Category: Christmas

For all your holiday recipes. Favourite party foods, cosy and comforting meals, drinks and ideas for using the seasonal feasts leftovers.

Espresso Caramel Ice Cream

Espresso Caramel Ice Cream

A delicious soft serve ice cream, creamy and luscious. The combination of strong coffee and sweet Carnation caramel make for a velvety textured ice cream.

Note: Should you require a alcohol free version you can leave out the brandy. It does make it a firmer ice cream, but still extremely delicious. I also so often when I am making this reserve two tablespoons of caramel and double cream and when ready to eat I warm it together, in a tiny pan. To make a warm runny caramel sauce to pour over as I eat.

Ingredients

397 g Carnation Caramel
300 ml Double Cream
2 tsp Instant espresso powder
25 ml Brandy

Directions

Using a stand mixer or electric hand held mixer whip together the caramel and cream until you have a soft whipped creamed consistency.

Add the espresso powder and brandy and give a brief mix until it reaches a softly whipped cream consistency again.

Decant into a freezer safe container and freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight until set.

Mulled cider braised red cabbage

Mulled Cider Red Cabbage

I love cranberries and use the repeatedly in many dishes over the Christmas period. I have for quite awhile been using them in my braised cabbage. This recipe is fairly new to me. I make cider braised red cabbage quite a bit and recently I had leftover mulled cider and thought why not add it to my cabbage I normally would add cider, star anise and cinnamon to the pan anyways doing it with leftover mulled cider made sense as these are the key ingredients to any mulled cider. So if you haven’t got mulled cider simply use the same amount of apple cider along with a star anise and a cinnamon stick.
It never ceases to amaze may just how far this goes, I cool and freeze half for future use.

Ingredients

1 Red cabbage
2 Eating apples
25 g Soft brown sugar
125 g Cranberries
2 tsp Sea salt flakes
500 ml Mulled cider

Directions

Remove outer leaves from the cabbage, cut into quarters and remove the stem, finely slice. Add to a heavy based casserole.

Core the apples and cut into small dice, no need to peel and add to the pan with the cabbage.

Sprinkle over the brown sugar and cranberries. Pour over the mulled cider. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and place a tight fitting lid on, simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring frequently until the cabbage is tender.

sausage, apple and sage stuffing

Sausage, Sage & Apple Stuffing

For me Christmas dinner is all about tradition and it is traditional in our house to have a sausage meat stuffing. I use a couple of eggs in the stuffing to bind it all together so that it can be sliced later into thick slices and squeezed between two slices of thick good bread with some cold turkey, hot crispy bacon, bread sauce and a little cranberry sauce too.

Making ahead: After the sausage meat mixture has been cooked and breadcrumbs stirred through, cover with cling film and refrigerate. When ready to cook add the eggs and continue on as normal with the recipe.

Ingredients

2 Onions, peeled
25 g Butter
Drizzle of olive oil
500 g Sausage meat
1 Small bunch of fresh sage, about 6 – 8 leaves
2 Pink lady eating apples
120 g Fresh breadcrumbs
2 Eggs

Directions

Heat oven to 200°C/180°C fan. Finely chop the onions and add to a large frying pan along with the butter and a drizzle of olive oil. Cook over a low heat until the onions are almost translucent. Crumble in the sausage meat, break it up with a wooden spoon as your cooking. Cook for approx 10 minutes until the sausage meat is cooked through.

Meanwhile, Grate the two apples, I don’t bother to peel and I grate them directly into the pan to save on washing up. Chop the sage leaves and add to the pan cook stirring everything together until the grated apple is soft. Then switch off the heat and allow the stuffing mixture to cool.

If your pan is big enough add the breadcrumbs to the pan of now cooled stuffing mixture and stir them in until fully incorporated. If your pan isn’t big enough to take everything tip it all into a large mixing bowl and stir together.

Crack in the two eggs and mix together before turning out into a greased oven proof dish. Smooth the top of the stuffing with a wooden spoon and bake for 40 minutes.

Honey Roast Parsnips

Honey Roast Parsnips

I don’t think Christmas dinner would be complete without these sweet earthy glazed parsnips. Although, I think they are a great accompaniment to a roast dinner at other times of year too.

Ingredients

700 g Parsnips
2 tbsp Plain flour
3 tbsp Runny honey
1 tbsp Vegetable oil
1 pinch Sea salt flakes

Directions

Trim the top and bottoms of the parsnips and peel them. Cut in half lenghtways and then cut each across the middle. Any large ones may need to be 1/8 so that all parsnips are roughly the same size.

Place the parsnips in a pan of cold salted water., bring to the boil and cook for 5 minutes.

