christmas dinner party

Wilt spinach with garlic and spices, then pile onto small, warm pieces of naan bread and top with halloumi for an attractive vegetarian canapé

Naan, spinach & halloumi bites

tbsp butter

garlic cloves

tsp garam masala

baby spinach

packs halloumi cheese

naan bread

Warm the butter in a large pan with the crushed garlic cloves and garam masala. Roughly chop the washed baby spinach and add to the melted butter and spices. Cook until the spinach has wilted, then season to taste.

Cut the halloumi into cubes and grill the tops until golden. Heat the naan breads under the grill &ndash; just to warm through &ndash; then spread with the spinach mixture.

Evenly distribute the grilled halloumi over the bread, then cut the bread to fit the cheese, and secure with cocktail sticks. Serve warm.

Gooey, melted cheese and crispy, golden bread make a stunning centrepiece to share with friends over drinks or as a dinner party starter – make ahead for fuss-free entertaining

Baked camembert with bacon-wrapped breadsticks

strong white flour

sachet fast-action dried yeast

tsp English mustard powder

golden caster sugar

tsp thyme leaves,plus extra sprigs for the cheese

light olive oil,plus extra for greasing

whole camembertin a box

pancetta

Mix together the flour, yeast, mustard powder, 11/2 tsp fine salt, the sugar, thyme leaves and 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Stir in 250ml lukewarm water, use your hands to bring together into a dough, then knead for 10 mins on a clean surface until it is smooth and elastic. If you have a tabletop mixer with a dough hook, use this instead and ‘knead’ for just 5 mins. Sit the dough in a large, clean bowl, cover with oiled cling film and leave at room temperature for about 1 hr until doubled in size.

Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and line your largest baking tray with baking parchment. Sit the lid of your boxed camembert in the centre of the tray.

Knead the dough back into a smooth ball, then use your fingers to make a hole through the centre. Steadily stretch the doughnut shape into a large ring until the centre hole is large enough to fit around the lid. The best way to do this is to swing the dough around your fingers, then hand, like a hula-hoop.

Sit the dough ring on the tray around the box lid. Use kitchen scissors to snip the dough ring into 20 strips, from the outside in, but leave a few millimetres of dough still connecting the strips together around the lid in the centre. If using the ready-to-eat pancetta slices, halve each one lengthways. Twist one of the 20 dough strips to make it longer and thinner like a breadstick, then wrap a pancetta slice in a spiral around it. Repeat with all the dough strips.

Your breadsticks might look a little higgledy-piggledy at the moment, so use kitchen scissors to snip the ends off any that need it to make an even, round shape, if you like (see tip below). Brush with a little light olive oil and bake for 15 mins.

Meanwhile, unwrap the camembert and top with the thyme sprigs. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with a little more black pepper. Remove the breadsticks from the oven and sit the cheese inside the box lid, then bake for another 5 mins until the bread is golden and crispy, and the cheese molten.

This lighter version of the classic Christmas pud is still full of festive flavours - citrus zest and brandy are added to this nutty spiced fruitcake

Cherry pecan Christmas pudding

mixed dried fruit

pot glacé cherries

mixed peel

carrot

lemon

orange

light muscovado sugar

tsp mixed spice

brandy

Disaronno

butter butter

eggs

blanched almond, half of each chopped

pecan nuts, half of each chopped

self-raising flour

fresh white breadcrumbs

golden syrup

holly

Put the mixed fruit, halved glacé cherries, mixed peel, carrot, and lemon and orange zest in a bowl with the sugar and spice. Pour in the lemon juice and alcohol, and stir really well. Cover and leave to soak overnight.

Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and put a full kettle of water on to boil. Grease a 1.5-litre pudding basin and put a disc of baking parchment in the base. Stir the eggs into the fruit mixture, then stir in the chopped nuts, flour and breadcrumbs. Finally, grate in the frozen butter, stirring the mixture frequently so that it evenly disperses.

