Lisa Higginson
If there is one time of the year where we can indulge in sweet treats in the most shameless of ways, then Christmas is it. Full advantage should be taken of the season where itâs quite acceptable to polish off a tin of Quality Streets in one night and munch through mince pies like you wonât see them again for a year â and donât even get me started on the copious consumption of Stollen. However, none of these sugary pleasures come remotely close the ultimate indulgence of The River Restaurantâs special Christmas dessert tasting evening that is taking place in December.
Somehow, rumours of my dessert disposition found their way to the restaurantâs head pastry chef Austin Appleton and I was invited along for a sneak preview of the toe-curling eight-course Christmas Sweet Treats menu that is to be served for the special evening. Austin, who has worked at the Lowry Hotelâs prestigious eatery for six years, launched a monthly Sweet Treat night earlier this year in a bid to seduce sweet-toothed diners with a dessert only menu. Its success has been such that the former Juniper chef has been inspired to come up with a whole new series of salacious sweets for the festive themed evening on Sunday, December 6.
Naturally, I obliged and proceedings began with a frothy gulp of festive Eggnog. I have never been sold on this seasonal drink and have always had issues with the name of it, but Austinâs delicate nutmeg dusted version was incredibly light and sweet without being sickly, blowing all my reservations away. Next, a perfectly formed sugar glazed Cinnamon and orange tart arrived. Crisp, sweet pastry carried a deliciously smooth crème patisserie filling with a subtle orange zing and a hint of the ubiquitous Christmas spice.
A retro serving of Baked Alaska evoked funny memories for myself and my friend of our fudged attempt at the dessert during a home economics class many years ago. Fortunately, Austinâs flawless take on the delicacy was much more successful; the lightly baked gooey meringue mixture enclosed a scoop of delightful homemade apple, raisin and brandy ice cream to create the perfect hot/cold sensation. Next, a petit cylinder of Baileys Cheesecake showcased a surprisingly light texture, which I later discovered was due to the fact it had been naturally set without gelatine, and was certainly not as sickly as it sounded on paper thanks to the fresh tang of cheese against the liqueur.
Pretty pieces of crunchy Christmas tree-shaped gingerbread accompanied small tumblers of aromatic mulled wine, which was refreshing and fragrant without the vinegary aftertaste that often comes with many mulled wines. It wouldnât be a festive dessert evening without the inclusion of Christmas pudding and here it was cleverly disguised in a parfait. The nature of the main ingredient meant it had a slightly heavy texture, but it was wonderfully rich and bursting with fruity pudding flavour.
After a little rest, we were presented with a White chocolate and cranberry trifle that had been neatly packed into a shot/sherry glass and wrapped in an eye-catching apricot jelly ribbon. Gold nuggets of chopped nuts topped off the soft cream underneath which lay fresh cranberries that were cooked just enough to bring out their jammy, seasonal sweetness.
We began to feel a little defeated at this point â seven desserts in â but being the sweet-toothed troopers that were are, we were not going to be beaten, especially when the best had been saved until last and along came a Milk chocolate and chestnut mousse. We were heeded with a warning not to get our eyes too close to its protruding spun sugar spear as the kind waiter placed it in front of us, but that was the least of our concerns - devouring the velvety chocolate mound was. A dig inside the stunningly rich mousse revealed a chesnutty caramel centre that took the dish to exciting heights and the accompanying sugar coated chestnut was another delicious surprise.
This exquisite dessert marathon is certainly not for the faint hearted and if you are susceptible to a sugar rush following a Ferrero Rocher then I wouldnât recommend it to you either. However, if fine desserts are your thing and imaginative sweet treats sound appealing then I would get yourself straight there. Austinâs passion and skill for his culinary art is manifested in this excellent menu of dessert delights and this is the perfect opportunity to try it out.
The Christmas Sweet Treats Menu is £17.50 for eight courses from 5.30pm on Sunday, December 6.
The River Bar and Restaurant, The Lowry Hotel, 50 Dearmans Place, Chapel Wharf, Manchester, M3 5LH
T: 0161 827 4000
W: www.thelowryhotel.com