postpandemic 

era, people are making healthier 

food choices and cutting down on sugar, salt, dairy and 

gluten - which is so important for treating and reversing chronic 

disease and inflammation - and adding more fruits, vegetables and 

fibre into their diets. 

“Plant-based and sustainability of the planet are equally big trends, along 

with buying local and in season. There’s so much waste at Christmas so 

chefs need to be more innovative and find ways to use up leftover food. 

“My Christmas showstopper will be healthy truffles, made using deZaan 

cocoa powder and Belcolade’s milk-alike vegan chocolate, with a filling of 

leftover dates and prunes, with fennel and mint to aid digestion.”

Anthony Marshall, Executive Chef, 

London Hilton on Park Lane (www. 

hilton.com/en/hotels/lonhitwlondon-hilton-on-park-lane) 

Fruit and chocolate combinations 

will be a big trend this Christmas and 

our banquet showstopper will be a 

mandarin, clementine and chocolate 

dessert, created by our Head of Pastry 

Sam Leatherby, who joined us as an 

apprentice 12 years ago. It’s a chocolate fudge 

sponge which looks like a mandarin and, when it’s cut open, chocolate 

oozes out. 

More people are looking for vegetarian and vegan dishes this year too. It 

used to be just one or two people but now it can be as many as 20%. 

When we’re doing a banquet, we try to combine it so that we offer 

one plant-based dish that suits both vegans and vegetarians. 

We’ll also be doing a Winter Wonderland themed Christmas afternoon 

tea to tie in with the Winter Wonderland event held in Hyde Park. It 

includes a mini yule log, reindeer macaron and a mini tart piped to look 

like a Christmas tree. 

Our children’s afternoon tea is really popular too. It’s served on 

a mini picnic bench with a free teddy and includes two scones 

(one chocolate and one plain), a chocolate bear with name of 

the child on a plaque, a chocolate and mandarin lolly, Rocky 

Road, lemon meringue cupcake, and a berry chocolate cupcake. 

2’s 

crackers 

Lydia Walter, Operations Director at 

Buzzy Bee Bakery in Cheshire (www. 

BuzzyBeeBakery.co.uk) 

“I think the Christmas trend in bakery this year will 

be classic flavours with a current twist, for example, 

the classic Bakewell tart flavour turned into a 

Blondie yule log roll with almond flavoured white 

chocolate spread, homemade 

cherry jam and fresh 

cherries. The dessert 

will be perfect for the 

older generations 

to enjoy and be 

‘Instagram-able’ for the 

younger generations to 

capture. 

Christmas is our busiest 

time of year, we aim to 

provide people all over the 

UK with our Brookie selection boxes or, for local 

customers, our biggest seller will be our Brownie 

Yule Logs. We make these in a range of flavours 

but the most popular is our Biscoff, Salted Caramel 

Cheesecake Brownie Log. We started selling slices of 

these rolls in the shop and they have easily become 

one of our best sellers so I can only assume they 

will be what everyone wants for their festive dessert 

table showstopper.” 

Conor Laker, Head Chef at a private members 

club, London 

With many of our members missing out on the 

club’s festivities the past few years, we are expecting 

a stonking year. Clubs have always had a reputation 

of school dinner food - heavy and dated – but clubs 

are currently having a revival and members expect more 

these days. 

This year we are focusing on bringing British club classics into the 21st century. 

Henley Bridge has been helping us to do this by following the same flavour profiles 

of classic British and French desserts but adding a twist to them and using specialist 

pastry ingredients to present them in new surprising ways for our members. We use 

many products to change the textural characteristics of flavours to reproduce those 

classic desserts but with a wow factor. 

For me it is about getting a balance between taste, texture and flavour and 

not going over the top with specialist products which can sometimes end up 

with a gimmicky dish. 

Our Christmas showstopper is often the gingerbread house replica of our clubhouse. 

Each year it gets bigger and bigger! We use HB ingredients to help add to the 

aesthetics: 

Sugar-moulded members of staff, fake snow, stained glass isomalt windows. 

Christmas hampers go alongside our day-to-day desserts, with handmade truffles and 

pastry items. 

“We are looking forward to using HB ingredients this year to push the standard even 

higher to treat our members to stuff they missed these past years. London’s food 

scene seems to be holding strong through these hard times and by working together 

with suppliers to ensure we stay at the top of our game we will see it through.” 

