Twelve Bakes of Christmas

My thoughts on the idea of tradition in food at Christmas, as well as my ideas for 12 Christmas Bakes!

I have never been part of a family who has used christmas to spend lots of money. Last year i made lots of homemade chutneys and jams, whilst my sister made homemade biscuits and it went down very well with friends and family. Christmas has always been pretty simplistic and traditional in my house, most importantly we can always guarantee that we will all be in the house, at the same time for one whole day. One thing that does not remain traditional in my house, is the food. I would argue that this is the case for many family homes in the UK.

Me and my little sister on Christmas day!

With the enormity of Italian cookbooks that have been published in the last three years, it appears that people's tastes are veering towards foods such as pannatone for christmas. Food that differs from your conventional british sunday roast and christmas pudding is instantly elevated to something that appears to be more special. When Marks and Spencers advertise their christmas produce there will always be a twist on a traditional classic. Lets be honest most of us will be seduced by the idea of orange and cranberry stuffing over the traditional.                                    

  The first time i felt christmassy last year was when i went to a local pub, after a walk in the freezing cold, and had mulled cider and a slice of stollen. It was nice to see a traditional norfolk pub serving this traditional chrismas german bread. It is amazing how the spices and fruit from the Stollen and the mulled cider, evoked more feelings of christmas than a roast turkey ever could. I didn't even know what Stollen was when i ordered it but it seemed instantly more appealing because it was different to the usual foods available at christmas.

Whilst flicking through my mum's recipe books for inspiration for some christmas bakes i stumbled upon a recipe for sticky ginger pudding cake. This recipe has been a staple in my house for years and is

Sticky Ginger Cake c/o 'Puddings and Desserts' by
Elizabeth Pomeroy

a particular christmas favourite. I almost didn't recognise it in its original 70s form, covered in whipped cream and glace cherries. Delving further into the cook book i found some really lovely ideas that would be perfect for christmas. I think the trap that we commonly fall into is sticking to what we know but we often forget that there are so many twists and new ideas that make christmas dinners instantly more exciting. There is always an archive for forgotten and amazing recipes hidden in old fashioned recipe books, it is always good to know the basics before jumping in trying to create something completely different.

This christmas i will be endeavouring to stay away from recipes that promise something completely new but draw upon the classics within Europe and add a few twists. The older recipes are the best, but it is just a case of adapting them or changing them to suit your tastes. For those of you who are not overwhelmed by traditional british puddings, i will re-introduce you to them in a way that give you more ideas for your christmas day. So keep your eyes peeled for my 12 bakes of christmas over the next 4 weeks!

* My 12 Bakes of Christmas *

Northern Italian Chocolate and Nut Cake

Sticky Ginger Cake with Salted Caramel Ice Cream

Pumpkin Christmas Bread with Spiced Fig Jam

Christmas Sundae with Mulled wine sorbet and brown sugar meringues

Stollen with Mulled Cider

Binham Blue and Walnut Filo Wreath 

'Better than Meat' Veggie Sausage rolls 

Stained Glass Window Biscuits

Chilli and Ginger Jam with Fig Biscotti 

Cinnamon and Hazelnut Monkey Bread 

Plum and Cranberry Fruit Pie

Cherry Brandy Chocolate Brownies 

My Cranberry and Orange Crumble Cake made for Christmas last year!