NUTELLA MACARONS

Chocolate macarons:

• 110 grams almond meal (you can make your own using blanched slivered almonds)
• 200 grams minus 2 Tbs powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 100 grams egg whites (3-3 1/2 large eggs), aged in the fridge for 3-5 days (I only left them overnight; not sure how necessary this step is)
• 50 gm granulated sugar

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

If you’re using almonds: place in food processor and pulse until finely chopped.

If you’re using almond meal: run through a sifter. Place in food processor.

Add powdered sugar and cocoa powder to food processor and pulse a few times until everything is incorporated. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites for a few minutes until they are foamy. Place mixer on low and slowly add the granulated sugar to the foamy egg whites. Continue beating until egg whites have stiff peaks.

Add the dry ingredients to the egg whites and fold them in with a spatula. Fit a large round tip (I used one that is 1 1/2 inches)onto a piping bag and place a clip above it so batter won’t flow out while you fill the bag. Place the bag on a tall glass to hold it up and fill it with the batter. Twist the top shut and remove the clip. Pipe small circles (I made them 1/2-1 inch) onto the prepared baking sheets.

Let batter rest for around 45 minutes, until it feels dry (and not sticky) to the touch. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 300°F.

Bake for 12 minutes. Check to see if macarons are done by grabbing the top of one macaron and trying to shake it. They are done when the top barely slides against the skirt. If they are not done, extend baking time by two minutes intervals, checking after each extension. Remove from oven and let cool completely before adding filling.

Nutella mousse:

• ½ cup of heavy cream
• 2 oz bittersweet chocolate
• 3 Tbsp Nutella

In a small saucepan, heat heavy cream over low-medium heat. Meanwhile, place chocolate and Nutella in a medium heat-proof bowl. When heavy cream reaches a simmer, remove from heat and pour over chocolate and Nutella. Let sit for 20 seconds, then whisk until ganache is smooth.

Place ganache in the refrigerator for 30-45 minutes, until it has thickened but is still pourable. Beat ganache until it lightens in color and becomes more fluffy like a mousse.

Pair up macarons of the same size. Pipe or spoon a little Nutella mousse onto one cookie. Place the other cookie on top and press down gently.

Store macarons in the refrigerator. Let sit out for 30 minutes at room temperature before serving.

CHEDDAR AND SAUSAGE BALLS

Ingredients

1 lb. pork sausage

1 lb. extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated

¹⁄₄ cup all-purpose flour

1 tbsp. minced sage

1 ¹⁄₂ tsp. kosher salt

¹⁄₄ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

¹⁄₈ tsp. cayenne

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Instructions

Heat the oven to 375°. In a large bowl, mix sausage, cheese, flour, sage, salt, pepper, cayenne, and egg. Form the meat into 2-inch balls. Arrange the balls 2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets and bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Transfer balls to a platter and serve warm.

Christmas Turkey wellington !!

Ingredients

• 1.6 kg turkey breast , skin off, preferably higher welfare
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• olive oil
• 1 large bunch fresh thyme , leaves picked
• 1 x 340 g jar cranberry jam
• 25 g dried porcini mushrooms
• 6 rashers quality smoked streaky bacon , thinly sliced
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 600 g mixed mushrooms , chopped
• 1 turkey leg
• 1 carrot , roughly chopped
• 1 leek , trimmed and roughly chopped
• 1 onion , peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 heaped tablespoons plain flour , plus extra for dusting
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 knob unsalted butter
• 2 x 500 g packets all butter puff pastry , chilled
• 1 large free-range egg , beaten

Method

Dad and I had a really interesting conversation about smaller families not wanting whole 

turkeys for their dinner. So we had a scout around the supermarkets and 

developed a really delicious and impressive recipe for this. It’s dramatic and stretches 

the meat a fairly long way. The case of pastry and minced mushrooms keeps the breast

 moist and delicious and is a little forgiving so the meat holds its juices. You could assemble

 it a day before and just leave it in the fridge ready to over deliver on Christmas day.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Place the turkey breast upside-down 

on a board. Gently slice into the natural join of the breast muscle to open it out and make

 a sort of pocket. Season well and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle over half the thyme leaves

, then spread over an even layer of cranberry jam, pushing it into all the nooks and crannies

. Fold it back into shape to seal the mixture inside – swiss roll-stylie – and push a few cocktail 

sticks into the seam to keep it together. Transfer the turkey to a roasting tray, season 

the outside with the remaining thyme leaves, a good pinch of salt and pepper and a

 drizzle of olive oil. Rub it all over, cover in tin foil and roast in the hot oven for 60 to 70 minutes, 

or until just cooked through – using a thermometer, you want it to be 72°C at the thickest point. 

Meanwhile, soak the porcini in a dish of just-boiled water. After 5 minutes, stir with

 a fork so any bits of grit sink to the bottom. Add the bacon to a large frying pan with a 

splash of oil on a medium heat and fry for 5 to 10 minutes, or until beautifully golden and

 super crispy. Strip in the leaves from 2 rosemary sprigs for the last 30 seconds or so. Remove 

everything from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the bacon fat behind. 

