Good Things: November 2015

"Guess what, Mum?" says the six-year-old, standing beside the bed at 6.30am with a book, a frisbee and a teddy. "It's only six weeks until Christmas!"

I'm afraid she's right, but I'm trying not to think about it. Instead, I'm going to focus on the nice things about November. If I concentrate hard, time will go slower, right?

I wanted to hate this book, I really did. I mean, it's hard to love a cookbook - or indeed, any book - when the first pages are filled with young, bronzed people in their swimmers. But, all bias aside, it's actually fantastic.

On the face of it, Bondi Harvest sounds like a PR dream. It's the brainchild of two Bondi-based surfing mates, one of whom is a chef, the other a photographer and film maker, who decided to collaborate on some Youtube cooking videos, then a book. What makes you forgive the surfing palaver and the shots of people in bikinis is that the recipes are lovely, with a focus on fresh ingredients and gutsy flavours. I'm probably never going to frolic on the sands of Bondi while wearing a tiny bikini and drinking a green smoothie, but I am looking forward to making some of Guy Turland's recipes.

Lots of people I know are still being struck down by unseasonal colds and other miseries - which makes Mother Earth's new UMF Manuka Honey seem like a gift from the gods. Not all manuka honeys are created equal (and some are about as manuka'd as I am), but this one has been certified by the industry-supported Unique Manuka Factor Honey Association. The Mother Earth honeys come in two UMF strengths, UMF 5+ and UMF 10+, with the higher number indicating a higher degree of purity and quality. Importantly, they taste amazing, with those rich, earthy flavours associated with manuka honeys. Mother Earth's UMF Manuka Honeys start from $17.99 for 250g. 

As a proud Good Bitch (and baker), I'm very excited to reveal the gorgeous products the Head Bitches have created to raise funds. There's a pair of teatowels (one of which features a top-secret ginger crunch recipe) and a gorgeous calendar, plus you can still get your hands on one of the exclusive 'Baking Bad' t-shirts from earlier in the year. All these things have got Christmas giving written all over them. Go on, buy a set!

Speaking of charity, if you're wanting to do your bit for Movember but can't find it in you to grow a mo' you can always grab my neighbour's balls. Go on, he'd love you to grab a pair.

These salted caramel balls are insanely addictive, all-natural, and a not-for-profit fundraising venture dreamed up by my neighbour (of Wellington-based food company Go Native) to raise funds for Movember. They're $2.99 a pack, and a dollar from each one sold goes to men's health initiatives.

Last but by no means least, I'm very flattered to be in the running for Best Kids' Food Blog in the 2015 Munch Food Awards. You can vote in this category - as well as name and shame the worst kids' foods - here.

Have a great weekend everyone x

Five last-minute festive fixes

At this stage in proceedings - with less than 36 hours to go until C-Day - there's not much point in sharing complicated Christmas recipes that involve harried phone calls to the butcher, baker or chocolate candlestick maker. If you're the sort of person who likes adding culinary stress to your festive preparations, I figure you will have planned it out already.

Instead, here are five fast and easy fixes for the person who has everything except ideas for last-minute things to eat and to give over Christmas, using some of the excellent products available via Alison's Pantry.

1. The emergency present

I've already tried this one out and it went down an absolute treat. Scoop a handful of Alison's Pantry Mega Mix - macadamias, hazelnuts, dried cherries, jumbo raisins, fudge pieces, cranberries and almonds covered in yoghurt, milk or dark chocolate - into a cellophane bag. Add a sprinkle of edible glitter, tie on a ribbon and label 'Reindeer Poo'. Kids love it, adults look mildly appalled (until they hit a choc-covered macadamia).

2.The spruced-up salad

This is for everyone who has to turn up with a salad on Christmas Day - or at any festive gathering - especially those who are low on energy, inspiration, aptitude or all three.

For six servings: Take one and a half bags of baby salad greens - baby spinach, rocket, mesclun - and sprinkle over two-thirds of a cup of Alison's Pantry Savoury Sprinkle (a blend of roasted chickpeas, karengo, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, almonds and goji berries. Drizzle with three tablespoons of vinaigrette and serve. Everyone will think you're a genius.

3. The tropical breakfast

In lieu of any other suggestions (or requests dressed as suggestions), this is what we are having as part of our breakfast spread on Christmas Day, along with some fizz (elderflower kombucha and some champagne) and some kind of yet-to-be-determined baked good. Someone will have brought me a cup of tea in bed first, of course. Or, they will have if they know what's good for them. Anyway - this easy fruit salad is a good fallback if you miss out on berries and cherries.

For four-six servings: Take one cup of Alison's Pantry Tropical Fruits mix (dried star fruit, coconut chunks, papaya, mango, peach and cantaloupe) and put in a large bowl. Add 1/3 cup boiling water and squeeze over an orange. Leave to stand for four hours (or overnight), then add a tin of drained lychees, half a fresh pineapple (diced) and a few finely shredded mint leaves. Stir gently and serve with some good Greek yoghurt or whipped coconut cream. 

