Christmas Cooking

Neyite

@A cup of te I do a yule log that's chocolate sponge, chocolate ganche filling and cranberry jam. The tartness of the cranberry helps with all that chocolate richness and it's Christmassy! So that along with a trifle you are planning should hit all the various palates.

The starter I do is this one - dead easy to put together but a big flavour hit. Or, as you usually like Asian flavours, Rick Stein's Duck noodle soup is a broth so it's not too heavy a starter if you go easy on the noodles. The flavour is all in the broth. And you can do the stock and strip the duck and freeze it. I just throw it into the slow cooker and add the final few ingredients on the day.

I'm going to make my own crackers this year and fill them with cool stuff myself. I say it every year but I never do and end up forgetting and buying crappy crackers as they are usually the only ones left. This month when I get paid I'm ordering the cracker making stuff so I don't forget. Then during the year I'll pick up the wee bits that can go into the tubes.

A cup of te

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118432918#Comment_118432918

@Neyite Thank you so much. I just looked at your Tuna starter and those are my kind of ingredients. I must give that a go before Christmas and see what it turns out like. Definitely my kind of thing and it'll jazz up the Christmas menu a bit. I'm beyond bored with the smoked salmon starter that I've been doing!

I also love the sound of your Yule Log. That's the other thing I want to try out this year. Have you a specific recipe you follow for that or did you make it up yourself? I must root out my mince pie recipe and share it just if anyone is interested. It's one I got online but everyone raves about it. I can't remember what website so I must just write in the recipe here someday. It makes about 50 mince pies and I freeze a good few and then give away about 25 of them in bags of 6 - 8. I think the main thing is it doesn't have suet in it so it's a very fruity filling but be warned they're so bloody time consuming to make the filling and pastry :-P

I love the idea of making your own crackers. I never ever thought of that. Sounds really cool.

Neyite

This is the cranberry & chocolate roulade /yule log recipe.

5 eggs

100g caster sugar

60g plain flour

40g cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon chocolate extract (optional, it's very chocolaty anyway so doesn't need this I think)

Ganache & Decoration:

200g fresh cranberries

75g caster sugar

400g plain chocolate

20g butter

200ml double cream

1 tablespoon bourbon whiskey

Chocolate leaves and icing sugar to decorate

 Preheat oven to 160c (fan) 180c.

Line a swiss roll tin with baking paper

Beat eggs and sugar until thick. Sift over the flour and cocoa and fold in with the vanilla and chocolate extract. Spread in the tin and bake for 12 -14 mins. Turn onto baking paper sprinkled with sugar. Cool then roll up in the paper.

Half the berries and put the berries sugar and two tablespoons of water in a pan and cook for 7-10 mins. Cool.

Put the chopped chocolate and butter in a bowl. Heat two- thirds of the cream in a pan until almost boiling. Pour over the chocolate and butter and leave for 5 minutes. Add burbon and whisk until light. Adjust the consistency with a little more cream if necessary. Set aside a third of the ganache mix for the frosting. adjust the rest of the ganache with a little more cream for a spreadable consistency.

Unroll the sponge, spread with creamy ganache, Spoon over the cranberries and re roll. Ice the roulade with the ganache frosting and decorate with chocolate holly leaves and a dusting of icing sugar.

A cup of te

That sounds really good, Neyite. Definitely will give that a go

freshpopcorn

Has anybody here every tried to steam Christmas puddings in the oven? You sort of do Bain marie and can do several at once?

phormium

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119537730#Comment_119537730

Yes I do small ones in the oven, 4 to a roasting tray and totally enclosed in a tent of tinfoil, works fine but can be heavy and full of boiling water so kinda have to be careful. The other bigger ones I do in the slow cooker.

freshpopcorn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119538070#Comment_119538070

Thanks, we're thinking of giving this ago this year.

CheerLouth

Started my Christmas baking by making mincemeat over the weekend. Didn't make it last year & lived to regret it immensely!

