Holidays Special

Orange Scented Bomboloni with Pastry Cream and Chocolate Orange Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

Orange Pastry Cream

• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• Pinch fine sea salt
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks

Bomboloni

• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/2 cup lukewarm water, plus more if needed
• 1 1/2 tablespoons clover honey
• 1 1/2 envelopes active dry yeast (3 1/4 teaspoons)
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1/3 cup pure cane granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 6 large egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• Canola oil, for greasing

Chocolate-Orange Dipping Sauce

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons orange liqueur
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups canola oil, for frying and greasing
• Pure cane granulated sugar, for rolling
• All-purpose flour, for dusting
• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

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• Directions

For the pastry cream: Bring the milk to a simmer in a small saucepan over low heat. Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, salt and eggs in a small bowl until pale. Slowly whisk in the hot milk, and then return the mixture to the pan and whisk constantly over medium heat until thickened, about 2 minutes. Add the liqueur and cook for 30 seconds longer. Remove from the heat, stir in the butter, vanilla and orange zest. Cover with plastic wrap and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours. Just before using, fold in the whipped cream until combined. Keep cold.

For the bomboloni: Combine 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the flour, the water, honey and yeast in the bowl of an electric stand mixer and mix. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until foamy, about 1 hour.

Return the bowl to the mixer, fitted with a dough hook. Add the remaining flour, along with the milk, granulated sugar, salt and egg yolks. Mix at low speed until blended, and then add the butter. Knead at medium speed until silky but sticky, about 5 minutes. Keep in mind that the dough will not pull away from the sides of the bowl. Scrape the dough into an oiled bowl using an oiled spatula and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight. The dough will not rise.

For the dipping sauce: Bring the heavy cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. Put the chocolate in a medium bowl. Add the hot cream and let sit for 1 minute. Gently whisk until smooth; stir in the orange liqueur and vanilla extract. Keep warm.

For frying: Heat the canola oil in a large saucepan to 360 degrees F. Line a wire rack with paper towels. Fill a shallow bowl with 1/2 inch granulated sugar. Roll out the dough on a lightly-floured surface to a scant 1/2-inch thick. Stamp out 32 rounds using a 1/2-inch-round biscuit cutter; do not re-roll the dough. Fry the rounds, 8 at a time, until they are browned, about 4 minutes. Be sure to keep the oil between 360 degrees F and 375 degrees F. Transfer the bomboloni to paper towels to drain the excess oil, then roll them in the granulated sugar. Continue frying and rolling the remaining bomboloni.

Fit a pastry bag with a 1/4-inch plain tip and fill with the pastry cream. Gently push the tip three-fourths of the way into the bomboloni and squeeze in the cream, pulling the tip out slightly as you squeeze to fill them as much as possible. Serve warm. Dip into the chocolate-orange sauce and dust with confectioners' sugar.

Christmas popcorn

Ingredients

• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 50g/1¾oz popcorn
• 2 tbsp cocoa
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 3 oranges, zest only
• 3 tbsp runny honey

Method

1. Heat the oil for 20-30 seconds over a medium heat in a large lidded saucepan. Add the popcorn, cover with a lid and cook for a few minutes, until it has all popped, giving it a shake halfway through.
2. Tip the popcorn into a bowl. While it is still hot, sieve over the cocoa and ginger, then sprinkle over the orange zest and drizzle on the honey. Mix well and serve.

Christmas pavlova

Ingredients

For the pavlova

• 6 large free-range egg whites
• 350g/12oz caster sugar
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp cornflour

For the filling

• 600ml/20fl oz double cream
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 50g/1¾oz icing sugar, sifted
• 200g/7oz strawberries, hulled and quartered
• 300g/10½oz raspberries
• 200g/7oz blueberries
• 50g/1¾oz pomegranate seeds
• a few mint leaves, to decorate (optional)
• icing sugar, for dusting

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160C/140C Fan/Gas 3. Line a large baking tray with baking parchment and draw a 30cm/12in circle in the middle of the paper. Draw a 15cm/6in circle in the centre of the larger circle to make a ring.
2. Put the egg whites in a clean mixing bowl and whisk with an electric whisk until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed. Gradually add the sugar a little at a time, whisking on maximum speed until they are stiff and glossy. Mix the vinegar and cornflour in a cup until smooth, then stir into the egg whites.
3. Spoon the meringue onto the ring drawn on the baking parchment. Using a large spoon make a shallow trench in the meringue for the cream and fruit to sit in.
4. Transfer to the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 140C/120C Fan/Gas 1. Bake for 1 hour–1 hour 15 minutes, until the outside is hard but still white. Turn the oven off and leave the pavlova inside for an hour or overnight to cool and dry.
5. To assemble, whip the cream, vanilla paste and icing sugar until stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed. Spoon the cream into the trench in the meringue. Arrange the strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and pomegranate on top and decorate with a few mint leaves, if using. To serve, dust with icing sugar and cut into wedges.