43

CONNECTING PASTRY CHEFS WITH RESPONSIBLE VANILLA, 

RIGH FROM THE SOURCE 

Creation: Agencie - Photo credits: Studio des fleurs, Cherrystone 

In collaboration with pastry chefs from L’École Valrhona and 

clients who are passionate about vanilla, we have spent several 

months developing THE recipe that brings together all the parts 

of the bean and reveals all its aromatic complexity. In one simple 

step, instantly add the delicate and intense character of Bourbon 

vanilla from Madagascar to your creations.

Dark chocolate and cherry bon bons 

Recipe by Dominic Hutchings 

Prep time 90 minutes | Cook time 20 minutes | Serves 40 | Additional time 6 hours 

Chocolate shells 



Chocolatree red cocoa butter 

Method 

Melt and temper the cocoa butter, spray 

the cocoa butter into the mould covering 

completely and allow to set. 

Temper the chocolate and create your shells. 

Ensure to allow them to completely set before 

filling. 

For full details on tempering please see website. 

Sour cherry pate de fruit 

105g Leonce Blanc sour cherry puree 

14.5g caster sugar (1) 

2.62g Sosa pectin jaune 

112g caster sugar (2) 


2.37g Sosa citric acid 

Method 

Place the cherry puree in a pan and bring to 

40ºC. Add in the sugar (1) and pectin and using 

a whisk, mix together and bring to the boil 

Once boiling, add in the sugar (2) and glucose, 

then bring to 105ºC. 

When the pate de fruit reaches the 

temperature, remove from the heat, whisk in 

the citric acid, and pour into a jug. 

Let it set completely for minimum 3 hours and 

using a hand blender, blitz until smooth and 

place into a piping bag. 

Pipe in a small amount to fill 1/3 of the bon 

bon and put to the side for the ganache. 

Dark chocolate and kirsch ganache 



198g whipping cream 



33g Grandes Distilleries Peureux Kirsch 

Method 

Place the cream and glucose in a pan and bring 

to the boil. Pour over the chocolate and let it 

sit for 1 minute. 

Emulsify using a hand blender and then add in 

the butter and kirsch. 

Blitz until smooth and let it cool to 30ºC. 

Once it has reached this temperature, place 

into a piping bag and pipe the ganache into 

the cavity leaving a 2mm gap at the top for the 

crispy layer. 

Dark chocolate and cherry crispy 

layer 

150g 70% Ecuador and Peru blend 

Republica del Cacao 

40g Callebaut feuilletine 

30g Sosa cherry crispy 

Method 

Melt the chocolate to 45ºC and add in the 

cherry crispy and wafer pieces. 

Mix until fully combined and then roll between 

two pieces of baking paper to a 2mm thickness. 

Let it completely set and then using a circular 

cutter, cut out discs that just a bit smaller than 

the size of the cavity. 

Place on top of the ganache and carefully push 

so it comes around the sides and is level. 

Leave to set for minimum of 3 hours. 

Assembly 

Re-temper the chocolate and place into a 

piping bag. Using a heat gun, carefully heat the 

top of the shells only for a second so that it 

creates a seal around the sides. 

Pipe the chocolate over the cavities, level using 

a palette knife and then using the chocolate 

scraper, scrape off any excess leaving a clean flat 

bottom to your chocolates. 

Leave at room temperature for 30 minutes 

to set before turning them out. If a couple 

aren’t releasing, place the mould into the fridge 

for 10-15 minutes and then all of them should 

fall out. 

45

Christmas pudding bon bons 


Prep time 1 hour | Cook time 5 minutes | 42 chocolates | Additional time overnight (12 hours) 

Cranberry and Dom Pacello gel 

150g cranberry juice 

100g stock syrup 

15g Sosa gelcrem cold 

10g Grandes Distilleries Peureux Dom 

Pacello 

Method 

Blend together all ingredients using a hand 

blender. 

Allow the mixture to hydrate for at least 30 

minutes. 

Blend again to achieve a final glossy 

consistency. 

Place the gel into a piping bag. 

Christmas pudding ganache 


80g Christmas pudding 


200g Belcolade 55% Cacao Trace dark 

chocolate 

20g Grandes Distilleries Peureux Camus 

Ile de Re cognac 

Method 

Bring the cream and invert sugar to the boil. 

