Christmas Curry

A friend of mine is shunning turkey with all the trimmings and having curry for Christmas instead. As he puts it, "I actually like Christmas. I just think that turkey is overrated. Plus, if you go for a free-range, ethically sourced one you can be paying £60 up. Just for something that tastes a bit like chicken but drier and blander."

However, if you're still sticking with turkey (as we are in our household this year) then here's something you can do with the leftover bird the next day, as an alternative to living off turkey sandwiches for a week!

Christmas Roast Turkey Curry

500g Roast turkey 
1 tsp Ginger 
1 tsp Lemon juice 
1 tsp Chopped coriander Salt 
½ tsp Garam masala 
1/3 tsp Chili powder 
½ tsp Turmeric 
1 tsp Ground coriander 
4 tbsp Cooking oil 
1 Onion chopped 
4 Garlic cloves chopped 
¼ cup Tomato puree 
1 tsp Ground cumin

Put the oil in a hot saucepan and add the onion and garlic. Fry for 7 minutes. In a bowl, mix together: the tomato puree, cumin, coriander, turmeric, chili powder, garam masala and salt to form a thick paste. Tip the paste into the onion mixture and fry for half a minute. Stir in the turkey pieces and cook for 1 minute. Add 400ml of hot water from the kettle and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Mix in the ginger and the lemon juice.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

Did you know that it can actually get so cold that it doesn't snow? Because snow is frozen water, if there are not enough water droplets in the air it can't snow - simple as that. As a result, the driest place on Earth isn't in the Sahara Desert or the Arizona Desert. It's actually a place known as the Dry Valleys and it's in Antarctica. The area is completely free of ice and snow, and it never rains there at all! In fact, parts of the Antarctic continent haven't seen any rain for around 2 million years! But Antarctica is also the wettest place in world, due to the fact that 70% of the Earth's water is found there in the form of ice.

For more fascinating facts like these, check out Match Wits with the Kids - available now - as well as What is Myrrh Anyway? Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Christmas.

And if you're feeling the cold, why not sit down in front of the fire tonight and enjoy a Snowball? Of the slightly alcoholic variety...

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Snowball Cocktail
2 oz Advocaat 
Top up Lemonade 
1/2 oz Fresh Lime juice

Mix all ingredients in a cocktail shaker / stirrer and pour into an unusually shaped glass. Add Crushed Ice and decorations to create a great speciality drink from an easy to make recipe!

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And while you're sipping your Snowball, why not listen to this ode to the cocktail, celebrating the fact that you can enjoy all your favourite drinks in the same glass?

Festive Bread

Fancy waking up on Christmas morning and tucking into some festive bread, rather than your usual loaf? If so, then this recipe is for you.

Festive Bread

Ingredients
1 ¾ cups flour
2/3 cups brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs
1/3 cup butter
½ cup chopped nuts
1 jar (10 ounce size) maraschino cherries

1) Lightly grease a 9-inch loaf pan and pre-heat the oven to 350F (180C, Gas Mark 4).

2) Drain the cherries, reserving 4 tablespoons of juice, and roughly chop.

3) In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt and mix well.

4) In a separate bowl cream together the butter, sugar, eggs and the 4 tablespoons cherry juice. Mix well until fully combined. Add the butter and sugar mix to the flour mixture and mix well. Then gently fold in the chopped cherries and nuts.

5) Scoop the batter into the loaf pan, and spread evenly.

6) Bake bread for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour or until golden and baked through. Remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes.

Pizza for Christmas

Fed up with the traditional turkey for Christmas or just wondering what to do with the leftovers the next day? Then why not make yourself a Christmas pizza this year?

