Ingredients

Serves 8

• 125g caster sugar
• 5 large egg yolks
• ½ vanilla pod
• 250ml double cream
• 250g leftover Christmas pudding, crumbled into small

Method

1. Line a 1kg loaf tin (about 10 x 20cm base measurement) with 2 or 3 layers of cling film (or you can use baking parchment if you prefer).
   
   
2. Put the sugar and 1ooml water in a small heavy-based saucepan and heat gently, stirring, until the sugar has fully dissolved. Increase the heat and bring the syrup to the boil. Put a sugar thermometer in the pan (if you have one) and boil until the syrup reaches 120ºC, i.e. the soft ball stage; this will take at least 10 minutes. If you don’t have a thermometer, test by dropping a little syrup into a glass of chilled water: it should form a soft, flexible ball.
   
   
3. While the syrup is boiling, put the egg yolks into a large bowl. Slit open the ½ vanilla pod and, using the tip of a small, sharp knife, scrape the seeds out onto the egg yolks. Beat lightly with an electric whisk.
   
   
4. As soon as the sugar syrup is ready, take the pan off the heat. Whisking constantly, trickle the hot syrup in a very thin thread onto the egg yolks. Keep moving the whisk around so the syrup is incorporated immediately. The idea is to ‘cook’ the egg yolks with the hot syrup.
   
   
5. Once the syrup is fully incorporated, whisk for several minutes more, until the mixture is very pale – almost white – and thick enough to hold a trail when the beaters are lifted. Leave to cool (this should only take a few minutes).
   
   
6. Meanwhile, lightly whip the cream. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the whisked mixture, then add the crumbled Christmas pudding and fold in lightly.
   
   
7. Tip the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and flip the overhanging cling film over the surface to enclose the parfait. Freeze for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight, until firm.
   
   
8. The next day, when you’re ready to dish up, peel back the cling film (or parchment) from the top, invert the parfait onto a board and peel off the cling film (or parchment). Cut into thick slices and serve immediately.

Tips and swaps

Alternatively, you can use Christmas cake in the parfait – just remove all the icing and almond paste first. Even a few really good mince pies can be chopped up and added in place of the Christmas pudding.