Christmas Cooking & Baking Thread

Cherrycola

Nigellas cranberry sauce is fab too, and only takes 10 minutes to make. Ive made it weeks in advance and just store in a jar in the fridge, lasts ages

wnolan1992

I finally gave in and bought an ice-cream maker this week. I've got a lovely recipe for a chocolate and strawberry ice cream which I reckon will be just lovely after Christmas dinner...

Toto Wolfcastle

It's so worth having an ice cream maker. Homemade ice cream is so good. I'd love that recipe if you have it to hand?

wnolan1992

This is the one I'm thinking of using. I have a few books with more ice-cream recipes in them, so if I see something nicer I may go for it instead.

http://www.loveandoliveoil.com/2014/05/dark-chocolate-strawberry-ice-cream.html

Mystery Egg

I made my cake - here she is in all her naked, moist glory. She'll be fed amaretto every week til Christmas.

Cork Lass

That looks delicious

wnolan1992

We had Christmas dinner in my house last night (before we all go back to our families for Christmas).

I made Mary Berry's sage and onion stuffing balls (well, I messed up these, because the balls wouldn't stay together, so I ended up just making a bowl of stuffing instead) which was absolutely delicious. I'd never had stuffing with sausage meat before, but it's awesome.

I also made Jamie Oliver's potato gratin, which was amazing. I'd probably do something different with the potatoes if I was making it again, because I made them a little too chunky for my liking. I wonder if it'd work if I just mashed the sh*t out of them...

And finally I made a Beef Wellington. This is gorgeous. The chestnut mushrooms in particular are something I've never had before, and the mustard gives it a nice kick. I think I messed up slightly, because it took WAY longer to cook than the recipe says (recipe says 35 minutes, it took almost 90 to cook the beef all the way through), but still lovely.

And one of the lads did some caramelised veg which were very tasty indeed.

I attempted to make ice-cream the night before, but the eggs scrambled in the custard so I ended up just making chocolate spritz cookies for dessert instead.


So, despite a few set backs, all in all, great success.

Toto Wolfcastle

That all sounds amazing!

Watched Kevin Dundon last night and when he was stuffing the turkey, he put a "pouch" of greaseproof paper inside the turkey and put the stuffing in that, making it easy to pull the pouch out when the turkey was cooked.

tickingclock

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Watched Kevin Dundon last night and when he was stuffing the turkey, he put a "pouch" of greaseproof paper inside the turkey and put the stuffing in that, making it easy to pull the pouch out when the turkey was cooked.

It would make life easier but would you get the stuffing as tasty as the juices wouldn't pass through the greaseproof paper.

Princess Peach

I made these the other night, made them a few years ago too, very tasty and easy to make, and easy to transport if they are for sharing. Mine aren't.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-2844009/All-star-Nigella-Christmas-Sticky-gingerbread.html

RentDayBlues

So spent a couple of hours today making goodies, pastry for mince pies, gingerbread christmas trees and cookies.

Disgusted with the cookies, used donal skeehans recipe for cranberry and white chocolate and they all flopped, flat and crispy

They were meant to be a gift but will be going into our freezer instead

Toto Wolfcastle

Oh that's so annoying when a recipe doesn't turn out well. If you want to try a different recipe I used to make Rachel Allen's cranberry and white chocolate cookies a few years ago. I never ate them because they're not my thing but my mother would get me to make them and they seemed to go down well so it might be worth a try.

We made chocolates this morning to give as a gift. Dark chocolate whiskey ganache and salted caramel. I tried a different way of tempering the chocolate for the first batch and it bloomed. Very annoying but I went back to my usual way for the second lot and they were perfect. They were appreciated anyway so that's the main thing!

Dubl07

Toto Wolfcastle wrote: »

Oh that's so annoying when a recipe doesn't turn out well. If you want to try a different recipe I used to make Rachel Allen's cranberry and white chocolate cookies a few years ago. I never ate them because they're not my thing but my mother would get me to make them and they seemed to go down well so it might be worth a try.

We made chocolates this morning to give as a gift. Dark chocolate whiskey ganache and salted caramel. I tried a different way of tempering the chocolate for the first batch and it bloomed. Very annoying but I went back to my usual way for the second lot and they were perfect. They were appreciated anyway so that's the main thing!

Both your chocolates sound divine. Any chance of a link or recipe?