20220925_140527.jpg

put_the_kettle_on

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119675019#Comment_119675019

I bet that smells absolutely gorgeous :)

CheerLouth

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119675208#Comment_119675208

Sure did!

TRS30

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119675208#Comment_119675208

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119675452#Comment_119675452

Mincemeat candles!

freshpopcorn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119675019#Comment_119675019

Just out of interest how do you store it and how long does it last?

CheerLouth

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119680288#Comment_119680288

I store it in sterilised jam jars & it lasts pretty much forever! I didn't make any last year but found a jar from 2020 in the press in July & used it then & it was perfectly fine! You mix whiskey in to it when it's cool & that combined with the airtight jar does the job I think!

freshpopcorn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119683577#Comment_119683577

Sorry for banging on.

Do you use normal used claned jam jars or do you've special ones?

CheerLouth

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119683852#Comment_119683852

Nope, just normal ones - I run them through the dishwasher to make sure there's no smells left in them from whatever was in them originally! Then wash in soapy water & bang them in the oven while still wet. Oven at about 100 degrees! I pop the lids in too.

phormium

The level of sugar in mincemeat between the dried fruit and added in the recipe is what preserves it, you can make no added sugar mincemeat for example but it must be frozen as it won't keep. The alcohol adds flavour but would last without it once plenty sugar, same as Christmas Cake/Pudding. I make the lower sugar version and just freeze it, not for the calorie saving as when you're eating mince pies you may as well give up on calories but I just find most types too sweet for my liking, could never eat a bought one as they are sickly sweet!

pigtail33

Had a bit of a Christmas baking disaster this morning. I put a Christmas cake into the oven, headed out for a bit and the electricity flickered off about an hour after the cake went in. Unfortunately the oven didn't come back on and the heat had completely gone from the oven when I got back. I turned the oven back on and it's still baking now, but I've no idea whether it will be edible or not. Has this happened anyone else before? The cake is supposed to bake for 3½-4 hours.

pigtail33

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119684629#Comment_119684629

Quoting my own post... It's out of the oven now and looks ok, the skewer came out clean, so hopefully there was no damage done. I'll find out in 86 days!

Cork Lass

looks delicious @pigtail33

New Home

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119675019#Comment_119675019

Could you share the recipe, please?

New Home

This looks very simple and very effective. I think I'll try it.... hoping it tastes nice.

https://hungryhappenings.com/fudge-christmas-trees/

phormium

Very cute! I did similar few years ago with meringue coloured green, last for ages too and can make handy dessert idea.

New Home

My meringue always turn out soggy after a day, I've never been able to keep it crisp (then again, my house is very damp...). Any tips?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119538070#Comment_119538070

I have a deep frying pan with a lid. Just the job for boiling small individual puddings. I’d be scared of using the oven in case I got scalded when checking the water level. Would it need topping up if it was tightly sealed? I use the slow cooker for the bigger puds too.

phormium

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119689353#Comment_119689353

No it never needs topping up if sealed right with tinfoil, be far too awkward to even check, too hot to put the tinfoil back on! I never even check and just take them out after allotted time and they are done and still plenty of water.

TRS30

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119685734#Comment_119685734

I’ll happily test it for you if you want to send me some! 😂 Looks great.

phormium

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119689224#Comment_119689224

I store mine in the hotpress. Now if you have a damp house that is a disadvantage, it's important to get them really really dry in the first place, any hint of softness in them when baked and they will not last. Meringues are more dried out than baked, best meringues I used to get were overnight in a gas oven that had a pilot light but that was years ago in a big commercial oven. These days I put them in a low oven for ages and then usually as I bake a lot I put them back in the turned off cooling oven a few times over following days, then they go into the hotpress. Once they are that dry they last for months, I think there is some multicoloured ones in there I made with my grandchildren early in summer!

CheerLouth

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119686356#Comment_119686356

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Apologies, I kept forgetting to take a photo of it!

