Okay, I promise you this will be the last mincemeat post I'll do the whole rest of the holidays. I know you are probably getting tired of them, but . . . I do love mincemeat . . . and this is the season of mincemeat afterall . . .



I got to thinking the other day about different ways that I could use up some of those bazillion jars of the stuff that I created, and this idea just popped into my mind.



Imagine a silky vanilla flavoured and slightly spiced custard, floating atop a spicy sweet compote of mincemeat. Ohhhh . . . such beautiful textures and flavours. Each mouthful gives you that wonderfully rich custard flavour and then that lovely spiced fruity mincemeat flavour . . . it goes without saying that you need to use mincemeat that it wholly made with fruit . . . the other kind just doesn't bear thinking about!



This is sooo good. I'm glad I thunk it up . . . and if I didn't, please don't tell me and burst my bubble. I like thinking I invented something, I truly do . . .

Todd ate three of them all by himself . . .



and as for the other three???

I ain't saying . . .



*Baked Holiday Custard*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

Imagine silky vanilla flavoured custard atop a spicy sweet compote. That's baked vanilla and mincemeat custard. This is fabulous, truly fabulous.

100g golden caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla paste
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
pinch salt
4 large eggs
18 ounces whole cream milk
411g jar of mincemeat
Icing sugar to dust

Preheat the oven to 160*c/325*F. Place 6 large custard cups (6 ounce size) into a large shallow roasting pan. Set aside.

Place the milk along with the vanilla paste, nutmeg and cinnamon into a saucepan and heat just until bubbles appear around the edges. Remove from the heat and let sit for about 15 minutes. In the meantime, whisk the eggs together with the sugar. Whisk a little bit of the heated milk into the egg mixture to temper it, and then whisk the egg mixture into the milk, whisking it all together completely.

Divide the mincemeat evenly between the six custard cups. Pour the liquid mixture over top without disturbing the mincemeat, dividing it equally amongst them. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan to come up about half way up the sides of the custard cups. Place in the heated oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the custard jiggles only in the centre when you tap the cup lightly. Remove from the oven and from the roasting pan to a wire rack to cool before eating. Dust with icing sugar and eat at room temperature. Delicious!

Note - I am thinking this would work with all kinds of compotes on the bottom. Next time I think I'll try cherry or rhubarb, or even apple! My tastebuds are tingling just thinking about it!!!

One turkey, one ham, a pan full of chipolatas, two types of stuffing, swede, carrots, sprouts and parsnips . . . .



A pot of gravy, two bowls of cranberry and a lovely Christmas chutney . . .



Not to mention copious amounts of sparkling grape juice, peartizer, Christmas pudding, Christmas Cake, Eggnogg Cake and Mince Pies . . .



We are sitting here replete and stuffed to the gills . . . the last thing on our minds tonight is food . . .
and yet . . .



There's a lovely bowl of this delicious vegetable gratin sitting in the fridge . . . just waiting for me to pick at . . . if anything this only tastes better for having sat in the fridge overnight.

Seriously.



*Winter Vegetable Gratin*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

A wonderful combination of winter root vegetables, all roasted together with cream and a buttered cheese and crumb topping. Makes a tasty side dish for that meat lover of yours, or a wonderful vegetarian main! You may use the vegetables I have suggested here, or vary them according to what you have on hand. Sweet potatoes and butternut squash are also very good in this.

8 ounces celeriac, peeled and cut into cubes
1 carrot, peeled and cut into rounds
1 parsnip, peeled and cut into semi circles
1 swede, peeled and cut into chunks
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into cunks
8 ounces light cream
1 fat clove of garlic, crushed
1 tsp dry mustard powder
25g fresh rye or whole wheat bread crumbs
2 TBS freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp marjoram leaves
2 TBS melted butter
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Butter a shallow ovenproof dish. Set aside.

Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil. Add the vegetables. Cook for 10 minutes, then drain well. Place in a large bowl.

Whisk the cream, garlic and mustard powder together in a saucepan. Heat, stirring constantly, over medium heat, cooking for about 10 minutes, until the mixture is thickened like a cistard, and coats the back of a metal spoon. Remove from the heat and pou rover the vegetables in the bowl. Spread into the prepared baking dish. Season with some salt and pepper.

Mix together the bread crumbs, cheese and marjoram leaves. Sprinkle evenly over top of the vegetables. Drizzle the melted butter on top.