Drain the parsnips and leave to dry out in the warm dry pan. Meanwhile, prepare a roasting tin by lining with tin foil, this will make the washing up much easier.

Sprinkle the parsnips with flour and shake gently in the pan just ro rough up the edges, this will help them go crispier in the oven. Drizzle with the honey and oil. Use your had to smoosh about making sure they are fully coated. Place them in the oven for 40 – 45 minutes turning halfway through. Transfer to serving dish and sprinkle with sea salt flakes.

Bread sauce

Bread Sauce

A simple and delicious sauce that is the perfect accompaniment to turkey or chicken.

Ingredients

500 ml Full fat milk
1 Onion
2 Cloves
2 Bay leaves
1 Whole nutmeg, for grating
100 g White breadcrumbs
Salt & white pepper, to taste
2 tbsp Double cream
Knob of butter

Directions

Peel the onion, cut in half and stud each half with a clove. Pour the milk into a small saucepan and add the studded onion, bay leaves and using a fine grater, grate 1/4 of the nutmeg into the pan. Place over a low heat until the milk is on the verge of boiling. Then switch off the heat and allow to sit for 15 minutes allowing the flavours to infuse.

Using a slotted spoon or tongs remove the onion and bay leaves from the milk and discard. Turn a low heat on under the pan, stir in the breadcrumbs until the sauce is warm and the crumbs have amalgamated with the milk and the sauce has thickened. Season to taste.

Switch off the heat and stir through the double cream. Transfer to a serving jug or bowl. Add a knob of butter to the top.

Mulled Cider

Mulled Cider

If you want to fill your home with the scent of Christmas this mulled cider recipe certainly will and also provides a delicious drink. Fruity with mellow notes of spices and very easily drank. It can be a welcoming change to the ubiquitous glass of mulled wine that is forced upon guest as they enter any Christmas party. I have nothing against mulled wine, in fact I do rather enjoy a glass.
If you require an alcohol free version swap the cider for apple juice and simply omit the sugar as the apple juice should be sweet enough.

Ingredients

2 l Dry cider
2 Clementines, halved
2 Cloves
2 Cardamom pods
1 Star anise
2 Bay leaves
25 g Soft light brown sugar

Directions

Add the cider to large saucepan and place over a low heat.

Meanwhile, cut the clementines in half and using the flat of the blade of a knife press down on the cardmom pods. Add all the ingredients into the pan. Stir and allow to simmer for 5 – 10 minutes until warm and infused with the spices. Do not boil. ladle into heat proof glasses and enjoy.

brown butter chocolate chipe cookies

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have made a lot of cookies in my time in the kitchen. These brown butter chocolate chip cookies have gone through a lot of testing until I got them as close to perfect as I think possible. I know cookies are a very personal things some like them thin, some chewy, some crispy for me I like a fairly fat cookie that is fudgy in the centre with a crisp exterior and it must be loaded with chocolate chips almost an excessive amount. These cookies have such a fudgy texture and flavour, the combination of molten chocolate chips and the almost nutty flavour of the brown butter is heavenly.
This recipe makes 12 cookies, but since there is usually just two of to eat them. I scoop out the twelve cookie cook one batch and freeze the other six balls of cookie dough. When they have froze I transfer them to a zip lock bad and you can cook them straight from the freezer just give them an extra two minutes in the preheated oven.

Ingredients

150 g Unsalted butter
350 g Plain flour
1 tsp Baking powder
1 pinch Fine sea salt
150 g Soft light brown sugar
50 g Caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Egg, fridge cold
200 g Chocolate chips, fridge cold, I use 100g milk chocolate and 100g dark chocolate, but any chocolate chips will do

Directions

Heat oven to 180°C / 160°C Fan. Line a cookie sheet with a reusable silicon baking sheet or grease proof paper.

Melt the butter in a pan over a low heat, stirring occasionally until it turns a deep dark brown and the foam has began to recede. Pour the browned butter into a measuring jug or bowl and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, You can get on with the dry ingredients. In another bowl stir together the flour, baking powder and salt.

I prefer to use a freestanding mixer here, but you can use a large mixing bowl and a handheld electric mixer instead. Beat the cooled butter and sugars together for a moment before adding the vanilla extract and egg. Once the mixture is smooth add the dry ingredients in a third at a time until you have a thick cookie dough.

Using a spatula fold in by hand the chocolate chips. due to the batter thickness you might find it easier using clean hands to work them into the dough.