Christmas Turkey Pizza

For the Dough3/4 cup lukewarm water
1 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

For the Sauce250ml whipping cream
4 tbsp. butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 strips crispy bacon, chopped

For the Toppings
1 lb. roast turkey or chicken
3-4 golden fingerling potatoes
1 small red onion
4 tbsp. whole cranberry sauce
1 sprig fresh rosemary

Preparation
1. Prepare dough – Mix all ingredients and let it rise until dough doubled in size, about 1 hour. Dust a pizza stone with flour. Roll out the dough to fit stone. Let rise for 20 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
3. Prepare sauce - melt butter over medium low heat. Add garlic and saute lightly - don’t burn the garlic! Stir in the cream and bring to a simmer and reduce heat. Add bacon and simmer until desired consistency is reached.
4. Spread sauce thinly on dough then arrange the remaining toppings as desired.
5. Bake in the center of the oven until the dough is golden at the edges, about 35 minutes. Remove, let sit for 5 minutes, then cut and serve.

And here's a recipe for a sweet Christmas pizza

Sweet Christmas Pizza

Ingredients
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 pound white almond bark divided
2 cups mini marshmallows
1 cup rice cereal
1 cup peanuts
16 ounces red maraschino cherries, quartered
3 tablespoons green cherries
1/3 cup coconut
1 teaspoon oil

Melt chocolate with 14 ounce almond bark in large saucepan on low heat, stir until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in marshmallows, cereal and peanuts. Pour into greased 12 inch pizza pan. Top with cherries. Sprinkle with coconut. Melt remaining almond bark with oil over low heat. Stir until smooth. Drizzle over coconut. Chill. Store at room temperature.

And here's a Christmas pizza the Franklin family made earlier...

A White Christmas

With Christmas only a matter of weeks away now, you might want to start thinking about what you're going to feed all your guests this year. Well, why not make all their Christmases white with this simple recipe for a delicious festive treat from down under?

White Christmas

250g vegetable shortening
1 cup rice crispies
1 cup shredded coconut
¾ cup icing sugar
1 cup powdered milk
¾ cup toasted almond kernels
30g mixed peel
30g preserved ginger
30g glace apricots
30g glace pineapple
30g sultanas
50g glace cherries

Place the coconut, icing sugar, powered milk, mixed fruit, nuts, cherries (all chopped coarsely), and the rice crispies into a bowl and mix well.

Warm the vegetable shortening gently until melted and then pour over the ingredients. Mix well and place in a airtight container and set in the fridge.

Serve sliced into fingers.

Enjoy!


You'll find more recipes like this in What is Myrrh Anyway? and Christmas Miscellany - both available now!

Christmas Cupcakes

The Chrismologist's Advent Calendar - Day 22

Fancy something other than the traditional Christmas cake this year? Well how about these delicious chocolate cupcakes (as made by The Chrismologist's Wife and The Chrismologist's Daughter)?

You will need...

100g plain flour

20g cocoa powder

140g caster sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

a  pinch of salt

40g unsalted butter (at room temperature)

120ml whole milk

1 egg

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

a 12-hole cupcake tray lined with paper cases

You then need to...

1. Preheat the oven to 170^oC (325^oF) Gas 3
2. Put the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter in a free standing electric mixer with paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) and beat on a slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined.
3. Whisk the milk, egg and vanilla extract together in a jug, then slowly pour about half into the flour mixture, beat to combine and turn the mixer up to high speed (scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula). Continue mixing for a couple more minutes until the mixture is smooth, but do not over mix.
4. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until two-thirds full and bake in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the sponge bounces back when touched. A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean. Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
5. When the cupcakes are cooled, decorate with chocolate icing, edible stars or edible gold spray (as shown above).
6. Eat and enjoy!

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For more Christmas recipes why not pick up a copy of What is Myrrh Anyway? Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Christmas, published in the US as Christmas Miscellany?

Have yourself a Fruity Christmas!

The Chrismologist's Advent Calendar - Day 8

What you need to make your own Christmas fruit tree is:

• An apple with a carrot on top
• A whole mess of toothpicks
• Various pieces of fruit
• And blueberries for tinsel

Enjoy!

P is for Pizza

About a month ago, I met up with fellow author Steven Savile during one of his occasional visits to the UK. We met at Pizza Express and this is what Steve ordered...

That's right, it's a Christmas Pizza!

