When people in the UK think of Christmas, the first things that come to mind tend to be presents, brightly decorated trees and Santa. But without a doubt, one of the best things about the festive period is the food and drink - from pigs in blankets to Christmas pud and mulled wine.
If you fancy trying your hand in the kitchen this Christmas but can't decide what to make, check out our sumptuous suggestions below. 'Tis the season, after all!
Mince pie brownies
If you a) like mince pies and b) like brownies then boy have we got the recipe for you! These delicious bakes combine the best of both worlds, stay fresh for days AND are easy to make.
Ingredients
To make a batch of 16 brownies, you will need:
185g unsalted butter, cubed
185g high-quality dark chocolate, chopped
85g plain flour
40g cocoa powder
3 large eggs
275g golden caster sugar
6 mince pies
icing sugar
Start by melting the butter and chocolate in a bowl placed over a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally until melted, then leave to cool. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4, line the base of a shallow 20cm square tin with non-stick baking parchment and sieve the flour and cocoa into a medium bowl.
Next, whisk the eggs and sugar until thick and creamy, which should take 3-8 mins. Add in the cooled chocolate mixture, then gently fold together using a figure of eight motion until the mixture is dark brown - try not to knock out all the air! Sift in the cocoa and flour mixture and continue gently folding until the mixture goes from looking dry and dusty to looking fudgey.
Spoon a little mixture into the prepared tin, then add the mince pies, whole. Pour over the rest of the mixture, ensuring it goes between and over the pies, then pop in the oven for 25 minutes. If the brownie mixture is very wobbly in the middle, it’s not quite done, so bake for another 5 -10 mins. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin, then dust with icing sugar, cut into squares and tuck in!
Gingerbread stars
These brilliant biscuits can double as Christmas tree ornaments and are perfect for baking with kids.
Ingredients
To make a batch of gingerbread stars, you will need:
100g salted butter
3 tbsp golden syrup
100g dark muscovado sugar
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
225g plain flour
50g icing sugar
Heat the butter, syrup and sugar in a pan until melted, stirring occasionally, then set aside to cool.
Mix together the bicarbonate of soda, ginger, cinnamon and flour in a large bowl, then pour in the butter and syrup mixture and stir to combine. Next, use your hands to bring everything together and form a dough. Place the dough on a sheet of baking parchment paper, shape into a rectangle and lay another sheet of parchment on top. Then roll the dough out to a thickness of ½cm, place on a baking sheet - leaving the parchment in place - and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and line a large baking sheet with more baking parchment. Remove the dough from the fridge and cut out star shapes (or whatever shape you prefer) using a cookie cutter, then place them on the lined baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. Leave to cool completely on the baking sheet.
Meanwhile, mix the icing sugar with 1-2 tbsp water and decorate the biscuits with the icing using a piping bag fitted with a thin nozzle. To use as tree ornaments, simply cut out the middle, thread with ribbon and get hanging!
Eggnog latte
As far as we're concerned, a good proportion of Christmas drinks ought to be rich, sweet and delicious, and nothing fits the bill better than this cheeky delight.
Ingredients
To make one eggnog latte, you will need:
35ml espresso
100ml milk, steamed and whisked until frothy
150ml eggnog
a pinch of nutmeg
a pinch of ground cinnamon
Begin by pouring the espresso into a large mug, then top with most of the frothy milk, then the eggnog. Stir, add the rest of the milk and sprinkle with the nutmeg and cinnamon to serve.
To make frothy milk, either heat the milk gently in a pan while whisking or, if you have one, use a coffee machine.
Here's to a Merry Christmas!
Whatever Christmas has in store for us all this year, there's nothing to stop you making sure yours is a tasty one with a bit of home cooking. And to make sure your coffee requirements are all taken care of, our mobile vans will be out and about throughout the festive period - to find your nearest van and have some top quality coffee delivered to your door, click here.