Bake in the heated oven for about 40 minutes, until the crumbs are golden brown and the cream around the edge of the dish has turned a golden brown and is a bit crusty. Remove from the oven and allow to cool somewhat. Serve warm. Delicious!

Tomorrow the leftovers from today's delicious repast . . . for now . . . groan, we relax . . . Oh how wonderful it is to live in the land of plenty . . .

Some people hate mince pies. Some people hate Christmas pudding. Some people I know, even hate fruit cake!



I know . . . there is just no pleasing some people . . .



I'm pretty sure this will please them though.



Eggnog cake. Moist, delicious and fragrant with the smells of orange, nutmeg and, well, egg nog!



A nice fat slice of this, with some ice cream or whipped cream on top, will go down a treat with even the pickest guest you may have at your table over the holidays. I guarantee!



As Tiny Tim would say . . . God bless us, everyone!



*Eggnog Pound Cake*
Makes 1 10-inch bundt cake
Printable Recipe

A deliciously festive cake filled with the lovely flavours of eggnog, cranberries and orange. This smells just fabulous when it is baking! Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

1/2 cup dried cranberries (50g)
2 TBS dark rum or water
1 cup butter, room temperature (8 ounces)
2 cups white sugar (400g)
3 large eggs
3 cups flour (420g)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup storebought eggnog (250ml)
(See note below)
1 tsp vanilla
1 TBS freshly grated orange zest

For the Glaze:
3 TBS orange juice
1 TBS dark rum (or an additional TBS of orange juice)
3/4 cup sugar

Pre-heat the oven to 160*C/325*F. Grease and flour a 10 inch bundt pan really well. Set aside.

Place the cranberries in a small bowl and cover with the rum or water. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream the butter and sugar to gether until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Add to the creamed mixture, on low speed, alternately with the egg nog, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Fold in the orange zest, cranberries and any liquid in the bowl. Spoon the batter into the prepared bundt pan, smoothing the top over. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes or until it tests down when a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a rack.

Prepare the glaze by blending together the orange juice, sugar and rum, until the sugar is about melted. Using a pastry brush, brush this glaze all over the surface of the warm cake, brushing it again and again until all the glaze is used and has been absorbed by the cake. Serve at room temperature, cut into slices with your preferred accompaniment.

Note - if you are unable to get eggnog use an equal amount of whipping cream and increase the measure of grated nutmeg to 1/2 tsp.

Remember the Christmas Cake that I baked a few weeks back? (See recipe HERE.) No recipe here today, just my decorated and finished Christmas Cake. Whew! I thought I was never ever going to get around to doing it.



Oh, I had big plans . . . fancy cutouts, cutsie little shaped people, a manger, some angels and maybe some sheep. Todd wanted me to just leave it plain . . .



I'm not a plain kind of gal . . . in the end, however, I settled for simple. Mostly because I ran out of that thing none of us has in abundance at this time of year . . . time.



First, I filled in any holes left on the top of the cake from bits of fruit etc. with some spare golden marzipan. I then brushed the cake all over with some heated apricot jam, which I had strained through a strainer. Once it felt tacky, I applied a layer of golden marzipan all over, which I had rolled out flat to fit. A round circle for the top, and a length of marzipan the height of the cake and as long again as it's circumferance to place around the sides..



Ideally this should have sat for several days to dry, but I ran out of time . . . being the procrastinator that I am and all that.

I then coated it with a fluffy fondant icing and sprinkled the top with some blue and white snowflake candy decorations I had and some of these beautifully large silver dragees that I got at Marks and Spencers.





I finished it off with a dusting of edible glitter and a pretty blue bow.



I think it will do . . . how about you?

Next year I'm going to start it a lot earlier. That's a promise. But don't hold me to it, ok?

Everyone needs a good company dish up their sleeve that they can whip together as quick as a blink. You know . . . for those times when someone drops in unexpectedly and you just want to sit down and break bread together.



Something quick that uses store cupboard ingredients . . . yet is special enough to feed company.



Something that tastes soooo gorgeous, they will think you slaved all day over the stove . . .
but in reality, you threw together in about 20 minutes . . . and that's stretching it!



This fits the bill on all accounts. Quick, easy, gorgeously delicious and using ingredients most of us foodies have in our store cupboards and freezer most of the time

Got pasta, sun dried tomatoes, chicken breasts, cream and basil???

Then you got this!



Seriously, that is about all it takes! Well, that and a few minutes of your time. Actually not much longer than it takes to cook the pasta and set the table. Easy peasy lemon squeezy!