For the topping, mix the soft butter and golden syrup together, and spread over the bottom of the basin. Pile in the whole cherries, orange segments and whole nuts, breaking the pecans in half as you add them. Try not to just make a thick layer of fruit and nuts on the base – ease some up the side too. Spoon in the pudding mixture and level the top, then cover with baking parchment and foil. Tie the top with string or an extra-large rubber band, then place in a roasting tin and pour in the water from the kettle. Cover the whole thing with a tent of foil to seal in all the steam, then place in the oven for 6 hrs. This gives a light pudding, so if you prefer a darker one, cook for up to 8 hrs. Will keep in the fridge for 1 month. If you want it to last longer, omit the orange segments.

To serve, steam in a large pan with an upturned saucer on the base for 2 hrs, then turn out and decorate with holly, if you like. Serve with Brandy syrup cream (see 'Goes well with').

Top buttery puff pastry with caramelised onions and melted cheese for a festive buffet or dinner party winner that you can make ahead and freeze

Roast sweet potato & onion tart with goat’s cheese

olive oil

red onions,

tbsp red wine vinegar

cranberry sauce

1kg sweet potatoes,

tsp chilli flakes

puff pastry

goat's cheese

egg,

thyme sprigs, to serve

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and cook the onions over a low heat for 20-25 mins or until well softened and lightly browned. Add the vinegar and cranberry sauce, and simmer for 5-10 mins more, stirring until almost all the liquid has disappeared. Leave to cool.

Meanwhile, put the sweet potatoes in a bowl and toss with the remaining oil, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper and the chilli flakes. Arrange on a baking tray and cook for 20 mins, turning halfway, until softened and lightly browned. Leave to cool.

Reduce oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line two large baking trays with baking parchment and unroll the pastry sheets on top – trimming the edges neatly at this point will encourage a good rise. Leaving a 2cm gap around the edge, spread the onions over the pastry, then top with the sweet potatoes and goat’s cheese. Brush the beaten egg around the border of the pastry and bake in the oven for 35-40 mins or until the pastry is golden and crisp, swapping the shelves after 20 mins.

Scatter over the thyme, then cut each tart into quarters (or smaller pieces if serving more). Serve with a large leafy salad.

This vibrant Persian side salad is studded with dried fruit, nuts and seeds and finished with crumbled feta - ideal to take along to a Christmas buffet

Black & white rice salad with cumin-roasted butternut squash

butternut

tbsp cumin seeds

basmati & wild rice

dried cranberries

pomegranate seeds

hazelnuts

dill leaves and stalks finely chopped

parsley

onion

feta

tbsp clear honey

4-5 tbsp sherry vinegar

Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and line a baking tray with baking parchment. Put the squash on the baking tray, drizzle over the olive oil, scatter on the cumin seeds and season generously – use your hands to ensure each piece is evenly coated with oil and seasoning. Roast for 30-35 mins until the edges are caramelised, then remove from the oven and leave to cool.

Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Cook the rice for 20-25 mins or according to pack instructions, then strain and rinse well with cold water until all the starch is washed off and the rice is cold. Allow to drain well.

Put the cranberries, pomegranate seeds, hazelnuts, herbs, onion and rice in a large bowl and mix well. Make the dressing by combining all the ingredients in a bowl with a generous amount of seasoning to taste. Once the squash is completely cool, gently mix it into the bowl of other ingredients. Pour over the dressing, mix well and serve on a large platter with the feta crumbled over the top.

Top 5 christmas dinner party recipes from across the web

The most viewed christmas dinner party recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Naan, spinach & halloumi bites

Baked camembert with bacon-wrapped ...

Cherry pecan Christmas pudding

Roast sweet potato & onion tart wit...

Black & white rice salad with cumin...

Top 5 christmas dinner party recipes from across the web

The most viewed christmas dinner party recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Naan, spinach & halloumi bites

Baked camembert with bacon-wrapped ...

Cherry pecan Christmas pudding

Roast sweet potato & onion tart wit...

Black & white rice salad with cumin...

The most viewed christmas dinner party recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine