Table of contents for Christmas 2021 in Easy Cook

This has been a year of false starts, thwarted hopes and a lot of hassle. We’ve all been living week-to-week, waiting on the latest government announcements about what we can and can’t do, so it’s no wonder we desperately need something to look forward to. Christmas is just that. We’ll be able to get together in a way that we couldn’t last year. To enable you to spend as much time with your loved ones, this festive issue of Easy Cook is designed to make cooking as stress-free as possible. I’ve got my eye on the simple but impressive roast turkey & gravy on p22, and the Baileys tiramisu trifle on p51. Have a flick through and choose your favourites, ready for the big day. Merry Christmas, everyone!…

Ham hock & mustard terrine This can be made two to three days ahead, so there’s less to do on the day. ■ Serves 8 ■ Prep 30 mins plus chilling ■ Cook 3½ hrs 2 small ham hocks, about 1kg each (see tip below) sunflower oil, for the tin 2 tbsp wholegrain mustard small handful of parsley, chopped 1 sheet gelatine caper berries and toasted bread, to serve FOR THE STOCK 500ml cider 2 carrots, chopped 2 celery sticks, chopped 1 large onion, chopped 2 bay leaves, fresh or dried 6 thyme sprigs 3 star anise 6 whole peppercorns 1 Put the ham hocks in a large pan with the stock ingredients. Cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook…

Cranberry sauce with gin & rosemary ■ Serves 8-10 ■ Prep 5 mins ■ Cook 20 mins VEGETARIAN 200g cranberries, fresh or frozen 100g golden caster sugar 1 large rosemary sprig 4 tbsp gin 1 Tip the cranberries, sugar and rosemary into a pan with about 100ml water. Cook over a low heat for about 15 mins, stirring occasionally, until all the cranberries have burst and the sauce has thickened to a syrupy consistency. Fresh cranberries thicken the sauce more readily than frozen, so it may take a little longer, but be careful not to let the sauce become a jam. 2 Scoop out the rosemary and stir through the gin. Cook for 1 min more, then leave to cool. Will keep, covered, in the fridge for up to three…

Sprout & spinach baked eggs ■ Serves 3-4 ■ Prep 15 mins ■ Cook 30 mins VEGETARIAN 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 green chilli, chopped (deseeded if you don’t want it very hot) 300g Brussels sprouts, roughly shredded 450g spinach ½ lemon, juiced 6 eggs ½ small pack coriander, chopped, yogurt, sriracha and thick slices of sourdough, to serve 1 Heat the oil in a high-sided frying pan, scatter in the cumin seeds and toast a little, then add the onion and fry until softened; about 5 mins. Add the garlic and chilli and fry for 1 min. Tip the sprouts into the pan and cook for 5 mins until softened, then add the spinach. Cook until the…

■ Makes 12 ■ Prep 20 mins plus cooling ■ Cook 20 mins VEGETARIAN 320g sheet ready-rolled puff pastry plain flour, for dusting 1 egg, beaten 150g vegetarian mincemeat 20g flaked almonds icing sugar, for dusting 1 Unroll the pastry on a lightly floured surface and cut into 12 squares. Take a square and fold in half diagonally to make a triangle then lay with the folded edge facing you. Cut a 5mm border along the other two edges, stopping just before the two cuts intersect. Unfold and brush the borders with a little beaten egg, then lift the far left corner of the pastry and fold it over to the right, then lift the far right corner of the pastry to the inner left corner. Press to secure, then…

CLEMENTINE MOCK MOJITO ■ Serves 1 ■ Prep 5 mins 1 clementine ½ tsp demerara sugar 1 lemon wedge, chopped ice small handful of mint, woody stalks removed a few drops of orange blossom water sparkling water, to top up Juice half the clementine and chop the other half into small pieces. Pour the juice into a glass and stir in the sugar. Tip in the chopped clementine and lemon, then crush using a muddler. Add a handful of ice, the mint and orange blossom. Top up slowly with sparkling water. PER SERVING 39 kcals, fat none, saturates none, carbs 8g, sugars 8g, fibre 1g, protein 1g, salt 0.02g MINTY CLEMENTINE CRUSH ■ Make as above with a measure of Grand Marnier in place of the orange blossom water. Serves…