All you need to go with it is a crusty loaf of Italian bread and a salad. Don 't even think about the calories. This will make you famous, it's a signature dish if I ever saw one . . .

and that, my friends, is well worth the price in extra inchage on the hips. Trust me.



*Chicken with Sundried Tomato and Basil Cream*
Serves 4 to 6
Printable Recipe

Rich and delicious. This is quite simple and quick to make, but special enough to feed to even the most discerning of your dinner guests. Tis a real ravable dish! Scrumdiddlyumptious!

For the chicken:
1 TBS butter
1 TBS olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch strips crosswise
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 eschalon shallot, peeled and minced
(or 1/4 cup of minced ordinary shallots)
50g oil packed sun dried tomatoes, drained, blotted and chopped finely (1/3 cup)
1 TBS sun dried tomato paste
150ml double cream (2/3 cup)
120ml dry white wine (1/2 cup)
a handful of freesh basil leaves, cut chiffonade
(roll up tightly into a cigar shaped bundle and slice thinly across the grain)
370g spaghetti (1 pound)

Melt the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken, season with salt and black pepper, and cook, until golden brown on all sides and just cooked through.. Remove to a plate and set aside. Add the shallots to the drippings in the skillet. Cook and stir until softened. Stir in the sun dried tomatoes, cream, wine and tomato paste. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and cook, stirring occasionally until thickened. Stir in the basil. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. Stir in the chicken and heat through.

Cook the spaghetti until al dente, according to the package directions, about 10 minutes. Drain well, reserving some of the pasta water. Stir the pasta into the sauce, adding some of the pasta water to thin if necessary. Serve immediately.

Well, we ventured out in the snow and ice this morning to go to church. It was our Christmas Service so I didn't really want to miss it if I could help it. The roads were pretty terrible, but I reckon about half the congregation was there, so that wasn't too bad.



It did take us a really long time to get home though. What is it about people and adverse weather conditions. They think that they can drive the same way that they normally do . . . no matter that the roads are snow and ice covered and slip, slip, slippery.



We had to make our way around two accidents to get home. Police, ambulances etc. It took us twice as long, and really, it made us kind of nervous as well . . . so we drove really slow.



Never mind . . . we got here in the end. We were starving. Much too hungry to spend too much time cooking a big meal of anything. Quick and easy was the order of the day, but it often is on Sundays . . .



The carol service is canceled for tonight. Guess we'll just have to make do with Songs of Praise . . .



That's ok. We like Songs of Praise.
Especially at Christmas.




*Posh Egg, Chips and Beans*
Serves 2
Printable Recipe

Quick, easy and oh so tasty.

1/2 kg of floury potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 TBS olive oil
1 ounce butter
2 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and left whole
3 to 4 fresh sage leaves
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 large eggs
1 425g tin of beans in tomato sauce
Buttered bread

Place the potatoes into some salted boiling water. Cook for about 8 to 10 minutes, until they are just cooked through, but not falling apart. In the meantime heat a large skillet and add the olive oil and the butter, along with the garlic and sage leaves. Once the potatoes are cooked, scoop out of the water with a slotted spoon, allowing any excess water to drip off and place directly into the pan with the garlic and sage. Increase the heat and cook, browning and stirring, until golden browned all over. Don't burn the garlic. Decrease the heat, season with some salt and black pepper. Create two holes in the middle of the potatoes and crack in the two eggs. Season with some salt and cook, until set. If you prefer, you can cover the pan with a lid so that the whites set over the yolks. In the meantime heat the beans in a saucepan over medium heat until hot. When the eggs are ready, divide equally amongst two heated plates and serve hot along with some beans and buttered bread. Enjoy!

One thing we always have lots of in the larder is jars of jams and preserves. I don't think I could live without a variety of them on tap for me to use in various ways . . .



Sometimes in the evenings when we are watching the telly and feel a bit peckish, we will have a treat of hot buttered toast spread with jam or marmelade.

We just adore freshly baked scones with cream and strawberry jam. Can you imagine a Cream Tea without strawberry jam??? It's totally unthinkable!!!

A moist Victorian Sponge is just not the same without a thick layer of raspberry jam in the middle, although I do enjoy lemon curd once in a while, but . . . can you still call it a Victorian Sponge without the jam?




I also love to bake biscuits that have jam in the middle.

Soft and tender molasses jam jams are so lovely and tasty with a hot drink in the middle of the afternoon. My mouth starts to water just thinking about them . . .

Oh, and don't get me started to thinking about lintzer cookies, all buttery and crisp and filled with . . . raspberry jam . . . their tops all sweetly dusted with icing sugar . . .