Pour over the Christmas pudding and 

chocolate and allow to sit for a couple 

minutes. 

Use a hand blender to emulsify the mixture. 

Add the cognac and blend again. 

Allow the mixture to cool to 32°C before 

placing into a piping bag. 

Shell 

1kg Belcolade 55% Cacao Trace dark 

chocolate 

200g Belcolade Cacao Trace white 

chocolate 

8 drops Chocolatree red cocoa butter 

Method 

Temper the dark chocolate and make the 

shells. 

Once filled and turned out, temper the white 

chocolate and pipe a drip effect on the top 

of the chocolate and allow to set. 

Temper some red coloured chocolate using 

white chocolate and red cocoa butter. 

Pipe 3 small dots on top of the white 

chocolate drip. 

Assembly 

Create the shells. 

Pipe the cranberry and Dom Pacello gel half 

way. 

Pipe the Christmas pudding ganache filling 

all the way to the top leaving 2mm from the 

edge of the shell to allow capping. 

Temper some more dark chocolate and cap 

off the chocolates. 

Allow the chocolate to completely set and 

contract. 

Turn out the chocolate and finish decorating. 

46

Yuletide tipples and trends 

This Christmas and New Year, consumers are expected to 

celebrate in style after two years of seeing parties quashed by 

Covid and social distancing measures. 

As revellers hit the town in search of festive fun, it’s vital that bartenders have a 

cocktail menu that will draw in the crowds. 

Here, award-winning mixologist and Dilmah Tea ambassador Alberto Pizarro 

shares his thoughts on the latest drinks trends for the party season . . . 

The spirit of Christmas 

Rum, brandy and whiskey 

cocktails will be on popular 

this Christmas because of 

their warming qualities. Old- 

Fashioneds are a bartender’s 

favourite but create them 

with a twist by introducing 

concentrated tea and honey. 

In the heat of the 

moment 

Hot alcoholic drinks are 

always welcome during the 

colder months. Avoid hot 

vodka and gin, but spirits 

such as Amaretto, Bailey’s, 

schnapps and Kahlua, are 

delicious on a freezing day. 

Gluwein is a well-known 

festive favourite and a 

great takeaway drink, but 

also consider chai tea with 

bourbon and a dash of honey 

or maple syrup. 

Familiar flavours 

People want flavours they are 

familiar with so it’s important 

to title your cocktails carefully 

so as not to confuse. Some 

flavours are less dominant 

than others so it’s a good 

idea not to reference the 

more unusual ones for fear of 

putting customers off trying 

them. 

People tend to make their 

cocktail choices based on one 

ingredient. 

Brand names of liqueurs 

such as Charteuse, are not 

instantly recognisable so keep 

those out of your menu 

descriptions for the same 

reason. 

Core knowledge 

Apple flavours will be a big 

trend this Christmas. I don’t 

know anyone who doesn’t 

like apple. It might not be 

their favourite fruit but 

everyone likes it! 

Cloudy apple juice has a 

completely different flavour 

profile and density to clear 

juice, which is fresher in 

flavour. 

Try making a spiced apple 

strudel and brandy cocktail 

with cognac, Disaronno and 

Madeira wine; an apple and 

ginger mojito, or a striking 

Appletini. 

For a delicious winter warmer, 

combine 150ml Dilmah apple 

pie and vanilla tea, 40ml 

cognac, 50ml orange juice and 

20ml maple syrup. 

Alcohol abstainers 

Low and no alcohol drinks 

are become more important 

every year as people opt 

to be super-healthy. As a 

consequence, most of the big 

brands have launched alcoholfree 

options. 

Be aware that it can be 

difficult to replicate the 

alcoholic versions exactly 

because the alcohol itself has 

a flavour within the profile of 

the drink, so experiment with 

the alcohol-free versions to 

invent your own stand-alone 

mocktails. 

In some cases, the alcoholfree 

spirits are more 

expensive because it takes 

double the amount of 

processes to create the 

complex flavours. Some 

customers find this difficult to 

understand so it’s important 

to try and communicate that 

message. 

A glass act 

It’s not just what you serve 

but how you serve it! More 

and more bartenders are 

creating their own glassware 

to stamp their unique identity 

onto their offering. 

The Mariposa Negra in 

Barcelona (Mariposanegrabar. 

com), for example, uses a 3D 

printer to design pottery and 

ceramics in which to serve 

their cocktails. 

