BBC Easycook Christmas 2021

This has been a year of false starts, thwarted hopes and a lot of hassle. We’ve all been living week-to-week, waiting on the latest government announcements about what we can and can’t do, so it’s no wonder we desperately need something to look forward to. Christmas is just that. We’ll be able to get together in a way that we couldn’t last year. To enable you to spend as much time with your loved ones, this festive issue of Easy Cook is designed to make cooking as stress-free as possible. I’ve got my eye on the simple but impressive roast turkey & gravy on p22, and the Baileys tiramisu trifle on p51. Have a flick through and choose your favourites, ready for the big day. Merry Christmas, everyone!…

Makes 12 Prep 20 mins plus cooling Cook 20 mins VEGETARIAN 320g sheet ready-rolled puff pastry plain flour, for dusting1 egg, beaten150g vegetarian mincemeat20g flaked almonds icing sugar, for dusting 1 Unroll the pastry on a lightly floured surface and cut into 12 squares. Take a square and fold in half diagonally to make a triangle then lay with the folded edge facing you. Cut a 5mm border along the other two edges, stopping just before the two cuts intersect. Unfold and brush the borders with a little beaten egg, then lift the far left corner of the pastry and fold it over to the right, then lift the far right corner of the pastry to the inner left corner. Press to secure, then repeat with the other squares arranging on the…

Espresso martini cheesecake Serves 12 Prep 40 mins plus chilling, cooling and 24 hrs freezing Cook 10 mins VEGETARIAN FREEZABLE 70g salted butter, plus extra for the tin100g dark chocolate digestive biscuits150g biscotti150g dark chocolate, chopped 500g full-fat soft cheese180g icing sugar 300ml double cream30ml espresso or strong coffee 50ml coffee liqueur1 tsp vanilla bean paste FOR THE COFFEE SYRUP 50ml coffee liqueur50ml espresso or strong coffee50g golden caster sugar TO SERVE 200g soured cream30g chocolate-coated coffee beans 1 Butter a 20 x 25 x 4.5cm deep loose-bottomed cake tin and line with baking parchment. Blitz the digestive biscuits and biscotti in a food processor to make crumbs. Melt the butter in a pan over a low heat, then add the biscuit crumbs and stir to combine. Tip into the tin and press firmly into the…

BEEF WELLINGTON Waitrose Entertaining beef Wellington £60 (1.42kg) The pretty lattice design looks special and cuts nicely. The pastry is crisp and encases a generous piece of beef and large chunks of seasoned mushroom. It also has good red wine flavour. CRANBERRY SAUCE Waitrose cranberry sauce £2.25 (300g) A stand-out winner, this loose-textured sauce is mild and not too sweet. Tart, whole cranberries balance the flavour to make it a good all-rounder. PIGS IN BLANKETS Asda Extra Special 10 pigs in blankets £2.25 (210g) Crisp, smoky bacon evenly coats mini sausages, which bake to golden perfection. The sausages are well-seasoned, with a good level of salt and smoke, and don’t dry out during baking. ALTERNATIVE CHRISTMAS MAIN Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference outdoor-bred British pork rib roast £10.50 (1.45kg) Voted by judges as almost better than turkey for…

CLEMENTINE MOCK MOJITO Serves 1 Prep 5 mins 1 clementine½ tsp demerara sugar1 lemon wedge, choppedicesmall handful of mint, woody stalks removeda few drops of orange blossom watersparkling water, to top up Juice half the clementine and chop the other half into small pieces. Pour the juice into a glass and stir in the sugar. Tip in the chopped clementine and lemon, then crush using a muddler. Add a handful of ice, the mint and orange blossom. Top up slowly with sparkling water. PER SERVING 39 kcals, fat none, saturates none, carbs 8g, sugars 8g, fibre 1g, protein 1g, salt 0.02g MINTY CLEMENTINE CRUSH Make as above with a measure of Grand Marnier in place of the orange blossom water. Serves 1. PINEAPPLE & GINGER PUNCH Serves 6-8 Prep 5 mins 750ml pineapple juice1 lime, juicedsmall…

Festive coffee tin, £12 Whittard This colourful tin will be a treat to unwrap, filled with gently spiced, citrussy ground coffee blended especially for the festive season. American Originals 3-in-1 treat maker, £29.99 argos.co.uk The ultimate gadget for a friend with a sweet tooth, this super-easy dessert maker can bake waffles, doughnuts and even mini cake pops all in one machine, for perfect bakes ready in minutes. Edo platter, £22 Oliver Bonas For serving up mince pies at Christmas, or using as a fruit platter all year round, gift this dainty pink platter for a pretty kitchen addition. Stellar kitchen scales, £25 horwood.co.uk Save space with these nifty fold-away kitchen scales: a must-have for anyone with a passion for baking. It’s battery free; simply wind up to get started in the kitchen. Gin-flavour selection…