Christmas cookery bookclub

[glorious]

Normally we pick a couple of specific books or blogs, each cook whatever we like the sound of and compare notes.

For November and December we're going free range and sharing any festive cooking we do, whether from new books, old favourites, or even family recipes (we'll have to promise to be nice about those!)

Everyone is welcome so do join in and share your favourites or warn us all off the ones you wished you hadn't tried.

Thanks glorious, I'm trying the pumpkin lasagne from nigellas Christmas this week so will be reporting back. I plan to do mincemeat on the weekend to- probably two batches- one from hairy bikers Christmas and another Romans old good food Christmas mag

From an old good food mag. No idea what a Romans food mag is

Signing in, thanks glorious I will be digging out my old copy of JO magazine from a couple of years ago, the gravy was epic but took lots of ingredients and effort.

Hello! I make that Jamie gravy too. I will also be making Nigella's gingerbread muffins. Nobody will let me make her evil puddini bonbons again although I actually prefer them to Christmas pudding!

I haven't got into festive mode yet but I will.

Excellent! I like the sound of Roman food mag pregnantpause

I've made the Nigella Christmas cake as usual, and DD helped measure the dry ingredients and cream the butter and sugar, which was fun (she's 2 in January so it was quite messy).

I have mincemeat from last year so won't do that but may do a family recipe pud.

Beyond that I've always wanted to do a yule log...

Glorious, I always make Nigella's Yule log - like the look of Mary Berry's this year maybe, but will no doubt just make Nigella's again...

Great thanks glorious I also do that gravy too and also the ginger bread muffins they are delish I always make cinnamon drizzle for the top which finishes them off lovely. Is the nigella cake nice glorios I usually do a delia one and has anyone tried the Nigel slater one? I hear that's good.

I like it ELR but I haven't made another. My dad's mum always makes one for the family which is drier than any other substance known to man and I did the Nigella one the first time I was at the in-laws so have never made another. I think it's moist without being sticky or claggy, reliable, and it doesn't call for any hard to find ingredients. I always do the medium size in Domestic Goddess which is too big really but looks lovely!

May try her yule log then, and gingerbread muffins. I also usually do the almond pastry from the frangipane mince pies but without the topping. It's lovely and crumbly but not dry and it rolls out like playdough.

Meant to say I have now made Nigella six or seven times, I just stuck with it after the first.

I'm in

Sorry I didn't even post on last month's thread, but we were away for half of it, and there didn't seem much veggie stuff in there.
I did pop in and lurk though.
This week, back from American limited veggie convenience food, I am craving "healthy" stuff, so am making lots from 101 cookbooks.
Also made the roasted squash toasts with goats cheese and vinegary onion jam from Smitten Kitchen yesterday (recent post), which were divine, I thoroughly recommend them.

Looking ahead to next year's topics, on my Christmas list this year is Plenty More (Ottolenghi), Jewelled Kitchen (I know we've already done this, I never bought it) and Momofuku (Korean). Anyone got any books on their lists yet?

We also said we'd do Delia's Winter at some point, didn't we?

I'm keen to hear about yule logs. Never made one, but seeing as it's just the four of us this Christmas, and I'm the only one who ever eats Christmas cake (thus consuming far more calories than are necessary), I think I will just abandon fruit cake and do a chocolate log.

I am also planning on not doing a Christmas Pudding , if DH doesn't object (in fact, MIL offered to make me one while she does hers if we needed it, so decision made), and DS (4) has just now asked if we could have Momofuku's Crack Pie for pudding on Christmas Day (except he called it Salted Caramel Tart as we tamed the name for the kids! )

Just ordered the fruit for making mincemeat, so will do that next week. Did it for the first time last year, Delia's recipe, very pleased with it.

Should start the Christmas Pudding vodka soon, for the flavour to develop properly in time

Nigella Christmas has been wheeled out in casa pp- pumpkin and goats cheese lasagne. It's delicious and deceivingly easy to make( I thought it would be a pain as there seem a lot of steps) the dc love it. And it's tasty the next day too- though uglier as the cheese looks a little more curdled.

I think the sage is too little, I couldn't taste it. I'll add more next time.

And whilst it's a beautiful lasagne it's not special enough for Christmas eating IMO. Perfect autumn fayre.

Ooh huevos momofuku looks really interesting. There's no point putting it on my wish list as i allready have many Asian books I rarely use as ingredients are hard to source here - unless willing to spend fortunes for not much online

I would like to cover plenty and or plenty more again- I don't think I've tried as much as I'd have liked from plenty and I think I'd like to buy plenty more. Equally jewelled kitchen is one of my favourite cookbooks so id love to cover it again.

