Christmas recipe: Mulled white wine

The scents of cloves and cinnamon wafting from this wintry punch are a wonderful accompaniment for any Yuletide gathering, or take some out to warm carol singers this evening

Mulled white wine with cinnamon & cloves

Warming spices and wine in a toasty tipple that tastes as good as it smells

Serves 6
1 x 750ml bottle white wine
500ml cider
Juice and zest of 1⁄2 orange
1⁄2 lemon, sliced
3–4 star anise
3 cinnamon sticks, plus extra to serve (optional)
1 tbsp cloves
1 vanilla pod
4 tbsp caster sugar

Heat all the ingredients in a pan, until steaming but not boiling. 

Serve with cinnamon sticks, if you like.

This recipe was originally published in our December 2017 issue but it’s just as warming and festive today.

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Recipe | Lucky Meringue Mushrooms (Gluckspilze)

Sweet, advent treats to make to get you in the mood. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…

Mushrooms are seen as a symbol of good luck in Germany. As well as glass ornaments for the Christmas tree, they are also made into edible marzipan confections and these light and crunchy meringues. With a chewy centre, these are delectable on their own, but also make great ‘lucky’ decorations.

Makes about 20
2 egg whites
140g caster sugar
80g dark chocolate
¼ tsp coconut oil
1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1 Preheat the oven to 100C/Fan 80C/ Gas ¼ and line two large baking sheets with baking paper.

2 Put the egg whites into a bowl and, using an electric mixer, whisk for a couple of minutes on a high speed until stiff peaks form. Reduce the speed and add the sugar one tablespoon at a time, whisking all the while, until incorporated and glossy.

3 To make the caps of the mushrooms, spoon 20 tsp of the meringue mixture, spaced 2cm apart, onto one of the baking sheets. Flatten the mounds with the back of a spoon until they’re between 2–3cm in diameter, then round off the tops.

4 To make the stalks, spoon heaped teaspoons of the mixture 2cm apart onto the second sheet. This time try to lift the spoon up as you do so to create taller (around 3–4cm high) peaks. Bake for 45 mins and don’t be tempted to open the oven door. Once the time is up, turn the oven off and let the meringues cool completely inside the oven.

5 Once the meringues are cooled, put the chocolate and coconut oil into a bain-marie with a 1cm of water in the bottom. Heat on low then, once the chocolate starts melting, stir until glossy. Spoon chocolate onto the underside of each mushroom cap. The chocolate will act as the glue to hold the stalk in place. While holding a cap in one hand, gently push a stalk into the centre of the chocolatecoated side – you will hear a cracking sound as it breaks through the base of the meringue cap; don’t worry, it’s a good thing as it means they will stick together well. Place cap-side down on the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining caps and stalks.

6 Once the chocolate has set (which will take an hour or so), turn them over onto their stalks and, using a sieve, dust the tops of the caps with cocoa powder.

Cook’s note: Stored in an airtight container, these will keep well for about 2 weeks.

Taken from Advent: Festive German Bakes to Celebrate the Coming of Christmas by Anja Dunk (Quadrille). Photography: Anja Dunk. You can find more of Anja’s recipes for Advent bakes and makes starting from page 75.

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Recipe: Fizzy amaretto sours

Prosecco lends festive sparkle to this almondy tipple

Makes 1

2 shots amaretto
1 shot lemon juice
½ shot sugar syrup (see below)
Prosecco
Sliced lemon and cocktail cherries, to serve

1. To make sugar syrup, combine equal volumes of water and sugar (a cup of each, say) in a saucepan, heat gently till the sugar dissolves, leave to cool and store in a bottle or jar.

2. Pile a glass with ice and then pour in the amaretto, lemon juice and syrup before topping with the prosecco. Mix carefully with a spoon and serve with a slice of lemon and a cherry.

Merry Midwinter from The Simple Things!

