The night before Christmas
Treacle tart mince pies
Warming ginger adds a hint of spice.
MAKE AHEAD Make up to 3 days ahead and chill – serve cold or warm them in the oven.
Makes 12 • Prep 30 mins, plus chilling and cooling • Cook 25 mins
For the pastry:
100g unsalted butter, softened
50g caster sugar
1 medium free-range egg
200g plain flour
For the filling:
100g brioche, blitzed to fine breadcrumbs
200g golden syrup
Zest ½ lemon
1 medium egg, beaten
1 ball stem ginger, finely chopped,
plus 1½tbsp of the syrup from the jar
8tbsp good-quality mincemeat
Icing sugar, for dusting
You will need:
12-cup muffin tray, 10.5cm round cutter
1 For the pastry, cream the butter and caster sugar together until pale. Add the egg and, once combined, mix in the flour until smooth. Chill for 30 mins.
2 Roll the pastry between 2 sheets of baking paper to a 3mm thickness. Cut out discs; re-roll and repeat with the offcuts. Ease each round of pastry into the muffin tin and freeze for 20 mins.
3 Heat the oven to 180C Fan/Gas 6. Mix all the filling ingredients, except the mincemeat, in a bowl.
4 Once firm, trim the tart cases flat and fill each with 2tsp mincemeat then top with 2tbsp treacle mixture. Bake for 25 mins until set and the pastry is golden.
5 Cool in the tin for 20 mins, then transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely. Serve dusted with icing sugar, if liked.
Per mince pie: 266 cals, 9g fat, 5g sat fat, 41g carbs
Kick things off in style
Smoked salmon latkes
This impressive canapé is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Serve with a glass of fizz.
MAKE AHEAD Cook the potato up to 3 days ahead and reheat in the oven prior to serving.
Makes 36 (4-6 per person) • Prep 1 hr, plus cooling, and overnight setting • Cook 1 hr
For the potatoes:
750g Maris Piper potatoes, peeled
and sliced to 2mm with a mandoline
3tbsp chives, snipped
200ml crème fraiche or double cream
Oil for shallow-frying
For the assembly:
100ml crème fraiche
100g smoked salmon, cut into strips
1tbsp caviar (optional)
You will need:
1.2ltr (19x9cm) loaf tin, lined with baking paper
1 Heat the oven to 190C Fan/Gas 6½. Put the potato slices in a bowl with the chives, crème fraiche, 1tsp fine sea salt and a few grinds of pepper. Carefully toss together.
Build up layers of potato in the lined tin so each slice overlaps. Cover with baking paper and then foil. Bake for