"Christmas Pizza?" I hear you cry. Well the idea isn't as crazy as it might sound. Nor is it as unlikely as you might expect.

If you're fed up with the traditional turkey for Christmas or just wondering what to do with the leftovers the next day? Then why not make yourself a Christmas pizza this year?

Christmas Turkey Pizza

For the Dough
3/4 cup lukewarm water
1 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

For the Sauce
250ml whipping cream
4 tbsp. butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 strips crispy bacon, chopped

For the Toppings
1 lb. roast turkey or chicken
3-4 golden fingerling potatoes
1 small red onion
4 tbsp. whole cranberry sauce
1 sprig fresh rosemary

Preparation
1. Prepare dough – Mix all ingredients and let it rise until dough doubled in size, about 1 hour. Dust a pizza stone with flour. Roll out the dough to fit stone. Let rise for 20 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

3. Prepare sauce - melt butter over medium low heat. Add garlic and saute lightly - don’t burn the garlic! Stir in the cream and bring to a simmer and reduce heat. Add bacon and simmer until desired consistency is reached.

4. Spread sauce thinly on dough then arrange the remaining toppings as desired.

5. Bake in the center of the oven until the dough is golden at the edges, about 35 minutes. Remove, let sit for 5 minutes, then cut and serve.

And here's a recipe for a sweet Christmas pizza

Sweet Christmas Pizza

Ingredients
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 pound white almond bark divided
2 cups mini marshmallows
1 cup rice cereal
1 cup peanuts
16 ounces red maraschino cherries, quartered
3 tablespoons green cherries
1/3 cup coconut
1 teaspoon oil

Melt chocolate with 14 ounce almond bark in large saucepan on low heat, stir until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in marshmallows, cereal and peanuts. Pour into greased 12 inch pizza pan. Top with cherries. Sprinkle with coconut. Melt remaining almond bark with oil over low heat. Stir until smooth. Drizzle over coconut. Chill. Store at room temperature.

And here's a Christmas pizza the Franklin family made earlier...

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You will find many other such tasty morsels of information - including recipes - in my book What is Myrrh Anyway?- and its American counterpart Christmas Miscellany: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Christmas.

F is for Figgy Pudding

Let’s get one thing clear right from the start; figgy pudding is not Christmas pudding. That’s plum pudding. The constituent ingredient of figgy pudding is figs, whereas plum pudding – the traditional Christmas pudding – should be made with plums. Easy, isn’t it? So, in that case, why is everyone so familiar with figgy pudding when it’s hardly eaten anymore?

Well, it’s all down to the carol ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas’ in which the name of the pudding is mentioned:

Oh, bring us a figgy pudding;

Oh, bring us a figgy pudding;

Oh, bring us a figgy pudding and a cup of good cheer.

We won't go until we get some;

We won't go until we get some;

We won't go until we get some, so bring some out here.

Many people would be surprised by the appearance of figgy pudding, which looks more like a white Christmas pudding.

What is Myrrh Anyway? - and its American counterpart Christmas Miscellany: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Christmas - contains a recipe for figgy pudding, as well as recipes for two different plum puddings.

The Chrismologist's Advent Calendar - Day 23

If you're anything like me, I'm sure you're up to your neck in preparations for Christmas. But amidst all the fuss and panic, why not take some time out tomorrow to enjoy a traditional Christmas Eve drink.

Posset was drunk on Christmas Eve to get the seasonal merry-making under way. It was made by combining hot milk with spices, lemon and sugar, as well as oatcake and bread. The posset was traditionally taken with a spoon. Good luck befell the fortunate youth or maiden who drew out the lucky coin (or even wedding-ring!) which had been dropped in the posset-pot!

During the 19th century, on Christmas Eve, it was the custom to offer each carolling guest a posset cup and a piece of apple pie or tart. This recipe serves 8-10.

Posset

4 cups of milk
4 tbs sugar

4 slices of toast

1 tsp cinnamon

4 cups of beer (preferably ale)

Heat the milk, sugar, and toast in a saucepan, taking care not to let it boil. Stir the cinnamon and beer together in a large bowl. Discard the toast, pour the hot milk over the ale and stir. It is best served still warm.