This cocktail recipe was first published in December 2016. Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

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Make | molten chocolate oranges

These oozing chocolate treats can be cooked in the embers of a winter barbecue

Whether you’re having a few friends over for a Yule bonfire and some outdoor snacks, or are going ambitious and cooking your whole Christmas lunch outdoors (see our Gathering feature in the December issue) these chocolate puds will put a smile on rosy-cheeked winter faces. And a Terry’s Chocolate Orange will never be quite the same again.

Serves 6

6 oranges
120g unsalted butter
135g dark chocolate (minimum 75% cocoa solids), broken into pieces
3 eggs
2 egg yolks
100g caster sugar
4 tbsp Cointreau (optional)
55g plain flour, sifted
Grated chocolate, to garnish

For the vanilla cream

600ml double cream
3 tbsp icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste or the seeds scraped from 1 vanilla pod

1 Prepare your oranges by slicing the top off each one, about ¼ of the way down – don’t discard the tops!
2 Gently remove the flesh by running a spoon down the sides and pulling the flesh away from the skin. Be careful not to pull out the ‘pith plug’ at the bottom of the orange, as this will create a hole. You can keep the discarded orange flesh in the fridge and have it for breakfast or sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon and serve with ice cream.
3 Next, make the vanilla cream. Pour the double cream into a mixing bowl and add the sugar and vanilla. Using an electric whisk, whip until soft peaks form. Cover the bowl and place in the fridge until ready to serve.
4 In a bain-marie, melt the butter and chocolate together. Once melted, remove from the heat and set aside.
5 In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, egg yolks and sugar together until light and fluffy. Slowly pour in the chocolate mixture, whilst continuing to whisk on a low speed. Once combined, add the Cointreau (if using) and then fold through the sifted flour.
6 Divide the mixture evenly between the hollowed-out oranges, and replace the orange lids. Carefully double wrap each orange with two layers of foil, watching that the lid doesn’t slip off in the process and that the oranges remain upright at all times. Make sure the oranges are completely sealed in the foil, with no gaps or holes for the chocolate mix to escape through.
7 Place the oranges upright, directly onto hot embers for about 12 mins.
8 Remove from the heat, unwrap and remove the lids. You should have a chocolate sponge with a runny molten middle. Top with the vanilla cream and a grating of chocolate.

These puds were part of our Gathering feature in the December issue with recipes by Bex Long for an outdoor Christmas lunch, including a spectacular hang-roasted bacon-wrapped partridge. Find the rest of the menu in this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

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Christmas: Gingerbread tree decorations

Edible tree baubles with built-in festive fragrance, as well as heaps of homemade charm

Makes 20
180g dark brown sugar
4 tbsp golden syrup
100g unsalted butter
350g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
11⁄2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 egg, beaten

For the icing
White icing pen or ready-to-use decorating icing (transferred to an icing syringe) – both available from Lakeland or Hobbycraft

1 Melt the sugar, syrup and butter together in a pan. Simmer for 2 minutes, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
2 Tip the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger, cinnamon and beaten egg into a large bowl. Add the syrup mixture and stir to combine. Gently knead in the bowl to form a soft, streak-free dough. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 mins.
3 Remove from the fridge and set aside to soften for about 5 mins. Preheat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/400F and line two baking trays with baking parchment.
4 Dust a work surface with flour, roll out the dough to around 1⁄2 cm thick, cut out your shapes and place on the lined baking trays. Keep re-working the dough until you have used it all. If you’re hanging the biscuits, make holes for the string – a skewer or chopstick works well.
6 Bake for 8–10 minutes, until a darker brown. While still hot and on the baking sheet, sharpen up the holes with your chosen instrument, before transferring to racks to cool.
7 Once completely cool, decorate the biscuits with white icing, then loop through some string for hanging.

More scents of Christmas on page 24 of December’s The Simple Things, including Orange pot pourri, Filo mince pies, Pine drawer sachets, Chestnut and mushroom pate and Herb smudge wands.

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Recipe: Fig and pomegranate rum trifle

You’ve got to have a trifle - it’s Christmas!

