festive

We've made this tasty Tuscan-style chicken dish using jarred veggies for ease and olives for bursts of juicy tartness. This recipe is keto-friendly

Tuscan-style chicken recipe

chicken

brown onion, thickly sliced

garlic cloves, crushed

tsp ground paprika

semi-dried tomatoes

jar grilled eggplant, drained, chopped

jar chargrilled peppers

(160 grams) pitted mixed olives

(125 milliliters) thickened cream

(375 milliliters) Coles Real Chicken Salt Reduced Stock

oregano

Give someone the gift of a Christmas scent (homemade holiday potpourri) this holiday season!

Christmas Potpourri.

fresh cranberries (OR 1/2 cup dried cranberries)

cinnamon

star ansie (optional)

cardamom (crushed)

whole cloves

ginger

vanilla bean (halved lengthwise)

fresh pine (or 1 sprig rosemary)

Satsuma or tangerine (OR 1/3 candied orange peel)

Combine all the ingredients except the orange in a burlap bag or glass jar. If using a jar, add the orange and seal the jar. If using a burlap bag, tie the sack shut and then tie the orange onto the outside of the sack. You can also just place the orange inside the sack. Decorate as desired.

If using fresh cranberries and oranges, gift the potpourri within 2-3 days of making and keep stored in the fridge. If you use all dried fruits, the potpourri can be stored at room temperature for up to a month.

To make the Potpourri, add the contents of your bag (or jar) to a medium size pot. Add water until it comes 3/4 the way up the pot. Simmer on the stove over low heat, adding water every so often to keep it from drying up.

Oven-cook your favourite soft cheese until gooey for this last-minute crowd-pleaser. An easy recipe for a dinner party or when entertaining at Christmas

Baked camembert

camembertor brie, cheese

tbsp vermouth,or dry white wine,

thymesprigs

dried chilli flakes

crackers bread,to serve

Unwrap 250g camembert, brie or similar from its packaging, then place back into its box. Tie string around the box to secure.

Slash the cheese a few times and top with 1 tbsp vermouth, dry white wine or kirsch, 2 thyme sprigs and a pinch of dried chilli flakes.

Bake on a baking tray for 20 mins until gooey. Serve with toasted bread or crackers for dipping.

Using green beans, haloumi and a rainbow of vegies, this salad will be a hit with on any table.

Rainbow Salad With Haloumi And Lentils Recipe

green beans, trimmed, thinly sliced

baby broccoli, finely chopped

corn cob,

can lentils, rinsed, drained

red onion, finely chopped

Lebanese cucumber, finely chopped

red cabbage, finely shredded

Perino tomatoes, thinly sliced

haloumi, thinly sliced

avocado, stoned, peeled, chopped

olive oil

basil leaves

lemon, zested, juiced

Rainbow salad with haloumi and lentils recipe

This salad is a great mix of fresh, creamy and smoky flavours, with a zesty dressing to bring it all together.

Roasted Cauliflower Salad With Poblano Chillies And Chickpeas Recipe

poblano chillies

garlic cloves, unpeeled

(120 grams) sour cream

tbs coriander

tsp cumin

cauliflower (about 900 grams), cut into large florets

can chickpeas, rinsed, drained

(60 milliliters) lime juice

Dijon mustard

tsp honey

(160 grams) shredded green cabbage

red onion, very thinly sliced

Danish-style fetta, crumbled

radishes, finely shaved

Roasted cauliflower salad with poblano chillies and chickpeas recipe

Paul Hollywood prefers melt-in-the-mouth pastry for his fruity mince pies, so this recipe is nice and short

Mince Pies

mincemeat(about 600 grams)

satsumas,segmented

apple,finely chopped

lemon

little icing sugar,for dusting

plain flour

unsalted butter,softened

caster sugar,plus extra for sprinkling

egg,plus egg

Mince pies

Place 375g plain flour and 260g softened unsalted butter in a <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/top-five-mixing-bowls">bowl</a> and rub together to a crumb consistency.

Add 125g caster sugar and 1 large beaten egg, and <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/top-five-food-mixers">mix</a> together.

Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and fold until the pastry comes together, be careful not to over mix.

Wrap the pastry in cling film and chill for 10 mins.

Scoop the large jar of mincemeat into a bowl and add 2 segmented satsumas, 1 finely chopped apple and <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/top-graters">zest</a> of 1 lemon.

<a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/test-best-rolling-pins">Roll</a> out the pastry to 3mm thick.

Using a round cutter (about 10cm), cut out 16 bases and place them into muffin trays. Put 1½ tbsp mincemeat mixture into each. <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/test-best-pastry-brushes">Brush</a> the edge of each pie with a little beaten egg.

Re-roll out the pastry to cut 7cm lids and press them on top to seal. Glaze with the beaten egg, sprinkle with the extra caster sugar, then make a small cut in the tops.

Bake the mince pies for 15-20 mins until golden brown. Leave to cool before releasing them from the muffin trays and dusting with a little more icing sugar before serving.