4. The Santa snack

I have heard that Santa wants a Garage Project beer and some crisps on Wednesday night but I'm planning to leave him a pile of Alison's Pantry Raspberry and Cacao Nougat and a glass of icy cold dessert wine. This nougat is soft, chewy and not too sweet - just the right pick-me-up after a night wrapping presents.

5. The cook's perk

The thing about cooking at Christmas is that the house is often full of food, but there's nothing to eat Right Now. Let me introduce you to my new addiction - Alison's Pantry Horopito Cashews. I'm not a savoury snack person as a rule; crisps don't thrill me and I'm not a fan of those orange-dusted polystyrene things either, but these nuts are something else. Horopito, also called bush pepper, is a native New Zealand herb with a fiery kick. It has all sorts of health-giving properties, which must explain why I can't get enough of these nuts. Buy yourself a secret stash of these to help keep you going in the days ahead.

* Disclosure: Alison's Pantry sent me a selection of products to use in this blog post - I am happy to recommend the ones mentioned here.

Chilli chocolate syrup + a chilli chocolate martini

It's about this time of year that I start to feel slightly panicked and wish I could run away to some kind of closed community where they don't celebrate Christmas, or have jobs, or blogs or Things To Worry About. Do you feel like that too?

The internet is the worst place to be if you're in that kind of mood, because CHRISTMAS is around every turn. Don't, whatever you do, venture on to Pinterest, or you'll fall into a deep depression at the realisation that you've failed dismally as a mother/partner/sibling/friend/member of society because you haven't planned your themed decorations, hand-stitched jaunty bunting or made 20 sets of Frozen-themed figurines of every kid in your child's class from air-dried clay. And you've still got to bake for the school gala, sort your invoices, locate the spare car key and send your dear friend her birthday present, now three months overdue (sorry Claire!). 

Fear not, friends, because I have a remedy to lift you to a higher place. It's chocolate chilli syrup - and if pouring it over cake or ice cream doesn't cheer you up, then adding it to a martini certainly will. Here's how.

Chocolate chilli syrup

If you're stuck for easy DIY Christmas gifts, this should go on the list. It takes minutes, doesn't cost much and is extremely simple. It's my offering for this month's We Should Cocoa challenge, hosted by the lovely Shaheen of Allotment2Kitchen. No surprises in guessing this month's guest ingredient - it's chilli.

1 cup water

1 cup caster sugar

3 Tbsp good quality cocoa powder

1 tsp chilli flakes

Stir the sugar and cocoa together in a small pot, then add the water and mix well. Bring to the boil and let simmer for five minutes, then remove from heat. Stir in the chilli and let cool to room temperature. Strain through a fine sieve into a jar or bottle and cover tightly. Store in the fridge.

Chocolate chilli martini

Martini purists, look away now - this is very much my desperate housewife interpretation.

60ml ice cold vodka

30ml vermouth

30ml chilli chocolate syrup

ice

Put all ingredients in a cocktail shaker (confession: I use a jam jar) and shake well. Strain into a martini glass (or two, if you're generous).

 

Last-minute chocolate fudge

If you are an organised person, you are probably sitting around shelling peas, roasting chesnuts on an open fire or performing some other seasonally appropriate cliched Christmas task. If you are not an organised person, you might be still at work, still asleep or still stuck in a line of traffic or angry shoppers.

If you fall somewhere in the middle, this post is for you. I thought I was an organised person, but then last week I was struck down by an evil virus (I'll spare you the details) that made juggling parenting, work and the onset of Christmas near impossible. If it wasn't for the miracle of online shopping and the fact that we are not hosting a Christmas feast (though I am cooking most of it), I think I would have cancelled the whole thing.

Now mostly recovered - and most importantly, with a mostly recovered child and a husband who is being force-fed vitamin tablets so he doesn't succumb to whatever we had - I am actually looking forward to The Big Day. Sure, I have to cook a turkey and a chocolate roulade and a panettone and introduce some salads to a family who looks suspiciously at any vegetable that isn't a deep-fried potato, but that's all doable. Even more doable is this incredibly easy fudge, which doesn't require any boiling or beating and can be made in an instant. If you are leaving all your Christmas shopping until the lastest of last minutes, don't put yourself through it. Just make a double batch of this stuff and you'll be regarded as a bona fide Christmas miracle.

Chocolate Almond Fudge
This recipe came to me from Tiny Happy, a blog so beautiful and serene that setting aside five minutes to read it is like giving yourself a little Christmas present every day. You can see Melissa's most recent post about the fudge here. Here's how I made it - with my time-honoured trick of using the oven as a chocolate melting device, because everyone's oven is on at this time of year, isn't it?