Mystery Egg

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119686356#Comment_119686356

Yes, I'd love to try making it too. :)

Loughc

https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/christmas-eve-snack-ideas/?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=organicsocial&utm_audience=toh&utm_content=lib&utm_placement=feed

some good ideas here

Smell the glove

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119790247#Comment_119790247

I'll be checking these out!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119685734#Comment_119685734

Looks fantastic- no burning and if skewer came out clean i reckon you're on to a winner there- wrap up well and look forward to a great cake

CheerLouth

While I was off, I got two puddings & two cakes made...I've found my Christmas cooking mojo again after losing it last year!

freshpopcorn

Christmas cake.(2 done 2 to go).

Jude13

Does anyone have the recipe for Baileys truffle? I found it on here before and saved it in a draft email which I since accidently deleted.

Basically condensed milk, baileys, chocolate....along those lines

A cup of te

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/jewelled-mincemeat

This is the mincemeat i meant to post last year. I use sherry for the alcohol and a little less sugar and orange and just dried pineapple for the exotic fruit. Makes about 50 mince pies so adjust accordingly. Its a lovely fruity mince pie because theres no suet. For the pastry i just do water, butter and flour. Even people that dont actually like mince pies eat these!

TRS30

Eldest elf is making a Christmas cake with her cousin and aunt. They have been preping the fruit etc the last while and put it all together and did the actually baking yesterday. Can't wait to try it.

tscul32

I've my fruit soaking ready to bake later. Then I remembered I've 5th year parent teacher meetings later🙄

phormium

Freezer seriously filling up now! Made mince pies & mini apple pies today for those that don't like the mince pies plus some biscuits, all gone into freezer with the stuffing/bread sc etc etc. Don't think I'll squeeze much more in. Might have to take out the marmalade oranges and actually make marmalade to make a bit of space, a jar of it would be nice Christmas present anyway with the few mince pies :)

Swiss rolls for trifle done too, right hand one bit of a dud but sure who will notice!

pigtail33

Similar problem here, my parents' freezer is full of loganberries from the summer that I haven't got around to turning into jam.

@phormium do you fully cook the apple and mince pies? And are they as good as fresh when defrosted? It's something I've never done, but we're not that busy in work at the moment and it's a job I would love to have ticked off the list. I'm usually trying to get them made on Dec 23rd or 24th.

CheerLouth

For the mincemeat lovers amongst us, I came across this recipe: https://www.nancybirtwhistle.co.uk/recipes/home-made-mincemeat/ I haven't tried it myself but think I'll give it a go over the weekend. It omits the need to steep your fruit the night before & leaving it to ferment for a couple of weeks.

leahyl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119960323#Comment_119960323

Do you freeze the Swiss Rolls phormium? It's a good idea! We normlly buy a gateau swiss roll with the 50% extra free but haven't seen those ones around yet. My mum makes a lovely jam and cream swiss roll normally, so could make one of those and just leave out the cream!

phormium

@pigtail33 Yes I bake them before freezing, you can freeze raw too and just bake from frozen. They are perfectly fine once thawed, assuming you have a good freezer as not all are great although for this short length of time anything would probably do! Need to be well sealed too from cold air so mine are layered with parchment in a plastic container and then into two large freezer bags tied. Can be heated in the oven for a few minutes once thawed for that 'just out of oven' feeling but really they are just as good as ones baked freshly.

@leahyl Yes I freeze the swiss rolls, basic ones with just jam as you say, leave out the cream, you can even cut them from frozen when you're making the trifle, cake doesn't freeze rock solid like liquids do. I used up a load of raspberries in the freezer and made jam to use in them too, made a bit of space! You can use up some of the loganberries 😊

Today it's sticky toffee pudding which my sister wants for dessert in her house Christmas day, also a lemon ring cake to be decorated like a wreath later as she doesn't eat anything with dried fruit plus a few chocolate logs, all for the freezer!

sdp

Anyone ever done Christmas pudding in a pressure cooker?

Have mine made doing the old steaming, would love to know how they come out from a pressure cooker. Thank you

tscul32

I usually use the slow cooker. Can pop it on overnight.