After Eight - butter croissant pudding with mint chocolate custard

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 reduced fat butter croissants
  
• 8 After Eight mints, roughly chopped
  
• 250ml semi skimmed milk
  
• 150ml half fat thick cream
  
• 2 medium eggs
  
• ¼ tsp vanilla bean extract
  
• 2 tsp golden caster sugar, for the top
  

To serve

• 1tbsp icing sugar for dusting

Method

Preheat the oven to 160°C, 325°F, Gas Mark 3. Grease a 20 cm (approximately 1 litre) baking dish.

Slice the croissants thickly and arrange the slices in the dish, scattered with the After Eight mints. In a large jug, beat the milk, cream, eggs and vanilla. Slowly pour the mixture over the croissants and sprinkle with sugar.

Place the dish in a deep roasting pan and pour enough boiling water to come half way up the sides. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes until the custard is softly set (has a slight wobble) and the top is puffy and golden. Dust with icing sugar and serve warm.

Tip - This is fabulous when made with slices of Panettone instead of croissant. You can prepare it a little in advance and keep in the fridge until ready to bake.

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After Eight - lime and mint chocolate posset

Serves: 6
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Chilling time: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 405g Carnation Light condensed milk
  
• 150ml half fat extra thick cream
  
• 4 unwaxed limes; finely grated zest and juice (150ml)
  
• 6 After Eight mints, sliced into thin strips
  

To serve

• reserve a few strips of After Eight mints for the top
• 1 tbsp fresh mint leaves, chopped, 1tsp granulated sugar and few drops of lime juice

Method

Whisk the condensed milk and cream together with an electric whisk, until light and foamy.

Add the lime juice and zest and whip for a couple of minutes to allow the mixture to thicken.

Spoon or pour two thirds of the lime cream into your serving dish and then lay the strips of After Eight mints over the top. Spread the remaining third of the cream over and chill the mixture for at least one hour.

To serve, mix the mint leaves with the sugar, moisten with a little juice and gently bruise the leaves with the back of a spoon.

Sprinkle over the top of the posset, adding a few strips of After

Eight mints to decorate.

Tip - The condensed milk thickens the cream naturally, when the lime juice is added. The flavour is refreshingly sharp: a good partner for the chocolate and mint.

After Eight - chocolate mint fondant sundaes

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Chilling time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 175g chocolate brownies or sponge cake
  
• 150g (18) After Eight mints
  
• 100 ml whipping cream
  
• 50g half fat crème fraiche
  

To serve

• 60 g half fat crème fraiche. 4 squares chocolate, grated

Method

Break the brownies into pieces and divide the chunks between 4 serving glasses.

Melt the After Eight mints very gently, for about 20 seconds, in a bowl in the microwave. Add 1 tbsp boiling water and stir until smooth and thick. Take about a third of this warm chocolate fondant and spoon it over the brownies in your serving glasses.

Next, whip the cream until thickened, not too stiff and then fold in the rest of the chocolate mixture and the crème fraiche.

Divide the chocolate mint cream between the four sundaes: you have layers of rich cake, dark chocolate mint fondant, and a lighter chocolate cream. Finish with a dollop of thick crème fraiche and a grating of chocolate.

Cover, pop the sundaes in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes and serve the same day.

Tip - choose the best quality chocolate brownies or cake for this recipe. You could try adding some chunky pieces of Christmas liqueur fruits, onto the sponge layer.