Get ahead at Christmas with this showstopping cake boasting white chocolate, cherries and festive spice. You can bake the sponges, meringues and biscuits the day before assembling

White Forest Christmas Tree Traybake

softened salted butter,

caster sugar

eggs

self-raising flour

½ tbsp ground ginger

tsp baking powder

natural yogurt

vanilla paste

white chocolatechips

ginger biscuits

bay leaves,

5-6 cocktail cherrieswith stalks, drained

morello cherry jam

edible glitter(optional)

green and red food colouring gel

gold leafand edible glitter, to decorate (optional)

softened butter

icing sugar

tbsp milk

White forest Christmas tree traybake

To make the frosted leaves and cherries, whisk the egg white with a fork until frothy. Tip the sugar onto a plate. Brush the egg white onto the bay leaves or dip them, then sprinkle the sugar over the leaves and half the cherries to coat. Leave to dry on a sheet of parchment for 6 hrs or until the frosting has completely dried.

Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. For the sponge, butter and line a 30 x 20cm traybake tin with parchment. Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric whisk until creamy. Whisk in the eggs, one by one, then sieve and fold in the flour, spices and baking powder. Fold in the yogurt, vanilla and chocolate chips. Tip into the tin, smooth over and bake for 30-35 mins until the sponge is golden and springs back when pressed. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack, remove the parchment and leave to cool completely. Or, to make a round cake, see our tip below.

Reduce the oven to 120C/100C fan/gas ½ and leave the door open briefly to make sure the temperature drops low enough. To make the meringues, whisk the egg white in a large bowl with an electric whisk, or in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, until stiff peaks form. Continually whisking, add the sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, until it’s completely combined. Once it’s all added, beat for another 3-4 mins until you get a stiff, shiny meringue. Transfer the mixture to two small piping bags fitted with star and round nozzles. Use a cocktail stick, knife or spoon dipped in the food colouring to paint the inside of the bags in stripes up the length, painting each bag with a different colour and leaving the area nearest the nozzle uncoloured, then fill with meringue. Cover a baking sheet with parchment, using a little of the meringue on the underside to stick it to the tray. Pipe blobs onto it, well spaced apart, to make meringue kisses – they will come out plain first. Bake for 30 mins, then turn off the oven and leave the meringues inside to cool to room temperature. Decorate them with gold leaf or glitter, if you like.

Press the jam firmly through a sieve to remove any large chunks and stir what’s left in the sieve back into the jar. Stir in a few pinches of glitter, if you like, then transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small round nozzle.

Beat the buttercream ingredients together using an electric whisk until you get a pale, fluffy icing. Transfer to a large piping bag with a wide, round nozzle.

To cut the sponge into a tree shape, first split the cooled cake into two layers using a cake cutter or serrated knife. Using a ruler or a sheet of baking parchment the same width as the cake, mark a halfway point at the top end of the cake. At the bottom end of the cake, mark it into thirds. Using these as a guide, cut squares from the bottom end of the cake, leaving a centre section for the tree stump, then cut from your middle mark at the top down to the bottom edges to create a Christmas tree shape. Use the off-cuts to make cake pops, or in trifle. Carefully lift off the top sponge using a baking sheet, and pipe blobs of buttercream all over, starting from the outside edge. Chill for 20 mins to firm up. Pipe some of the jam between the buttercream blobs, except the outer edge.

Position the remaining cake on top, and pipe more icing blobs all over. Add the frosted leaves, frosted and plain cherries, ginger biscuits (see <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/festive-ginger-biscuits">our recipe</a>) and meringues, sprinkle a little glitter over the un-frosted cherries, and pipe on the remaining jam in blobs. Add the biscuits, putting a star-shaped one at the top, and add gold leaf, if you like. Will keep, well covered in the fridge, for two-three days.

This decadent bake from Paul Hollywood combines slightly sweet French bread with a creamy ham and cheese filling

Brie Wrapped In Prosciutto & Brioche

strong white bread flour

sachet fast-action dried yeast

milk

eggs, eggs

unsalted butter, softened

round brie

prosciutto

Brie wrapped in prosciutto & brioche

Mix the flour, 1 tsp salt, caster sugar, yeast, milk and eggs together in a mixer using the dough attachment for 5 mins until the dough is smooth. Add the butter and mix for a further 4 mins on medium speed. Scrape the dough bowl and mix again for 1 min. Place the dough in a container, cover with cling film and leave in the fridge for at least 6 hrs before using.

Wrap the brie in the prosciutto and set aside. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 25cm circle. Place the wrapped brie in the middle of the circle and fold the edges in neatly. Put the parcel onto a baking tray lined with baking parchment and brush with beaten egg. Chill in the fridge for 30 mins, then brush again with beaten egg and chill for a further 30 mins. Leave to rise for 1 hr at room temperature. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6, then bake for 22 mins. Serve warm.

A classic Christmas combination – and it counts as two of your 5-a-day

Brussels sprouts with bacon &amp; chestnuts

¼kg Brussels sprouts,trimmed (or if buying pre-trimmed, buy 1 kg)

rashers smoked streaky bacon,cut into bite-sized pieces (or use more, if you like)

vacuum-packed chestnuts

butter

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, then tip in 1 ¼ kg trimmed Brussels sprouts. Once back to the boil, cook for 5 mins. Drain, run under the cold tap until cold, then drain again.