I am hoping for a Spanish book for Christmas- Movida rustica, seasonal Spanish food and barrafina are all on my wish list. But as only I see my wish list I'll be buying it myself- if anyone can recommend a Spanish cookbook I'm all ears

Well, my Christmas cooking is not quite going to plan! DH was quite put out at the thought of no Christmas pud. So I asked mil if I could have the "spare" she offered..... Until it became apparent that she is very busy atm and struggling to find time to make it, so I volunteered!! Fortunately I made it last year, so have a recipe I am happy with (Delia)

And the cake. DH confessed that he doesn't actually like Yule logs, and despite only eating one slice, would really like a proper Christmas cake. Which is just fine, except I can't find my recipe anywhere

So I was googling Nigella's one, as it is raved about here, and came across Felicity Cloake's "how to make the perfect Christmas cake", and think I may give that a go. Seems tried and tested..... Will look at Nigella's too, and pick my favourite bits

Christmas cakes made! I made Nigella's from her Christmas book and followed her suggestion of making several mini ones to give as gifts - they seem to have worked- house smells divine. Will be watering them for the next few weeks and I shall give two away, nicely iced by me, and let each child loose decorating one each of the other two for us- a child decorated cake sounds perfect for us!

I like the sound of the pumpkin and goats cheese lasagne...

James Martins Granny's Christmas Pud is delicious, have made that a few years running. Lovely and moist, must knuckle down and get started

Hi I'm new to this thread, hope you don't mind?

We always get far too much Christmas pudding made for us as the kids don't like it. But everyone loves it crumbled into a good quality vanilla ice cream, with a little orange zest to lighten it up.

Just in case anyone else ends up in a similar predicament.

Christmas cake on the other hand gets wolfed down, but I do wonder if you could do something similar with any leftovers.

Ooh my favourite is Christmas marmalade lathered on wholemeal toast. Just add a gallon of whiskey to this recipe I did --> amyfwillis.com/2014/11/02/make-your-own-easy-marmalade-get-those-kumquats-ready/

I make the Hedgelog (Yule log) every year, recipe by Pam Corbin (RC) we all love it. Usually, I cut off 1/4 of the log to make a baby hedgehog and sit them side by side on the board.

pregnantpause I have the Rick Stein Spain book, I haven't cooked anything from it in a while but I really like it, lots of regional info too.

I like the sound of the pumpkin and goats cheese lasagne...have a pumpkin stored in garage - may try that out. I wish that pumpkins were more than just for Halloween - per kg they are dirt cheap and store well, but once the 31st has gone you can't get them at supermarkets.

Love Nigella Christmas - but cake is from a cut-out recipe, fruit is currently macerating in lots of flavourings - spice, booze, citrus flavours, butter and sugar - all things nice.

I only started baking for Christmas last year when DD1 was 2. I reckon I should at least do something special. I tried the mince pie and the Christmas morning muffins from domestic goddess and they were lovely. Those are the gingerbread muffins are they?

neither DH nor I like Christmas pudding so I'm still looking for something else. HuevosRancheros I found the momofuku crack pie recipe online. Do you make the oat cookies too? Im thinking either buying some oat cookies or make a shortcrust pie base.

Also found a non alcoholic mulled wine on Delia's website. Has anyone made that before? It uses belvoir spiced berry cordial. I normally make the one from nigella domestic goddess but think I should make something for DD1 to drink too.

I'm thinking hobnobs or even digestives for the oat cookies. Here is the one I found online if anyone is interested.

houseandhome.com/food/recipes/momofuku-milk-bars-crack-pie-recipe

TwoLittleTerrors I used the crack pie recipe that is online too - I used the Telegraph one, as it was in metric, but referred to the Milk Bar website too. I made the whole thing from scratch, oat cookies and all, and it was absolutely divine

I think I will make one for Christmas Day, as the kids don't like Christmas pudding. It needs freezing anyway, so is perfectly fine for making in advance.

We have family over on Boxing Day, I'm perfectly happy to offer them left over Crack Pie as one of the dessert selection :)

Got to bath the kids, but this is the recipe I used
Digestives would be fine, but not a short crust, that wouldn't be right, imho.

But seriously, you could make it now and stick it in the freezer if time is an issue nearer Christmas

Thanks for the link. Makes it much easier not having to print it out and convert.

Yes of course, welcome to the thread everyone.

Crack pie is quite tempting...