How to Make Christmas Biscuits

We ate pancakes for breakfast and enjoyed a game of Pictionary once the sticky syrup had been wiped away. There was a homemade soup for lunch: onions, potatoes, leeks, carrots and broccoli with a touch of garam masala with sprinkly bits of bacon and croutons crisped in the bacon fat. As the light outside started to disappear there was a game of monopoly whilst we tucked into some ginger spiced Christmas biscuits. We brought the Christmas tree inside and set it up ready for decorating today. A simple day.

A wonderful day.

RECIPE FOR CHRISTMAS BISCUITS

~ You will need ~

Baking trays covered in baking parchment, rolling pin and cookie cutters.

~ Ingredients ~

• 50g butter
• 100g caster sugar
• 3 tbsp golden syrup
• 300g self-raising flour
• pinch salt
• 3 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 4 tbsp milk

~ Method ~

1. Pre-heat the oven to 140 degrees (fan).
2. In a saucepan weigh out the butter, caster sugar and golden syrup. Place onto the hob over a low heat until combined.
3. In a bowl combine the flour, salt and spices.
4. Stir in the liquid then add as much milk as you need to make a firm dough.
5. Roll out onto a floured surface at about half a centimetre thick.
6. Cut out the shapes and place onto the baking sheet.
7. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes until slightly golden.
8. Decorate with icing or keep plain.

Simple Recipe for Pavlova

If I've got lots of people visiting: a family lunch, friends for dinner, or for a party I often turn to this pavlova recipe. It's so simple to make yet can be dressed up to be a bit of a show-stopper. I always get people saying 'wow' and obviously bask in the glory - yet secretly feel a bit of a fraud.

I think people often see this as a summer desert but I love it in the winter, too. That is, if my chickens have laid enough eggs during the darker months. It's a much lighter desert to the sponges with custard or the pies. 

I know I'll be preparing one to take to my mum and dad's house for our family get-together this Christmas. 

PAVLOVA RECIPE

Equipment

Baking tray covered in baking parchment with a dinner plate shaped circle drawn on. Electric mixer, food processor (if possible), sieve.

Ingredients

For the pavlova base

• 5 egg whites
• 250g white caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or seeds from vanilla pod

For the cream and fruit topping

• tub of strawberries (or any mixture of fruit you prefer)
• 1 tsp icing sugar
• 142ml pot double cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or seeds from vanilla pod

For the raspberry sauce ( you can make this or buy it already made in a bottle to save time and faff)

• A few handfuls of raspberries
• 1 tsp icing sugar

1. Heat oven to 220c/200c fan.
2. Whisk the egg whites with an electric mixer until very stiff.
3. Keep the mixer going and gradually pour in the sugar and vanilla until you're back at the stiff peak stage.
4. Turn out onto the baking tray and form into the circle you've drawn (see Equipment above), making a slight dip in the middle.
5. Place in oven and immediately turn down the temperature to 150c/130c fan.
6. Bake for 60 - 80 minutes. (I prefer to bake mine for 80 minutes to make it more crunchy on the outside.)
7. Switch oven off but leave in the oven as long as possible with the door shut. You could even leave it there overnight.
8. When you're ready to assemble whisk the cream with the icing sugar and the vanilla until thick and smooth
9. For the raspberry sauce place the raspberries into a bowl and puree with a fork until smooth (you could also use a food processor).
10. Push the pureed raspberries through a sieve to remove the seeds. Mix in the icing sugar.
11. Hull and half the strawberries.
12. Spread the cream thickly over the meringue, scatter the strawberries over the top and finish by drizzling over the raspberry sauce.

How to make Christmas Dinner Preparations Less Stressful

I'm not a big one for writing 'how to' posts but I felt I had to share this as, for me, it is a Christmas Day saviour. I've been doing this now for, ooh, eight years. Sometimes we have six of us for Christmas dinner. Occasionally we have twelve. Mainly we have ten. This year we have just the four of us. But however many we have I always do what I've written below. I swear by it.

So if, like me, you insist on making everything for the Christmas Dinner from scratch, but end up getting utterly overwhelmed on the day, then this post is my Christmas present for you. 

And for those who get a bit sniffy about making and freezing in advance then do feel free to skip this post. 

