From Christmas gifts for teachers and local friends, to canapés and cocktails for all those parties, I’ve pulled together a cracker of a round-up of my absolute favourite makes and bakes for the festive season. So grab a glass of mulled wine, blast out those cheesy Christmas tunes and plan your shopping list!
Gifts
1. CHRISTMAS SPICED CRANBERRY & PLUM CHUTNEY
It only takes twenty minutes to make this delicious chutney, and it goes with a whole host of Christmas goodies like your Christmas day roast, cold cuts or how about a baked Camembert? Jar it up, add a pretty label and you’ll have another present ticked off your list. This recipe makes two jars, so one to give and one to keep – perfect!
2. CREAMY SEA SALTED FUDGE
Another quick and easy option for gifting is a batch of indulgent creamy fudge, packaged up in smart boxes or popped into cellophane bags tied with pretty ribbon. My version is flavoured with vanilla and sea salt, which always transports me right back to British seaside holidays. Your friends and family will delighted when you hand them a little bag of these sweet treats.
This recipe is featured on JamieOliver.com.
Canapes
3. COD, CHORIZO AND PEA PUREE BITES
These elegant canapés should impress your party guests this season. Combining fluffy white chunks of cod with a feisty slice of chorizo on a bed of buttery pea puree, this is a one-bite experience not to be missed!
4. MAKE AHEAD LEEK & POPPY SEED SAUSAGE ROLLS
Once you make your own sausage rolls, there really is no going back! Gorgeous flaky pastry and top notch quality sausage meat makes for an exceedingly crowd-pleasing party canapé. Crucially, you can get them ready in advance and just bake as needed, so it’ll save you faffing about in the kitchen when you could be enjoying yourself!
Christmas Baking
5. RICE KRISPIE HOUSE
This cute little rice krispie house is a great project for little people (and big people) and it’s a great alternative when you feel like making something, but don’t quite have the energy for full-on baking. Let’s face it, we’re all exhausted at this time of year!
6. MINCE PIE CUPCAKES
If you’re looking for a festive twist on a batch of Christmas cupcakes, then you should check out my Mince Pie Cupcakes – made with a vanilla sponge, mincemeat and a luxurious brandy butter icing. You can decorate them with sprinkles, coloured sugar or some retro-picks.
7. WHITE CHOCOLATE MALTESER CAKE
Or how about this simple but spectacular White Chocolate Malteser Cake? It makes a wonderful centrepiece for a party spread, and is a great swap-in for a fruit-cake if your family aren’t fans.
Cocktails
8. APEROL SPRITZ
Let’s kick off with a round of Aperol Spritz cocktails – I think the jewel-bright orange colour of these 19050’s inspired drinks are perfect for the holiday season!
9. GIN & RHUBARB FIZZ
What better way to get your New Year’s Eve party started than welcoming your guests with a glass of Gin & Rhubarb Fizz. It’s fruity, classy and fun – just like all the perfect party hosts should be!
10. POMEGRANATE & VANILLA VODKA
I love how achievable this recipe is! You could make this and give it as a gift, but you could quite easily keep it to share at parties this Christmas. It’s also brilliant for defrosting the grown ups when they’ve got back in from all those frosty family walks or trips around the park with the kids test-driving their new bikes and scooters!
Hope some of these recipes appeal to you! Let me know if you make any by tagging them with #renbehanfood
I’ll be back soon to share a couple of festive recipes from my new You Tube channel.