As the final hours of the year approach, celebrated baker and author Helen Goh has unveiled a pair of spectacular dessert recipes designed to bring 2025 to a close with style and flavour. Her creations promise to be the crowning glory of any New Year's Eve celebration, offering both a show-stopping centrepiece and a sophisticated, make-ahead treat for hosts.
The Espresso Martini Pavlova: A Festive Fusion
Goh's pièce de résistance is a breathtaking Espresso Martini Pavlova, a dessert that masterfully combines the iconic flavours of the popular cocktail with the delicate, cloud-like texture of a classic pavlova. This isn't merely a meringue topped with coffee; it's a carefully engineered symphony of tastes and textures.
The base is a crisp yet chewy coffee-infused meringue disc, providing the perfect foundation. It is then lavishly topped with a coffee and Kahlúa-spiked mascarpone cream, which delivers the rich, boozy notes essential to an Espresso Martini. The final flourish is a glossy coffee syrup drizzle and a scattering of dark chocolate-covered coffee beans, adding crunch and intensifying the coffee experience.
Helen Goh emphasises the practicality of this stunning dessert for a busy host. The components can all be prepared in advance – the meringue base stored in an airtight container, the cream mixture chilled, and the syrup ready to go. Assembly takes just minutes before serving, allowing you to enjoy the party rather than being stuck in the kitchen.
The Decadent New Year's Eve Bar
For those seeking an equally indulgent but more handheld option, Goh's second offering is a luxurious New Year's Eve Bar. This recipe is a dense, fudgy chocolate base, studded with chunks of good-quality dark chocolate and a hint of sea salt to balance the sweetness.
What elevates this bar is its sophisticated topping: a layer of smooth coffee ganache, again nodding to the espresso theme, finished with a delicate sprinkle of edible gold leaf or glitter for a truly celebratory touch. Like the pavlova, these bars can be made a day or two ahead, their flavour improving as they settle, making them a stress-free choice for festive entertaining.
Tips for a Flawless Festive Finale
Helen Goh, known for her precise yet approachable recipes from her column and books, includes key advice for success. For the pavlova, ensuring your mixing bowl is completely free of grease is non-negotiable for achieving stiff, glossy peaks. She also recommends adding a teaspoon of cornflour to the meringue mixture, a chef's secret for a marshmallowy interior.
When making the bar, Goh advises using the best dark chocolate you can find, as it is the dominant flavour. She also suggests lining the tin with parchment paper with overhanging edges, which guarantees you can lift the entire slab out cleanly for easy cutting into neat, elegant portions.
These recipes are more than just desserts; they are a gesture of festive generosity and a delicious way to mark the transition into the new year. With Helen Goh's expert guidance, even novice bakers can present a professional and unforgettable sweet ending to their New Year's Eve festivities.