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One of my favourite Christmas traditions is preparing the Christmas dinner a few weeks before the big day. In advance I make, then freeze, the Christmas Gravy, the roast potatoes, the pigs in blankets, the stuffing and the bread sauce.

Yes, I could get frozen versions of all the above. But I have to make everything from scratch when it comes to a roast dinner. I just don't find the alternatives taste right. Except that is, for stuffing. I just cannot convince my family that homemade stuffing is as good as a box of Paxo sage & onion. But I do add a beaten egg and a blob of butter to the mix so it's almost homemade.

Obviously I like to prepare then freeze in advance because I like to be organised on the day and not because I have a craving to cook and listen to Christmas songs and to eat bread sauce by the tablespoonful... Okay, yes it is because I have a craving for bread sauce but also it means that instead of getting all hot and sweaty and shouty as I prepare the Christmas meal I have reduced my jobs by half and, if I have drunk a little too much Buck's Fizz, it really doesn't matter.

I should point out that I love making the Christmas dinner. I love preparing it. And I love eating it. (And I love that feeling afterwards when I know all my Christmas Jobs are now done and I can sit watching TV whilst grazing on Quality Street).

But because of this I am a bit of a control freak and do not allow many people to get involved unless it is to prepare the sprouts, carrots, leeks and so on on the actual day itself. (I'm also happy for them to wash up and prepare the table. I'm not that much of a control freak).

However, I hate peeling potatoes. Hate it. So one of the first things I do is to get that bit done with way before the big day.

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How to prepare your Christmas Roast Potatoes in advance:

• Get your potatoes and peel them. Cut them into half. Maybe thirds. You don't want them too big so they take ages to roast but you also don't want them too small so they turn to mush.

• Rinse them then cover with water in a saucepan and bring to the boil.

• Add salt and reduce to a simmer.

• Cook for about five minutes. Drain then spread out onto a baking tray to cool.

• Sprinkle with a little plain flour or semolina.

• Once cool you can then cover in a bit of cling film or foil and freeze them on the tray.

• Once they are solidly frozen remove from the tray and place in plastic food bags. Seal and return to the freezer.

On the day:

• Get your roasting pan nice and hot with the fat of your choice. I like to get my turkey/chicken cooked and resting then I turn the oven up for the potatoes.

• Remove the roasting pan from the oven and tip the frozen potatoes into the fat (watch out for hot splashes!)

• Cook as you would roast potatoes normally but you'll need a little extra time as they're (obviously) frozen.

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So the roast potatoes are done and nestled happily in the freezer. That is one pressure out the way (my family are huge fans of roast potatoes). The next item on my list, which also makes the meal for me, is the Christmas Gravy. 

The Christmas Gravy can make or break the meal. Personally I like my meal swimming in the delicious brown liquid but each to his/her own - you might only want a bit on your turkey/chicken (I say turkey/chicken by the way because we have a large chicken - a cockerel - on Christmas Day. I find turkey too dry and not as delicious.)

Making Christmas Gravy in advance is something I read Jamie Oliver did years ago. He calls it 'Get Ahead Gravy'. So now I do it, too, but I have slightly adapted his version. For example I do not add star anise like he does. We find the flavour is quite over-powering on the Christmas Dinner.

I use this gravy as my base so it can be quite thick once it goes into the freezer. On Christmas Eve I remove from the freezer and allow to defrost. Then on the day I place it back into the casserole pot and add the juice from the meat and the liquid from the vegetables as and when they become available. This thins it down to the right consistency as well as adding even more flavour.

How to prepare your Christmas Gravy in advance:

• In a roasting tin that can also be used on the hob (or use a large casserole pot) place two quartered onions, two carrots cut into half, a stick of celery chopped, streaky bacon (smoked or non depending on preference), bay leaves, sage and rosemary and place on top six chicken wings.

• Drizzle olive oil over the lot then place in the oven to roast for about 40 minutes.

• Remove from the oven and transfer to the hob. Now you need to fry the meat and vegetables in order to get the brown colour of the gravy.

• Add some port (or sherry or red wine or none) and allow the alcohol to cook off.

