What is your favourite Christmas cookbook (the older the better)

[Aponcetasticchristmastoall]

Following on from an idea I seen on another thread, I’ve decided every year I’m going to buy an old school 2nd hand, Christmas recipe book...

I’m watching a few on EBay but there are so many I want to make sure my first one is a good one! (Although I am leaning towards Delia!!)

What is your favourite, “Go to” vintage recipe book that has lasted the years?

Absolutely Delia's Christmas. I think it 1990s ish? Use it every year. I have it open right now to make mincemeat. It's. More than just a recipe book, it's a whole Christmas meal planning suggestion book. Including buffets, when to order etc.

I love Nigella's Christmas one. It's not terribly old but it is great

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/301839871992

The Delia Christmas book! It's a bargain.

I too love Delia's Happy Christmas. I've just bought the Elizabeth David Christmas book, which looks lovely - both are still in print and reasonably priced. More recent but still lovely is Nigel Slater's Christmas Chronicles - I don't use it as a recipe book myself, more as a beautiful seasonal book to dip into.

Another vote for Nigella! It's so well thumbed again this stage, I made nearly every recipe. I refuse to allow myself to use it year round and only take it down on 1 Nov.

@everythingisginandroses

I too love Delia's Happy Christmas. I've just bought the Elizabeth David Christmas book, which looks lovely - both are still in print and reasonably priced. More recent but still lovely is Nigel Slater's Christmas Chronicles - I don't use it as a recipe book myself, more as a beautiful seasonal book to dip into.

@everythingisginandroses I have Nigel Slaters Christmas Chronicles and absolutely love it! I dip in and out of that and Gillian Monks A very Merry Midwinter from now until Christmas and they never fail to cheer me up or restore my festive levels.

If you’re starting a collection of Xmas cookbooks you absolutely need Delia to be your first.

Not Xmas cookbooks, but Nigella’s Feast and Domestic Goddess both have extensive Xmas chapters and Feast especially has some of my favourite Xmas recipes.

Thanks so much for your suggestions I have bought the recommended Delia one and now can’t wait for it arrive and make a big thing of lighting a “seasonal” (DH won’t let me say Christmas yet!!!) a glass of fizz and delving in!!

Elizabeth David for the stories. Australian Women’s Weekly for details, Darina Allen Simply Delicious Christmas, some BBC Good Food magazines, Nigella’s Feast, various others with Christmas sections.

I have just posted about Fanny Cadock's wonderful 'Coping with Christmas ' book on the 'poncetastic' thread, so won't repeat here, but will post a review of the book copied from the Amazon site:

Verified Purchase
This small paperback book crams more into it than a whole shelf of books from today's cookery writers. In Fanny's own inimitable style we are briefed in Christmas history and lore, instructed how to decorate our homes Cradock-style and given a run down of jobs to prepare for Christmas. This begins on January 1st with making the Christmas pudding (something Nigella Lawson claims to find offputting when she mentions this book in her own Christmas book). Some of Fanny's writing seems a world away from present day food preparation (there's even a mention of roast swan and turtle soup) yet it is packed with sensible advice from a superb cookery writer who spent a lifetime in the kitchen. There are multiple recipes for cakes, puddings, desserts and more to suit a range of budgets. In our squeamish age we may raise eyebrows when we read some of the more gruesome methods here involving carcases and bones, and vegetarians take note there's a lot of meat here. Well worth tracking down, there is a vast amount of information here and it's a rollicking good read, full of Fanny's charm juxtaposed with conceit and snobbery. Wonderful!

I have a Good Housekeeping Preparing for Christmas book :) it was printed in 1992 and cost me £16.99 new (which was a lot at the time). I have used it every Christmas since, it is full of recipes, decorating ideas for your home and presents and ideas for entertaining. It is currently on sale for £6.99 on eBay.

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Good-Housekeeping-Preparing-for-Christmas-Hardback-1992-/323789362751

Not a Christmas book but the Christmas cake recipe you need is in this exact Mary Berry book.

Delia was the right choice but you also need Nigella's Christmas book (and you'll be brining the turkey this year).

I've just bought the Good Housekeeping one from world of books on eBay. Thank you @Chottie

I have a joscelyn dimbleby one which belonged to a relative. There are some hilarious retro dishes but also lovely ones to make every year

Not a book, but I adore the Fanny Cradock Christmas TV series, available on youtube. It's from 1975, and the contrast between what is deemed a luxury between now and then is so stark.

@TheSeedsOfADream

I've just bought the Good Housekeeping one from world of books on eBay. Thank you *@Chottie*

I hope you enjoy it as much as me. I've hosted over 35 years of Christmases - I love Christmas

I like the Sarah Raven one because it includes flowers and a countdown list during autumn. I also have, Nigellas, Mary Berry’s and Jamie O.

Yes l love a Christmas cook book!

Sorry I missed the vintage bit

Nigella Christmas and Feast! There's some repeats, but this is a more is more situation.

I also have a soft spot for the Hairy Bikers one.

I read Sarah Raven's one for entertainment. It assumes you hire staff for a party and you can bring trees from the garden into your house for decoration. Nigella is realistic and down to earth in comparison.

Xpost Ipanema - it is a beautiful book. Just a bit far out of my reach!

Delia - classic step by step for all your favourites without costing a fortune for ingredients which are hard to find. She even tells you how to make roast potatoes and how long to cook your veg. My mum bought me her book when I left home and a lot of the stuff I make is thanks to Delia.

@Callmecordelia yes I know what you mean, but I like to use it as a reminder of when to get my indoor bulbs going. I’ve yet to bring in a tree but you never know

Our last house had a lot of trees in the garden, one being a conifer which was too close to the house. We cut it down and used the top 6ft as our Christmas tree one year, and it was fabulous. Our cat freaked the fuck out, though Not posh, btw, but an inner-city terraced house.

I think the trees she suggests are silver birches, and you scatter leaves on the floor to recreate a beautiful woodland glade.

Nigel Slater's Christmas chronicles