Recipes

Meat and other delicious things wrapped in puff pastry? It’s a no brainer.

This is not yet another Christmas cake recipe. This is a recipe for those who do not like Christmas cake, or simply haven’t made one this year.

A mince pie should not be overpowered by a heavy mass of pastry that surrounds usually a tiny half a teaspoon of runny, artificial-tasting mincemeat. The filling should be centre-stage, and that’s why I don’t cover it up.

This recipe is ideal if your fruit is under ripe and hard, because you can soften it in the pan and sweeten to taste. Then, it’s also ideal if your fruit is a bit past its best – cut off any mouldy or dodgy looking bits and chuck it all in.

These wriggly lengths of light crispiness are the perfect vehicles for shipping dip from plate to mouth. So good in fact, that James has even included the easiest, most delicious dip recipe.

This is portable cake – cake anywhere. All you need is a bowl, a whisk (a wooden spoon will do) and a frying pan. And you could probably forego the bowl.

So this recipe isn’t technically baking. But it definitely isn’t cooking either. Caramels and fudges come under the baking umbrella, so why not this too? Make this as an alternative to mulled wine and you will be hooked for all Christmases to come.

Pizza is one of those rare things: a slice of sheer baking indulgence that constitutes an entire meal in itself. And not necessarily an unhealthy one too, although it is pretty tasty with some Graham’s cheese on top, don’t go too sparingly!

These wonderful healthy muffins are a great alternative to cake, however any illusion of vitality is destroyed by the brilliant juxtaposition of the cream-cheese icing. Tangy, soft, devourable. A classic with carrot cake so why not with carrot muffins too?

This fabulously over-the-top French dessert instills delight in some and fear in many. This version is pretty straightforward and with melted chocolate & caramel this is one for optimum indulgence. It tastes even better with Graham’s double cream.

No, we’re not talking that seasonal favourite, ‘figgy pudding’. This is different – fig pudding: an oven-baked, super-light pudding made with fresh figs rather than dried. Use Graham’s semi-skimmed milk for the ultimate taste!

Friands are the easiest cakes. There’s no whisking of egg whites to stiff peaks and there’s no creaming of butter and sugar until almost ice-white. It’s just a case of lobbing everything into a bowl, mixing, pouring and baking.