In my family, Christmas is a time for tradition and most of the food we eat has been the same year after year for as far as I can remember (and yes, this sentence DOES make me feel like I’m about 100 years old).
Every year, there are oysters, and game meat and a rolled cake for dessert.
But the ultimate Christmas staple of them all are chocolate truffles.
I had my first Christmas party leftover breakfast this morning. You know what that means right? There’s no more denying it, the festive season has started (and I could hardly be more excited!!)
But despite my constant Christmas-themed rambling, I haven’t put up any decorations yet. I won’t be in London for Christmas so I’m saving my energy to decorate my parents house.
But I thought I would make an exception for this cute, DIY origami Christmas wreath.
All you need is 15-16 paper squares, a bit of clear tape (to secure the whole thing) and some ribbon to hang it up!
The instructions are here and I swear it couldn’t be any easier!
Just make sure you tag me in your Instapics (I’m @sndguerin) so I can see yours!
Mince pies.
The British Christmas staple if there ever was one.
Each family seems to have its own recipe that is not to be messed with.
I on the other hand am still to create my own, so I’m currently sampling every mince pie I can get my hands on (you know, in the name of research… Tough job but somebody’s got to do it!).
And while most places stick to the fruit-mix-in-pastry version, there are also some more… creative ones out there!
1. Crosstown’s mince pie doughnuts
With its mini mince pie doughnuts, complete with brandy butter glaze and vanilla crumble topping, Crosstown has achieve the perfect jam doughnut and mince pie breeding. Pillowy sourdough dough, fruit-rich boozy filling and addictive signature crumble, I wouldn’t mind finding a big box of those under the tree!
2. Joe & Seph’s mince pie pop corn
Going deeper into the novely mince pie market, you’ll find this brandy-infused caramel-coated popcorn which claims to be as “rich, fruity and aromatic [as] a mince pie”. I say, not a bad option for a Christmas movie marathon!
3. Rinkoff Bakery’s Mince pie cronut
Given the choice, I’ll always pick a croissant over a pie, so Rinkoff’s mince pie cronuts is very much my idea of festive heaven! (Just don’t think about the calories content. It’s Christmas, it doesn’t count!).
4. Sainsbury’s Mince Pie Ice Cream
Mince pie ice cream. Now, THAT is a game changer. Serving it over oven-baked apples, in a mince Pie milkshake, as a mince pie sundae… the possibilities are endless (hellooooo creative yet lazy Chrismas dessert!)!
5. Bad Brownie’s mince pie brownie
I wasn’t entirely convinced about the mince meat / chocolate combination until I tried one of Bad Brownie boozy and Christmassy Mince Pie Brownie. Dangerously good (just like evrything else they bake).
6. Mince pie chocolate
Made fresh in south Wales with boozy mincemeat and shortbread enveloped in milk chocolate, this Mince pie chocolate bar is every Christmas addict chocolate lovers’ dream come true (and a great stocking filler)!
Why not give your cocktail a bit of the mince pie treatment this festive season? This recipe from Waitrose seems easy enough to make a few bottles at a time (and I can garantee you’ll win at homemade gift giving then!)
Which of those mince pie treats would you like to try?
I recently re-discovered a recipe I used to be kind of addicted to.
Back when I was in my last year of High School, I developped an addiction to baking as a way to release stress. So much so that in the last few weeks before my exams, I baked up to 3 cakes a day. My brother and sister were really happy with this situation, my dad, not so much.
These cookies (or one of their variations) were amongst the usual suspects back then (together with this little wonder) and there wasn’t a week I wouldn’t bake at least one batch.
And then, God knows why, I stopped.
? ‘Tis the season. ?
The fairy lights twinkling all over town, the red cups, the smell of cinnamon in the air…
Nothing makes London quite as pretty as Christmas sneaking its way into town!
But the proof is in the pudding pictures, so here we go!
Dans le cochon tout est bon.
Surely the masterminds behind House of Peroni & Bunga Bunga latest installation at L’Osservatorio are very familiar with this French proverb.
And they sure have proved it right with Il Porco: an Italian-style feast of all things porky.
Don’t be fooled by the grand, elegant surroundings.
Il Porco is truly a party where nobody will look at you weirdly for pigging out. Au contraire!
Bunga Bunga’s head chef Alexis design Naray has conceived an extraordinary three – course feast of pork delicacies to honour the noble and delizioso pig, served with Peroni Nastro Azzurro Alta.
More exciting yet, each dish is served with with an exclusive Peroni Nastro Azzurro cocktail.
Starting with the excellent Peroni Limoni.
Limoncello, peach liquor, lemon juice and Peroni, garnished with basil & cracked black pepper.
A wonder reminiscent of end-of-summer parties and one I fully intend to reproduce sooner rather than later!
Served alongside some Aperitivo classics such as pork scratchings, olives, salami & focaccia.
No matter how delicious all those are (especially the bread), make sure you save some stomach real estate, because you’re in for a real feast!
Nose-to-tail porky goodies everywhere you look!
Pig cheek arancini, slow-cooked shredded pork shoulder, garlic & rosemary pork medallions, pancetta-wrapped pork & apple sausages, slow-cooked sticky ribs, as well as the whole roasted porchetta.
Plus some pig fat roasted potatoes, aubergine parmigiana, celeriac remoulade & baby carrots for good measure.
Everything looks so good you won’t be able to wait to tuck in!
Piling it all up onto your plate will be a bit of a challenge, but one I was glad to take on!
The accompagnying Peroni Speziato (Peroni Nastro Azzurro with orange, fennel, black pepper & rosemary) was the perfect match for this feast!
Even though it’s quite a surprising cocktail, very unusual, savoury and aromatic, it worked really well with the pork (which I suppose is not that surprising since it was inspired by traditional Italian porchetta recipes)!
And when you think you can’t manage any more food or you might just explode, they bring out the brownies.
But not just any brownies. Bacon brownies.
Dense, caramelised and deeply chocolate-y. No matter how full you are, you have to try them.
Alongside came some cute little maple syrup ice cream cones.
On a gondola. #partygoals
With its subtle taste, it was the perfect sweet ending to a night of feasting…
And if you happen to drop yours onto your brownie… well, let’s say that’s the only time dropping your ice cream cone might lead to a very happy ending!
Il Porco will happen once a month, starting this December, at The House of Peroni L’Osservatorio, Bunga Bunga.
Surely the most Italian hog roast in London! Viva Italia!
It’s starting to look a lot like Christmas.
There are so many things to love this time of the year it’s hard for me to choose a favourite.
But Christmas cookies are definitely amongst my favourite traditions and I always bake a few of them in case anyone is still hungry after the festive feasts (nobody is but the cookies still get eaten…).
And this year, those rustic but rather wonderful Peanut Butter Cookies will definitely be part of my selection! Continue reading “Rustic Peanut Butter Cookies”
Cake and Whisky 