Puccini and the Panettone

Today (December 22) is Puccini's birthday. Born in 1858, the Italian composer is best known for his operas, including La bohème, Tosca, Madame Butterfly and Turandot.

Puccini was known for the love-hate relationship he had with the conductor Toscanini and therein lies an interesting Christmas story.

Each year Puccini sent his friends a Panettone at Christmas. One year, having fallen out with Toscanini he forgot to cancel the conductor's gift.

Realizing the error, Puccini sent Toscanini a telegram that read: PANETTONE SENT BY MISTAKE, PUCCINI.

Toscanini responded with a telegram of his own: PANETTONE EATEN BY MISTAKE, TOSCANINI.

If you fancy making your own Panettone this Christmas (and there's still time - just) why not try this recipe?

Panettone

(a.k.a. Italian Christmas Cake)

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon dried yeast

4 tablespoons milk (or buttermilk)

100g (4oz) butter

50g (2oz) caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

3 (free range if possible) eggs, beaten

finely grated rind of ½ a lemon

finely grated rind of ½ an orange

400g (14oz) plain (all purpose) flour or white bread flour, sifted

1 teaspoon salt

100g (4oz) raisins or sultanas

75g (3oz) chopped mixed peel

1) Preheat the oven to 400F, 200C, Gas Mark 6. Butter a 20cm (8 in) cake tin and line with lightly buttered greaseproof paper.

2) Pour the milk (or buttermilk) into a bowl, then sprinkle on the sugar and yeast. Leave for around 10 minutes – it should start to go frothy.

3) Combine the butter and caster sugar in a bowl and beat them together until they are very fluffy. Then beat in the eggs gradually, followed by the lemon and orange rind (and the vanilla extract if you’re using it).

4) Place the flour and salt in a large bowl. Now gently fold in the milky/yeast fluid, followed by the creamed butter/sugar mixture. Mix them all together until you have a soft dough.

5) Put the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes until it’s smooth.

6) Place the dough into an oiled plastic bag (or cover with a tea-towel and leave in a warm place). Leave it for about an hour until it has doubled in size.

7) Sprinkle the raisins/sultanas and mixed peel over the dough. Knead until they are completely mixed in. Place the mixture in the cake tin and leave it in a warm place, until it has doubled in size again. It will take about 45 minutes.

8) When it has risen, bake it in the oven for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350F, 180C, Gas Mark 4 and bake it for another 30 minutes. When it’s done it should be golden brown and firm to the touch. Cool the Panettone, and dust it with icing sugar.

Advent Cocktail... Holidays are coming

Here's something a little different from the usual Christmas tipple of Eggnog and Mulled Wine. It's an Advent Cocktail called the Watermelon Ling, and here's what you need and how you make it...

Watermelon Ling

2 shots Seagrams gin

1 tsp grated ginger

4-5 watermelon chunks

3/4 shot lemon/lime juice

½ shot ginger infused sugar

Topped with ginger beer

London dry gin muddled with fresh root ginger, watermelon, lime juice and jasmine infused sugar. Shake and strain over ice. Charge with ginger beer. Serve tall garnished with watermelon, white petals and ginger-orange gin based caviar*.

* You might want to miss this bit out. For some inexplicable reason, my local Tesco is out of 'gin based caviar' right now. Must be all the Watermelon Lings everyone's making right now.

The Chrismologist's Advent Calendar - Day 15

Fed up with the same old Yuletide gifts and festivities? Then why not take a trip to yesteryear and make yours a Victorian Christmas? After all, it could be argued that our modern Christmas owes more to the Victorian era than any other period in history.


Just follow this link to the BBC's Victorian Farm page for a whole host of authentic Christmas recipes and activities dating from Queen Victoria's reign. There's everything from toy theatres and keepsake boxes to paper flowers and Wassail punch, with something new being revealed everyday.

For example, here's a recipe for making mince pies with real meat.

