Try using whole pickling onions instead of 8oz chopped onions.

St. Edward's Yuletide Casserole

Star Mince Pies

During the month of December the kitchen is a hive of activity with the housewife baking for the festive season (sic). I hope that these recipes will help you fill your freezer.

Yuletide Slices

What better way to start off the millenium than with a bowl of this soup. (sic)

Auld Alliance Soup

This is one of my own recipes, concocted while I was staying in Scotland and using some of their beautiful beef.

Culloden Beef

A lovely pudding for the winter, although served cold with whipped cream is equally delightful.

Pear and Almond Tart

This recipe was given to me many years ago by an old Scottish lady. I use it all the time. Butter is a must.

The freezing of the uncooked shortbread firms up the butter and makes a much shorter cake. The whole process can be done in a food processor. Store in an air-tight tin. Best not frozen.


Highland Shortbread

Christmas creeps up so quickly, so I thought I'd add one or two recipes to help you out.

Can be frozen.

Editor's note: We found that this amount of pastry made around 24 pies, for which we needed approximately 600g of mincemeat. We did find ourselves a bit short on the topping though, so consider making 1.5 - 2x as much.


Viennese Mince Pies

A nice alternative to the traditional Christmas cake.

Omit fruit and nuts off top of cake and ice it if wished.


Pineapple Christmas Cake

A good Winter warmer soup. Make while vegetables are at their cheapest and freeze in suitable containers, ready to take out in the cold weather.

To freeze, after sieving the soup, season and put into suitable containers and freeze. Remove when required, defrost, add cream and reheat.


Winter Velvet Soup

I make this every year, it sells very well and is absolutely delicious. Use it as a jam or serve with ham or turkey.

Cranberry, Port & Apple Jam

Make this as a change from the usual mince pies. Best made with butter and stored in an air-tight tin.

Mincemeat Shortcake

Tea breads are good standbys for the freezer but will also keep well in a tin box for a couple of weeks. This one improves with keeping.

Serve thinly sliced with butter or rum butter.


Christmas Tea Bread

Casseroles are a good standby in the freezer. They can be brought out and used during the hectic build up to Christmas. The next recipe would be suitable for Christmas Eve dinner.

Can be frozen. Defrost fully before reheating at above temperature for 30 minutes.


Cranberry Beef Casserole

Will freeze in suitable containers. Defrost fully before reheating for 30 minutes at the above temperature.


Gingered Spiced Pork

Casseroles are a good standby in the freezer. They can be brought out and used during the hectic build up to Christmas. The next recipe would be suitable for Christmas Eve dinner. I don't know how this recipe was named but the end result is excellent.

Chicken Chi-Chi

This is a good dish to have if economising before or after the big event. It is very tasty and a convenient meal to eat whilst sitting watching television.

Gloucester Mince Pie

Henry VIII loved pies and he also loved surprises. Large pies were often cooked for him containing rooks and crows. As a surprise live birds were sometimes put under the crust and were released when the pie was cut open, hence the nursery rhyme:

"Sing a song of sixpence, a pocketful of rye,
Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie.
When the pie was opened the birds began to sing,
Wasn't that a dainty dish to set before the King."

The R.S.P.B. would frown on this custom today so here is a recipe which is acceptable in modern days!

Will freeze. Thaw completely before reheating.


Christmas Eve Beef and Wine Pie

A starter is not often necessary before the Christmas dinner but here is one which might fit the bill.

To freeze: put into suitable containers and freeze for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature, stir and serve as above.


St. Nicholas Cocktails

Freezes well in suitable containers for about six weeks.


Christmas Lemon and Almond Chicken Pâté

A starter is not often necessary before the Christmas dinner but here is one which might fit the bill. This is a deluxe version of a prawn cocktail. I am asked to make this every Christmas and sometimes long for a change.

This can be made the day before needed and then assembled prior to the meal.


Prawns in Alabama Sauce

Christmas pudding started life in Tudor times and was a thick broth made with mutton, breadcrumbs, dried fruit and spices. It was eaten as a first course. In later times the meat was left out, except the suet, and the mixture was made much thicker. It was then tied in a muslin cloth and cooked in the copper, which was used for washing teh clothers.

Christmas Mincemeat and Apple Pudding

Gelatine is simple to use if directions are followed correctly. I find this method fool-proof:

<ol>
	<li>Put three tablespoons of cold water in a small basin.</li>
	<li>Sprinkle on gelatine (1/2 oz or 1 packet) and give a gentle stir. Leave until it becomes spongey.</li>
	<li>Set basin over a small pan of boiling water and leave untli mixture dissolves and becomes clear again. Leave to cool before adding to dish.</li>
</ol>


Snowball Christmas Pudding

An alternate end to your christmas meal, perhaps not as traditional as a pudding but boozy and filling none the less.

This recipe is equally succesful using 1lb raspberries instead of the apricots, and raspberry jam instead of apricot. The brandy is made up to 5floz with orange juice.


Apricot Brandied Trifle

There are lots of recipes for cheesecakes and I have tried most. This simple one is a great favourite with my friends and especially the girls in my husband's office who sample it each Christmas.

Mandarin and Kiwi Cheesecake

These make a nice refreshing end to a nice Christmas dinner.

This may be made in advance and frozen in suitable containers.


Oranges in Cointreau

Christmas time is party time - this recipe would be suitable for the buffet table or as finger food at an informal gathering. This will freeze, which will be handy for the busy housewife (sic).

This slice will freeze for 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and reheat for 10 minutes at the above temperature.


Ham and Cheese Savoury Slices

These little savouries freeze well and are nice to serve with drinks. With thanks to Karen M for the photo.

To serve, warm slightly for about 5 minutes at the above temperature. Will freeze.


Salmon Pinwheels

These are much tastier than the ordinary roasted drumsticks. Have plenty of paper napkins around when serving as they are sticky to handle.

May be frozen if you wish, but I prefer to cook them the day before needed.


Devilled Chicken Drumsticks

This is a great favourite with the Inglewood Infants School staff. No wonder she can't lose weight! (sic)

Will freeze well in suitable containers for 3 months.


Party Flan

This chutney is delicious served with cold meats and poultry. Make it festive by covering the tops of the jars with festive paper cut into rounds with pinking shears. Why not make double quantity and give some away as presents? This recipe gives a yielf of about 3lb of chutney.

Fresh cranberries appear in the shops late November.


Christmas Chutney

Buffet tables aren't complete without a colourful selection of salads. They are a necessity if there are any vegetarians in the party. This recipe would grace any table.

Cranberry Coleslaw

This is a good salad to use up the fruit and nuts left over from Christmas.

Boxing Day Salad

Mince pies had their origin in Tudor times. They were rectangular in shape and had a pastry baby on top to represent the crib and Jesus. They were made with minced meat and spices. Later the meat was replaced with fruit and suet to remind us of the meat used. Today's mince pies, round in shape, are altogether a much tastier bite.

Will freeze.

Thank you to Holly E for the photo.


Macaroon-topped Mince Pies

Will freeze.

We found that this recipe made approximately 24 pies and we used around 600g of mincemeat.
