Christmas Cooking

[Travis1]

What treats does everyone make at Christmas? I see mentions of sausage rolls, cookies, cakes etc but I normally buy all these things. This year I'm having all the family to us so would like to do some proper cooking.

Any ideas? Recipes would also be gratefully received! TIA x

I'm in the same position! Very excited about making my own stuff this year. I have got the GH looking ahead Christmas guide which is a good place to start.

Good luck!

I always pre make a selection of cheesecakes in different flavours and freeze. Just defrost the night before in the fridge.

A selection of ice creams and sorbets - chocolate rum ice cream and clementine sorbet were the favorites last year

Christmas shortbread - cut into snowflake shapes and dusted with sugar

Handmade truffles - Delia Smith recipe

Sticky gingerbread - Nigella recipe

I am planning to make
Toffee for stocking fillers
Cheese straws cut out as stars, to take to work and as presents
Scones with jam and cream, to serve before the carol service
Ginger biscuits, if I can find a good recipie
Anzac biscuits if I can’t
Christmas cake
Raisin and butterfly buns
I will post the recipes for any of these later if anybody would like
Oh, and Nigella’s tiny sausage rolls are good too

You haven't mentioned TRIFLE yet OP.

There have been many, many posts on what makes a good trifle...

If you have young children get them to make sausage rolls - so much nicer than shop-bought ones (buy good quality sausages, split skins and take meat out, add lots of herbs and some spices too if you like, form into long sausages on rolled-out puff pastry, cut to preferred size).

Don't forget the bread sauce for Christmas dinner.
And I'm to pick blackberries today to make jelly for the turkey. You can make little jars of jelly as presents too.

My Thoughts

If you have the time to do it, go for it but im just buying packet everything to save on the stress of having to host everyone. I was going to make a christmas cake but dont have the time in August to make one so theres no way I will get time in December!

@fromtheshires we have no kids and I finish work on the 21st so I'm just planning on spending the weekend cooking and prepping. It's my first time having everyone in our new house so want to do it right.

Yule log - I use Mary Berry's recipe www.bbc.com/food/recipes/yule_log_15656
Mince pies - www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1813664/mince-pies
Christmas cake - my Mum's recipe!
Christmas pudding - Delia Smith
Brandy snaps www.lylesgoldensyrup.com/recipe/brandy-snaps
Brandy butter - Mary Berry's again! www.bbc.com/food/recipes/brandybutter_2535
Sage and onion stuffing www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/sage-and-onion-stuffing I make this ahead and freeze it.
Biscotti www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/8022/fruity-christmas-biscotti
I normally make some kind of ice-cream bombe/pudding. I've never done the same one twice, but we liked Jamie's and Gordon Ramsay's
I'm hoping to try this Mary Berry Black Forest gateau this year... www.bbc.com/food/recipes/marys_black_forest_gteau_47151

2 things i do every year:

1. christmas cake
2. brie and cranberry filo parcels. They are so easy to make and so christmassy!

I made Nigella’s chocolate salami last year and put them into nice tins I have collected for family members.

@TheDuchessofDukeStreet I'd love a good toffee recipe if you have one and the cheese straws/stars one if you wouldn't mind. At the moment my 4 year old wont eat anything that doesn't involve cheese and she'd love them!

I make my own Christmas cake and mince pies, DS1 does the stollen. Last year I made chocolate mint vodka which was a bit so I'm doing that again plus a coffee rum.

Christmas cake, Gingerbread house, jars of dried apple slices dipped in chocolate (handy stocking fillers for house guests), flavoured vodka, cookies for Santa and vol au vents (my Gran used to make them when I was a child at Christmas and I loved them).

Buddy elf I will post those this evening for you.

@Whisky2014 What recipe do you use for your brie and cranberry tartlets, they are my favourite thing, but I always end up buying them

I always do Mary Berry roast winter veg with honey and sprouts with chopped hazelnuts.

I also do an alternative Christmas cake, usually something not too sweet, last year it was a spiced apple cake, might do a carrot cake this year.

I also make several Christmas cakes, which I really enjoy. It feels like a nice ritual. As a family we have nailed cooking food in advance so we can limit the work for dm (we eat at her house). The latest brilliant reaction has been Nigella’s make ahead mash.

Revelation not reaction.

Cheese straws/stars

100g/4oz self raising flour
Pinch of salt
Pinch of mustard powder, I omit this
2oz margarine, I use butter
3oz mature cheddar
1 size three egg, beaten

Heat oven to 180/350/gas mark 4
Grease a baking tray
Mix flour, salt and mustard powder
Rub in the margarine/butter
Stir in the cheese and add enough egg to make a stiff dough
Roll out very thinly and cut into strips/star shapes
Place on a baking tray and bake for 10 to 15 minutes

Toffee
6 tablespoons sugar
4oz butter
3 dessertspoons milk
3 dessertspoons golden syrup/black treacle, ratio depends on how
treacly you like the toffee, I use 2 golden syrup to 1 black treacle
1 teaspoon malt vinegar

Melt in a good quality sauce pan over a low heat
Slowly bring to the boil
Boil over a low heat for twenty minutes, stirring all the while. The lowest heat that will boil it
Start testing drops of the toffee in a saucer of cold water at 17/18 minutes
I have a gas hob and find it is done at 18 minutes
Pour into a buttered pan
When cold break into small pieces,
Store in a lined tin or put into cellophane gift bags

Thanks so much!

You are welcome, hope you enjoy.

Ooooohhhh

I'm going to give the toffee a go!!

I always make Christmas cake and for the last couple of years have done flavoured vodkas as gifts.
The cheese straw recipe is a great idea as the toddler can ‘help’ I need to do as much as I can in advance this year as we’ll be at home and I’ll have a newborn and a 2 year old!

Hope you enjoy them Mole and Dr

re cheese straws if using margarine use hard margarine or it will not rub in. Butter is nicer though