The Alternative Christmas Dinner

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C.
2. Remove other packaging and place the camembert back into their wooden boxes and place them on a baking tray. Score the top of each one with an x and poke a peeled clove of garlic into each one. Set aside.
3. Mix the oil and rosemary in a bowl.
4. Steam the sprouts, parsnips and carrots for a 5 minutes to soften and slightly cook through.
5. Using a knife, carefully sharpen one end of each rosemary stalk to a point.
6. Alternating, thread the part-cooked vegetables onto the rosemary skewers (it may be easier to pierce the vegetables with a metal skewer first), then brush liberally with the oil.
7. Place them on a baking tray and cook both the skewers and camembert for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is soft and the vegetables begin to turn crispy.
8. Serve each camembert with a sprig of rosemary. To eat, dip the vegetables into the melted cheese.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease a 6-cup mini bundt tray well with cooking oil spray (or grease a baking dish).
2. Heat the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat, then add the onions and cook until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.
3. Place the chestnuts and nuts into a food processor and blitz until fine and crumbly. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and add the onions, breadcrumbs, stock, soy sauce, herbs and salt and pepper and mix thoroughly.
4. Press the mixture into the mini bundt pans, ensuring that it gets into all the ridges. Bake for 35-45 minutes (depending on the size of your pans) or until golden on top and cooked through. Allow to cool in the pan completely. Place a large plate or chopping board over the bundt tray and carefully invert to turn out the loaves. Serve warmed up with the gravy poured on top.
5. Alternatively, to cook without mini bundt pans, spread the mixture into a large baking dish and cook for 35-45 minutes.

For the sage gravy

1. Heat the oil in a pan over a medium/low heat, then add the onion and cook for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and herbs and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
2. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring.
3. Pour in the stock, add the salt and pepper, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes until thickened and reduced.
4. Place a fine sieve over a bowl and pour the gravy through it, pressing down to extract as much gravy and flavours as possible.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease and line 3 x 20cm round cake tins.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, bicarb and salt. Set aside.
3. Beat the butter and both sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating each one in well. Add the golden syrup, treacle and vanilla and beat to combine.
4. Gently mix in ⅓ of the flour mixture, then ⅓ of the milk and continue alternating with the flour and milk until it’s all combined.
5. Divide the batter between the prepared tins and bake for 25-30 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tins for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

For the icing

1. Beat the butter until smooth. Add the honey and beat well. Add the powdered icing sugar and milk, then beat until smooth and mix in the salt.

To decorate

1. Divide the icing into two bowls. With one bowl of icing, spread a little between each layer of the cake and sandwich together. Spread the remaining icing in a thin layer onto the top and sides of the cake, creating a thin ‘crumb coat’. Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes to set the icing, then spread the remaining icing on the top and sides.
2. Decorate the cake as desired with gingerbread biscuits, greens and cranberries.