What was in Jan's Pan?
December
DECEMBER FESTIVITIES
The kitchen is in chaos again, but this time it’s Christmas chaos.
There’s nothing quite like Christmas cooking with carols in the background and a mulled beverage in hand. I love the run-up during December, baking for the big day, keeping a constant supply of goodies for pre-Christmas guests or naughty night-time nibbles.
First job, right at the beginning of December, is a production line of mini Christmas fruit cakes. Topped with marzipan and decorated with fondant they're ideal for gifting during the month. I use my go to Good Housekeeping recipe which includes 70% dark chocolate chips to counteract the sweetness of the fruit which had partied overnight with a tipple or two to make it well-pumped and boozy. It’s much quicker and more energy efficient to make individual cakes in 10cm glass ramekins. They take a fraction of the time to cook, 40-50mins at 140C Fan, and then there's the fun of decorating each one individually with marzipan and fondant, getting creative with the Christmas cutters.
There was no marzipan in my usually over-stocked cupboard, but I do always have plenty of ground almonds to hand. Home-made marzipan is not the faff that you may think it is. Just 100g ground almonds, 100g each of icing and caster sugar and an egg lightly kneaded into a paste with some almond essence means there's no need to head out to buy and debate the pros and cons of golden versus white shop-bought (add yellow colour if you must).
Then there's the fun of dusting off the Christmas decorations and putting them up, which usually means mince pies and Christmas tunes to accompany the big transformation to glitzy Santa's grotto. This year the Chefs arrived and immediately embarked on a gingerbread house project, so there was a good sprinkling of icing sugar and ginger goodness mixed in with the tinsel. Always to the tunes of my 100 Best Christmas CD (no other will do) and the 80s-80s Christmas on internet radio (a great find - check it out!). They used Dame Mary’s recipe on BBC Food which includes all the templates you need.
As usual with their madcap projects, there was plenty of dough left over, and they know how I hate to see anything go to waste.
Another batch of stained glass window biscuits (boiled sweets for 'glass') ensued, and a batch of mince pies. Yes! Gingerbread rather than sweet pastry is a revelation with the sweet mincemeat and adds extra spicy deliciousness. I decorate with holly leaves and a whole cranberry to add tartness to the sweet mincemeat. Finally, the mess of ginger biscuit crumbs and shavings they created was put to good use into gingerbread truffles. Added to a basic ganache made with a 50:50 ratio of cream to chocolate with some chopped stem ginger and a splash of ginger liqueur, and rolled in the remaining dust, they were incredibly moreish.
Truffles make the perfect gift of course, and so this year's annual Christmas workshop with friends was spent with a relaxing and fun afternoon around the kitchen island unit making various combinations of white and milk chocolate truffles. We raided the drinks cupboard for cointreau, rum and kahlua and experimented to find the best way to make lots of truffles with the least amount of mess. A melon baller or a teaspoon measuring spoon helps to give the right size and shape of ganache, and once the truffle mix has all been scooped out into rounds it's easy to lightly roll the chocolate in the coating using just the tips of your fingers. We used coconut, cocoa, chocolate strands or raspberry powder to give a variety of truffles to bag up for gifts (if we could only resist polishing them off ourselves of course).
These are the recipes we used, which give plenty of mix to play with. Bag them up into pretty Christmas bags, label them up and give them to your loved ones - they'll love you even more.
The kitchen is in chaos again, but this time it’s Christmas chaos.
There’s nothing quite like Christmas cooking with carols in the background and a mulled beverage in hand. I love the run-up during December, baking for the big day, keeping a constant supply of goodies for pre-Christmas guests or naughty night-time nibbles.
First job, right at the beginning of December, is a production line of mini Christmas fruit cakes. Topped with marzipan and decorated with fondant they're ideal for gifting during the month. I use my go to Good Housekeeping recipe which includes 70% dark chocolate chips to counteract the sweetness of the fruit which had partied overnight with a tipple or two to make it well-pumped and boozy. It’s much quicker and more energy efficient to make individual cakes in 10cm glass ramekins. They take a fraction of the time to cook, 40-50mins at 140C Fan, and then there's the fun of decorating each one individually with marzipan and fondant, getting creative with the Christmas cutters.
There was no marzipan in my usually over-stocked cupboard, but I do always have plenty of ground almonds to hand. Home-made marzipan is not the faff that you may think it is. Just 100g ground almonds, 100g each of icing and caster sugar and an egg lightly kneaded into a paste with some almond essence means there's no need to head out to buy and debate the pros and cons of golden versus white shop-bought (add yellow colour if you must).
Then there's the fun of dusting off the Christmas decorations and putting them up, which usually means mince pies and Christmas tunes to accompany the big transformation to glitzy Santa's grotto. This year the Chefs arrived and immediately embarked on a gingerbread house project, so there was a good sprinkling of icing sugar and ginger goodness mixed in with the tinsel. Always to the tunes of my 100 Best Christmas CD (no other will do) and the 80s-80s Christmas on internet radio (a great find - check it out!). They used Dame Mary’s recipe on BBC Food which includes all the templates you need.
