While many of us love to save space for the pudding, not everyone has a sweet palette. We don’t want to forget our savoury friends so we’re rounding up the best savoury desserts to impress.
Scones
Scones are an incredibly versatile after dinner treat. Hot buttered with a sprinkling of currants baked into the batter. Or topped with cream cheese and chives. You can, of course, bake cheese into your scone. We find that a mature cheddar or blue cheese works best to maintain the flavours after baking.
Rice Pudding
An 80s classic takes on the modern dinner table. Forget the condensed milk version that came with a skin on top at school. Today’s rice pudding is best cooked with coconut milk and turmeric. Play around with spices such as cardamom or cinnamon for extra flavour and serve with a cinnamon stick or star anise to pimp up your pudding.
Basundi
Indian cuisine is a great place to inspire the best savoury desserts. Basundi is made from thickened milk that is flavoured with cardamon and saffron. Add almonds and pistachios to serve and wow your guests with this simple savoury dessert.
Basil and Chilli Ice Cream
It may seem like cheating to create a savoury version of a sweet dish but this flavour combination will impress both your sweet and savoury diners. Basil gelato is popular in Italy and if you’re in London, you can order in from La Gelatiera.
Basil mixes well with the sweetness of the ice cream and adding chilli will give it that extra kick to end the meal.
Irish coffee
Coffee makes for a great palette cleanser at the end of a meal. Freshly brewed coffee served with a quality Irish whiskey and a dash of nutmeg. Feel free to skip the whipped double cream for anyone who prefers a sharper taste to their coffee.
Cheese Board
Perhaps the most popular of savoury desserts is the humble cheeseboard. A Christmas staple and enough to satisfy the savoury tastebuds year round. The beauty of a cheese board is that you can go to town on sampling cheeses you might not find in the local supermarket. Small batch cheeses, locally sourced, or pushing the limits on new flavours.
Whether you’re creating a sharing board for everyone or this is your own end of meal treat, the cheeseboard deserves the same level of awe as the most elegant sweet dessert.
And let’s not forget the crackers and chutneys that bring the flavours to life. To make it simple for you this Christmas, we’ve put together the ultimate cheeseboard hamper.
Savoury Desserts
Whether you’re entertaining the whole family this year or having a special meal at home, adding a savoury dessert can be a nice antidote to the rest of the chocolate and mince pies of the season.
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