Toto Wolfcastle

They were really good! I used this recipe for the salted caramel. The first time I made it it was a bit too liquid but when I made it yesterday I simmered the sugars/syrup/butter for longer and it made a thicker caramel. I just put it in the fridge in a disposable piping bag overnight and took it out about half an hour before I wanted to use it and it was perfect.

For the ganache I boiled 70g double cream and added 30g of butter and then poured it over 125g chocolate before the butter melted fully. Then I added whiskey to taste. I was going to thicken it by whisking it but I just left it out in the bowl and gave it a mix every once in awhile and it thickened nicely. I had too much ganache though so you could definitely reduce it a bit. (Or use the rest to make a whiskey hot chocolate!)

I used this mould and used about 150g of chocolate in total for the shells and bottom of the chocolates.

Das Kitty

I'm all geared up to make Mary Berry's stuffing. Good to get the positive review!

I made mince pies yesterday with my home made mincemeat. They came out gorgeous. The only problem was that I used the Aldi unsalted butter and it has a weird rancid smell/taste. Well within date, so I dunno. There were 2 packs like that.

I ended up scrapping the first batch of pastry and using salted butter on the second batch. Tasted great regardless.

Countdown1982

I've had the same problem with Aldi's unsalted butter, again well within useby date. But horrid smell and taste from it, whole batch of queens cakes rendered Inedible

LowOdour

Its been an odd lead up to Xmas so far. I always take a week off before Xmas and usually have loads of time to think about what to cook for Xmas day but this year has been different. For the last few years we have done the hosting and a lot of the cooking but has been a draining few months so slumbing it with dinner this year!

Was going to do a simple roasted veg soup for starter but actually thinking of skipping starter altogether. Could anyone recommended any nice finger foods that i could throw in the oven? Guests could have a few of these with a drink...might make it a bit more relaxing and then just have main and desserts.

RentDayBlues

Spent today making mince pies and decorating gingerbread for my daughters christmas party tomorrow, thrilled with how they turned out. Followed a tip from mary berry and used some marzipan on the topping, really lovely.

I also managed to salvage my crap cookies from last night, I sandwiched two of them together using left over royal icing, so now have cookies sandwiches

RentDayBlues

Pics

French_Girl

RentDayBlues wrote:

Spent today making mince pies and decorating gingerbread for my daughters christmas party tomorrow, thrilled with how they turned out. Followed a tip from mary berry and used some marzipan on the topping, really lovely.

RentDayBlues wrote:

I also managed to salvage my crap cookies from last night, I sandwiched two of them together using left over royal icing, so now have cookies sandwiches

Wooow, I want one!

Toto Wolfcastle

A Simply Delicious Christmas was on RTE earlier. It was so nice to see Darina Alen back on the TV and she seems to get on so well with her brother. I'm sure it's probably on the player and the second of two episodes will be on tomorrow at 7.30.

wnolan1992

Heading home tomorrow, just made a batch of Rolo stuffed cookies to take with me using this recipe. They're fab. So gooey. About one will fill you up completely. I had enough to make 20 + a chef special that's like 1.75 cookies. :pac:

Gonna make a batch of chocolate spritz cookies tomorrow morning before setting off.

Loughc

We can delay the diet in lieu of these bad boys? Right?!?

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1743179212561418&id=1737181656494507&_rdr

Crazyteacher

Anybody got a nice simple cookie recipe please? Not involving chocolate /raisins/nuts/cinnamon. Got a new snowman cookie cutter and dying to give it a go.

Toto Wolfcastle

This one is simple and perfect for cutting shapes out.

Crazyteacher

Toto Wolfcastle wrote: »

This one is simple and perfect for cutting shapes out.

Perfect thanks . It's still winter so I get away with the snowman cutter and nice decorations

Toto Wolfcastle

Oh my God, look how cute these melting snowmen marshmallows are!

And these pancakes would be perfect for a Christmas breakfast!

RentDayBlues

Toto Wolfcastle wrote: »

Oh my God, look how cute these melting snowmen marshmallows are!

And these pancakes would be perfect for a Christmas breakfast!

They are too cute! Definitely going to have to up my game this Christmas

washiskin

Toto Wolfcastle wrote: »

I used this mould and used about 150g of chocolate in total for the shells and bottom of the chocolates.

Sorry to bring this up all these months later, but can you tell me if you piped the chocolate into the shells and how full did you fill them before adding the caramel?