400g good quality dark chocolate (eg 200g Whittaker's 50 per cent and 200g Whittaker's 72 per cent chocolate, broken into pieces
1 400g tin of condensed milk
150g roasted salted almonds (or other nuts of your choice, or tangy dried fruit)

Melt the chocolate and condensed milk together - my favourite way to do this is to put it in a large heatproof bowl in a low oven (about 150C) for about 10 minutes. You could also do this in a double-boiler, or in a microwave, but the oven method is low stress and energy-efficient (if the oven has been on for something else, obviously). While this is happening, line a brownie pan or similar (about 30 x 20cm) with baking paper. Scatter half the nuts on the bottom of the tin.
As soon as the chocolate has melted, or nearly melted, take it out of the oven/double boiler and stir well until it's well mixed. Pour this mixture into the prepared tin and press the remaining nuts on top.
Put it in the fridge to set - this will happen very quickly - then slice into small squares or bars. If you're giving it away, make sure to tell the recipients to store it in the fridge. If you're keeping it for yourself, retire to the sofa with the tin and a copy of Love, Actually or another Christmas weepie. You deserve it.

Merry Christmas! x

Treat me: Rum and raisin ice cream

This week, in between re-telling the story of the nativity ("but Mum, why was the baby Jesus a boy? Can he be a girl!"), I have been reading The Man Whose Mother Was A Pirate. In case you're not familiar with this Margaret Mahy classic, it tells the story of a buttoned-down chap who is enticed away from his dull, everyday life by his sea-faring mother. It's such a good read. Put it on your Christmas present list. I wouldn't say the same for another book that was on high rotate here a couple of weeks ago - a flimsy yarn that saw the hapless Captain Pugwash in a standoff with a bunch of pirates over some chocolate smuggling. If your child makes a beeline for this at an op shop, point them in another direction.

Anyway, thinking about pirates and mulling over the December We Should Cocoa challenge, in which Choclette has sensibly chosen alcohol as the key ingredient, led to this ice cream. It's not so alcohol-soaked that one scoop will send you off into paroxysms of piratical rumbustification, but I'd advise against giving it to children (even if their mothers are pirates).

Rum and raisin ice cream
No need for a fancy machine to make this ice cream - why, you could even make it in the galley of a galleon (as long as it had a freezer). If you're not a fan of traditional Christmas puddings, this is a great do-ahead dessert. Freeze it in a large lined loaf tin (or even a cake tin), then serve slices with little tots of rum and chocolate sauce. If you are a fan of proper Christmas pudding - or even Christmas mince pies - then a dollop of this on top is a delectable alternative to brandy butter.

1/4 cup dark, smoky rum
1/2 cup raisins
2 egg yolks
1 egg
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup golden syrup
500ml cream
70g dark chocolate, roughly chopped into pieces no bigger than a raisin

At least two hours before you're ready to make the ice cream (and therefore at least eight hours before you want to eat it), put the raisins and rum in a small bowl. Cover and set aside.
When you're ready to make it, beat the egg yolks, egg and sugar until pale and thick. Use electric beaters unless you have the arms of a sailor.
Drain the rum into the egg mixture (reserving the raisins), then add the golden syrup and beat again. Pour in the cream and beat until soft peaks form. Scatter over the raisins and chocolate and fold in. Pour into a plastic container and freeze for about six hours before eating. Makes about 1.3 litres.

Have a wonderful weekend, me hearties x

Treat me: Fruity snowballs

Last weekend, seized with a sudden desire to Do Something Christmassy, I made my Christmas mincemeat. I don't know why I'd been putting it off, because it took all of about an hour to make (including a trip to buy some suitable alcohol to put in it).

I used this recipe, but augmented it with some finely chopped granny smith apple, a good amount of chopped almonds and a few slugs of amontillado sherry. I also dug out the remains of last year's version and added that to the mix (with a bit more sherry for good measure). The resulting mixture, heady with fruity, nutty (and somewhat boozy smells) has sat on the kitchen bench all week while I thought about what to do next with it.

Yesterday morning, after spreading some on my toast (surprisingly good, but the toast does need to be buttered), I had an epiphany while thinking about gluten-free things I could make for a coealic friend. These fruity, nutty (and ever so slightly boozy) balls are the result.

Fruity snowballs
The consistency of these will depend on what your fruit mincemeat is like. Be prepared to adjust quantities accordingly so the initial mixture is firm enough to roll into balls, but still sticky enough to pick up the coconut coating. You could also use finely chopped nuts instead of coconut.

150g fruit mincemeat
60g ground almonds
60g dessicated coconut, plus another 50g for rolling
finely grated zest of an orange
1 tsp Cointreau or 1/2 tsp orange blossom water (optional)

Put all ingredients in a food processor and blitz until the mixture clumps. Take teaspoonfuls of the mixture and roll into balls, then roll in the extra dessicated coconut. Put in an airtight, covered container in the fridge. Makes about 15, depending on how much of the mixture you sample first.

Have a great weekend, everyone. x

Lucy's guide to festive baking

Last week I got a press release about Valentine's Day. Seriously. It happened the day after I'd walked through Auckland Airport, mentally shaking my fist at the large Christmas tree in the arrivals hall. I anticipate Easter eggs popping up on Pinterest any minute now. Shall we just fast forward to Christmas 2014 and be done with it?

Christmas Mazurka - a hot favourite in 2012 (hence the baker's twine)

This week, I feel differently. That's because yesterday I realised there are just 29 more sleeps until The Big Day. Now I understand why Christmas things are appearing on blogs and on Instagram (I don't count magazines, because everyone knows they operate in a kind of hyper-reality). Now I understand why a friend was so keen to seek my counsel (not to mention my copy of Nigella Christmas and my 20cm square cake tin) in order to make her first-ever Christmas cake.

This week, I am in no position to do anything Christmassy. I have a new job (which is consuming all my mental energy) and we're in the start-up phase of a house makeover (which is consuming mental energy, time and money). And the Small Girl is rehearsing for a ballet recital, so if I hear Baby Love by the Supremes ONE more time before breakfast, I may go insane.

But next weekend, when these other life events are a little more under control (well, at least the first two), I am going to start baking and making in earnest. I'm going to start by buying a bottle of brandy and the best dried fruit I can lay my hands on. Then I'm going to see what happens...

In the meantime, here's a handy checklist of festive things to make and bake. By next week, I may not be able to find any of these recipes, so this list is as much for me as it is for you. It's better to give than receive, don't you know?

Lucy's Christmas Cheatsheet

Haven't made your Christmas cake yet? Don't fret. This one - studded with prunes, apricots and nearly a kilo of dark chocolate - doesn't need time to mature. Nor does this one, which mixes the wisdom of Alison Holst with a bottle of green ginger wine. Neither need icing, but you could give the second one a pretty glazed topping (instructions found here).

I made so much Christmas mince last year that I'm going to be able to pull the jar out of the cupboard and say, 'look, here's one I prepared earlier'. I use this recipe - dead easy, includes caramelised banana - and the pastry is fab too.

Now we head into the 'things to give away' territory. My best tip here is to Think Big - making industrial-sized quantities of a couple of things is much easier than a bespoke biscuit here and a steeped vinegar there.

This chutney is always popular and very easy - last year some non-cooking friends requested the recipe so they could make it for Hannukah presents and it went down a treat. 

Beginners will also have fun making vegan biscotti and this chocolate body scrub (also suitable for vegans).

You'll need a few more skills for my all-time best-ever brownies, but they're not difficult to whip up and the recipe makes a huge amount. The same goes for these gingerbread Christmas decoration cookies, which taste as good as they look.

If you want to go a little off-piste, try my totally addictive white chocolate rocky road (the hardest thing about making this is not eating it all on the spot) or these luscious apple blondies, with added cranberries for extra festive-ness.

Have you started your Christmas prep yet? Go on, make me feel inadequate. Even better, share your favourite recipe links in the comments below...

The night before Christmas...

Actually, it's the afternoon before Christmas but that doesn't have quite the same ring to it. I'm sorry to boast to readers in the northern hemisphere, but it's a glorious day here - blue skies, red pohutukawa, all those Antipodean festive cliches coming true.

In usual fashion I am doing a lot of things at once: gardening, parenting, making panettone to this recipe for breakfast tomorrow, making Summer Pudding for dinner tomorrow night and glazing the ham. I hope your preparations are going well, or that whoever is doing the preparing for you is bearing up. Be a darling and pour them a glass of champagne, will you?

The annual Christmas (cheese) cake-making shot

And if things aren't going so well, console yourself with the fact that I burned our Christmas cake yesterday. That'll teach me for leaving it until the last minute, won't it? Then again, maybe it won't.

In any case, a very Merry Christmas to you and yours from me and mine,

Lucy x

Treat me: Candy cane truffles

I have developed a terrible habit over the last couple of weeks. I've been up to my eyes in work (hence a little less action here) and find myself spending far too much time hunched over the keyboard instead of dispensing (and enjoying) Christmas cheer. Instead, for relaxation, I find myself looking at shoes on the internet. More specifically, I find myself looking at a couple of amazing Australian websites that deliver free, practically overnight. It's addictive, even if you don't buy anything.

The other thing I have become addicted to is these truffles. The idea came to me, fully formed, a couple of weeks ago and I have become rather partial to a late-night one to get me through the last paragraphs of whatever I'm working on.

Candy cane truffles
These would be a great last-minute gift for someone, but they're almost too good to give away. Smashing the candy canes to bits is great therapy at this time of year (possibly better for you than shoe porn). I used Hansell's Peppermint Essence - you could use peppermint oil (in tiny amounts) or even creme de menthe. Just add a little at a time, because you can't take it out afterwards. And don't measure it out over the bowl, because in that way lies disaster...

