Great Ideas for Easy, Stress-Free Christmas Cooking!

Over the few years I have been writing this blog I have posted all sorts of ideas on how to make catering for Christmas quicker, easier and tastier so I thought it might help if I collected all these links together in one place to help the cooks among us enjoy the festivities as much as everyone else. 

So, here are quick links to all my Christmas food ideas …

Christmas Dinner Side Dishes the Easy Way!

This post gives lots of ideas for side dishes that can be prepared in advance together with a useful timetable to get everything on the table at the same time.

How to Cook your Turkey the Day Before ~ Perfectly!

This post concerns both the turkey and the gravy.

Why Roasting your Veg for Christmas Dinner is Such a Good Idea!

Roasting vegetables ...

~ Makes them crisp and crunchy,
~ Caramelises their juice in a wonderful way,
~ Intensifies their flavour,
~ Can be seasoned with whatever you fancy – garlic or spice or whatever,
~ Brightens their colours for a fab looking meal,
~ Can be cooked alongside the meat so don’t need much last minute attention.

Scrumptious Christmas Recipes using Mincemeat

Mincemeat is not just for pies you know!

6 Easy No-Churn Christmas Ice Cream Recipes ~ for a refreshing change!

Among all the rich, heavy, wintery rib-sticking traditional Christmas desserts ice cream can be quite a refreshing relief!

For years (and years and years) I have used a gobsmackingly easy method to make lush, rich, creamy dairy ice cream without having to do all sorts of irritating things.

~ No fiddly custard making involved.
~ No ice cream machine needed.
~ No mashing of ice cream necessary whilst freezing.

The Easiest Way to Make Mulled Wine

The easiest way is to make Mulled Wine Syrup. My recipe makes 75ml which, as luck would have it is sufficient to mull one bottle of wine and 2 tbsp of syrup is enough to mull 1 standard glass of wine.

8 Hot Toddies and Warming Winter Cocktails

I’m afraid this link mentions the above mulled wine recipe too but there are seven more lovely hot winter drinks to investigate.

15 Delicious Ideas for Marzipan Trimmings

Not specifically Christmassy but useful if you’ve iced your own cake and have leftovers.

And finally ...

6 Easy No-Churn Christmas Ice Cream Recipes ~ for a refreshing change!

Add to Pinterest for easy reference!

Among all the rich, heavy, wintery rib-sticking traditional Christmas desserts ice cream can be quite a refreshing relief!

For years (and years and years) I have used a gobsmackingly easy method to make lush, rich, creamy dairy ice cream without having to do all sorts of irritating things.  

      ~   No fiddly custard making involved.

      ~   No ice cream machine needed.

      ~   No mashing of ice cream necessary whilst freezing.

I have been so pleased with this way of making ice cream that I wrote a book ...

Luscious Ice Creams without a Machine gives over 100 ice cream recipes plus ancillary recipes for sauces, syrups, inclusions etc. and some sexy presentation ideas. 

Once you have this method under your belt, understand the importance of sugar in the recipes (including in the form of alcohol, happily) and how to use it properly, plus how to marble, ripple and add inclusions then creating your own ices is easy peasy.

As an early Christmas prezzie for you here are 6 Christmassy ice cream recipes from the book.  In all cases quantities make about 6-8 portions.

Christmas Pudding Ice Cream

This is my absolutely favourite Christmas Pud ice cream recipe ever and is one of my most asked for recipes. 

225g cooked Christmas Pud

30g butter

30g dark brown sugar,

finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange

50ml brandy

500ml double cream

200g condensed milk

~   Crumble the Christmas pud with your fingers.
~   Lick fingers.
~   Wash fingers.
~   Melt together the butter and the sugar and then stir in the crumbled pud, the orange juice and zest and the brandy.
~   Bring slowly to a simmer, stirring a lot, and then cool completely.
~   Fold into the whipped cream together with condensed milk.
~   Freeze.

Buttered Rum & Ginger Ice Cream

50g butter

50g light brown sugar

2 tablespoons of syrup from the stem ginger jar

50ml golden or dark rum

5 pieces of stem ginger – finely chopped

500ml double cream

200g condensed milk

~   Put the butter, sugar, ginger syrup and rum in a small pan and heat together over low heat stirring till everything has melted together
~   Stir in the chopped ginger and simmer gently for 3 or 4 minutes.
~   Cool completely.
~   Whisk the cream till thick.
~   Fold in the condensed milk.
~   Fold in the ginger and its sauce.
~   Freeze.

