Whether you’re looking to get ahead, keep things simple or get the children baking, Booths have all the inspiration you need for festive feasting.
FOR A SHOWSTOPPER PUD
Pomegranate and clementine pavlova
Serves 4
Prep 20 mins
Cook 2 hours
Ingredients
For the clementine syrup
10 clementines
100g sugar
100ml spiced rum
1tsp coriander seeds
For the meringue
45g bag of unsalted pistachios
200g egg whites (from approximately 6 large eggs)
250g sugar
To garnish
550ml whipping cream
65g sugar
120g pomegranate seeds to garnish
Method
For the clementine syrup
1 Zest, peel and segment nine clementines. Squeeze the juice out of the last clementine and save for step two. Bring 100g sugar to a light caramel, add the rum and cook off the alcohol.
2 Add the juice and zest from the clementines, and the coriander seeds then reduce down to a thick syrup. Place the clementine segments in a sterilised Kilner jar (or something similar) and pour over the warm syrup. Once cooled place in the fridge. This can be done a day or two in advance.
For the meringue
1 Use a food processor or hand chop all of the pistachios, they don’t need to be all the same size. Separate out 50g for the meringue and keep the rest for garnishing.
2 On three sheets of baking paper trace around a cake tin (we used an 8 inch tin). Line three baking trays with the paper so that the trace is on the underside of the paper. Whisk the egg whites slowly for two minutes then at high speed until they start to form soft peaks. Add the sugar slowly, a tablespoon at a time. Continue to whisk until the whites feel smooth when rubbed between fingers. Gently fold in the pistachios.
3 Use a little of the meringue to stick the paper to the trays. Spread the meringue evenly over the three trays using the trace as a guide. Make two of them fairly flat on top but with the third make some peaks and interesting shapes as this will be the lid.
4 Bake at 90°C Fan / 110°C / 194°F / Gas Mark ¼ for 2 hours or until the meringue starts to set and is easy to lift off the paper. Once cooked, turn off the heat and allow to cool in the oven with the door closed, this helps prevent the meringue from cracking.
To build the final pavlova
1 Remove the clementine segments from the syrup before using and place to
one side.
2 Whip the cream with the sugar and clementine syrup until it forms stiff peaks.
3 Build up the pavlova in layers, adding the cream, pomegranate, clementine segments and pistachios between each layer, and garnish the top.
FOR CHRISTMAS BAKING WITH THE KIDS
Stained glass window cookies
Serves 5
Prep 30 mins
Cook 15 mins
Ingredients
50g butter
2 tbsp caster sugar
100g plain flour
1 tbsp cornflour
1-2 tbsp milk
6-7 boiled sweets various colours to be crushed
50cm Christmas/red coloured ribbon cut into 10cm pieces
Method
1 Cream the butter and sugar together.
2 Add the flour and cornflour and work together using the back of your spoon.
3 Add enough milk to form a dough.
4 On a baking sheet, using Christmas cutters, cut out shapes (stars or Christmas
tree shapes work well here). You will probably get five shapes.
5 Using a smaller cutter, make a hole in the middle of the shape then make a smaller hole at the top of the biscuit large enough that a thin ribbon can be threaded through.
6 Fill the bigger hole with crushed boiled sweets.
7 Bake at 180°C / 160°C Fan / 350°F / Gas Mark 4 for 15 minutes then leave to cool on the baking sheet until the filling has set hard.
8 Carefully peel the biscuit off the baking sheet and delicately thread the ribbon through the hole at the top of the biscuit.
FOR THE DAY AFTER THE BIG FEAST
Boxing Day Soup
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp thyme leaves
1 large potato, peeled and cubed
500g leftover Christmas vegetables, roughly chopped (sprouts, carrots, parsnips and squash are good)
1.2ltr turkey or vegetable stock
400g tinned flageolet or cannellini beans, washed and drained
1 tsp chopped fresh chives
Salt and milled pepper
Method
1 Fry the onion gently for a few minutes in the olive oil.
2 Add the garlic, thyme and potato, fry for another minute before adding the leftover vegetables and stock.
3 Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
4 Blend it all up until it’s smooth.
5 Put the mixture back on the heat, add the beans and chopped chives, and season with salt and milled pepper.
6 Simmer for 5 minutes.
7 Serve with warm crusty bread and softened butter.
GREAT FOR LEFTOVERS
Cheesy penne pasta and spicy pigs in blankets
Serves 4
Prep 25 minutes
Cook 25 minutes
Ingredients
200g penne pasta, cooked
300g Arrabbiata sauce
12 pigs in blankets, cooked and chopped
1 mozzarella ball, diced
50g Lancashire cheese, grated
20g Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Method
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan / 392°F / Gas Mark 6.
2 In a large bowl mix together the cooked penne pasta, Arrabbiata sauce, chopped pigs in blankets and diced mozzarella.
3 Place into an oven proof dish and finish with grated Lancashire cheese and Parmesan.
4 Bake in the oven for 25 minutes until golden and piping hot.
5 Serve with a green salad and garlic bread.
CHEF’S TIP This useful, “use up leftovers” idea also works well with chopped leftover roast potatoes instead of pasta. Spice it up with a few chillies for a homemade version of the Spanish classic, Patatas Bravas.
FOR A SUPER SIDE
Ginger and nutmeg butter shredded sprouts
Serves 4
Prep 20 minutes
Cook 6 minutes
Ingredients
400g Brussels sprouts
25ml vegetable oil
1 tbsp grated ginger
50g salted butter
½ nutmeg freshly grated (or ¼ tsp ground nutmeg)
Method
1 Wash and finely shred the sprouts, using a food processor or grater.
2 Add the vegetable oil to a large frying pan or wok and once hot, add the sprouts and stir fry over a high heat until they soften.
3 Add the grated ginger and butter and season to taste.
4 Finish with lots of grated nutmeg.
CHEF’S TIP Ginger root can be fibrous and hard to grate so wash your
ginger, no need to peel, and then keep it in the freezer. It becomes very easy to
grate once frozen.
For more recipes and inspiration for your festive feasts, the Booths Christmas book is available in stores. orders.booths.co.uk