Heat a large frying pan, add 6 rashers smoked streaky bacon, cut into bite-sized pieces, and gently fry for 10 mins until crisp and golden.

Tip out of the pan, leaving the fat behind, then add 200g chestnuts and fry over a high heat for about 5 mins until tinged. Tip out of the pan.

Add the Brussels sprouts to the pan with a splash of water, then cover and finish cooking over a medium heat for about 5 mins, stirring now and again, until just tender.

Uncover, turn up the heat, then add most of the 50g butter and sauté the sprouts for 2 mins more.

Tip in the bacon and chestnuts, season generously with salt and pepper, then serve with the last knob of butter on top.

Bake this festive fruit cake in advance of Christmas and feed it regularly with rum, brandy or whisky to build the flavour and keep it moist

Make & mature Christmas cake

1kg mixed dried fruit(use a mix of raisins, sultanas, currants, cherries, cranberries, prunes

orange

milliliters brandy,Sherry, whisky

pack butter,softened

light soft brown sugar

ground almond

½ tsp baking powder

tsp mixed spice

¼ tsp ground cloves

flaked almonds

tsp vanilla extract

Put 1kg mixed dried fruit, the zest and juice of 1 orange and 1 lemon, 150ml brandy or other alcohol, 250g softened butter and 200g light, soft brown sugar in a large <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/five-best-saucepans">pan</a> set over a medium heat.

Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 5 mins. Tip the fruit mixture into a large <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/top-five-mixing-bowls">bowl</a> and leave to cool for 30 mins.

Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Line a deep 20cm cake tin with a double layer of <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/baking-equipment">baking parchment</a>, then wrap a double layer of newspaper around the outside – tie with string to secure.

Add 175g plain flour, 100g ground almonds, ½ tsp baking powder, 2 tsp mixed spice, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground cloves, 100g flaked almonds, 4 large eggs and 1 tsp vanilla extract to the fruit mixture and stir well, making sure there are no pockets of flour.

Tip into your prepared tin, level the top with a <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/test-best-spatulas">spatula</a> and bake in the centre of the oven for 2 hrs.

Remove the cake from the oven, poke holes in it with a skewer and spoon over 2 tbsp of your chosen alcohol. Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin.

To store, peel off the baking parchment, then wrap well in cling film. Feed the cake with 1-2 tbsp alcohol every fortnight, until you ice it.

Don’t feed the cake for the final week to give the surface a chance to dry before icing.

This veggie-loaded spaghetti bolognese makes the ultimate 5-ingredient speedy weeknight dinner.

Veggie-loaded spaghetti bolognese recipe

spaghetti

Coles Australian Beef & Pork Bolognese Mince

(420 grams) Coles Frozen Mixed Vegetables, thawed

Coles Mum’s Sause Bolognese

Basil leaves, to serve

Dark and sticky caramel, sweet apples and crisp pastry combine to make this heavenly French dessert. And with Raymond Blanc's recipe, you can make it perfectly every time

Tarte tatin

all-butter puff pastry

plain flour,for dusting

dessert apples(about 900 grams/2lb),

golden caster sugar

please!)

Roll the pastry to a 3mm-thick round on a lightly floured surface and cut a 24cm circle, using a plate as a guide. Lightly prick all over with a fork, place on a baking sheet, then cover and freeze while preparing the apples.

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Peel, quarter and core the apples. Put the sugar in a flameproof 20cm ceramic tatin dish or a 20cm ovenproof heavy-based frying pan and place over a medium-high heat. Cook the sugar for 5-7 mins to a dark amber caramel syrup that’s starting to smoke, then turn off the heat and stir in the 60g diced chilled butter.

To assemble the tarte tatin, arrange the apple quarters very tightly in a circle around the edge of the dish first, rounded-side down, then fill in the middle in a similar fashion. Gently press with your hands to ensure there are no gaps. Brush the fruit with the melted butter.

Bake in the oven for 30 mins, then remove and place the disc of frozen puff pastry on top – it will quickly defrost. Tuck the edges down the inside of the dish and, with a knife, prick a few holes in the pastry to allow steam to escape. Bake for a further 40-45 mins until the pastry is golden brown and crisp.

Allow to cool to room temperature for 1 hr before running a knife around the edge of the dish and inverting it onto a large serving plate that is deep enough to contain the juices. Serve with crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream.

For a simple side loaded with veg, you can't look past this creamy potato salad mixed with a dijon mustard and mayonnaise dressing.

Thermomix potato and vegetable salad recipe

carrots, peeled and cut into 4 cm pieces

parsnip, peeled and cut into 4 cm pieces

celeriac, peeled and cut into 4 cm pieces

potatoes,

water

leek, white part only, cut into 1.5cm slices

dill cucumbers,

apple,

frozen green peas, thawed (optional)

mayonnaise

black pepper

sea salt

parsley, leaves

This thick and boozy toffee sauce can be put into jars and given as a gift, or serve a dollop with warming desserts

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The most viewed festive recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

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