250g dark chocolate, roughly chopped (I use Whittaker's 72% Dark Ghana)
50g butter
125ml cream
1 egg yolk
2-3 tsp peppermint essence
12 candy canes

Put the cream into a saucepan and bring to boiling point. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate and butter. Leave for a couple of minutes, then stir well until it's smooth and glossy. Stir in the egg yolk and peppermint essence until well mixed. Let cool for 10 minutes, then chill in the fridge until set (about an hour).
While you're waiting, smash up the candy canes. Put them in a strong plastic bag (like a ziplock bag) then put this inside another one. Using the end of a rolling pin or pestle, bash them to little gritty bits. Don't go overboard, you want some texture.
Roll teaspoonfuls of the mixture into balls, then roll these balls in the smashed candy canes. Keep in the fridge until serving. Makes at least 20, depending on how much mixture you eat in the process.

Have a great weekend, everyone. I've got two more commissions to finish and then it's the holidays. Hurrah! x

My Christmas message

Do you want to know what I was doing at 6am yesterday morning? I was ironing a tablecloth. Actually, I was ironing two tablecloths, after discovering the first one was sporting red wine stains. Then I ironed an apron and a shirt. Actually, I ironed two shirts, after having a 'what to wear' crisis. Then I cleaned the kitchen, swiped away a few cobwebs, took the Small Girl to nursery and made a mad dash through the supermarket.



The reason for all this housewifeliness was that I was getting ready for a video shoot at our place - a spur-of-the-moment 'let's make a Christmas food video for work' sort of thing. You can see the results here. Please pay special attention to the tablecloth.

As a disclaimer, I have to explain that the reason I look panicked in the intro is that the videographer had just got a call to a press conference across town and we had to film it in about two minutes. It was fun though. Sort of. At least now I can understand why the Queen always looks a bit frosty in her Christmas message. She's probably been up early ironing...

Treat me: Christmas Mazurka

Don't worry, I've recovered from my bout of Christmas-itis. The pohutukawas are coming out, the sun is shining and the realisation that there's only a week more of work (that is, the work I get paid for) before December 25 has improved my outlook remarkably.

The other thing that's cheered me up is nibbling on this Christmas mazurka. I've got no idea why it's named after a Polish folk dance, but it does put a spring in your step. If you've yet to get any festive baking underway, this could be your saviour. One batch yields about 10-12 long bars, which you can wrap appropriately and give out as the mood strikes you. Or you can just stash it in a tin and eat it all yourself, which is what we've been doing.

Christmas Mazurka
This is a slightly fiddled-with version of something from an advertising supplement. If you haven't made your Christmas cake yet (there is absolutely NO shame in that, it's very hip this year), then you could always make this instead. Just a thought...

1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup chopped crystallised ginger
1/2 cup mixed peel
1 cup chopped dried papaya or pineapple (or dried apricots)
1 1/2 cups roasted almonds, roughly chopped
200g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
1 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup (125ml) runny honey (if you don't have liquid honey, warm it over gentle heat)

Heat the oven to 150C. Grease and line a brownie tin with baking paper.
Put all the fruit, nuts and chocolate into a large bowl. Sift in the dry ingredients and stir well to combine.
Mix the eggs and honey together as best you can, then pour this mixture over the fruit and nuts. Mix well - it's easiest to do this with clean hands - then press into the prepared tin.
Bake for 45 minutes, until the slice is firm in the middle. Let cool completely before turning out of the tin. Slice into bars or squares and store in an airtight tin. Keeps well.

The other great thing about this slice is that it fits neatly with the theme for December's We Should Cocoa, which mixes cinnamon with chocolate. Be sure to visit Choclette's blog at the end of the month (if not before) for more cinnamon-infused chocolate goodness.

Have a great weekend everyone. Hope your Christmas plans are under control... x

A Christmas-free zone (phew!)

I don't know about you but I'm beginning to suffer from festive fever. My job has something to do with it (surely I get a turn to blame the media for something too?) but mostly it's the fact that there's no escape from all things Christmas. Even my personal account is full of breathless emails announcing 'LAST MINUTE GIFT IDEAS' and the like. Bah, humbug.

Anyway, earlier in the week I discovered Jonathan Mann and now I'm completely obsessed with him.

As an antidote to all things Christmas, here he is with (now ex-girlfriend) Ivory, singing about the joys of veganism. Think about this the next time you get an email insisting you have to order your ham NOW or it will be too late...
 

Actually, he sings about Christmas too...


How are you coping with the Christmas countdown?

Gougeres that will make you talk

One of the things I love about the Boy Wonder is his gregariousness. In his gung-ho reporter days he'd winkle stories out of anyone - if they were bad eggs it was often to their regret - and I used to give him a stern talking-to before we went anywhere so he wouldn't accidentally-on-purpose interrogate my friends.