As usual with their madcap projects, there was plenty of dough left over, and they know how I hate to see anything go to waste.
Another batch of stained glass window biscuits (boiled sweets for 'glass') ensued, and a batch of mince pies. Yes! Gingerbread rather than sweet pastry is a revelation with the sweet mincemeat and adds extra spicy deliciousness. I decorate with holly leaves and a whole cranberry to add tartness to the sweet mincemeat. Finally, the mess of ginger biscuit crumbs and shavings they created was put to good use into gingerbread truffles. Added to a basic ganache made with a 50:50 ratio of cream to chocolate with some chopped stem ginger and a splash of ginger liqueur, and rolled in the remaining dust, they were incredibly moreish.
Truffles make the perfect gift of course, and so this year's annual Christmas workshop with friends was spent with a relaxing and fun afternoon around the kitchen island unit making various combinations of white and milk chocolate truffles. We raided the drinks cupboard for cointreau, rum and kahlua and experimented to find the best way to make lots of truffles with the least amount of mess. A melon baller or a teaspoon measuring spoon helps to give the right size and shape of ganache, and once the truffle mix has all been scooped out into rounds it's easy to lightly roll the chocolate in the coating using just the tips of your fingers. We used coconut, cocoa, chocolate strands or raspberry powder to give a variety of truffles to bag up for gifts (if we could only resist polishing them off ourselves of course).
These are the recipes we used, which give plenty of mix to play with. Bag them up into pretty Christmas bags, label them up and give them to your loved ones - they'll love you even more.
(BBC Good Food)
Makes 35-45 truffles depending on size
300g white chocolate chips
120ml double cream
30g unsalted butter
½ tsp rose water, 2 tsp vanilla paste, 2tsp coffee flavour, or 1-2 tbsp liqueur of your choice (brandy, Cointreau or hazelnut liqueur work well, or gin and lime!), finely chopped pistachios, desiccated coconut, cocoa, raspberry powder or sprinkles to decorate
Method
Melt the chocolate, cream and butter in a heatproof bowl over a small pan of just simmering water, or in the microwave in short blasts, stirring regularly.
Stir in any flavourings you like. Transfer to a small baking dish or shallow container, allow to cool, then chill for 4 hours
Shape the truffles. Scoop truffles from the set mixture using a melon baller or teaspoon measure and and drop onto a lined tray, using another teaspoon if necessary and handling as little as possible
Spread the coatings onto a large plate and gently roll the truffles to coat them using the tips of your fingers only.
Return to the fridge to chill and set completely.
Keep chilled for a week, but serve at room temperature for the best results.
(Joanna Farrow 'Chocolate')
makes approx 30-40 depending on size
125ml double cream
250g plain chocolate roughly chopped, or use chocolate chips
2 tbsp liqueur such as Cointreau, brandy or coffee flavoured liqueur
Cocoa to dust or vermicelli
Gently heat the cream and pour over the chocolate in a bowl, stirring to melt.
Stir in the flavourings of your choice. Transfer to a small baking dish or shallow container, allow to cool, then chill for 4 hours
Shape the truffles using two teaspoons. A large melon baller or a rounded teaspoon measuring spoon is useful to help shape them. Scoop truffles from the set mixture and and drop onto a lined tray, using another teaspoon if necessary and handling as little as possible
Spread the coatings onto a large plate and gently roll the truffles to coat them using the tips of your fingers only.
Return to the fridge to chill and set completely.
Keep chilled for a week, but serve at room temperature for the best results.
Student son is back from his first uni term so it's back to stocking up the cupboards again to satisfy his constant craving for calories. He's enjoying a rest from the challenge of catering for himself and has settled back into home comforts very quickly. No doubt I'll be making a big batch of Christmas sausage rolls, both meat for Mr Carnivore, and veggie ones made with plenty of cheese which not even the meat-eaters can resist. Chestnuts and cranberries are a must at Christmas so no doubt I'll experiment with flavours and incorporate them into the fillings one way or another. That's a job for Christmas eve, along with homemade cranberry sauce, a must have for my Christmas dinner.
Take 300g fresh cranberrries, juice and zest of 2 clementines, 100g soft brown sugar and 2tbsp Grand Marnier. Add a good grating of fresh ginger and a cinnamon stick. Simmer until the cranberries soften and burst, around 5mins. Allow to cool and add 1tbsp more booze for an alcoholic hit. Keep in a sterilised jar in the fridge for around a week, ready to accompany the big meal with plenty left for snacking with turkey or cheese leftovers.
Meanwhile, the Chefs are working their socks off, catering for the Christmas crowds. But this year they have the unquestionable delight of having Christmas day off as the glamorous high-end department store they work in is closed for the day before the onslaught of the Boxing day sales. So not content with a day off from cooking they are cooking Christmas dinner for us instead, and I for one can't wait.
Christmas calories don't count, right...??
Happy Christmas everyone, and thanks for reading!!