A Chocolate Christmas

I don't like Christmas pudding. There, I've said it! My confession for the day! So, every Christmas I make an alternative pudding for Christmas Day, and as I'm a chocoholic it just has to be a chocolate pudding! Pinterest is a wonderful source of recipes, and I think I've just about managed narrow the choice for this year's treat to three.....

 Joe's Molten Marshmallow Chocolate Cakes

 Chocolate Chip Cookie Mousse Bomb

Hot Chocolate

Anyone fancy coming round to help me decide?

Don't forget to visit this morning's Holiday Open House post to see what offers and discounts there are in our shops this weekend!

Jo Tinley
Daisychain Designs

Christmas In a Pickle

Although I do love a big roast Christmas dinner with all the trimmings, my favourite meal of the holiday season is actually the traditional english boxing day spread of cold cuts of meat, cheeses and pies with all the salads, pickles and relishes that accompany them. I love pickles and chutneys and for the last couple of years I've been making this recipe by British chef Hugh Fearnley-Whitingstall both to eat at home and to give as gifts and it always goes down well.

Fig and Cranberry Chutney 

Makes 2-4 jars

Ingredients

• 500g onions, chopped
• Scrap of oil
• 1kg diced apples, any will do but try to include some Bramleys
• 500ml cider vinegar
• 400g demerara sugar
• 200g dried figs, diced
• 125g dried cranberries
• Zest and juice of 1 orange
• Generous glass of port
• 5cm piece root ginger, roughly chopped
• 6 cloves
• 12 cardamom pods
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 100g walnuts, roughly chopped

Method

1. Start by sweating the onion in a scrap of oil then add the apple. Pour over the vinegar and sugar and and stir well until the sugar has melted.
   
2. Add the fruits to the pot then after that the orange zest and juice, followed by the port.
   
3. Next it's time to put together your spices. Tie the ginger, cloves, cardamom pods and coriander seeds in a clean square of muslin and secure with string. Immerse the pouch deep in the simmering chutney and let it bubble away for an hour or so, making sure to stir it regularly so it doesn't catch on the bottom.
   
4. Add the walnuts and cook for a final 30 minutes. If you can part your chutney and see a little bit of pan on the bottom you are done.
   
5. Decant the warm chutney into sterilised jars, seal with vinegar-proof lids and allow to cool.

Enjoy!

Don't forget to check out the AJE teams Black Friday sales - details and coupon codes here.

Lesley