"I can't help it," he'd say. "People just tell me things."

If he's not making people divulge their life story, he's probably telling them to come over for a drink. At times last summer I felt like we were running a bar and I was a short order canape maker. I came across these photos the other day and remembered churning out lots of these little cheesy puffs. I think I'm just about ready to make them again.

Gougeres

I've made these for years in all sorts of places, some better equipped than others. While beating the mixture in a food processor does make it a bit easier, I think the hassle of washing all the parts afterwards is hardly worth it. Equip yourself with a sturdy wooden spoon and go to it. Line the tray with baking paper and you'll only have one pot to wash. 

Gougeres are orginally from Burgundy and if you're doing them the proper French way you should use gruyere. But I say, use whatever cheese comes to hand. No one will complain, trust me.

1 cup (250ml) water

50g butter

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup (155g) flour

3 eggs

3/4 cup grated cheese

Heat the oven to 210C and line a tray with nonstick baking paper. 

Put the butter, water and salt in a large pot and bring to the boil. When the butter has melted, tip in the flour and stir well. Turn down the heat and keep stirring until the dough forms a ball. Keep stirring this ball around the pot for about another minute, then remove from the heat and add one of the eggs. Beat like fury until it is all amalgamated, then repeat with the remaining eggs, one at a time. When the mixture is smooth and shiny, beat in the cheese.

Scrape spoonful-sized heaps onto the baking tray. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the gougeres are golden and puffed up. Eat immediately with a glass of something cold.

Do you have a favourite recipe for what Nigella calls 'unhappy hour'?

Treat me: Vegan Biscotti

Making edible gifts for people who don't eat certain things can be a tricky task. This biscotti was a complete experiment, concocted for a dear friend who has recently abandoned the pleasures of the flesh (and its related products) for health reasons. I thought they were pretty good, but I knew I was on to something when she asked me for the recipe. You don't have to be a vegan to enjoy these, but people who prefer not to eat dairy products or eggs will be especially fond of them.

Venetia's Vegan Biscotti
These are a good Christmas present to make with little helpers. Vary the dried fruit and nuts to suit your tastes and storecupboard. Other good combinations are the ever-festive white chocolate, cranberry and pistachios, or go troppo with dark chocolate, dried pineapple and Brazil nuts.

1 1/2 very ripe bananas, mashed to a puree
1 tsp vanilla essence or rum
155g (1 cup) plain flour
100g (1/2 cup) brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
75g (about 1/2 cup) whole almonds, roughly chopped
75g (about 1/2 cup) crystallised ginger, roughly chopped
100g dark chocolate (good quality stuff is usually dairy-free), roughly chopped

Heat the oven to 180C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Put the bananas and vanilla or rum in a large bowl and mash to a smooth puree. Sift in the dry ingredients and stir briefly, then tip in the almonds, ginger and chocolate. Mix to a dough, then shape into a log and place on the prepared baking tray.
Bake for 25 minutes, then take out of the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes. Turn the oven to 150C.
Using a sharp, serrated knife, cut the log into 1cm slices. Put the slices on the baking tray and bake for another 15 minutes. Turn them over halfway through. They should feel dry to touch when they are done, but not completely dried out.
Let them cool on a rack before storing in an airtight jar. Very good dunked into a glass of dessert wine.

Have a great weekend, everyone. How's the Christmas shopping going? x

The Christmas menu conundrum

It will not, I am sure, have escaped your notice that it is just 19 more sleeps until Christmas. By this time last year I had made our cake and a whole batch of my usual Christmas chutney, fitting both in before we moved house and I lost the will to do anything remotely festive. I've yet to do either of those things yet, though I have written one Christmas card (though I'm not sure where I put it).

This year, for the first time in ages, we are having Christmas at home. I am so happy about this - as nice as it is to be welcomed by others, Christmas at home is best of all - but I do wish I could work out what to eat. Last year there was no menu-planning to worry about as we spent it with my in-laws, though it was slightly nervewracking cooking them their first-ever turkey and I did have to hide how much cream went into the custard for the trifle.

The Christmas menu from Anna del Conte's Entertaining all'Italiana. Who's for some ham mousse?

I've come to the conclusion that people who celebrate Christmas in the northern hemisphere - or even somewhere where the weather is guaranteed to be hot - have it easier. In the northern hemisphere you can use your back doorstep as a makeshift fridge; in hot places you can be confident about eating something cold. Here, anything could happen. So far our Christmas menu is being devised by a process of elimination. No turkey (so 2011); no salmon (the Boy Wonder isn't keen on it); no vegetarian nut roast (are you mad?); no chicken (too ordinary). Nothing on the barbecue (it might rain); nothing too hearty (it might be hot).