That white powder on the upper lip's a dead giveaway isn't it? There's no denying you've been raiding the tin . . .



One of my favourite things of all though . . . is . . . raspberry shortbread.

O-H-M-Y-G-O-O-D-N-E-S-S!!!!!

That crisp short textured buttery base . . . topped with sweet raspberry preserves and then . . .
that buttery crumble topping. Can anything on earth possibly taste any better??? I think NOT!

Let's just skip having tea all together today. We'll just settle for dessert



*Raspberry Shortbread*
Makes 12 to 16 wedges
Printable Recipe

Picture sweet buttery melt in your mouth crunch, stogged full of delicious raspberry preserves and you have these delightful shortbread biscuits. These are a real favourite around here.

16 ounces butter, at room temperature
4 large egg yolks
400g sugar
560g flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
350g raspberry jam, at room temperature
70g icing sugar, sifted

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. You will need a 10 inch tart pan with a removable bottom or you can just use a 9 by 13 inch baking pan.

Cream the butter until soft and fluffy with a hand mixer, or in the bowl of a food processor. Beat in the egg yolks. (alternately whiz them for a few seconds in the food processor until combined) Stir together the sugar, flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the butter/egg yolk mixture, mixing just until incorporated and the dough comes together. (Do the same in the food processor, blitzing it several times until a dough forms) Divide the dough in half.

Press one half of the dough evenly into the bottom of the tart tin, or the baking pan, pressing it down to compact it slightly.

With a spoon or spatula, spread the jam evenly over the surface to within 1/2 inch of the edge of the dough all the way around. Take the remaining half of the dough and crumble it evenly over top of the jam, covering it completely.

Bake in the heated oven until it is lightly golden brown. This should take between 30 and 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and dust with the icing sugar. Cool on a wire rack before removing the sides of the pan. Cut into wedges with a serrated knife to serve. (If you have used a baking pan, just cut into squares.) Store in a tightly covered container. This keeps very well.

I have always made doughnut muffins for my children and family, and they have always loved them. Much, much easier than rolling and frying doughnuts, and to be honest there is not really that much difference in flavour.


Sometimes I make them plain, with no filling and just rolling them in the butter and cinnamon.



Other times I like to dab a bit of fruit preserves or lemon curd in the middle. Absolutely delicious!



Still yet, at other times I add a dab of nutella, or creamy dulce de leche. Scrummy yummy!!



It seemed only natural that, at Christmas, I would adapt my recipe a bit and fill them with one of my favourite holiday ingredients, mincemeat.



The shops over here have mincemeat available pretty much the whole year through, but at Christmas it seems that it is something that I just can't seem to get enough of.



These muffins are deliciously moist with a wonderfully spicy mincemeat centre, that will have your family and guests oohing and ahhing and scrambling for just one more.



In fact . . . I think you better bake two dozen . . . just to be sure you have enough.



These are fabulously wonderful!!! Would I lie? Never!!!



*Christmas Morning Doughnut Muffins*
Makes 12 medium to large muffins
Printable Recipe

Moist and spicy, with a tasty dab of delicious mincmeat hidden in the centre, and a buttery cinnamon sugar coating. Wonderful with a nice warm cuppa on Christmas morning!

For the muffins:
6 ounces butter, at room temperature
200g golden caster sugar
2 large eggs
420g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 heaped tsp of mixed spice
1 tsp vanilla paste
8 ounces soured milk
(To sour place 1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar in a measuring cup and add the milk
to measure 8 ounces)
To fill:
storebought or homemade mincemeat
For dipping:
4 ounces butter, melted (more as needed)
200g caster sugar
1 TBS ground cinnamon



Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Grease and flour a standard 12 cup medium sized muffin tin. Set aside.

Cream the butter and golden caster sugar together until well combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the vanilla paste. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and mixed spice. With a wooden spoon add this mixture a quarter at a time to the egg mixture, alternating with the sour milk, until all are mixed, ending with the dry ingredients. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups to fill halfway. Dab a teaspoon of mincemeat into the centre of each, trying not to touch the sides. Top with the remaining batter, covering the mincemeat. Bake on a rack in the centre of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until well risen and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and dump onto a wire rack to cool for several minutes.

Whisk the caster sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Place the melted butter in another bowl. Once the muffins are cool enough to handle comfortabely, roll them in the melted butter and then into the cinnamon sugar to coat. Serve warm or at room temperature. Delicious!