This is awkward… but I’m not exactly the world’s greatest chef. Left to my own devices I’m a bit of an ‘experimenter’. If my husband innocently leaves the kitchen to check his email, I’m in, furiously shaking a pot of cinnamon into the spaghetti bolognese because I have a feeling it’ll taste AMAZING.
Forty-five seconds later and I’m lobbing in handfuls of salt and Oxo cubes to cover up the revolting cinnamon taste. But rest assured, lovely readers!
The following five recipes are my favourites because they have either been created or baked by other people, or are super-easy, so I can therefore confirm they are both delicious and festive and will leave you feeling wonderfully sparkletastic.
Eggnog
I harbor a secret yuletide dream to wear a Christmas jumper, live in the house from Home Alone and drink eggnog from a large punch bowl as I sing carols around a piano with mine and Jessica Simpson’s family (I think this is just because I saw them do it once in an episode of Newlyweds).
Husband Phil and I had a bit of a travel around the US and Canada on the run up to Christmas a couple of years back and would buy cartons of eggnog by the bucket load, to drink straight from the container in our motel rooms. Good times. After many unsuccessful attempts to recreate this at home and ending up with a frothy, separated mess, I am pleased to announce that we have a winner!
Thanks to the American Recipe Queen herself, Martha Stewart, I have found the best eggnog recipe, which is sweet, creamy, and nutmeg-and-rum-glorious. The recipe includes very few ingredients, just egg yolks, milk, cream, rum, nutmeg and sugar, and can be found here. Shluuuuuuuurp.
Nigella’s Christmas Puddini Bonbons
My friend Becky first cooked up a batch of these for a Christmas party, and I have since kidnapped her and locked her in a grotto so she must bake these for me year round. They look like tiny Christmas puddings (and are in fact made of leftover or spare Christmas pudding, rolled together with melted dark chocolate, sherry and golden syrup) but they taste like decadent spicy truffles, and are the kind of things that make people go “oooooo, aren’t they cute?”. Once rolled, you just drizzle white chocolate on the top and add a little glacé cherry chunks that look like holly, and you’re done. You can find the recipe in the Nigella Christmas book. Please feel free to invite me round to taste test for you.
Stilton-stuffed, bacon-bundled dates
I’m sure some people will think this entire concept sounds revolting, but trust me, it makes great Christmas party food. Each ingredient twinkles your festive taste-buds because each ingredient is festive. You know mid-afternoon on Christmas Day, when you’re SO full you could burst, then someone passes around a cheeseboard and you think, yes, I could nibble on somestilton…? Or maybe some of those dates in the fruit and nut selection box that’s just within reach…? So if you don’t have an aversion to mixing your sweet and your savoury, combine them together by slicing open that date, crumble in some stilton, wrap it in a third of a slice of streaky bacon and pop it in the oven for just long enough to turn the bacon a caramelly-brown. Whack a cocktail stick in each, and serve them to your adoring guests, or to yourself.
Gingerbread in a Jar
I first came across this recipe on my secret life guru Lauren Conrad’s website, and thought it was such a smashing idea that I’d pinch it as my own. This is a recipe which involves no cooking, and you don’t get anything at the end, but it makes a sweet, original gift and looks lovely! It’s pretty common to give homemade cookies, jams, chutneys etc. as gifts, but with this idea you’re basically layering the ingredients for all-in-one gingerbread into a jar – flour, brown sugar, spices and ginger – adding a nice label with what it is and the basic recipe on, tie it with a bow or ribbon or tinsel, and job done! Then all your recipient needs to do is tip out the jar into a bowl, add butter, eggs and molasses, and follow your instructions. Easy, fun, and very yummy. And ADDED BONUS if they make them when you’re there. For the full recipe, plus pictures and a pre-made method card, click here.
Winter Spice Spiked Hot Chocolate
Chocolate oranges are for me a staple of Christmas. And by staple, I mean if I don’t consume at least five on Christmas Day the world just seems that little less festive. So one of myfavourite festive tipples is hot chocolate, laced with a dash of cointreu. I also pop in a shake of mixed spice (which contains mainly cinnamon and nutmeg, and often allspice, ginger and cloves) for a mulled wine aroma and a little heat, and for extra indulgence plop in a couple of chocolate orange segments, or serve them on the side. To be honest, you could spike hot chocolate with any alcohol and it would be amazing, adding that heat that’ll keep your heart toasty through December. So if you’re not into orange with your choc, splosh in some Baileys, peppermint vodka or whatever else you like! Hell, it’s Christmas!
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