Out & About December 2017

C hristmas = stress for cooks. Especially if you have hordes of family and friends to cater for. The secret to making sure you enjoy the festive celebrations too is to plan, plan, plan… and do a little more planning. From make-ahead dishes to freeze, to festive makes that will look like they’ve taken hours and canapés that could have come from a top-notch restaurant, we’ve got it all.

Our favourite Christmas cheats Pastry makes It’s always good to have a pack of pastry in the freezer. Use puff pas- try for cheese straws. Simply cut into lines and top with egg wash and grated cheese before baking – or use a star cutter for Christmas stars. Also good for bite-sized sausage rolls with bought sausagemeat. Lifesaving bread Rye bread keeps well, so buy a pack to cut into small squares and top with a myriad of flavours from cream cheese or crème fraiche and smoked salmon to prawn and avocado, or simply buffalo mozzarella and tomato. Pizza goodness Make small individual pizza bases with bought pizza dough mix or make one long spectacular pizza for a buffet table. Nibbles Breadsticks, raw veg and crisps can be dipped into bought dips or make your own. Peanut and yogurt dip is simple – one part peanut butter to two parts natural yogurt – delicous! Or try one-and-a-half cups of yogurt mixed with one tbsp curry powder and I tbsp lime juice for a speedy curry dip . Beetroot crème fraiche dip is easy too – mix a 250g pack cooked beetroot (not in vinegar), drained and grated with 200g crème fraîche, two tbsp horseradish cream and snipped chives. Keep flour tortillas in the freezer – they thaw quickly and you can cut into triangles and bake on a baking tray for six minutes each side. Season with flavoured salt if liked.

Cocktails Buy yourself a bottle of Cranes Cranberry & Blood Orange liqueur for classy Christmassy cocktails. Make the Crallini, the Cranes twist on a Bellini, by using a dash of Cranes liqueur to top up your prosecco for a delicious fruity finish. Or reinvent the famous Cosmopolitan with Cranes liqueur, vodka and fresh lime juice. www.drinkcranes.co.uk

Sweet treats Buy Fudge Kitchen fudge and slice up, put on plate with some holly decoration and you’ve got a sweet treat for the buffet table. We particularly like the giant Continental Gingerbread Yule log – a whole 850g for around £24.99. Or try the 12 flavours of Christmas selection – a circular gift box of seasonal flavours metamorphosed into gourmet fudge, including Mince pie, Christmas Cookie, Hazelnut Heaven and Chocolate Orange. Shops in Oxford, Windsor and Bath. Or you can buy online at www.fudgekitchen.co.uk

Make a Ferrero Rocher ice cream cake – buy a block of vanilla ice cream and turn on to a plate. Drizzle with cold chocolate sauce then top with unwrapped Ferrero Rocher balls. Keep a shop-bought panettone in the cupboard. Dress for the buffet table by wrapping a festive napkin around it, top with cranberries and dust with icing sugar.

Jazz up your own olives rather than paying a lot for bought ones. Heat up some olive oil and flavoured it with crushed garlic, rosemary, thyme and orange peel. Then marinate olives – mix for an hour or two at least, preferably overnight. Other flavour ideas are basil, thyme, garlic, chilli powder, rosemary, lemon peel. Chipolatas No one can resist mustard and honey chipolatas. Freeze a pack, thaw on day of use and roast in a baking tray with oil for 20-25 minutes until cooked then add an equal mix of mustard and honey (for 48 use 3tbsp of each) and roast for another 5-8 minutes.

Cheese please Camembert circle – Bake a Camem- bert cheese in its box and surround in rings with assorted rolls or crispy toasts. Make mini cheese scones and fill with crème fraiche and chives or tapenade.

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