This recipe for Roasted Bacon & Chestnut Sprouts is my favourite way to eat Brussels sprouts. My friend Sue always says that brussels sprouts are mutant cabbages, and I think that probably represents the level of dislike that people have for the poor Brussels sprout. On the other hand, my friend Dawn absolutely loves them. I’m a bit tired of recipes that claim that THIS recipe will convert sprout haters. Ultimately, if you hate them, you hate them. However, if you’re on the fence, you might like them roasted. I think they taste much better, but really, they are still Brussels sprouts. I just can’t do a Christmas Menu without them.

Roasted Sprouts

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Chive Lemon Crème fraîche with brown bread & smoked salmon is a classic Christmas starter for all the traditionalists. It’s barely a recipe to be honest! Do yourself a favour with this one by serving it on a platter and let people help themselves. I always serve wedges of lemon with it, in case there are any purists, but the cool gently flavoured Chive Lemon  Crème fraîche really lets the salmon stand out as the star of the show. This is also a good duo with Burnt Lemon and Feta Dip.

lemon creme fraiche

 

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This burnt lemon and feta dip has the lovely combination of being familiar and yet a little unexpected – a nice way to kick off a Christmas menu! The feta adds a lovely saltiness and the lemon is fresh. The slightly burnt caramelised flavour makes the whole taste much warmer and more interesting. The idea of eating something burnt might be a bit jarring, but cooking the lemon really intensifies the flavours and cuts through the ‘milkiness’ of the rest of the ingredients. The dip is essentially feta and lemon, using some crème fraiche, natural yogurt, milk or buttermilk to thin it out. You can vary it depending on what you have in the fridge, and how much tanginess you like!

Burnt Lemon and Feta Dip
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This Orange, Whiskey and Star Anise curd is the newest arrival in my ongoing curd obsession. I love curd. Virtually every cake I make is filled with a curd, whether it’s my mango and lime recipe, a classic lemon curd, raspberry curd or an exotic passion fruit curd. I love how versatile they are. I use them as a snack with yogurt, as a dip, to spread on scones or to fill cupcakes.

OWSA Curd

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These chocolate and orange rugelach cookies are a twist on a traditional Jewish Sweet treat. They look a little bit like croissant, but I can’t profess to be in any way expert about it’s origins. They are, as I understand, still very popular treats within the Jewish community, although my version steers away from the more traditional spice and nut fillings.

Choc and orange rugelach

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These paprika candied nuts are dangerously good. Ridiculously delicious and moreish. I know they aren’t technically baking, but they’re good enough to bend the blogs rules for! This batch disappeared very quickly with very few people involved in their consumption. These are perfect to nibble before a dinner party, while you’re watching a movie or to bring on a picnic. Pop them in a nice jar or bag and they also make a super cute edible gift.

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Two tone granola is my favourite granola recipe. I feel a little like I need to defend my choices because granola recipes and preferences vary so much (so please excuse me if my tone seems somewhat combative!). For me, this is everything granola should be. It’s crumbly, oaty, fruity and nutty. It has hints of sweetness that comes from the fruit. The basic premise of this recipe that you make a base mix, split it, add different things to both halves and bake them separately. Then you can serve them together or separately.  The variety of the two mixes means that it doesn’t get monotonous, either because of combining them in a bowl or because you can eat a different one every morning! With yogurt , berries and maybe a squidge of honey, this is a totally delicious breakfast or snack. Continue reading