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How to use up Christmas leftovers
Christmas leftovers can be a nightmare and nobody likes to think of food waste. After the excess of Christmas Day this is the perfect comfort food. It also manages to use up just about every savoury ingredient from a Christmas Day lunch which is a bonus too! Use whatever you have left over to make your version of this dish, but this recipe will serve as a good guide. Serves 4 About 500g of roast turkey – brown and white meat – roughly chopped 4 or 5 leftover chipolatas (if they’re wrapped in bacon that’s even better) 2 or 3 tablespoons of leftover stuffing 25 left over sprouts Spoonful of leftover carrots…
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Panettone Al Forno recipe for Christmas
Here is a very special Panettone Al Forno recipe particularly good for Christmas. Panettone al forno Ingredients (panettone) 120gr panettone 350ml skimmed milk 80gr caster sugar Plain flour for dusting 20gr butter 1 egg 1 egg yolk Vanilla sauce to serve Panettone Al Forno Ingredients (vanilla sauce) 500 ml milk 5 egg yolks 1 vanilla pod halved lengthways Method (panettone) Preheat oven at 170c Tear the panettone into pieces and place in a bowl Bring the milk to the boil, remove from heat and stir sugar in until dissolved Pour the mix over the panettone Grease individual mould with butter and dust with flour Put the soaked panettone…
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Cranberry Muffins recipe perfect for Christmas
Festive Spiced Cranberry Muffins Recipe These lovely light muffins have a deliciously festive flavour. They even smell of Christmas as you take them from the oven! Preparation: 20 minutes Cooking: 25 minutes Makes: 8 Suitable for freezing Suitable for vegetarians Ingredients 100g (4oz) Jordans Super 3 Seeds Granola 125g (5oz) butter, melted and cooled slightly 2 tablespoons milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 large eggs, beaten 100g (4oz) self-raising flour 1 teaspoon ground mixed spice 75g (3oz) light muscovado sugar 75g (3oz) dried cranberries 1 banana, mashed Topping: 75g (3oz) dried cranberries Finely grated juice and rind of 1 small orange 200g (7oz) medium-fat soft cheese 1 teaspoon vanilla extract…
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Roast Turkey with Shallot Stuffing with Fresh Sage
Roast turkey is delicious and the addition of shallot stuffing with fresh sage makes it sensational especially at Christmas. You’ll need: 5kg free-range Totally Traditional Turkey 4 tbsp rapeseed oil Sea salt and black pepper For the stuffing: 75g butter 2 tbsp rapeseed oil 8 shallots, peeled and finely chopped 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped 250g dried figs, chopped into small cubes 2 small eating apples 250g fresh breadcrumbs 3 tbsp fresh sage leaves, chopped 750g sausage meat 3tbsp of parsley, chopped 1 large egg beaten Sea salt and black pepper What to do: Preheat oven to 230°C/Gas Mark 8 Remove turkey…
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Fancy Roast Potatoes Recipe for Christmas
Fancy roast potatoes? I always do and these are very fancy roast potatoes! Preparation Time; 10 minutes Cooking Time; 1 ½ hours You’ll need: 1.5kg Potatoes, medium sized, peeled 900g parsnips, medium sized, peeled 2 tbsp plain flour 1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped, plus a few sprigs 6-8 tbsp rapeseed oil 12 shallots, peeled 200g pancetta, roughly chopped 6 whole bay leaves Sea salt and black pepper What to do: Preheat oven to 200°C/Gas 6 Cut any large potatoes in half and all of the parsnips in half lengthways, cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 8 minutes or until par-boiled. Meanwhile cook the parsnips in the…
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Christmas Reindeer cookies recipe
Christmas reindeer cookies are a real treat over the festive season and easy to make. Makes: approximately 20 biscuits Ingredients For the biscuits 100g butter 175g caster sugar 2 happy eggs 2 happy egg yolks 50g ground almonds 240g plain flour For the icing 120g butter 250g icing sugar 1-2 tbsp milk Food colouring to suit Method Biscuits In a bowl, mix the butter and sugar together with an electric blender, until they form a creamy paste. Add the happy eggs and happy egg yolks and mix, then fold in the almonds and flour with a wooden spoon or spatula until fully combined. Press the mixture into…
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Easy Chocolate Swiss Roll Recipe
I have very fond memories of my late Mum’s chocolate log at Christmas. It is one of those traditional recipes on which Christmas memories are made. I highly recommend this very easy chocolate Swiss roll recipe perfect at any time of year for a tasty treat. SERVES 6 Ingredients for the easy chocolate swiss roll recipe 75g caster sugar 3 happy eggs 2 happy egg yolks 75g plain flour (sieved) 25g cocoa powder (sieved) Zest of one orange Chocolate filling 6 happy egg whites 30g caster sugar 120g 72% dark chocolate 20g butter Candied Kumquats & citrus sauce 10 kumquats 150ml water 100g icing sugar Method Preheat your oven to 200⁰C/400⁰F/Gas…
