Preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 230°C (450°F).
• Grease and flour a cupcake tin or line it with cupcake liners.

Mixing the Batter:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine melted butter, all-purpose flour, baking powder, mixed spice, dark muscovado sugar, egg, and orange zest.
• Use a hand mixer or blender until the batter is smooth and well combined.
• Stir in the dried berries and cherries until evenly distributed.

Baking:

• Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake cups.
• Bake in the preheated oven for about 15-18 minutes or until the cupcakes are puffed up, golden, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Allow the cupcakes to cool in the tin for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 1

• Put the dried fruit into a large bowl, add 2 tbsp brandy and the sugar, then cover with cling film.
• Microwave on High for 2 mins until the sugar has melted and the fruit plumped up.
• Stir, then leave to cool and soak overnight.
• If you’re short of time, carry on with step 2 and leave to soak for as long as it takes to complete step 2.

Step 2

• Put the cream, remaining brandy, and icing sugar into a large bowl and whip to soft peaks.
• Pour the custard into another bowl and fold the cream into it.
• Tip into a freezer container and freeze the mix for 4 hrs, stirring the frozen edges into the rest of the mixture every hour or so until the whole tub is soft but frozen (or use an ice cream machine, churning for 20-30 mins until thick).
• Meanwhile, line a 1.
• 2-litre pudding basin with cling film.

Step 3

• Once the ice cream mix is thick, quickly fold the soaked fruit (and any liquid from it) and frozen cranberries through it.
• Spoon into the lined basin.
• Freeze overnight or for at least 6 hrs.
• To serve, leave bombe at room temperature for 10 mins and turn out onto a serving plate.

Step 4

• To make the cranberry brandy butter sauce, in a heavybased pan gently heat muscovado sugar and butter until the sugar dissolves.

Step 5

• Splash in brandy, add cranberries and boil gently till the cranberries pop, but still hold their shape and color the sauce.
• If you want to, sieve the seeds out of the sauce and add some more cranberries for a really glossy finish.
• Serve hot or warm.

Step 1

• Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan/gas 6).
• In a bowl, mix the crumbled Christmas pudding, mascarpone, and Baileys.
• Lay out a sheet of filo on a large flat baking tray, brush with some melted butter, and lay another sheet on top.
• Repeat with more butter and filo until you have 4 layers.

Step 2

• Place the filling in a log in the center of the filo sheets.
• Brush the border with butter.
• Roll up to enclose the filling, then brush with the remaining butter.
• The strudel can be chilled for 1 day until ready to bake.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
• Dust with icing sugar and serve warm with cream or custard.

Step 1

• Mix the dried fruit, orange zest, orange juice, and sherry.
• Leave it overnight to soak.

Step 2

• Preheat the oven to 160°C (fan 140°C/gas 3).
• Butter and double-line a deep, 20cm round cake tin.
• Wrap the outside with brown paper or newspaper and secure with string to prevent overcooking on the sides.
• Beat together the butter, sugar, and vanilla seeds until pale and creamy.
• Mix the flour, ground almonds, and mixed spice together.
• Add this mixture to the butter mix along with the beaten eggs.
• Beat until combined and smooth.
• Stir in the whole almonds, soaked fruit, and any leftover juices.
• Turn the batter into the tin, then smooth the top and make a dip in the middle.
• Bake for 1½ hours.

Step 3

• Reduce the oven temperature to 140°C (fan 130°C/gas 2), then bake for an additional 1½ hours until the top is dark, and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean or with a few damp crumbs clinging to it.
• Once cool enough to handle, turn the cake onto a cooling rack and peel away the lining paper.
• Let it cool completely.

Step 4

• Keep the cake well wrapped and feed it once a fortnight with 1-2 tbsp sherry.
• Poke holes into the cake with a skewer and slowly spoon over the sherry.
• If you don’t have time for feeding, the cake is delicious freshly made and can be covered and decorated as soon as it has completely cooled down.

STEP 1 – Preparation:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Squeeze the meat from one of the chipolatas into a bowl, discarding the skin.
• Put the grated apple in a clean tea towel and squeeze out any excess liquid.
• Add the grated apple to the sausagemeat with pecans, a quarter of the bread, and sage.
• Season and combine to form a fat sausage shape.
• Cut a long slit in the chicken breast, being careful not to cut it in half.
• Stuff with the sausage and wrap with bacon.

STEP 2 – Roasting:

• Put the stuffed chicken breast in a large roasting tin.
• Wrap the remaining bacon rashers around the remaining chipolatas and add to the tin around the chicken.
• Add apple wedges, sprouts, and potatoes to the roasting tin.
• Cut the parsnip in half lengthways and put it, cut-side down, on a chopping board.
• Make very thin, close cuts into the parsnip halves.
• Transfer everything to the roasting tin with garlic and two bay leaves.
• Drizzle with oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast for 40-45 mins or until cooked through.

STEP 3 – Bread Sauce:

• Pour milk into a small saucepan with a bay leaf, cloves, and shallot.
• Heat gently until the shallot softens.
• Strain the milk into a jug, discarding bay leaf and cloves.
• Return milk to the pan with the remaining bread and cook until you have a thick, porridge-like sauce.
• Add half the butter, season, and set aside.

STEP 4 – Red Wine Gravy:

• Slice the reserved shallot and add to a deep frying pan with the rest of the butter.
• Fry until golden, then pour in balsamic vinegar.
• Continue to cook until the vinegar has reduced and is thick and sticky.
• Add wine and cook until reduced by half.
• Stir in the stock and bubble until the sauce is glossy and slightly thickened.

