Ultimate Festive Dessert Grazing Board

Name: Ultimate Festive Dessert Grazing Board
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 500 g strong white bread flour; 250 g dark chocolate; 250 g milk chocolate; 250 g shortbread chunks; 250 g toffee sauce; 100 g salted butter; 100 g unsalted butter, softened; 100 g golden caster sugar; 100 g dried cranberries; 100 g glacé cherries; 100 g white chocolate; 3 eggs; 50 g golden syrup; 7 g fast-action dried yeast; 1 tbsp ground ginger; 2 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp peppermint extract; 2 litres vegetable oil for deep-frying; 1 set assorted fruits, meringues, and biscuits for assembly

Impress your guests with this stunning holiday dessert board featuring homemade toffee-filled spiced doughnuts and marbled chocolate tiffin. It's a beautiful, interactive centerpiece perfect for Christmas parties and family gatherings.

Servings12 Portions

Prep Time60 Mins

Cook Time20 Mins

Difficulty

Advanced

Ingredients

strong white bread flour
500 g
dark chocolate
250 g
milk chocolate
250 g
shortbread chunks
250 g
toffee sauce
250 g
salted butter
100 g
unsalted butter, softened
100 g
golden caster sugar
100 g
dried cranberries
100 g
glacé cherries
100 g
white chocolate
100 g
eggs
3
golden syrup
50 g
fast-action dried yeast
7 g
ground ginger
1 tbsp
ground cinnamon
2 tsp
peppermint extract
1 tsp
vegetable oil for deep-frying
2 litres
assorted fruits, meringues, and biscuits for assembly
1 set

Step-by-Step Instructions

Prepare the tiffin base: Grease and line a 20cm square baking tin with parchment paper. In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (ensuring the bowl doesn't touch the water), melt 150g of dark chocolate, 150g of milk chocolate, the salted butter, and golden syrup. Once smooth, remove from heat and fold in the shortbread chunks, dried cranberries, peppermint extract, and halved glacé cherries. Press the mixture firmly into the tin and level with a spatula.

Create the marbled topping: Melt the remaining dark, milk, and white chocolates in three separate small bowls using the microwave in 20-second bursts. Spoon dollops of the melted chocolates over the tiffin base. Use a skewer or toothpick to gently swirl the colors together into a marble pattern. Refrigerate for at least 5 hours to set. Before serving, let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, then slice into 16 or 32 squares.

Start the doughnut dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine the yeast with 150ml of warm water. Let it sit for about 10 minutes until it becomes frothy. Stir in 50g of caster sugar, 1 tsp of salt, the eggs, bread flour, ground ginger, and 1 tsp of cinnamon. Knead the mixture on a floured surface or in a stand mixer with a dough hook for 5–10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.