last minute christmas

Pigs in blankets are too delicious to be reserved for a one-off Christmas side dish - try them as a party snack or with roast chicken.

Pigs in blankets

bacon

sausages

cocktail sticks, to secure the bacon

A jar of salted caramel sauce makes a great Christmas present. This is so easy - don't tell anyone. If you don’t want to include the rum, just leave it out. It still tastes amazing.

You will need to have sterilised jars to keep the caramel in. This recipe makes about 2 jam jars of caramel.

Salted caramel sauce

tin ready-made condensed milk caramel

unsalted butter

sea salt

tbsp rum (optional)

I make these easy sausage rolls often – they are always welcome at a picnic or party. Feel free to enhance them as you like.


Easy sausage rolls

puff pastry

flour,

egg,

salt and black pepper

thyme leaves

Unexpected guests and no Christmas cake to serve? This last-minute loaf tastes as if it had been made in November. Decorate with a snow shower of icing sugar

Last-minute Christmas loaf cake

raisins and sultanas

sour cherries

dried figs

mixed peel

orange

brandy

butter

muscovado sugar

eggs

self-raising flour

tsp baking powder

brioche crumbs

chopped pecans and pistachios

½ tsp ground mace

cinnamon

icing sugar (optional)

Tip the fruit and peel into a bowl with the orange juice and zest and 150ml of the brandy. Stir well, then leave in a warm place for 2 hrs for the fruit to plump up.

Heat oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 4. Brush a 900g loaf tin with the melted butter, then line with baking parchment. Beat the muscovado sugar and butter until light and fluffy, then add the eggs one at a time. Mix in the fruit and the rest of the ingredients except for the remaining brandy and icing sugar. Spoon the mixture into the loaf tin, put the tin in a deep tray and bake for 1 hr 15 mins-1 hr 30 mins or until a skewer prodded in comes out clean. Remove from the oven and immediately pour over the brandy (this makes it easier for the cake to soak it up). Leave to cool, then dust with icing sugar, if using.

Use our best stuffing recipe to make classic sage and onion stuffing balls with no "box" flavour. This stuffing is great for vegetarians or to stuff your turkey this Christmas.

Sage and onion stuffing

onion,

vegetable oil

tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped

breadcrumbs

salt and pepper

egg, beaten

These easy party flatbreads make such a simple canape for Christmas or New Year parties. We've used smoked salmon and chilli cheese but you can top them with anything you like. 

Easy party flatbreads  

flatbread

cream cheese

grams/1¾oz smoked salmon, sliced into 2.5cm/1in strips

½ lemon, zest only

½ tbsp small capers, drained

dill

½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil

black pepper,

lemon slices,

chilli jam

grams/1¾oz cheddar, grated

red chilli, thinly sliced

The perfect Christmas party nibble. These party flatbreads are so easy to make.

Easy party flatbreads

Liven up your buffet table and use up any dried fruit left over from your Christmas baking in this instant chutney.

Last minute Christmas chutney

sunflower oil

red onions, sliced

garlic cloves, finely chopped

200 grams/7 ounces ready to eat dried apricots, quartered

150 grams/5½oz soft dried figs, quartered

grams/3½oz raisins

150 grams/5½oz demerara sugar

150 milliliters/5fl oz white wine vinegar

nutmeg,

tsp sea salt flakes

black pepper

These tasty individual tarts are brilliant for a quick but stylish supper. They can be baked straight away or prepared the day before and cooked just before serving. They also work well as canapés if you make them smaller.

I like to offer two different toppings per person. For each of the topping ideas you will need half of the pastry and crème fraîche filling. Serve with a green salad.


Puff pastry savoury tarts 

x 320 grams/11½oz ready-rolled puff pastry

free-range egg

tsp milk

crème fraîche

Dijon mustard

tsp honey

spring onions, finely chopped

grams/⅛ oz finely chopped dill

grams/2½oz cream cheese

120 grams/4 ounces smoked trout (or salmon if preferred), roughly chopped

tbsp horseradish sauce

½ quantity crème fraîche filling (see above)

brie,

rashers smoked streaky bacon,

tsp cranberry sauce

rocket

anchovies, finely chopped

75 grams/2½oz ricotta

red chili flakes

80 grams/¾oz strong cheddar cheese, grated

basil pesto

60 grams/2¼oz cooked, peeled chestnuts, roughly chopped

onion

Lesley Waters’ last-minute Christmas pudding recipe is a lifesaver if you’ve left it all to the last minute this Christmas.

Equipment and preparation: You'll need two 1.2 litre pudding basins

Top 9 last minute christmas recipes from across the web

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

Top Tags

Pigs in blankets

Salted caramel sauce

Easy sausage rolls

Last-minute Christmas loaf cake

Sage and onion stuffing

Easy party flatbreads

Last minute Christmas chutney

Puff pastry savoury tarts

Last minute Christmas pudding

Top 9 last minute christmas recipes from across the web

The most viewed last minute christmas recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Pigs in blankets

Salted caramel sauce

Easy sausage rolls

Last-minute Christmas loaf cake

Sage and onion stuffing

Easy party flatbreads

Last minute Christmas chutney

Puff pastry savoury tarts

Last minute Christmas pudding

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

Easy party flatbreads 