STEP 5 – Serving:

• Gently reheat the bread sauce.
• Slice half the chicken and place on a plate with pigs in blankets, roast apple, sprouts, potatoes, and parsnip.
• Drizzle over the red wine gravy and serve with pickled red cabbage and cranberry and bread sauces on the side.

STEP 1 – Preparation:

• Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3.
• Butter the base of a loose-bottomed 20cm cake tin (at least 7cm deep).
• Line the base with baking parchment, then wrap a wide band of parchment around the outside of the tin and tie to secure.

STEP 2 – Cake:

• Combine both types of nuts, dates, sultanas, and toffee in a bowl.
• Mix the flour, salt, sugar, and ground almonds in another bowl.
• Beat the butter, eggs, treacle, and rum into the flour mixture with an electric whisk until smooth.
• Stir the fruit and nut mix into the wet ingredients.
• Gently fold through the dulce de leche to create a ripple effect.
• Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level with the back of a spoon.
• Bake for 1 hr, then reduce the oven temperature to 150C/130C fan/gas 2.
• Cover the cake with a circle of baking parchment and bake for another 1 hr 25 mins, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• Set aside (don’t remove from the tin) and increase the oven temperature to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.

STEP 3 – Topping:

• To make the topping, gently heat the syrup and butter in a pan.
• Stir in the salt, pecans, hazelnuts, almonds, and flour.
• Remove the parchment circle from the cake.
• Dot the surface with the topping and bake for 12-15 mins more until golden.

Base:

• Mix the gingernuts and sugar in a large bowl, sprinkle in the flaky salt.
• Pour in the melted butter and mix with a wooden spoon to form a biscuit crumb-like mixture.
• Press into a 20cm round springform cake tin, spreading the mixture evenly.
• Chill in the fridge for 30 mins until set.

Filling:

• Put the Christmas pudding, brandy, stout, and orange zest in a blender and whizz to a purée.

Cheesecake Filling:

• Using an electric hand whisk, beat the cream cheese with the double cream, sugar, and vanilla seeds.
• Fold through the Christmas pudding purée.
• Spread the mixture over the biscuit base and leave to chill in the fridge overnight.

Decoration:

• The next day, peel the clementines, slice into rounds, and place on a baking tray.
• Sprinkle them with sugar, then blowtorch until caramelized and leave to cool.

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Line a 13×9-inch baking sheet with parchment paper, ensuring that the ends come up the sides, and grease the paper.
• In a large bowl, combine oats and cake mix.
• Mix in melted butter.
• Reserve 1 1/3 cups of the crumb mixture and press the remaining mixture into the prepared pan, spreading and pressing it evenly.
• In another large bowl, beat cream cheese, nutmeg, sugar until smooth.
• Gently mix in eggnog and flour.
• Add eggs and beat on low speed until just combined.
• Pour the mixture over the crust.
• In a small bowl, stir cornstarch into the cranberry sauce until well combined.
• Spoon the cranberry mixture over the cheesecake layer.
• Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture on top.
• Bake for 55 minutes or until the edges are browned, and the center is set.
• Place the pan on a wire rack and cool for at least one hour.
• Freeze for 2 hours.
• Lift the cheesecake from the pan using the parchment paper and cut it into bars before serving.

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• In a large bowl, beat together sugar, butter, and cream until fluffy.
• Add vanilla extract and eggs.
• In another bowl, whisk together salt, baking powder, and flour.
• Gradually add the dry ingredients to the cream mixture.
• Divide the dough into 4 pieces, shape into disks, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze until firm for 2 hours.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll each dough into ¼-inch thickness.
• Cut with a round cutter, flouring as needed.
• Cut the center out of three-fifths of the cookies to create a window shape.
• Place the window and solid cookies 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets.
• Bake until the edges are firm, about 10 minutes.
• Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool.
• For the royal icing, mix confectioners’ sugar, meringue powder, and water.
• Beat on low speed, then increase to high speed until peaks form for about 5 minutes.
• Tint the icing with gray, white, black, and red food coloring.
• Keep unused icing covered.
• If needed, beat on high speed to achieve a good texture.
• Frost half of the solid cookies with red icing and pipe on belts, buckles, and trim using a pastry bag.
• Pipe white icing around the edges of window cookies and remaining solid cookies.
• On each solid cookie, place a window cookie on top, filling it with M&M’s.
• Top with a red cookie.
• Repeat the process with the remaining cookies.
• Allow the frosting to firm and dry at room temperature for several hours.

• Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Carefully wrap the bottom and sides of a 9-inch greased springform pan with a double thickness of foil.
• Mix melted butter and crushed cookie crumbs.
• Press the mixture onto the bottom of the pan.
• Beat sugar and cream cheese until smooth.
• Add in yogurt, vanilla extract, and RumChata.
• Add eggs and beat the mixture at low speed.
• Pour the batter over the crust.
• Place the springform pan on another large baking pan and add water to the larger pan until it reaches 1 inch deep.
• Bake for about 1 hour or until the center is set.
• Remove the springform pan from the larger pan and let it cool on a wire rack for 8 minutes.
• Loosen the sides of the cake from the pan, remove the foil, and let it cool for an additional hour.
• Place it in the freezer overnight.
• Remove the rim from the pan and spread the thawed whipped topping over the cheesecake.
• Sprinkle ground cinnamon on top if desired.