A dessert table at Christmas is a thing of joy. But everyone has a slightly different idea of what the perfect Christmas dessert selection is and everybody’s budget is varied. We’ll pick three of our favourite festive sweet treats and give you the rundown on how to make each cheaply. Mince pies and a Christmas pudding are a given, so let’s explore some other options.
1. The Yule Log
This humble chocolate log is a childhood favourite of almost everyone. With its beautiful rounded shape and different textures combined with that essential sprinkle of wintery icing sugar, it makes a lovely centrepiece on a table. Use canned raspberries instead of fresh to save a few pennies. Skip chocolate garnishes and save your chocolate for the main event of the log.
2. Black Forrest Trifle
A Black Forrest trifle is pretty easy to customise to your guests tastes and preferences. Start with broken up pre-bought chocolate brownies and then drench them in cherry liquid and your cherries. You could customise the trifle by adding any kind of toppings you want. Tradition is great, but it’s also cool to mix things up! Some of the ingredients may run expensive, but this is where RIFT UK can really help out with tax advice, making sure that you have free funds to spend.
3. Pannetone
This delicious Italian dessert is one of the most moreish items you’ll find on any dessert table. It’s a fruitcake that’s usually eaten at Easter or at Christmas. Any leftovers can be reborn as a delicious bread and butter pudding. It tastes great paired with custard, or even something fancy like cinnamon and current cream. You’ll need a special mould if you fancy making your own – a pannetone is supposed to be high and round. Search eBay for cheap cake moulds.
Add to your ‘main event’ cakes with cheaper extras such as chocolate coins, penny sweets like boiled candies and assorted licorice, not forgetting traditional items such as candy canes and even sugared fruit. You can save money by DIY-ing the tabled decorations instead of buying expensive items that you only use once. Try painting the table with an illustration rather than buying a printed tablecloth. You can also use online price checkers to find the cheapest ingredients – you might have to shop around. Specialist cake shops tend to sell things at astronomical prices, so look on the internet for extras that are hard to find.