• Reduce the heat slightly and sprinkle with plain flour - I would probably use 2-3 heaped tablespoons but it depends how much you want to make - and stir in.

• Add 2 -3 pints of boiling water and mix.

• Simmer for half an hour stirring every now and again.

• Taste, season then push through a sieve to remove all the bits.

• Allow to cool then pour into a freezable container and place into the freezer.

On the day:

• Remove from the freezer on Christmas Eve and allow to defrost in the fridge overnight.

• When you are making the dinner pop it into a casserole dish with plenty of room to spare.

• Add the meat juices and vegetable water as and when it becomes available.

• Taste and test for seasoning. Bring to the boil, then reduce and allow to simmer for a short while.

• Pour into pre-heated gravy boats and it's done.

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Okay, so now two of the biggest and most important Christmas Dinner jobs are done and in the freezer. At this point I start to relax a little.

Now we need to assemble the pigs in blankets, make the bread sauce and prepare the stuffing.

How to prepare your Pigs in Blankets in advance:

• You will need good quality chipolatas, streaky bacon, fresh sage and some cocktail sticks. Enough for however many guests you have.

• Take the chipolatas and cut into halves.

• Cut the bacon into half, too, so each pig in blanket will be half a chipolata and half a slice of bacon.

• Wrap the bacon half around the chipoltata half and tuck in a piece of sage.

• Secure with a cocktail stick.

• Place in freezer-proof container.

• Repeat until all have been wrapped.

• Place container in the freezer.

On the day:

• Remove from the freezer on Christmas Eve and allow to defrost in the fridge overnight.

• Place on a baking tray and cook at 180 fan for about 20 minutes.

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How to prepare your Christmas Stuffing in advance:

Now this is probably a non-essential but it can save you a bit of faffing about on the day. Like I said above I always use a packet stuffing, Paxo. 

• You will need a freezer to oven bowl.

• Make your stuffing according to the packet instructions.

• Add a blob of butter and a beaten egg. Mix in.

• Allow to cool, cover with clingfilm and place in the freezer.

On the day:

• Remove from the freezer on Christmas Eve and allow to defrost in the fridge overnight.

• Cook as per the packet instructions.

And now for my favourite bit:

How to Prepare your Christmas Day Bread Sauce in advance:

• In a small heavy-based saucepan pour in a pint of full cream milk.

• Peel an onion and stud with a few whole cloves.

• Place the onion in the milk and add a bay leaf or two.

• Bring the milk to the boil. Then switch the heat off, place the lid on and allow to cool/infuse with the onion and bay leaf left in the milk for at least an hour. (You could even leave in the fridge overnight).

• Remove the onion, cloves and bay.

• If liked you could then finely dice the onion and keep on one side. The cloves and bay can be discarded.

• Take half a loaf of white sliced bread. Ideally a day or two old. Remove the crusts and cut the slices roughly into quarters.

• Place the milk back on the hob on a low heat and add the bread. Stir in and allow it to 'melt' into the liquid.

• Add the onion (if liked) and season.

• Mix, let the sauce become the right consistency, then add a little grated nutmeg.

• Allow to cool, place in a freezer-proof container and place in the freezer.

On the day:

• Remove from the freezer on Christmas Eve and allow to defrost in the fridge overnight. (Your fridge is going to be quite full so be prepared.)

• On the day place the bread sauce into a saucepan and heat gently. Add a little double cream and serve.

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And that, my friends, is that. You are now entitled to be a little smug.

All you have to do on the day is to cook the meat (my advice is to do this in advance, remove from the oven and cover in foil and a towel or two to keep warm - although do remember this will make it cook for a little while longer) then turn up the oven and pop in the potatoes. After half an hour or so add the pigs in blankets and stuffing. Place the gravy and bread sauce on the hob and cook the vegetables.

And enjoy. That's the most important bit. 

Oh and make someone else tidy as you cook. 

Happy Christmas!

Hibernating with Pear & Ginger Traybake

It's Sunday. I've been sat on my settee since about 3pm this afternoon. The fire is roaring, we've had hot chocolate with squirty cream and next to me is a few leftover slices of pear and ginger traybake. It is utter, utter bliss.