The pots are handpainted 

and are also available to buy 

– creating another income 

stream! 

I love this idea because it links 

in so well with the concept of 

selling handcrafted drinks and 

spirits. 

I’ve also seen various 

examples of handmade 

coasters, made with things like 

crushed mussel shells, which 

send a great message in terms 

of sustainability. 

I’ve even seen used tea leaves 

mixed with natural resin to 

make beautiful coasters. 

For cocktails which include 

tea, try serving them in quirky 

teacup cocktail glasses. 

47

Ambient fruit 

purées 

NO ADDED 

SUGAR 

Ambient fruit purées. 

Apricot, pineapple and pear: the range continues to innovate 

Produced to the same exacting standards that have guided Les vergers 

Boiron since 1942, their quality taste and ease of use make these purées 

essential tools for culinary professionals all over the world.

Tulle 

Cocktail by Luca Cordiglieri 

Ingredients: Vodka 50ml | Maraschino 15ml | Chartreuse green 10ml 

Boiron pear puree 50ml | Lime juice 20ml 

Serve with a slice of pear and garnish with grated nutmeg. 

49

DEZAAN HOT CHOCOLATE 

FOR THE TASTE OBSESSED 

Crafted from 100% single origin cocoa mass and cocoa powder 

from Ghana, deZaan hot chocolate delivers roasted cocoa, vanilla, 

and caramel notes with a velvety chocolate finish. 

NEW FOR 

AUTUMN / 

WINTER 

2022 

55% 

COCOA 

EASY 

TO USE 

VEGAN 

Gluten Free 

No 

preservative 

or additives 

50 

@dezaancocoa 

#dezaanhotchocolate #dezaancocoa 

Request a deZaan 

Hot Chocolate sample 

>

Silky smooth single origin 

Premium hot chocolate is a key item 

on any hot beverages menu and can 

generate important sales. 

With more and more consumers becoming better informed 

about quality ingredients and their sustainability credentials, 

operators are advised to make their choices wisely. 

DeZaan’s new easy-to-use cocoa mix (2kg) delivers on all 

counts. Crafted from 100% single origin cocoa from Ghana, 

it combines roasted cocoa, vanilla and caramel notes with a 

velvety chocolate finish. 

Containing no preservatives or artificial flavours, it’s 

suitable for vegans when made with plant-based milk. 

Hot chocolate 

40g (4 tablespoons) hot chocolate powder 

200ml milk 

Intense hot chocolate 

55g (5½ tablespoons) hot chocolate powder 

200ml milk 

Barista method 

Blend 200ml milk of your choice with either 40g 

or 55g hot chocolate powder. Using the espresso 

machine steam wand, steam and stir to approximately 

60°C. Pour into a cup and enjoy! 

Serving suggestions 

Top with whipped cream and marshmallows 

Create decorative swirls with chocolate sauce 

Add a touch of indulgence by grating deZaan Quito 

Oro chocolate on top 

Dust with one of deZaan’s six vibrant cocoa powders 

for a colourful finish 

Flavour additions 

Adding an extra layer of flavour is a great way to 

premiumise your hot chocolate and add variety 

to your menu. Adding a splash of alcohol will 

create the ultimate adult winter warmer. Here 

are some great flavours to try: 

Irca Joypaste cinnamon flavour paste 

(available in 1.2kg tubs) 

Irca Joypaste white mint flavour paste (1.2kg) 

Irca Joypaste caramel flavour paste (1.2kg) 

Grandes Distilleries Peureux Massenez 

Kirsch 48% (1l) 

Grandes Distilleries Peureux Dom Pacello 

Royal Orange original 60% (1l) 

Grandes Distilleries Peureux Boisson 

Spiritueuse Amaretto 60% (1l) 

USEFUL TIP . . . 

A 2kg bag makes 

12 litres of 

hot chocolate 

51


@hbingredients 



@HenleyBridge 

T: +44 (0)1273 476 721 

E: sales@hbingredients.co.uk 


Cocoa House 

15 Cliffe Industrial Estate 

Lewes, East Sussex 

BN8 6JL 

View our Magic of 

Christmas collection: 

www.hbingredients.co.uk/ 

collections/the-magic-ofchristmas-collection 

1087/0822

Henley Bridge the Magic of Christmas 2022

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