Let’s get festive with these recipes from Le Creuset

If there’s one thing synonymous with the festive season, it’s the glorious aromas that make their way from the kitchen through the home and beyond. This season, Le Creuset shares three recipes with us that epitomise indulgence and deliciousness. Whether for an intimate family gathering or a larger, more social get-together, these recipes are sure to impress.

Christmas snowflake bread

The perfect centrepiece for your Christmas celebrations. | Serves 8.

INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp coconut/ castor sugar
7g fast-action dried yeast
180ml lukewarm oat milk
60g salted vegan butter, melted
320g plain flour

Filling
65g salted vegan butter, softened but not melted
5tbsp coconut/ castor sugar
4 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cocoa (optional)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Dusting/topping options:
Icing sugar
Coconut cream glaze

METHOD
1. In a bowl, combine your lukewarm oat milk, sugar, and instant yeast, whisk, and then set aside for 10 minutes. Stir in your melted vegan butter, then add the flour. Mix everything until well combined, and then transfer the dough onto a greased surface.
2. Use some melted vegan butter, lightly coat your hands, and then knead the dough for at least 10min. You can use some flour if the dough gets sticky.
3. Transfer the dough into a greased bowl and grease the top of your dough with a little more vegan butter. Cover and set aside until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
4. In a bowl, combine your butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, and sugar to make a spreadable paste.
5. Knead your risen dough back into shape and then divide it into 4 smaller pieces. Roll out the first piece of dough onto some baking paper.
6. Place a medium-sized plate or bowl over the rolled-out dough and trim off the excess dough to make it a perfect circle. Spread roughly 1 heaped tablespoon worth of filling onto the dough but leave some clean space around the edges.
7. Roll out another piece of dough in a circle shape and transfer the dough by placing a rolling pin in the middle of the dough, folding it over the pin, and then lifting it to place over the first layer. Spread the filling and repeat.
8. For the fourth dough round, don’t spread any filling – this is the top of the bread.
9. Place a small cup or bowl in the middle and gently press to make an indent in the centre. Cut the dough 8 times, starting from quarters, into 8ths, and then 16ths.
10. Then pick up two sections, twist them away from each other, press the ends together, and make a point shape. Repeat until you have no sections left. Your snowflake bread should have 8 sections.
11. Brush the bread with melted vegan butter and lightly dust with castor sugar. Cover with a kitchen towel and allow to rise again for another hour.
12. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
13. Transfer the bread to a Le Creuset Signature Shallow Casserole (still on the baking paper). Bake (without the lid) for 30 minutes until golden.
14. Dust with a bit of icing sugar or drizzle with a thin coconut glaze. Serve warm.

Image and recipe by @thehonestgrazer

Gingerbread cupcakes

Use the Le Creuset Holiday Bakeware Tray to make these extra-festive cupcakes in the shape of a gingerbread man, Christmas tree and snowflake. | Serves 8-10.

INGREDIENTS
450g self raising flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
4 1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp mixed spice
160g caster sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup canola oil (or another neutral oil)
200g golden syrup
200g molasses
1 1/2 cups boiling water
Icing (optional)
Pillsbury vanilla ready-made icing

METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 180°c and lightly grease a Le Creuset 12 cup Holiday Bakeware Tray.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the sifted plain flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, ginger, mixed spice, caster sugar and salt.
3. Add the golden syrup, treacle, canola oil and boiling water to the bowl and whisk until no lumps of flour remain.
4. Pour the batter into the tin and bake for about 12-15 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
5. Allow to cool, then pipe with the icing and enjoy. Alternatively, enjoy fresh and warm out of the oven.

Image and recipe by Georgia Roux @abiteofvegan_

Frozen Ice Cream Summer Fruit Cake

If you’re looking for a dessert with a difference that will cool you down but is still full of festive flavours, this ice cream cake is just the thing. | Serves 12.

INGREDIENTS
4 litres vanilla ice cream
375g raspberries
500g blueberries
600g strawberries
3 – 4 Tbsp. icing sugar

METHOD
Lightly mash 150g raspberries with a fork and 2 Tbsp. sifted icing sugar. In a small saucepan, add 360g blueberries and 2 Tbsp. icing sugar with a tablespoon or two of water and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and mash with a fork or masher. Do the same with the 400g chopped strawberries. Place the warm berries in the fridge to cool, keeping them separate from each other. Reserve the remaining whole berries for garnish.
Slightly soften 1 litre of vanilla ice cream at a time, so that it is easily spreadable with a spatula. Line the base of a Le Creuset TNS Bakeware 20cm Springform Cake Tin with a few layers of cling wrap before clipping the sides of the tin to the base to secure the cling wrap. Spoon the litre of ice cream into the base and top with raspberries. Place in the freezer to set, repeat with one more layer of ice cream and top with the chopped strawberries. Place back in the freezer to set overnight.
Repeat the same process with another cake tin and the remaining ice cream, but this time arranging the blueberries in the middle layer and leaving the top layer of ice cream bare. Set overnight in the freezer.
To unmould, wrap the tin in a hot cloth and run a hot palette knife around the edge of the cake and tin to help loosen the ice cream. Release the tin’s clip to unmould and place the strawberry and raspberry ice cream layer on a Le Creuset Footed Cake Stand. Top with the blueberry layer.
Once presented, separate the two layers before cutting into them to serve for easier and safer slicing. Top with remaining berries to serve.