Can you help? I have been searching my cookbooks but to no avail. So far we're going to have a lateish brunch - hopefully champagne and tiny whitebait fritters - then have the big deal Christmas feast about 4.30pm. There will be four adults and one child, unless we pick up any more strays. I'm thinking summer pudding for pudding but unless I get a move on that's all we will be having.

What are you having for your Christmas feast? Come on, inspire me...

Chocolate Orange Wreath

Most people have leftovers to cope with after Christmas; I have leftover blogging events. Well, they're not leftovers as such, more that I couldn't quite squeeze them in before December 25. But in the spirit of caring and sharing, let me present you with the We Should Cocoa/Fresh From The Oven mash-up: a Chocolate Orange Wreath.

The We Should Cocoa guest ingredient for December is orange and I have cunningly worked it and chocolate into the festive wreath recipe set by Michelle of Utterly Scrummy for this month's Fresh From The Oven challenge. You can omit the chocolate of course, but it does add a suitably OTT dimension. I made this the weekend before Christmas and it was just what we needed to keep us going. I had thought about making it again for Boxing Day breakfast but with litres of cream and sherry flowing through my veins from the day before I decided discretion was the better part of valour. You could, however, make it on December 31 and it will be perfect for a late New Year's Day brunch (and any leftovers will be great toast the day after that).

Chocolate Orange Wreath

Don't be put off by the lengthy instructions, this is really quite simple to make. Anyway, it's the holidays - what else would you be doing but playing in the kitchen? Use whatever fruit/nut/chocolate combo you like in the filling, but keep more or less to the amounts specified.

Dough:

3tsp dried yeast

315ml lukewarm milk
1Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
50g soft, but not melted, butter
1tsp mixed spice
420g plain flour

Filling:

50g soft, but not melted, butter
2Tbsp brown sugar
45g plain flour
1tsp almond essence
1/2 -3/4 cup mixed peel

1/2 cup white or dark chocolate bits (just smash up a block)

1/2 cup slivered almonds

To finish:

1 egg beaten with 1tsp milk

Vanilla icing: 1 cup icing sugar, 2tsp vanilla extract and 1 - 1 1/2 Tblsp hot water

Pour the milk into a large bowl (or the bowl of a freestanding mixer with a dough hook) and sprinkle over the yeast. Leave in a warm place to start acting for five minutes, then add the other ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon. Knead by hand for 10 minutes, or with the dough hook for three or four, until you have a soft, springy, satiny dough. Grease the bowl and return the dough to it. Cover with plastic and leave in a warm place until doubled (about an hour).

While the bread is proving, make the filling by beating together the softened butter, sugar, essence/extract and flour to make a paste and then fold in the fruit and nuts. Now is also a good time to line a baking tray with nonstick baking paper so you don't have to rush later.

When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a well-floured surface and punch down. Knead for a minute or two, then roll it out into a large rectangle shape. Spread the filling over the dough and then roll it up, starting from the longest side. 

Now comes the fun bit. Using a sharp knife slice the roll in half lengthwise. Put the dough onto the lined baking sheet. Twist the two halves lightly together, cut sides out, and form into a circle, pinching the ends together. Leave to prove again for about 45 minutes - 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size and then brush with the lightly beaten egg and milk.

Bake at 200C for 20 - 30 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through.

Transfer to a rack to cool. Drizzle with vanilla icing if the mood takes you and serve. If you're making this a day in advance and would like to reheat it, skip the icing stage. Wrap it well in foil when cool and reheat in a moderate oven for 10-15 minutes. You can work your magic with the icing just before serving.

Glazed and confused

I'm on holiday as of today, but before I log off and concentrate on packing the Small Girl, my best apron, Delia and Nigella into a suitcase so we can then hop on a very small plane in about, oh, an hour,  I wanted to show you my Christmas cake...

As much as I love marzipan I don't really enjoy royal icing, so this kind of glazed topping is much more my kind of thing. Doing it really reminded me of my mum, who used to get me to do it when I was a teenager, claiming I could be more 'artistic'. In hindsight, I think she was just trying to keep me busy, but I fell for it every time. A few days ago a friend was bemoaning the fact that her mother still kept the Christmas cake for her to ice on Christmas Eve and I felt an infinite sense of loss.

Glazed Christmas Cake Topping
The advantage of a glazed topping is that you can do it in about five minutes, then run outside on the wet grass in your socks to take a photo. Delia devotes pages to this sort of thing, but really, there's nothing to it.

Just melt together some apricot jam or marmalade with some brandy or rum - say two parts jam to one part brandy/rum (about 4Tbsp jam and 2Tbsp booze should do it). Brush the surface of the cake with the sticky mixture, then arrange fruit and/or nuts of your choice on top. Brush with more of the sticky goo to keep them all glued on and leave to set. Keep somewhere cool until you unveil it.

Thank you all for your friendship, stories, comments, cooking advice and recipes this year - this might be my vanity project but I couldn't do it without you. I wish you a very merry and safe Christmas.