Serves 8–10

300ml pomegranate juice
3 shots rum*
600g Madeira cake
16 figs
Seeds from 1⁄2 pomegranate
600ml double cream
2 x 500g pots fresh custard
Edible gold leaf, to decorate (optional)

1 Mix the pomegranate juice with 2 shots of the rum in a bowl. Chop the cake into chunks and dip briefly into the rum and juice mixture before layering into the bottom of a glass trifle bowl. Halve six of the figs and arrange, cut side facing out, around the side of the bowl.
2 Scoop out the flesh from the remaining figs and chop finely, before mixing with the last shot of rum. Spoon the mixture over the sponge and top with a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds, reserving enough to decorate the trifle.
3 Just before serving, whisk the cream to soft peaks. Use a little of the whipped cream to create a thin barrier over the boozy fig mixture. This will keep your decorative fig halves free of custard.
4 Spoon over the custard, followed by the rest the whipped cream. Sprinkle with the reserved pomegranate seeds and some edible gold leaf, if using.

*To make your trifle family friendly, replace the rum with an extra 75ml pomegranate juice

Turn to page 36 of December's The Simple Things for more of our pot luck pleasures feast, including:

Rosehip and blood orange punch
Red onion, goats’ cheese and walnut tart
Chicory, pear, stilton and pecan salad
Salmon en croûte with dill sauce
Honey and sage roast root vegetables
Clementine and chocolate bread and butter pudding

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Recipe: Saffron bundt cake with pears

Saffron-flavoured buns, for St Lucia’s Day, are a December tradition in Norway and Sweden. This saffron cake with pears is a twist on that

30g breadcrumbs
50g butter
100ml whole milk
0.5g ground saffron
2 large or 3 small pears
A little lemon juice
325g caster sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
300g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1⁄2 tsp salt
50g Greek yoghurt
Icing sugar, for dusting

1 Preheat oven to 180C/Fan 160C/350F. Grease a 25cm Bundt or ring pan and dust with breadcrumbs, tipping out the excess. 
2 Melt butter and add milk and ground saffron. Stir and set aside to infuse.
3 Peel and core pears and cut into bite-sized chunks. Add lemon juice, stir and set aside.
4 In a mixing bowl, beat sugar, eggs and vanilla extract until thick, light and fluffy using a balloon or hand-held electric whisk. Mix the remaining dry ingredients and sift into the egg mixture. Fold in until incorporated.
5 Add the yoghurt and saffron-milk mixture and fold gently until completely combined. Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan. Add pear pieces – they’ll sink during baking. 
6 Bake for 30–35 mins until a skewer comes out clean. Cool before turning out. Dust with icing sugar and serve with whipped cream.

Recipe from Scandikitchen: Fika & Hygge by Bronté Aurell (Ryland Peters & Small).

Turn to page 59 of December's The Simple Things for more Christmas Cake in the house, including:

Cinnamon Danish pastry swirls
Cranberry, sherry and vine fruit cake
Mocha roll

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Recipe: Beetroot cured salmon with horseradish crème fraîche

Curing your own salmon really isn’t as difficult as it sounds. It’s an immensely satisfying job and the finished product looks and tastes amazing. The colour of the beetroot doesn’t quite seep into the centre, giving a lovely colour contrast, while the delicate flavours of the dill with the pink peppercorns and vodka really come through. A special starter for Christmas dinner which, thankfully, must be prepared in advance*.

Beetroot cured salmon with horseradish crème fraîche

MAKES 18–20
500g piece of salmon, pin-boned and scaled (skin on)
1 tbsp grated fresh or preserved horseradish
175g crème fraîche
6–8 thin slices rye bread
50g butter
Fresh dill or watercress, to serve

BEETROOT CURE
2 raw beetroot (about 200g)
1 tsp pink peppercorns
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp juniper berries
60g coarse sea salt
50g golden caster sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
Zest of 1⁄2 orange
2–3 tbsp freshly chopped dill
3 tbsp vodka
A baking sheet lined with three layers of clingfilm

1 To prepare the beetroot cure, peel and coarsely grate the beetroot into a large mixing bowl. Lightly crush the peppercorns, fennel seeds and juniper berries using a pestle and mortar. Add them to the bowl with the salt, sugar, citrus zests and half the dill.