Add the fresh mushrooms to the pan with a pinch of salt and pepper. Drain and chop the porcini, 

saving the water, then stir into the pan. Add a splash of the water, avoiding the grit, then cook for

 around 10 to 15 minutes, or until the pan starts to sizzle again and the mushrooms are golden, 

soft and sticky with caramelly edges. 

To make the gravy, cut the thigh off the turkey leg and slash into it slightly. Throw the leg and

 thigh into a pot along with the carrot, leek and onion. Stir in the flour, add a good pinch

 of salt and pepper and 2 litres of boiling water. Add a heaped tablespoon of cranberry jam, 

the balsamic vinegar and remaining rosemary sprig. Bring back to the boil, then reduce

 to a simmer for around 2 hours, or until thick. Strain it through a sieve and reheat before serving.

When the mushroom pan is dry, add a knob of butter and toss to coat. Tip the mushrooms

 into the food processor and whiz until you get a good mixture of smooth and chunky

. Leave to cool. Once the turkey breast and stuffing have cooled, you can get on 

with assembling the wellington.

Dust a clean surface with flour, then roll out each packet of puff pastry to the size of a shoe box

 (one will be the base, one the lid – roll the lid ever so slightly bigger). Line a large roasting

 tray with greaseproof paper, dust with flour, then add the smaller piece of pastry. Spread half 

of the mushroom stuffing onto the middle of the base to cover an area the same size 

as your turkey breast. Remove the cocktail sticks, then place the turkey breast on top and 

spread the remaining stuffing over the top packing it all in and smoothing it out so that the

whole breast is covered. Sprinkle with the crispy bacon and rosemary, then brush the edges

 of the pastry with beaten egg. Lay the second sheet of pastry over the top, gently mold it round

 the shape of the breast, pushing all the air out and seal together. Trim the edges to around 4cm,

 then pull, twist, tuck and pinch in the pastry (like in the picture). 

Brush the whole thing with beaten egg then all the hard work’s done. Leave it uncovered

 in the fridge overnight until you’re ready to cook. On Christmas day, cook at 180°/350°F/gas 4 

for 50 to 60 minutes, or until risen, puffy and beautifully golden and the turkey is piping hot

 throughout. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for around 10 minutes before carving. 

Serve carved into 2.5cm with the gravy and all the usual. Christmas in a mouthful.

Christmas rosemary turkey & Creamy lemon, pancetta

Ingredients

• 4½ -5kg oven-ready turkey
  
  

  
  

  
  
  

  
   , thawed if frozen, giblets removed
• 25g pack each rosemary
  
  

  
  

  
  
  

  
    and thyme
• 2 lemon
  
  

  
  

  
  
  

  
   , finely zested
• 80g pack sliced pancetta
  
  

  
  

  
  
  

  
   , chopped
• 150g pot mascarpone
• 2 onion
  
  

  
  

  
  
  

  
   , thickly sliced

For the gravy

• 1 tbsp flour
  
  

  
  

  
  
  

  
• 100ml white wine
• 600ml turkey or chicken stock

Method

1.  1  Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Wash the turkey and pat dry. Strip the leaves from half the rosemary and thyme stalks and finely chop. In a bowl, combine the lemon zest, chopped herbs, pancetta and mascarpone. Season well.
2.  2  Halve the zested lemons and stuff into the cavity, along with the remaining herb sprigs. Use your hand to loosen the skin lying over the breast of the turkey, to create a pocket. Push the mascarpone mixture under the breast skin to create a thick, even layer.
3.   3  Put the onion slices into a large, flameproof roasting tin, place the turkey on top and cover loosely with foil. Cook for 3-3¾ hrs, until the juices of the bird run clear. Baste every 30 mins and uncover for the last 30 mins if needed, to brown the bird. When cooked, take the turkey from the oven, remove from the tin and leave to rest on a platter, covered loosely with foil, for 30 mins.
4. 
   
   4  To make the gravy, pour away any excess fat from the roasting tin and discard the onion slices. Set the tin over a medium heat, then sprinkle over the flour. Stir through and cook for 2 mins. Slowly whisk in the wine and stock. Bring to a boil, scraping the bits from the bottom, then simmer over a low heat for 15 mins. Serve the gravy with the turkey. 

Easy CHRISTMAS Cookies !!

               

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 egg
• 1-1/2 teaspoons almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• FROSTING:
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 to 4 tablespoons 2% milk
• Food coloring of your choice, optional
• Colored sugar, edible glitter, nonpareils or frosting of your choice, optional

Method

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extracts. Combine flour and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Chill 1-2 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 375°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with floured 2-1/2-in. cookie cutters. Place on greased baking sheets. Bake 7-9 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.
3. For frosting, in a small bowl, combine butter, sugar, vanilla and enough milk to achieve a spreading consistency. If desired, tint with food coloring. Frost cookies; decorate as desired. Yield: 6-7 dozen.