Favourite Christmas Recipes (including the cake)

[NigelSlatersXmasTaters]

It'll soon be time to dust off the cookbooks and I'm also considering doing 2 different cakes!

I need a boozy one for me and a booze free for the kids.

What are your favourite festive recipes?

I use Delia’s classic Christmas cake recipe - I soak the fruit in brandy, and feed the cake a few times. I think this cake would be almost as nice with no alcohol in it - if you still want a fruit cake for the kids.

Another Delia suggestion if you want a boozy recipe.
I couldn’t get cherry brandy last year so doubled the brandy.

www.deliaonline.com/recipes/occasions/christmas/christmas-cakes-icings-and-toppings/creole-christmas-cake

www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/food/recipes/a553240/chocolate-star-bread/

The kids love this. I use my bread maker and the hot cross bun dough recipe omitting fruit and spice but then follow the gh instructions.

This is good for leftovers Turkey. I usually top with sliced potatoes
www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/food/recipes/a537567/roast-chicken-pie/

This Nigella beef and chorizo chilli is great for feeding a crowd and benefits from being made the day before. It uses shin of beef which I get from butchers and ask them to dice
www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-2852854/amp/Nigella-s-star-Christmas-2-Choc-chip-chilli.html
I see she suggests serving the chille with her loaded jacket potatoes. These are delicious but hard work at a busy time compared with rice or just jacket spuds.

Mulled cider is nice and I’ve made it with apple juice instead of rum for my teens.
www.nigella.com/recipes/mulled-cider

In our house, the dc get a chocolate Yule log.

DM loves this white chocolate, ginger and cranberry tiffin. I make her a batch every year.

I use this recipe for soft and chewy gingerbread men.

I second the suggestion of Delia's Creole Christmas cake. I've made it ever year for ages. It's a doddle to make and absolutely delicious. I do tweak it each year depending on what's in the house - last year I added amaretto to the alcohol mix and it was amazing, so that's a permanent addition now.

Sliding into this thread to steal your suggestions thank you! 🎄

Ok, Delia might be getting an outing this year then.

The tiffin looks great and very Christmassy, will give that a whirl. One of the DCs doesn't like chocolate and the other insists on "proper" Christmas cake so I won't get away with the Yule log

Can’t beat Nigella’s Time Honoured Christmas Cake.

I also brine my turkey every year, usually with a Heston recipe for the base and add a few aromatics. Juicy and delicious every time.

For tea/Boxing Day I love Paul Hollywood’s Chicken, Bacon and Apricot hand raised pie.

I’ve done this Tom Kerridge cake a few times. I just serve with vanilla ice cream.

And a nice cocktail I found is one third each of Prosecco, ginger ale and cranberry juice. MIL is diabetic and can’t drink too much so a couple of these is less than a full glass of Prosecco. I do hers with sugar free ginger ale and sugar free cranberry juice.

I usually do Delia’s cake - might try the Creole one this year for a change.

I’ve never brined the turkey but might try this year. DH hasn’t been keen previously.

I also have a recipe for a nice and easy turkey and ham pie which I will try to find and post.

An old GH Christmas pud recipe - much less dense and heavy than shop ones.

Delia’s mincemeat - I shall be making plenty of that soon.

That tiffin looks just the kind of thing DD9 would like to make (and eat!). V pretty.

Nigella’s Yule log is an annual thing here and these lebkuchen are well worth the trouble.

I made Delia’s mincemeat last year and wasn’t entirely convinced it would be better than the Waitrose brandy one but I’m now a convert - it was absolutely delicious and made enough to gift a couple of jars.

From my pre-veggie days I really like Felicity Cloake’s perfect Christmas ham and still cook it for guests.

I made four Christmas cakes last year including Delia’s Creole Cake which DH declared delicious before I had even cut myself a slice.
I also give a vote for her Christmas Chutney. Easy to make and went very well with the cold gammon. I found a jar in the jam cupboard about a month ago and it was still perfect. I think it was one I meant to give BF so I will have to make her a large one this year. I am planning to double the recipe.
I am going to attempt her Stollen too.

Love the cranberry and vodka cake. Got the recipe from a Mumsnetter a few years back. Very tasty

www.jamandclottedcream.co.uk/search/label/christmas?m=1

I want to try about 5 of these recipes, thanks @Ricekrispie22. The mincemeat fudge and the chocolate orange mousse to start with.

