With the festive season in full swing, get set to steal the show with our delicious party food recipes you can recreate at home. Read on to find out how to make tempting cranberry and goats cheese truffles and an indulgent gingerbead cheesecake – the perfect treats for a yuletide party!
Cranberry and goats cheese truffles
Makes 18
These mini festive bites are big on taste, loaded with creamy cheese, cranberries and crunchy pecans – and better yet, they’re made in just 15 minutes!
- 280g goats cheese
- 170g cream cheese
- 2 tbsp maple syrup or honey
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Pinch of salt and black pepper
- 100g dried cranberries, finely chopped
- 150g pecans, finely chopped
- 20g fresh thyme, leaves picked
- 20g fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
To serve
- Crackers or crostini of your choice
- Maple syrup or honey for dipping
- To make the cheese centre, beat the goat’s cheese, cream cheese, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, pepper and maple syrup using an electric mixer until combined. The mixture should be light and fluffy.
- Fold in half the pecans and refrigerate for 15 minutes, so it firms up just a little.
- To make the crumb, add the remaining pecans, cranberries, thyme and a pinch of salt and pepper to a bowl. Stir to combine.
- Use an ice cream scoop to scoop out a ball of the cheese mixture. Gently toss it in the crumb to coat. Repeat this until all you have used all of the cheese mixture.
- All the truffles to set in the fridge for at least two hours before serving. Serve with crackers or crostini of your choice and extra maple syrup or honey for dipping.
Test kitchen tip
You can make these truffles up to three days in advance of entertaining. Simply store them in an airtight container in the fridge.
Gingerbread cheesecake
Serves 10-12
This delectable dessert brings seasonal spices to your traditional, creamy no-bake cheesecake. It's a festive and indulgent treat that captures the essence of Christmas!
For the base
- 100g unsalted butter, melted
- 300g gingernut biscuits
For the filling
- 750g full-fat cream cheese
- 75g icing sugar
- 3 tsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 300ml double cream
To decorate
- 150ml double cream
- 1 tbsp icing sugar
- Gingerbread biscuits
- Line an 8-inch springform tin with parchment paper. Crush the gingernut biscuits. (You can place them in a sealed bag and use a rolling pin to crumble them, or you can pop them into a food processor.)
- Add the melted butter and mix until combined. Add the biscuit mixture to the tin in an even layer and use the back of a spoon to smooth. Place the tin in the fridge to chill while you make the filling.
- Whip the double cream and set it aside.
- Whisk the soft cheese and icing sugar until combined. Add the maple syrup, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg and whisk again until combined. Fold the double cream into the cheese mixture.
- Spread the mixture over the biscuit base, cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 5 hours to set.
- To decorate, whip the double cream and icing sugar, add it to a piping bag and pipe it on top of the cheesecake. Top with gingerbread biscuits and add a sprinkling of gingerbread crumbs to complete your showstopper.
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