The urge to hibernate is becoming more powerful as I become increasingly aware of the seasons. As we approach Halloween, as the evenings become darker, as we're forced to do less outside, as the rain comes and the wind begins to howl down the chimney, I finally allow myself to relax. On a Sunday I have the need to be in front of the fire early in the afternoon covering my legs with a blanket; surrounding myself with books and notebooks.

Next to me on the table is an assortment of books and magazines reflecting the time of year. Right now it includes books on hygge as well as Dead Man's Folly by Agatha Christie. I like to tie in my reading with the yearly celebrations. Mind you, I can't do ghost stories. But I adore a classic murder mystery. If I'm lucky there might be a re-run of Miss Marple on the TV, too, based around an old manor house surrounded by trees and the forbidding darkness. (There is always a female fox crying out in murder mysteries, which always gives me the chills.)

The pear and ginger traybake recipe below is a British take on Halloween from Bettys who have asked me what my halloween traditions are. And our halloween traditions are, simply, cosying up as a family. We carve pumpkins, we place them by the fire, we bake, draw the curtains, lock the doors, maybe get out the Monopoly and hibernate. My son has asked to watch a spooky programme on the television this year, too, so that should be fun...

Recipe for Pear & Ginger traybake (ever so slightly adapted from the original by Bettys).

Ingredients

• 200g butter, softened
• 100g caster sugar
• 100g dark soft brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cardamom pods, seeds removed and crushed
• 1 cm stem ginger, grated
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 2 pears, ripe, cut into 1cm squares
• 2 eggs
• 120mls milk
• 200g self raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• (To decorate) 50g white chocolate

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees fan.
2. Prepare a 20-25cm baking tin, at least 3cm deep, by lining with baking parchment.
3. In a bowl mix the butter, sugars, vanilla and cardamom.
4. Add the grated and ground ginger, plus the diced pears.
5. Stir in the eggs and milk then the flour and baking powder.
6. Once well combined spread out in the baking tin and place in the oven for 20-30 minutes.
7. It is done once golden and if it springs back when you press it lightly with your finger.
8. Allow to cool slightly then remove from the tin and place on a wire cooling rack.
9. Melt the chocolate (either in the microwave or over a pan of hot water) and create a spider's web on top.
10. Cut into squares and serve.

This blog post and recipe is in conjunction with Bettys and their British Take on Halloween campaign. As ever, though, all words, thoughts and pictures are my own.

How To Make a Sticky Apple Traybake

It has been a wonderful summer but I do love the slide into autumn. As I type this the rain is lashing against the windows, the wind has started to pick up and the temperature has dropped significantly. It's certainly a change from the hot weather of recent weeks. There is something so special about autumn. The gradual change in the colour of the leaves, some incredibly fiery and vibrant, before falling to earth. The grass becoming lush once more after a parched hot summer. And the tree harvest. The blossom we saw in spring is now wonderful, tasty fruit. Enabling us to make jams, cakes, sauces and drinks. Stocking up for those winter months ahead.

One of my favourite bakes at this time of the year is apple cake. I'm not fussed if it's made with cooking or eating apples, I just love the dark sponge, flavoured with cinnamon, against the dampness of the apples.

How to make a sticky apple traybake.

You'll need a 24cm square/5cm deep baking tray, greased and lined

Ingredients

• 225g butter or margarine
• 225g soft brown sugar (light or dark)
• 3 eggs
• 225g self-raising flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2tsp ground cinnamon
• 4 medium apples, peeled & sliced into a bowl of salted water (the salt stops them going brown)
• A little more brown sugar for sprinkling on top

Method

1. Pre-heat a fan oven to 140 degrees.
2. Place all the ingredients, except the apples, into a bowl.
3. Mix with a wooden spoon until well combined.
4. Place half the mixture into the baking tray and spread to the sides.
5. Take the apples out the bowl and dry with kitchen towel.
6. Place the slices on top of the mixture.
7. Take the remaining mixture and spread out on top of the apples.
8. Sprinkle with brown sugar.
9. Bake for 45 minutes to one hour.
10. For the last fifteen minutes cover the cake with foil.
11. Remove from the oven. Test if it is done with a skewer.
12. Serve warm or cold.

sticky apple traybake

For pinterest: