Christmas Recipes
1 December 2007
As it’s now December it is time to start making and eating mince pies and other Christmas goodies. Below are our favourite recipes for mince pies, chocolate Yule log and chocolate truffles, which are so easy to make the children can do them too!
MINCE PIES
INGREDIENTS
1 1¼lb (560g) mincemeat
12oz (350g) plain flour
30z (75g) lard
30z (75g) butter
pinch of salt
For the top:
a little milk, icing sugar
Pre heat oven to gas mark 6, 400°F, 200°C
You will need one or two trays of 2½ inch (6cm) patty tins, one 3 inch (7.5cm) pastry cutter and one 2½ inch (6cm) pastry cutter.
Make pastry by sifting the flour and salt in to a mixing bowl.
Rub fats in until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
Add just enough cold water to mix into a dough.
Leave the pastry to rest in a polythene bag in the fridge for 20-30 minutes, then roll half of it out as thinly as possible.
Cut out 24 3inch (7.5cm) rounds.
Do the same with the other half of the pastry, but use the 2½ inch (6cm) cutter.
Grease the pastry tins lightly.
Line them with the larger rounds of pastry.
Fill with mincemeat to the level of the pastry.
Dampen the edges of the smaller rounds with water and press them lightly in to position, sealing the edges.
Brush each with milk and make three snips in the top with a pair of scissors.
Bake near the top of the oven for 20-30 minutes until light golden brown.
Cool on a wire tray and sprinkle with icing sugar.
When cool, store in an airtight container.
YULE LOG
INGREDIENTS
3 eggs
115g Castor sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
85g plain flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp hot water
300ml double cream
Chocolate icing 
55g plain chocolate
115g unsalted butter, softened
225g icing sugar, sifted, plus extra for sprinkling
1 tbsp milk
Pre- heat the oven to gas mark 6, 400°F, 200°C
You will need a Swiss roll tin, 3cm x 23cm, greased and lined with non-stick baking parchment.
Put the eggs and sugar into a large mixing bowl and whisk with an electric whisk ( or use a food processor) until the mixture is pale, fluffy and thick. This will take a few minutes.
Sift half the flour and cocoa powder over the mixture and fold in very gently using a metal spoon. Sift in the remaining flour and cocoa powder and fold in as before.
Fold in the hot water.
Pour the mixture into the Swiss roll tin, tilting it gently backwards and forwards to ensure the mixture spreads evenly.
Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes.
Turn the cake out on to a sheet of greaseproof paper sprinkled with caster sugar and set on a damp tea towel. Trim any crusty edges and roll up the cake into the greaseproof paper from a short end.
Leave to cool on a wire rack.
To make the chocolate icing -
Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water.
Beat the butter in a bowl until pale and fluffy, then stir in the icing sugar.
Add the chocolate and the milk and beat until light and smooth.
Whip the cream in another bowl to form stiff peaks.
Unroll the cake and remove the paper.
Spread the cream over the cake.
Roll up the cake neatly from a short side. Use the greaseproof paper to assist rolling the cake.
Place on a cake board and spread with icing.
Sprinkle with icing sugar.
WHITE CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES
175g white chocolate
25g unsalted butter
200ml single cream
50g icing sugar
Heat the cream until boiling then pour over the chocolate and butter.
Remove from the heat and stir until melted.
Whisk the mixture until thickened enough to leave a trail.
Mold the chocolate into ball shapes and leave to cool for 2 hours or overnight.
Store for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
You can replace the white chocolate with dark or milk chocolate and add 2 tablespoons of alcohol such as whisky or rum.
To finish you can dust with icing sugar or cocoa powder.
These are really simple to make and make lovely presents. Place them in a box and decorate with paper and ribbon.
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