Delia Smith's Christmas pudding, mincemeat and mince pie recipes. Most of what I do at Christmas comes from her Christmas book, including bread sauce, pork, sage and onion stuffing, cranberry relish and a turkey, leek, mushroom and ham puff for the leftovers.

For umpteen years I've used this recipe for a rum cake which we only make a start on once all the mince pies are gone, so it's really more of a New Year cake. I make one big cake and I don't bother separating the eggs. www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/food/recipe46.shtml

Fruit already soaking for this! Mincemeat and Christmas pudding already made. It's very wintry here today so this discussion feels very timely.

lostinfood.co.uk/creamed-brussel-sprouts/

This creamed sprouts recipe - the most delicious and unhealthy way to eat sprouts! It's so much nicer than I thought it would be. I triple the garlic quantities. Can also add chestnuts (or bacon if not vegetarian)

A couple of years ago I saved the ginger cake recipe below with the intention of trying it out with my new bundt tin. I haven't got round to it yet, but as I see the link to the recipe is now defunct, here's an archived webpage with the recipe in case anyone else is inspired. <a class="break-all" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200416082537/life.spectator.co.uk/articles/christmas-cake-people-hate-christmas-cake/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">web.archive.org/web/20200416082537/life.spectator.co.uk/articles/christmas-cake-people-hate-christmas-cake/

(I think I got the link from this MN thread which might be worth a look for non-fruitcake recipes: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/food_and_recipes/3730653-UnChristmassy-Christmas-cake)

If you want to splash out on a bundt tin, the ones that are shaped like a pine forest produce an incredibly festive looking cake and you'd just need a dusting of icing sugar to look like snow. This blog has another recipe and hints for using that kind of tin. Can't vouch for it personally but ginger is a very wintry/Christmassy flavour. eatlittlebird.com/gingerbread-christmas-tree-bundt-cake/

This recipe looks absolutely delicious too. www.bbcgoodfoodme.com/recipes/jamaican-ginger-beer-pineapple-bundt-cake/ Ginger beer and pineapple bundt cake with a molasses glaze.

I always make Nigella's Lamb and Date Tagine in the week between Christmas and New Year. The recipe is from her book 'Nigella Christmas'.

cookingwithnigella.com/2020/03/18/lamb-and-date-tagine/

Nigella serves it with a red onion and pomegranate relish and it's delicious.

For those who recommended Delia's Creole Cake, have you ever made it without nuts?

My Nephew, who I'll be hosting for Christmas, has a nut allergy.

I'd love to give it a go but not sure if nuts are vital to the baking process.

I’ve not made it without nuts but looking at the ingredients it’s only 50g so I don’t think it would matter. There is over 900g of fruit in my quick adding up.

There aren’t any ground almonds or anything that would contribute to the structure so I think you’d be OK?

Turkey Lasagne is what I'd come on to recommend. I'll confess it's my own creation but has been a huge success.

Obviously not authentically Italian, but I make the 'ragu' element as standard but normally use a bit of turkey fat to do the sofritto, add a bit of strong turkey stock before leaving to reduce then chuck in leftover cooked turkey and any diced leftover veg. Infuse the bechamel with sage and onion then add lots of grated nutmeg. I always finish with grated nutmeg on the top too.

If talking recipes for the main event, carrots boiled in orange juice, garlic and thyme is delicious. Jamie Oliver does a good version.

@OnTheHillNotOverIt Thanks! I am definitely going to give this a go. I will use the waitrose vine mix in place of raisins which I would recommend to anyone and everyone. So much more delicious than bog standard raisins or sultanas.

A non alcoholic yule log might be good for DCs, lots of chocolate. (Might get lots of adults willing to help them demolish it!).

I do the Hairy Bikers mince meat pastry with grated orange zest in it. www.hairybikers.com/recipes/view/old-fashioned-sweet-mince-pies (I think I generally use Darina Allen's mince meat recipe, but I know I've used HBs too, but I do a version that sits for months, sometimes years if I've done large enough batches, to mature rather than overnight, and usually has extra alcohol to preserve it....ahem).

Carrots and orange - great combo. When I can get hold of chantenay carrots, I top and tail them, place on a sheet of foil, drizzle over a little oil, grind on some salt and pepper, sprinkle a bit of tarragon and squeeze an orange over all. Then fold up the sides of the foil to make a packet, place on a baking sheet and put in the oven (low down) for at least an hour. Easy peasy Christmas side dish and has a lovely flavour. (Obviously works with ordinary carrots too, but I particularly like chantenay carrots.)