Tag / Christmas

Baking Christmas Recipe

Festive Sausage Rolls

I think everyone that I know loves sausage rolls, especially at parties. I make a batch of rolls quite often and keep them in my freezer, so I always have something handy in a party emergency! I use ready rolled shop bought puff pastry as it works very well and is easy and cheap to buy. I buy the one without butter so it can work for vegans too. 

If you want vegan rolls, I use Richmond’s meat-free sausages for the filling and add my own seasoning in the same way as I do use pork sausages. I also seal and glaze them with soya milk. 

I like to jazz up my filling by adding a few spices or fresh herbs. At Christmas time I put a little cranberry sauce in the mixture to add some festive flavours. Sausage rolls are so versatile so get inventive and come up with your own ideas. 

Ingredients 

    • One pack ready to roll puff pastry 
    • One beaten egg 
    • One pack of pork/meat-free sausages 
    • Handful finely chopped fresh parsley 
    • 1 Tbs cranberry sauce 
    • 1 tsp garlic puree 
    • Salt and pepper

    Method 

    Unroll the pastry and cut it into half along the long side.

    Squeeze the sausages out of the skins and place in a bowl. Mix in the other ingredients and then lay the mixture along the middle of each length of pastry. 

    Brush the pastry with beaten egg and then roll the pastry over the filling and seal the edges well. I use a fork to press the seam together to seal.

    Slice into the size rolls you prefer, snip the top of each roll with scissors or slash with a sharp knife.

    Brush well with egg and then bake in a 200c oven for about twenty minutes or until puffed up and golden.  

    by Karen
    Baking Christmas

    Christmas Cake Recipe

    It is here once again, we are into November and it is time to get the big mixing bowls out for the Christmas Cake.

    I know that not everyone is a fan, but I am! It’s a tradition to make at least one cake. My mam used to make a round one; royal icing peaked to make look like snow, a ruffled frill around it and plastic decorations: Father Christmas, robins, a snowman, and a Merry Xmas greeting.

    I don’t bother with fancy pants stuff,  I just go with tradition. Mam also made two Christmas Cake loaves. My fondest memories of Christmas Eve are having a slice with some cheese and a little sip of cream sherry.

    When I am doing the final stir up I get my husband and girls to take turns stirring and make a wish. (If they’re away from home they do it telepathically, I text them when to make the wish and I stir for them).

    Here we go, this makes a big cake, like ten inches and tall. If you want to adjust to make smaller give me a toot and I will send quantities.

    Ingredients: 

    450g Sultanas
    450g Currants
    450g Raisins
    150g Chopped Prunes or Dates
    100g Glace Cherries
    100g Candied Peel
    6 Tbs Brandy
    450g Plain Flour
    A large pinch of Salt
    1 Tsp Cinnamon
    2 Tsp Mixed Spice
    2 Tbs Cocoa Powder
    450g Unsalted Butter
    450g Dark Brown Sugar
    8 Large Eggs
    100g Ground Almonds
    100g Flake Almonds

    Method:

    1. Soak all the dried fruit in a bowl with the brandy the night before you bake your cake
    2. Grease a 10inch springform tin and line with baking parchment
    3. Preheat the oven to 150 or fan 140
    4. Sift together the flour, spices cocoa and salt
    5. Whisk the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy
    6. Beat the eggs in a jug and beat in to the sugar and butter gradually
    7. With a large spoon, mix in the flour/spice mix and fruit together
    8. Make a wish
    9. Spoon into the cake tin and level the top
    10. Using newspaper or brown paper and string protect the outside of the tin
    11. Bake for about 3 and a half hours, or until a skewer come out clean
    12. Leave to cool in the tin then wrap in foil and store in a cool place
    13. Feed the cake with brandy every week until it is time to decorate (liberally spoon brandy onto the cake)

    by Karen
    Christmas Recipe

    Uncle David’s Favourite Mince Meat Recipe

    I was just thinking this morning how it will be Christmas before we know where we are and I just happened to have all the ingredients in my store cupboard to make a huge jar of mincemeat for mince pies. It only takes ten minutes and little effort, with the resulting mincemeat much better than anything you can buy in the shops.

    I have an Uncle David who is mince pie crazy. One year as a young man, he scoffed all my gran’s mince pies in one sitting. The following year she played a joke on him, baking him a tray full stuffed with cotton wool; each year he still remains optimistic that he will be plied with the real thing!

    Ingredients:

    700g Mixed Dried Fruit (any combination you like, cranberries, mango or (like me) just the standard currants, raisins, sultanas and mixed peel)
    100g Glacé Cherries (chopped)
    1 Cooking Apple (peeled, cored and chopped)
    125g Unsalted Butter
    50g Chopped Nuts (any will do)
    225g Dark Brown Sugar
    1 tsp Cinnamon
    1 and 1/2 tbs Mixed Spice
    1 tsp Mace or Nutmeg
    Grated rind and juice of 1 Lemon
    150ml Brandy

    Method:

    1. Warm the sugar, butter and lemon in a large pan on a low heat
    2. Add all the other ingredients (with the exception of the brandy)
    3. Cook over a low heat for about ten minutes, stirring regularly
    4. Remove from heat and leave to cool
    5. Add the brandy and stir thoroughly
    6. Place in a large sterilised Kilner jar or four small jam jars

    Who still puts mince pies out on Christmas Eve? Not my Uncle that’s for sure!

    by Karen