I use an ice cream scoop to scoop out balls of dough and a small crank spatula to smooth the bottom before releasing onto the prepared baking sheet. You can divide the dough into 12 equal portions and form into rough ball shapes. Slightly flatten the top of each cookie before putting them into the oven. Cook for 15 minutes by which time they will have spread slightly but still be soft and fudgy within. Allow to cool on the tray for 7 – 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Mincemeat Pinwheels

Mincemeat Pinwheels

Over the seasonal period I must have a lot of mincemeat. I mean who could blame me? That gorgeous sweet filling is divine. I make lots of mince pies, I think one can never have too many. I make these mincemeat pinwheels so often as a leisurely treat for brunch at the weekends. Although, they are fantastic served warm with ice cream or for the ultimate treat with my no – churn Christmas pudding ice cream as a simple and delicious dessert. Think warm strudel with flaky pastry. Good, right? But I’m very happy to eat them with nothing more than a mug of tea.

Ingredients

350 g Croissant dough, the kind that comes in a can
25 g Butter, soft
25 g Soft light brown sugar
1 tsp Ground cinnamon
100 g Mincemeat
Icing
20 g Icing sugar
1 tsp water

Directions

Heat oven to 200°C / 180°C fan. Line a baking tray with reusable silicone sheet or grease well with butter.

Unroll the can of croissant dough, make sure it is at room temperature otherwise you run the risk of the dough tearing. Spread the softened butter over the open side of the dough and sprinkle with the sugar and cinnamon. Using a palette knife or a spatula spread the mincemeat over making sure to go right to the edges.

Roll the dough up into a scroll from the short edge. Using a sharp knife, slice into 6 even slices. Place on the baking tray and cook for 11 – 15 minutes until golden brown.

Allow to cool before gazing. When ready mix the icing sugar and water together to make a thick icing and drizzle over the pinwheels with a teaspoon.

Makes 6

Pandoro French Toast

Christmas French Toast

This has been my Christmas morning breakfast for many years now. I make my Christmas French toast out of the sweet star shaped Italian bread Pandoro. It typically comes in a large box like a present. It’s sweetness lends itself well to French toast. I simple dip it in an eggy mixture with a little cinnamon before proceeding to fry it over a low heat until the entire house is scented with the Christmas aroma.

Ingredients

2 Eggs
3 tbsp Full fat milk
1 pinch Ground Cinnamon
2 Thick slices of pandoro, approx 2 cm thickness
25 g Butter
Drizzle of vegetable oil
Maple Syrup or icing sugar, to serve

Directions

Whisk together the eggs, milk and cinnamon in a dish large enough to take both slices of bread in a single layer. Place the bread into the mixture and leave for a couple of minutes before flipping over and allowing the other side to soak up the eggy mixture.

Add the butter and a little drizzle of oil to a non-stick pan and heat over a low heat. When the butter has melted, carefully transfer the egg soaked slices of Pandoro to the pan and cook for 2 minutes a side until it is bronzed. Don’t be tempted to increase the heat or you burn the outside before the breads centre is cooked.

Transfer to a plate and eat immediately either dusted with icing sugar or with a drizzle of maple syrup. Or if you have a sweet tooth both.

potato and turnip gratin

Potato & Turnip Gratin

This makes the perfect side dish for almost any roast dinner. I usually have it to accompany a plain roast chicken or roast duck. I do find potato gratin or dauphinoise can be a little too sickly the sweet earthiness of the thinly sliced turnip or swede if you prefer cuts the richness of the dish.

Note: If you are roasting a joint of meat you can also cook on a lower heat 170°C for 1 – 2 hours until tender. Allowing you to cook both meat and potatoes in the same oven.

Ingredients

750 g Turnip (swede), trimmed and peeled
550 g Potatoes, peeled
500 ml Full fat milk
250 ml Double cream
Sea salt flakes & white pepper
50 g butter, plus extra to grease dish

Directions

Heat oven to 220°C / 200°C fan. Grease a 36 x 26cm rectangle oven proof dish or roasting tin with butter.

If possible use a food processor with a slicing blade attached, this makes things very quick and easy. Alternatively, you could use a mandolin and if you don’t have either of these pieces of equipment you can do it the old fashioned way with a knife and chopping board. Slice the turnip and potatoes into thin slices approx 2- 3mm thickness.

Add the potatoes and turnip to a large saucepan along with the milk cream and seasoning. Be generous with the seasoning. Don’t worry if the milk doesn’t fully cover the potatoes and turnip you can stir them about during the cooking process. Cook over a medium heat for approx 10 minutes until just tender when pricked with a knife. Pour the contents of the pan into the prepared oven dish, dot with little knobs of butter and cook in the preheated oven for 35 – 40 minutes until scorched and golden brown on top.