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How to make mince pies for Christmas
How to make mince pies for Christmas and impress your family and friends. You can try this recipe or my other one for chocolate mince pies muffins for yet another indulgent treat. An easy recipe for mince pies 150g butter 250g plain flour 50g ground almonds 50g caster sugar 1 orange pinch of salt 1 happy egg 1-2 tsp cold water 280g/10oz good quality mincemeat For the topping: 100g butter 75g plain flour 100g caster sugar 1tsp cinnamon powder 1 nutmeg Method Place butter in freezer overnight. Preheat oven to 180°C. Put the flour into a mixing bowl. Using a cheese grater, grate the butter into…
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Easy Gravy recipe with red onions and sherry
You have got to love a traditional gravy recipe and today I bring you an easy gravy recipe enhanced by caramelised red onions and sherry. You will need: 100ml sherry 500ml good quality liquid chicken stock 3 tbsp The English Provender Co. Caramelised Red Onion Chutney Method: Place the sherry in a pan and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the stock and reduce on a high heat until you are left with about 100ml. Stir in the chutney and serve. How do you make gravy? As with most things food-related I have strong memories of my mother’s kitchen. If you had asked her what the secret to her luscious gravy…
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Impressive roast poussin recipe for Christmas
If you are not planning a large Christmas lunch, why not opt instead for an impressive roast poussin recipe for two; serve these quick to roast baby chickens with delicious blackberry sauce flavoured with orange rind, winter spices and just a hint of redcurrant jelly. Serves 2 Preparation time: 25 minutes Cooking time: 45 minutes 2 x 500g (1lb 2oz) baby poussin 40g (11/2oz) butter Salt and freshly ground black pepper 6 fresh bay leaves 4 rashers streaky bacon 175g (6oz) shallots, peeled, halved if large 450g (1lb) baby new potatoes, washed 2-3 tbsp olive oil Sauce ½ orange 6 tbsp red wine 2 tbsp water 1 tbsp redcurrant jelly…
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Stained Glass Cookies Recipe perfect for Christmas
Stained glass cookies recipe Stained Glass Cookies Delicious buttery biscuits, with edible sweetie stained glass. These edible decorations make the perfect gift and are ideal for hanging on the tree. Great for getting the kids involved, all you need are clean hands and a little imagination! A magical treat to enjoy at Christmas. Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes Makes 10-15 biscuits Ingredients 220g butter, softened 100g Whitworths for Baking Light Soft Brown Sugar 350g plain flour, plus extra for dusting 1 tsp ground ginger or cinnamon 50g Whitworths for Baking Crunchy Demerara Sugar A selection of fruit-flavoured boiled sweets in different colours To decorate 50g Whitworths for…
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Mini chocolate cheesecake bites
If you love chocolate and you adore cheesecake, this is the perfect recipe. Let me introduce you to Jennifer’s Mini Chocolate Cheesecake Bites Prep time: 15 minutes Serves/Makes 28 Ingredients 160g Light Philadelphia with Cadbury 100g mini chocolate chip cookies or mini oat biscuits Instructions 1. Arrange the biscuits on a serving platter. 2. Spread or pipe a little Philly with Cadbury on to each biscuit and serve topped with a number of different toppings. Do you have a recipe for chocolate cheesecake? I was talking to Him Indoors about cheesecake last night. For years, cheesecake has been one of my favourite desserts. I first came across it at the…
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Chocolate mousse shots for parties
Chocolate mousse shots are easy, look good and with the recipe I am sharing pretty fail-safe too. I had a terrible incident when I hosted a dinner party once. Fortunately it was for a bunch of women friends and they were very forgiving. In fact, like most things in life, disasters can turn into wonderful opportunities to laugh. Where cooking is concerned when things go wrong, you are more likely to remember a meal and this one was lots of fun. There were new cocktails designed by more own fair hand for a start – Pankhurst and Bra burner by name. So what happened to the chocolate mousse? I had…
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Christmas Cranberry Cheesecake Recipe
Christmas Cranberry Cheesecake This quick setting light textured cheesecake is the perfect answer to an alternative to the richness of Christmas pudding… the fruity cranberry coulis cuts through the soft and creamy filling and the buttery shortbread. Happy Christmas! Serves 10 Preparation time: 25 minutes Chilling time: 4 hours, preferably overnight Ingredients 200g (7oz) shortbread or digestive biscuits, crushed 40g (1½oz) butter, melted 405g can Carnation Condensed Milk Light 300g tub full fat soft cheese juice 2 large lemons 300g pack frozen (and defrosted) or fresh cranberries 100g (3½oz) caster sugar You will also need: 20cm (8in) spring form tin, base lined with baking parchment Method 1. Crush the biscuits…