I'll be back next week to tell you all about cooking the first turkey my in-laws have EVER had for Christmas dinner (that's why Delia and Nigella are coming with me). Wish me luck!

Lucy x

Lucy's Christmas Chutney

There are many pre-Christmas things I have failed to do this year. If you're going to the letterbox every day in the hope that I've remembered to send you a Christmas card, let me save you the trip. It's December 20 and my Christmas cards are sitting on my desk, half-written. At least, I think they're here somewhere. A box unpacked itself on the desk over the weekend and it's a miracle I can find the keyboard.
The only thing that's stopping me feeling like a complete failure is that I had the presence of mind to a) make the Christmas cake and b) make my famous Christmas chutney before we moved house. Yes, the 2.25g cake and a polybin full of jars added to the load, but it was worth it. I've been dispensing jars hither and yon all week and it's done wonders for my festive spirit. I'm just sorry I can't post them.

Lucy's Christmas Chutney
I've been making this since 1997, when the internet was just a baby and I was just a slip of a girl (ish). It's great with ham, cold turkey, cheese and bread, especially if all of these things are consumed while reclining on a deckchair/sofa and reading something you got for Christmas. This year I added walnuts (about a cupful) for a bit of crunch, but it's great just as is.

450g tart green apples (about 3), peeled, cored and cut into 1cm chunks.
225g onions (1 large), peeled and chopped
8 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 cup dates, roughly chopped
1 cup seedless raisins
1 cup prunes, roughly chopped
2/3 cup crystallised ginger, roughly chopped
2 tsp salt
1 tsp curry powder
2 cups white sugar
3 1/2 cups white vinegar
Combine all the ingredients in a large pot and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Reduce the heat and simmer very gently uncovered for about 45 minutes until the mixture is thick and the fruit is soft. You should be able to squish the apple with the back of a wooden spoon and the raisins will look swollen and plump. Don't wander off and forget about the mixture, it will need regular stirring to prevent it from sticking. If it becomes too thick, add more vinegar.
Spoon the chutney into sterilised jars and seal with cellophane or tight-fitting lids. Makes about four 350ml jars.

Sweet sweet Friday: Lee's Shortbread

My mother-in-law makes the best shortbread. Really, she does, I'm not just trying to butter her up before Christmas. She makes masses of it, cut into huge, palm-sized slabs. This time next week I am hoping to be eating a piece with a nice cup of tea and doing the crossword. Here's the recipe so you can hopefully do the same.

Lee's Shortbread
Lee doesn't flavour her shortbread but when I made a batch recently I added some powdered kawkawa, a Maori herb traditionally used as a tonic for its liver-cleansing properties. It has a pleasantly green, peppery flavour (and makes the shortbread pale green, which is pretty). You can find it here.

250g butter, softened but not melted
3/4 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup cornflour
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 170C. Cream butter and sugar, either with a wooden spoon (and a strong arm) or in an electric mixer. Sift the dry ingredients and add, mixing well. Turn the mixture on to the bench and knead briefly to combine.
Usually, Lee forms the dough into a sausage shape, wraps it in clingfilm and sticks it in the fridge for 15 minutes. Then she cuts off rounds about 1cm thick and places them on a tray.
At Christmas time, she rolls the dough out on a well-floured bench and uses a biscuit cutter to make stars. She then places them on a tray and puts the tray in the fridge for 15 minutes.
Whichever method you choose, prick each biscuit with a fork before baking for 15-20 minutes. The shortbread is cooked when it is firm to touch and starting to turn golden. Remove from the trays and let cool on a rack. Makes lots.

Have a sweet, sweet weekend, everyone. It's going to be wet and cold here, perfect baking weather!

Kitchen wear

Are you the sort of person who is hopeless at Christmas shopping because you keep seeing things you'd like for yourself? Then look away now, because I suspect you'll be quite taken by what I'm about to show you.

A couple of months ago I seemed to spend every Friday morning at a seaside cafe, en route to delivering whoever was staying with us that week to the airport. We had a stream of different visitors - all men - over the course of a month and I began to think that the waiting staff would start to talk - 'oh look, there's that woman again, with another new bloke'. But I digress. In between reassuring the guest of the week that there was plenty of time to get to the airport and making sure the Small Girl didn't make too much of a nuisance of herself, I noticed one of the waitresses was wearing an amazing pendant. It was a tiny knife, sharp-edged and glinting silver in the sun. I couldn't help myself and more or less chased her around the room to find out where it came from. "Oh, my boyfriend makes them,'' she said shyly, as if everyone was so lucky.

To cut a long story short(ish), I gave her my email address and her boyfriend, Tim, got in touch. He's since set up a website showcasing his work and is happy to do commissions. Come on, there must be someone you know who would like a doll-sized sterling silver fish slice earring (and the ladle looks amazing as a pendant) ...