December 2016

FEAST FESTIVE

MULLED CIDER WITH CALVADOS

Serves loads!

“This recipe couldn’t be simpler. It’s a great drink to greet people with as they come in from the cold – a real winter warmer.”

For the cider:
Three red apples
12 cloves
Three litres of cider
The zest of two oranges, plus a few slices to decorate
Six cinnamon sticks
500ml of Calvados

Method:
1. Stud the apples with cloves and place in a large pan.
2. Add all the remaining ingredients and place over a low-medium heat. Simmer very gently for 30 minutes – do not boil!
3. Serve the mulled cider in glasses with some fresh orange slices.

BOXING DAY PANCAKES WITH WARM BRANDY CUSTARD

Serves 2

“Here, we use leftover Christmas pudding for a great, fruity pancake mix. We’ve added some boozy custard to make this a real treat dessert.”

For the pancakes:
230g of plain flour
1 tbsp of baking powder
Two large eggs
300ml of full-fat milk
Butter, for frying
200g Christmas pudding, finely crumbled

For the brandy custard:
100ml full-fat milk
200ml double cream
Four egg yolks
1 tbsp of caster sugar
50ml of brandy

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to its lowest setting to keep your pancakes warm. Pop the flour, baking powder, eggs and milk into a food processor or blender and blitz until smooth. Set aside to rest for 20 minutes to let the baking powder to do its thing.
2. Melt a knob of butter in a heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat until gently bubbling. Meanwhile add the crumbled Christmas pudding to the pancake batter and mix well.
3. Add a ladle of the batter to the pan and swirl to coat the surface. Cook for a few minutes until the top starts to set and you can see bubbles appearing. Turn carefully and cook the other side of another minute. Keep warm in the oven while you cook the rest and prepare the custard.
4. Gently heat the milk and cream in a small pan over a low-medium heat. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a separate bowl until thick. Slowly pour the warm milk and cream into the egg mix, whisking all the time. Return to the pan and gently cook until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, whisking continuously. Add the brandy and set aside until ready to serve.
5. When ready to serve, stack the pancakes high and pour over the brandy custard.

WHISKEY MINCE PIES

Makes 10-12

“Terry first created these boozy mince pies – and they always go down a treat! Pair them with a big pan of mulled cider!”

For the filling:
50g of sultanas
100ml of bourbon whiskey, plus extra for drizzling
One 280g jar of mincemeat

For the shortcrust pastry:
130g of plain flour
A pinch of table salt
55g of chilled butter
35ml of cold water
Icing sugar to decorate

Method:
1. Start by soaking the sultanas in the bourbon for at least one hour, then stir into the mincemeat and set aside for about 30 minutes.
2. To make the pastry, place the flour and salt in the bowl and rub in the butter with your fingers until you have a crumb-like texture. Stir in the cold water and bring together to make a firm dough. Knead for a few minutes, then wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4 and lightly grease as 12-hole muffin tin or silicone tart tray. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 2-3mm. Cut out 12 pastry circles, about 10cm in diameter (if you don’t have a cutter use a coffee cup!) Line the tin or tray with the pastry rounds.
4. Place a generous teaspoon of the filling into each tart and bake for 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool completely before removing from the tray.
5. Drizzle a little whiskey on top of each pie and dust with icing sugar to serve