Best easy Christmas recipes: See the amazing Arnott’s biscuit hacks for tiramisu, reindeer cookies and a crowd-pleasing cake
A chef has revealed how Australian chefs can easily create festive Christmas desserts using their favorite biscuits.
Arnott's Chef Ness has shared how to easily prepare a tiramisu with Scotch Fingers, make a three-ingredient cake with Choc Ripple biscuits and decorate Milk Arrowroots into adorable edible reindeer.
The simple and affordable recipe hacks are perfect for those who don't want to spend a lot of money on Christmas desserts or brush up on their baking skills.
Arnott's Scotch Finger Tiramisu
Chef Ness's Scotch Finger Tiramisu takes just 20 minutes to prepare before chilling in the refrigerator overnight.
You will need a loaf pan lined with baking paper. Mix two tablespoons of instant coffee and caster sugar in boiling water and stir to dissolve.
Arnott's chef Ness (pictured) has shared how to prepare three decadent but simple recipes for a festive Christmas dessert using biscuits
RECIPE: Arnott's Scotch Finger Tiramisu
Chef Ness's Scotch Finger Tiramisu takes just 20 minutes to prepare before chilling in the refrigerator overnight
Ingredients
- 250g pack of Arnott's Scotch Finger biscuits
- 2 tablespoons instant coffee
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 300 ml thickened cream
- 250 grams mascarpone
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- Fresh berries to serve
Method
- Line the bottom and sides of a 7 x 3-inch loaf pan with baking paper, allowing the baking paper to extend 2 cm above the edge of the pan.
- Combine the coffee and sugar with 200ml boiling water, stir to dissolve the sugar and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, beat the cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form; gently fold the mascarpone into the cream until combined and smooth.
- Spread 1/2 cup of cream mixture into the bottom of the pan. Take 4 Scotch Finger cookies and soak each cookie in the coffee mixture for 30 seconds, or until they start to soften. Place the cookies snugly in the bowl, sprinkle with cocoa and repeat so that you have 3 layers of cookie-cream mixture.
- Finish with a layer of cream and dust with cocoa; store in the refrigerator overnight.
- Please note, you still have 2 cookies left from the package; chop these into pieces for garnish when you serve.
- When ready to serve, transfer to a serving platter and top with remaining chopped Scotch Finger biscuits. Slice with a sharp knife and serve with fresh berries.
After whipping the thickened cream and mixing it with mascarpone, dip the Scotch fingers in the coffee and sugar water for 30 seconds until they start to soften.
Place the Scotch Fingers in the bread tin with a little cocoa powder and cream and repeat until the bread tin is full.
Top it off with another layer of cocoa powder and put it in the refrigerator overnight.
There should be two biscuits left that can be crushed and used as a garnish when serving the tiramisu.
Arnott's Easy Choc Ripple Cake
Home cooks need just three ingredients: choc ripple cookies, thickened cream and fresh berries, to make the no-bake chocolate cake that can serve between eight and 10 guests.
After whipping the cream, place two tablespoons on a Choc Ripple cookie and sandwich with another cookie and repeat.
Place the cookie pairs around the edge of a round springform pan to form a wreath, then cover with more cream and chill in the refrigerator for six hours or overnight.
Once set, carefully remove the wreath from the tin, brush with the remaining cream and top with fresh berries to serve.
RECIPE: Easy Arnott's Choc Ripple Cake
This chocolate ripple cake is an instant crowd pleaser
Ingredients
Method
- Place the cream in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
- To make the Chocolate Ripple Cake, spread about 2 teaspoons of cream on one cookie and place another cookie on top. Repeat this process and then place the cookies on their sides in a round springform pan with a 22 cm base.
- Continue adding sandwich cookies to form a wreath shape.
- Spread the completed wreath with enough cream to cover. You will use about 38 cookies and about two-thirds of the cream. Let cool for six hours or overnight. Reserve the remaining cream to finish the wreath before serving.
- When ready to serve, loosen the springform pan and remove the sides. Carefully place your serving plate over the wreath and gently turn it upside down. Divide the remaining cream over the wreath and top with fresh berries.
Milk Arrowroot Reindeer
A sweet snack that the kids will love is reindeer decorated with Chef Ness's Milk Arrowroot.
Melt the white chocolate in the microwave and spread a small amount on the back of a Milk Arrowroot cookie.
Before setting the chocolate, use a red M&M for the reindeer's nose, place two candy eyes and stick two Tiny Teddies face down as antlers and let them rest until set.
RECIPE: Reindeer decorated with Milk Arrowroot
Ingredients
- 30 Arnott's Milk Arrowroot Cookies
- 290 g white chocolate melts
- 60 chocolate little teddies
- 60 candy eyes
- 30 red choc buttons
Method
- Place the white chocolate melts in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave your bowl of melts on medium power for 60 seconds until melted, stirring between each burst.
- Spread the melted chocolate over the flat side of the cookies with a spoon. Place Tiny Teddys face down in place in front of the antlers. Add candy eyes and red choc button for the nose. Leave until it has hardened.
Tip: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.