A River Cottage Christmas

River Cottage welcomes the festive season with a Christmas Fayre tonight (9.00pm on Channel 4) as Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall et al offer up their secrets on how to enjoy the perfect Christmas holiday.

Santa Claus and the Snow Queen will be there, but, as ever, it is the food that will very much be the star of the show. In an evening of traditional festive British foods, look out for deliciously different ways to stuff a roast goose; a trio of recipes for that wonderful winter root celeriac; Hugh's take on a sweet chutney; luxuriously rich Christmas bread; and tips for how to fill the perfect hamper with hand made edible goodies.

You'll find plenty of other Christmas recipes in What is Myrrh Anyway? Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Christmas, published by Icon Books, and Christmas Miscellany, available now from Skyhorse Publishing.

The Chrismologist's Advent Calendar - Day 13

If you think the idea of warm mince pies and mulled wine on a cold December day sounds like a good one, follow this link to a piece I posted last year that includes a recipe for the utterly delicious Bishop's wine.

You will find many more Christmas recipes in What is Myrrh Anyway? Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Christmas, published by Icon Books, and Christmas Miscellany, published by Skyhorse Publishing.

The Chrismologist's Advent Calendar - Day 7

Fed up with the traditional turkey for Christmas or just wondering what to do with the leftovers the next day? Then why not make yourself a Christmas pizza this year?

Christmas Turkey Pizza

For the Dough
3/4 cup lukewarm water
1 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

For the Sauce
250ml whipping cream
4 tbsp. butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 strips crispy bacon, chopped

For the Toppings
1 lb. roast turkey or chicken
3-4 golden fingerling potatoes
1 small red onion
4 tbsp. whole cranberry sauce
1 sprig fresh rosemary

Preparation
1. Prepare dough – Mix all ingredients and let it rise until dough doubled in size, about 1 hour. Dust a pizza stone with flour. Roll out the dough to fit stone. Let rise for 20 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

3. Prepare sauce - melt butter over medium low heat. Add garlic and saute lightly - don’t burn the garlic! Stir in the cream and bring to a simmer and reduce heat. Add bacon and simmer until desired consistency is reached.

4. Spread sauce thinly on dough then arrange the remaining toppings as desired.

5. Bake in the center of the oven until the dough is golden at the edges, about 35 minutes. Remove, let sit for 5 minutes, then cut and serve.

And here's a recipe for a sweet Christmas pizza

Sweet Christmas Pizza

Ingredients
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 pound white almond bark divided
2 cups mini marshmallows
1 cup rice cereal
1 cup peanuts
16 ounces red maraschino cherries, quartered
3 tablespoons green cherries
1/3 cup coconut
1 teaspoon oil

Melt chocolate with 14 ounce almond bark in large saucepan on low heat, stir until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in marshmallows, cereal and peanuts. Pour into greased 12 inch pizza pan. Top with cherries. Sprinkle with coconut. Melt remaining almond bark with oil over low heat. Stir until smooth. Drizzle over coconut. Chill. Store at room temperature.

And here's a Christmas pizza the Franklin family made earlier...

The Chrismologist's Advent Calendar - Day 4

With Christmas only a matter of weeks away now, you might want to start thinking about what you're going to feed all your guests this year. Well, why not make all their Christmases white with this simple recipe for a delicious festive treat from down under?

White Christmas

250g vegetable shortening
1 cup rice crispies
1 cup shredded coconut
¾ cup icing sugar
1 cup powdered milk
¾ cup toasted almond kernels
30g mixed peel
30g preserved ginger
30g glace apricots
30g glace pineapple
30g sultanas
50g glace cherries

Place the coconut, icing sugar, powered milk, mixed fruit, nuts, cherries (all chopped coarsely), and the rice crispies into a bowl and mix well.

Warm the vegetable shortening gently until melted and then pour over the ingredients. Mix well and place in a airtight container and set in the fridge.

Serve sliced into fingers.

Enjoy!

You'll find more recipes like this in What is Myrrh Anyway? and Christmas Miscellany - both available now!