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SWEET DREAMS

When life demands dessert, make sure your menu delivers. Here’s our edit of the puddings hitting the sweet spot this winter

Commence with the Cosy Season

From the velvety rich layers of a carefully assembled tiramisù to the creamy, decadent delights of a crème brûlée, some of the best culinary pleasures can be found on the dessert menu. Get it right, and you can almost expect guaranteed return custom from sweet-toothed diners. Get it wrong, and your dessert will be the disappointing end to a meal and a missed opportunity to wow at the final hurdle. 

Pistachio

Fuelled by a growing number of high-profile product launches over the last few years, Pistachio was officially 2024’s ‘it’ flavour, with Pinterest revealing that searches for pistachio butter increased by 240% compared to the previous year. Ride that wave into the new year and use pistachio cream as a filling for croissants, danishes and pastries, or add Exploding Bakery’s sour cherry and pistachio cake to your sweet treat lineup. 

True Icons

When it comes to desserts, everyone loves a classic. From an indulgent bread and butter pudding to a subtly spiced carrot cake, diners crave familiarity when they opt for something sweet. Give the iconics a 2025 twist with an injection of new flavour and texture – think sticky toffee pudding with black sesame ice cream and miso caramel, espresso martini baked cheesecake, Earl Grey lemon cake with hints of lavender, chocolate fudge cake with beetroot, and apple pie with a rosemary crust. A twist on tradition gives customers the comfort of familiarity with the excitement of something new.

Flavour Frontier

The dessert menu has long been a chef’s playground for unexpected flavour combinations and right now umami, sour and salty flavours are gaining momentum, with herbs like basil, sage and fennel becoming regulars on the sweet menu. Nudge desserts into #trending territory with small tweaks, like serving rhubarb sponge pudding with wild thyme ice cream from Destiny Foods. Or introduce limited edition wild-card pudding options to keep menus fresh and customers intrigued.

Winter Showstopper

A dish like our cover pavlova might be a classic, but it’s anything but ordinary. A crisp meringue with a cloud-like centre is filled to the brim with sumptuous cream and piled high with berries, figs, bites of pistachio and fresh orange zest, for maximum visual impact. Every bite is an irresistible play on texture and flavour, making it a triumphant finale to any celebratory winter meal. 

Blackberry, Fig, Raspberry
and Pistachio Pavlova

For the meringue

250g caster sugar

1 tsp white wine vinegar

4 egg whites

1 tsp cornflour

1 tsp vanilla extract


For the cream

500ml double cream 

50g icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract 
or paste


For the filling

150g blackberries 

150g raspberries 

3 figs, cut into quarters

50g shelled and crushed pistachios

1 orange, finely zested 

Blackberry coulis to drizzle


For the coulis

250g blackberries

50g golden caster sugar

½ tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 140°C (gas mark 1) and line a large baking tray with baking paper.


2. Put the sugar and white wine vinegar in a large bowl. Add one egg white and whisk for a minute. Add another egg white and whisk for a few minutes

before adding the remaining two whites. Whisk for a further 4-5 minutes until the meringue is stiff and shiny.


3. Dollop or pipe the mixture in a circle on baking paper, making sure the sides are higher than the centre. Bake in the bottom of the oven for 1.5-2 hours, or until the meringue is firm and crisp on the outside but soft and pillowy on the inside. Leave to cool. 


4. While the meringue bakes, create the coulis. Add blackberries, sugar and 100ml of water to a pan and bring to the boil. Stir in the vanilla extract, then simmer for five minutes. Tip the contents of the pan into a blender and puree, then strain through a sieve.

 

5. To create the cream filling, put the double cream, sugar and vanilla into a large bowl and whip until it just starts to hold its shape. 


6. To assemble the pavlova, place the meringue on a serving plate. Dollop the cream over it and spread, leaving a 4cm border around the edge. Pile the fruit, orange zest and pistachio over the cream, then drizzle with blackberry coulis. Dust 
with icing sugar and serve. 


Easy on the Eye

Cakes and bakes are getting more extra than ever. Spurred on by social media, naked cakes are out and elaborately-piped bakes with lashings of buttercream and layer upon layer of sponge are in. Vivid colours that look good on camera are key, and cakes that offer a surprise – whether it’s rainbow layers or sweets that come pouring out when you cut in – will continue to captivate customers, and their followers. 

Affordable Luxury

Value continues to be a keen driver of consumer choice, so flavours that feel a little luxurious but still have an accessible price point are an enticing combination. Salted honey tart, warm waffles topped with Devon Ice Cream Co’s Lotus Biscoff ice cream, dulce de leche cookies and butterscotch mousse with crushed praline all satisfy the craving for high-end satisfaction without the price tag.

SWEET STARS

Three more trends set to shape your dessert menu...

Inclusivity is everything

No longer an afterthought, desserts that are vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free (or all three) are rivalling traditional puddings on every level. For a quick crowd-pleaser, serve a vegan affogato made with plant-based ice cream from Northern Bloc.


Sugar Free Zone

Desserts that offer indulgence without sugar are gaining fast. Quinoa pudding, Greek yoghurt parfait with honey, avocado chocolate mousse or classic frozen berries and whipped coconut cream offer customers all the satisfaction with none of the guilt. 


Share the Love

Sharing desserts are nothing new, but they are as relevant as ever as diners look for ways to save money and reduce sugar. Amp up the romance this Valentine’s with a cookies and cream sundae for two, or for groups, add a mochi tasting plate or doughnut pile to your menu.



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