Brandied Mincemeat Ice Cream

500ml double cream

200g condensed milk

350g mincemeat

50ml brandy

~   Stir the brandy and the mincemeat together vigorously till completely mixed.
~   Whip the cream till thick.
~   Fold in the condensed milk.
~   Fold in the mincemeat and brandy mixture.
~   Freeze.

This is pretty served in a pie crust!

Marzipan Ice Cream

200g white marzipan

500ml double cream

50ml Amaretto or brandy

200g condensed milk

~   Coarsely grate the marzipan and then heat gently with the cream till melted.  Cool to completely cold.
~   Whisk together the marzipanned cream and the liqueur to thick.
~   Fold in the condensed milk plus any inclusions.
~   Freeze.

Toasted almonds or, even better, crushed almond praline are good added to or sprinkled on this.

Brandied Cherry & White Chocolate Ice Cream

The dried cherries, having soaked up the alcohol, become juicy and squidgy and remain juicy and squidgy even in the midst of the sweet cold creaminess. 

500ml double cream

200g condensed milk

45g white chocolate

225g dried cherries

Brandy or Cherry Brandy to cover the cherries

~   At least 24 hours in advance of making this ice cream you must soak the cherries - put them into a small container and pour over enough brandy or cherry brandy to cover them.  I can’t give exact quantities but too much brandy is not a problem really, it will still be delicious after the cherries have been removed from it.
~   Melt the chocolate as instructed here.
~   Whisk the cream together with 50ml of liquor drained from the soaking cherries.
~   Fold in the melted chocolate, condensed milk and macerated cherries.
~   Freeze

PS. Remember to drink any leftover liqueur – it is Christmas!

Alcoholic by Necessity Trifle Ice Cream

Alcohol is necessary to soak the fruit in this so that it doesn't freeze solid in the ice cream.  

Sherry is traditional for trifle but you need a spirit for the fruit so may I suggest … brandy?  The sherry can be used in the cream. 

410g-ish tin of fruit in juice
50ml brandy or other suitable liqueur

200g trifle sponges or other plain cake - crumbled

50ml sweet sherry

500ml double cream

200g condensed milk

~   Drain the fruit and discard or drink the juice.
~   Toss together the fruit and brandy or other liqueur and set aside overnight to soak.
~   The next day mix in the sponge cake.
~   Whisk the sherry and cream till thick.
~   Fold in the condensed milk and then the fruit, sponge and alcohol mixture.
~   Freeze.

Both Rumtopf Ice Cream and Blue Cheese & Port Ripple (which I have taken the liberty of serving on top of a a baked pear) are  good for Christmas too but they need ancillary recipes which I don’t have space to go into here.  Consider them a teaser!

Some people, I must admit, have been put off by the idea of using condensed milk in ice cream – well more fool them! 

This is very much a proven method.  When I worked in the Caribbean the rich visitors to the island were very pernickety and naturally, in all that lovely hot sunshine, ice cream desserts were much in demand. Unable to get hold of either an ice cream machine or a good quality ready-made product I created my own ice creams, using this method, and they were popular as ****! (*see below).  

Talking of Books ...

I would (of course) just like to mention my Christmas book Easy Festive Food for a Stress-Free Christmas!

Catering for Christmas can be time consuming, tiring and a bit stressy, so I thought I’d offer some suggestions to make it quicker, easier, more relaxed and perhaps more impressive!

This book does not contain all the information and directions that you can find everywhere in books, magazines and on the net such as roasting times or mince pie recipes. This contains a collection of useful ideas and recipes that as a professional chef I have used over the years to delight guests and customers without knackering myself!

Included are  ...

The Turkey Dinner & Alternatives!

Making the Best Gravy Ever is Really Easy!

Vegetable and Side Dishes!

Christmas Desserts

Sautéed Grapes, for instance!

Coffee & Accompaniments e.g. Chocolate Clotted Cream Truffles!

What to do with Christmas Leftovers

I have also added every useful idea, hint and tip I can think of!

(* = heck)