2 Scatter one-third of the beetroot cure over the prepared baking sheet and lay the salmon on top, skin-side down. Cover the salmon with the remaining cure, pressing it into an even layer over the fish. Spoon the vodka over the top and wrap the fish tightly in the cling film. Lay another tray or tin on top of the salmon and weigh it down with something heavy. Set in the fridge for at least 2 days to cure.

3 Take the salmon from the fridge and unwrap it over a sink to catch the juices. Using your hands, scrape off as much of the cure as possible and pat the fish dry with paper towels. Finely chop the remaining dill and press into the top (flesh side) of the salmon. Using a very sharp knife, cut the salmon into wafer thin slices – cutting down to, but not through the skin, so you can transfer it easily to a serving platter.

4. Mix the grated horseradish with the crème fraîche and season. Thinly butter the rye bread and cut into bite-sized pieces. Spread with the créme fraîche and lay the salmon slices on top. Garnish with a little dill or watercress and a twist of freshly ground black pepper.

* The salmon needs at least two days to cure in the fridge

Recipe from Afternoon Tea at Home by Will Torrent, photography Matt Russell (Ryland Peters & Small)

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Recipe: Red pepper jam

Turn to page 16 of December's The Simple Things for our simple party toast ideas – moreish morsels that won’t linger for long at a festive do. Use this red pepper jam as a topping for goat's cheese toast 

Red pepper jam

Makes 2 x 500ml jars

4 tbsp vegetable oil
2 red peppers, roughly chopped
2 red onions, roughly chopped
4 long red chillies, chopped
250g cherry tomatoes
100g sugar
50ml fish sauce

1 Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan over a medium–high heat. Fry the peppers, onions and chilli for 5 mins, or until softened and slightly caramelized. Add the tomatoes and cook for 6 minutes, or until soft. Stir in the sugar and fish sauce, and simmer for 30 minutes, until thickened.

2 Leave to cool slightly, then whiz to a purée in a food processor. Ladle into sterilised jars and seal. The jam will keep in the pantry for 6–12 months. Refrigerate after opening and use within 1 month.

Recipe from In the Kitchen by Simmone Logue (Murdoch Books)
 

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Recipe: Christmas Breakfast

Easier and lighter than a full English, these cute bacon and egg toasts look really impressive and don’t take much effort. A good one for hungover guests

Christmas Breakfast

3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
6 medium slices white or brown bread
6 rashers smoked streaky bacon
4 spring onions, thinly sliced
6 eggs
salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 Portobello mushrooms, grilled, to serve
vine tomatoes, roasted, to serve

1 Preheat the oven to 190C/Fan 170/375F) and grease a muffin tin with the melted butter. 
2 Flatten the slices of bread by rolling over each one a few times with a rolling pin. Use a 10cm round biscuit cutter to cut a circle out of each slice of bread. If you don’t have one, you can use a pair of kitchen scissors to cut the circle instead. 
3 Cut one of the circles in half and push one half down into a mould in the muffin tin, with the curved edge at the top, so the edges of the bread stick up out of the mould. 
4 Then push the other half in the mould so that the two halves overlap slightly and completely line the mould. If you find you have some gaps, just use some of the bread you cut off to fill them in. Brush the bread with the remaining butter. 
5 In a heavy-based frying pan, fry the bacon on one side over a medium heat for four mins. 
6 Lay a piece of bacon, cooked side down, into each muffin cup. Sprinkle some spring onion over the bacon, then crack an egg into each muffin cup. 
7 Season and bake in the oven for 20 mins. 
8 Run a small knife around the bread, which will now be toasted, and pop out each muffin from the tin. 
9 Serve immediately with a large grilled mushroom and some roasted vine tomatoes to make a complete dish. Otherwise they’re great on their own for a little ‘elevenses’.

Recipe from Breakfast Morning, Noon & Night by Fern Green (Hardie Grant)

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From the December issue

Christmas posts

Breakfast recipes

December's The Simple Things is full of festive makes and bakes, wreaths of hawthorn and bay, and twinkly lights a-plenty. Buy, download or subscribe now.