Mango & prawn skewers ■ Mix the juice and zest of 3 limes, 1 tbsp grated ginger, 1 crushed garlic clove, 1 chopped and deseeded red chilli and 1 tbsp chopped coriander. Cut a large mango into 20 chunks. Thread each onto a small skewer with a large cooked prawn (20 prawns will be about 250g). Marinate the skewers in the lime dressing for 1 hr in the fridge before serving. Makes 20. PER CANAPE 23 kcals, fat none, saturates none, carbs 3g, sugars 2g, fibre none, protein 3g, salt 0.2g Little caviar jackets ■ Put 20 small new potatoes on a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and season. Roast for 25 mins at 200C/180C fan/gas 6, then cool to room temperature. Cut a small cross in the top…

Chocolate truffles These make an ideal gift for grown-ups, but you can omit the rum to make plain chocolate truffles for children. ■ Makes 16-20 ■ Prep 20 mins plus cooling ■ Cook 5 mins VEGETARIAN 200g dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids), chopped into small pieces 150g double cream 100g chocolate cake, broken into crumbs 1 tbsp dark rum (leave out if making for children) 3 tbsp chocolate sprinkles or chocolate vermicelli 1 Heat the chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of just simmering water, making sure the bowl does not touch the water. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. 2 Remove from the heat and mix in the cake crumbs and rum. Cool at room temperature until…

Creamy carrot soup with garlicky seeded croutons ■ Serves 4 ■ Prep 5 mins ■ Cook 25 mins VEGETARIAN 1½ tbsp oil 1 onion, sliced 1 celery stick, sliced 3 garlic cloves, 2 crushed and 1 left whole 1kg carrots, thinly sliced 1.5 litres hot vegetable stock ½ small bunch of thyme 2 thick slices sourdough 1 tbsp mixed seeds 1 tbsp chopped parsley 1½ tbsp double cream, plus extra to serve (optional) 1 Heat 1 tbsp oil in a flameproof casserole dish. Fry the onion and celery gently for 5 mins. Add the crushed garlic and cook for 1 min more. Tip in the carrots, stock and thyme. Season, then bring to the boil. Lower to a simmer and cook, covered, for 25 mins or until the carrots have…

Festive coffee tin, £12 Whittard This colourful tin will be a treat to unwrap, filled with gently spiced, citrussy ground coffee blended especially for the festive season. American Originals 3-in-1 treat maker, £29.99 argos.co.uk The ultimate gadget for a friend with a sweet tooth, this super-easy dessert maker can bake waffles, doughnuts and even mini cake pops all in one machine, for perfect bakes ready in minutes. Edo platter, £22 Oliver Bonas For serving up mince pies at Christmas, or using as a fruit platter all year round, gift this dainty pink platter for a pretty kitchen addition. Stellar kitchen scales, £25 horwood.co.uk Save space with these nifty fold-away kitchen scales: a must-have for anyone with a passion for baking. It’s battery free; simply wind up to get started in the kitchen. Gin-flavour selection tasting set, £19.95 masterofmalt.co.uk Rather…

KIDS’ PARTY FOR SIX Pizza fondue dip ★ Pull-apart meatball sliders ★ Chicken wing dippers ★ Vanilla milkshake bar Pizza fondue dip ■ Serves 6 ■ Prep 10 mins plus cooling ■ Cook 30 mins VEGETARIAN 180g soft cheese 10g grated parmesan (or vegetarian alternative) 100g grated mozzarella, or grated mozzarella and cheddar mix olive oil, for the dish and for drizzling 200g pizza sauce or passata 7-8 slices pepperoni (optional) garlic bread, crostini or breadsticks, to serve 1 Tip the soft cheese into a bowl and beat with a whisk to loosen. Whisk in parmesan and half the mozzarella, then season. Oil a 15-18cm round baking dish. Spread the soft cheese mixture over the base, then pour over the pizza sauce or passata and spread it out to fully…

Honey-baked sriracha drumsticks Drumsticks are a real go-to in our house; we think they’re the best bit of the chicken. These are coated in garlic, sriracha sauce and plenty of honey to make them sticky, and roasted until the skin is crispy. This is the perfect recipe not only for indoors but alsofor the barbecue in summer, especially when served with a delicious potato salad. The drumsticksare portable when cold, so are also ideal for a picnic lunch. ■ Serves 5 ■ Prep 15 mins ■ Cook 35 mins FOR THE DRUMSTICKS 10 drumsticks (700g), skin on 3 tbsp oil, plus extra for the tray 3 garlic cloves, minced 4 tbsp soy sauce 4 tbsp sriracha 3 tbsp runny honey ½ tsp ground star anise 2 tbsp cornflour chopped fresh…