Jacket potato with whipped feta & sumac

Ingredients

• 1 baking potato
• 2 tsp olive oil
  
  

  
  

  
  
  

  
• ½ tsp garlic salt
• 50g feta
  
  

  
  

  
  
  

  
• 50g Greek yogurt
• 1 roasted red peppers from a jar (about 25g), finely chopped
• ½ tsp sumac
  
  

  
  

  
  
  

  
• few basil leaves, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/ gas 6. Prick the potato all over with a fork and bake for 1 hr until it is golden outside and soft inside. Mix 1 tsp olive oil with the garlic salt. Cut a deep cross into the top of the jacket, drizzle the garlic oil into the cross and rub it all over the outside. Return to the oven and bake for 15 mins more until the edges are golden and crispy.
2. Meanwhile, crumble the feta into a bowl, add the yogurt and whisk together until creamy. Stir in the red pepper with a good grind of black pepper and spoon the whipped feta into the jacket. Sprinkle with the sumac, drizzle over the remaining 1 tsp olive oil and scatter a few torn basil leaves on top, if you like.

Sticky cranberry sausages

THINGS YOU NEED 

• 2 red onions, sliced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 400g/14oz uncooked cocktail sausages
• 1 heaped tbsp cranberry jelly
• 200g/7oz fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1 clementine, zest only

METHOD 

1. Fry the sliced red onions in a pan with the oil for five minutes or so until softened. Add the sausages to the pan.
2. As the sausages start to brown, add the jelly and cranberries
3. Cook on a low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until caramelised and sticky.

Christmas pudding

Ingredients

• 350g/12oz mixed dried fruit (raisins, currants, sultanas)
• 100g/3½oz pitted ready-to-eat prunes, chopped or left whole
• 100g/3½oz dark muscovado sugar
• 4 tbsp dark rum
• 100ml/3½fl oz stout
• 100g/3½oz chopped walnuts
• 100g/3½oz blanched almonds
• 100g/3½oz ground almonds
• 100g/3½oz fresh white breadcrumbs
• 50g/1¾oz plain flour
• 100g/3½oz frozen butter, grated, plus a little extra for greasing
• ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• 100g/3½oz chopped glacé cherries (or left whole if you prefer)
• 3 large free-range eggs, beaten

Method

1. Combine the mixed fruit, prunes, muscovado sugar, rum and stout in a mixing bowl. Stir well to mix, cover and leave for 24 hours to soak.
2. After 24 hours, mix the walnuts, almonds, ground almonds, breadcrumbs, flour, butter, spices, cherries and eggs along with the soaked fruit mixture in a large mixing bowl, making sure you include all the soaking liquor from the soaked fruit. Mix well until completely combined (let all the members of the family have a stir and make a wish).
3. Cover with cling film and leave to stand in a cool place for 24 hours.
4. After 24 hours, grease a 1.2 litre/2 pint pudding basin with butter. Cut a circle of baking paper and place into the bottom of the pudding basin and then grease it with a little more butter. Pack the pudding mixture into the pudding basin, pressing as you add it. Fold a pleat into the middle of a large piece of baking paper and place over the pudding. Cover with a large piece of pleated foil, ensuring the pleats are on top of one another. Secure tightly with kitchen string tied under the lip of the pudding basin.
5. Place an upturned saucer into a large saucepan one-quarter full of water. Fold a long piece of foil into quarters lengthways to create a long strip and place the pudding basin in the middle of the strip. Bring the sides of the strip up the sides of the pudding basin and lower into the saucepan. Ensure the water in the saucepan comes one-third of the way up the side of the pudding basin, but nowhere near the top of the basin. Leave the ends of the foil strip hanging over the side to make it easy to remove the pudding later.
6. Bring the water to the boil and then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Simmer gently for 5-6 hours, topping up the water level as necessary throughout cooking (do not allow the pan to dry out).
7. Once the pudding is cooked, remove from the pan and set aside to cool. The pudding can be stored for up to two years in a cool, dry place. To serve, reheat the pudding by steaming again (in the same way) for two hours, or until hot all the way through. Alternatively, remove the foil and reheat in the microwave.