If you make one thing…

A heavenly mash-up of two time-honoured pudding favourites – Eton mess and tiramisu. It’s speedy enough for a midweek treat but fancy enough to get you in the festive spirit

APPETISERS

Inspiration, bite-size news, reviews & great stuff to do

WHAT ’S ON THE MENU?

Food editor Tom Shingler mixes and matches this month’s creations

OVER TO YOU

STAR EMAIL ★ Subject: The customer is often

Your 2022 gift guide

Here they are: presents for a range of tastes, pockets and kitchen interests, while there’s still time to order ahead… Happy shopping!

Cookbooks they ’ ll love

Find that special present for a food lover with our pick of the best recent releases

A glass of red with Ainsley Harriott

The chef and presenter shares his love of the Gunners, The Galloping Gourmet and getting ready for Christmas

Get ahead for Christmas.

Eat-me-drink-me gifts, squirrel-away sav iours, posh puddings and nifty nibbles – all doable well in advance

Party -ready canapés

Hoping to host a cocktail party this season? Sort these freezeahead nibbles from award-winning food writer Ed Smith and all you need do is heat or assemble them on the day – leaving you ample time to mingle

The good stuff

Keep those claggy sage and onion stuffing balls at bay with one of these four brilliant recipes from top chefs, all of which can be made in advance and kept in the freezer to tick one more thing off your festive food list

A centrepiece FOR ONE

Expecting a vegetarian or vegan, or a gluten-avoiding guest at the table? These made-for-one dishes will make them feel special. All can be made in advance and they’re designed to pair beautifully with the classic festive trimmings

FROZEN ASSETS

Winter comes with a lot of cooking – and while it can be a pleasure to be in the kitchen when it’s cold outside, sometimes even the most ardent cook can’t face another night conjuring up delicacies for those lead-up-to-Christmas or in-between days when you want anything but a roast or rich pudding. Georgina Hayden comes to the rescue with six makeahead recipes that provide perfect freezer fodder: simply defrost, reheat and enjoy

THE NEW GRATINS

Part one THE delicious. GUIDE TO SIDE DISHES

The gift of GIVING

The care and thought that go into making homemade presents can elicit real joy. These make-ahead edibles, all with a good shelf life, will hit the spot with food lovers

Choose your PUDDING!

For many it’s the finale of the festive feast, so there’s pressure to bring something special to the table. Well, whatever your culinary skills, we have a pud for you. And best of all, each one can be made in advance, leaving you one less thing to worry about on the day itself

How to avoid CPA

(Christmas Preparation Anxiety)

Makeit special with James Martin

From French-style scallops to a gather-round steak dinner with flavours from the Deep South, ever-popular TV chef James Martin has been inspired by his travels in creating these potato-powered recipes. They’re all from his new book (see p94), and each one has festivity-friendly wow-factor – even the cheesy mash

The cheese & chutney flight

You’ve heard of wine-pairing with a fine-dining meal… How about taking the same geeky approach to matching crackers and chutney to the cheeses on your Christmas cheeseboard?

WIN BIG

IN OUR CHRISTMAS HAMPERS GIVEAWAY!

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AND GET A FREE COPY OF JAMES MARTIN’S NEW BOOK

In James Martin’s latest book, the potato is

NEW YEAR’S EVE DINNER IN STR ATFOR D-UPON-AVON

WELCOME 2023 WITH A GALA

delicious

Don’t miss next month ’s issue... For your

Win a huge bundle of Nordic Ware kitchen kit

Enter our competition for a chance to win beautiful bundt tins and baking accessories

November Recipe index

43 ESSENTIAL INFO ABOUT OUR RECIPES Our symbols

Take five JUMBO CROSSWORD SPECIAL

As you limber up for the festive season, there’s a prize to be won and fun to be had with Hugh Thompson’s special crossword. It’s what mince pies and mulled wine were made for

Could the microwave be your Christmas saviour?

At one time, no self-respecting chef would admit to owning one. Then along came a once-in-a-generation cost-of-living crisis and cooks everywhere have had a bit of a rethink on that boxy bleeping thing they’ve always felt a bit ashamed of. We’re not suggesting you cook the turkey in it, but use your microwave wisely this festive season and it could be a trusty friend

A favourite for Christmas Eve or Betwixtmas

Who doesn’t like a jacket potato on a

COOKS WHO LOVE THEIR MICROWAVES

“A microwave can be a great way to

PRESS START FOR PUD

Biscoff microwave mug cake Makes 1 large mug

OUR FOOD TEAM’S EXPERT DOS AND DON’TS FOR MICROWAVE COOKING AT CHRISTMAS

PHOTOGRAPHS: MAJA SMEND, CLARE WINFIELD, ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES DO

A modern family Christmas

A bittersweet real-life tale to accompany a mince pie and a sneaky glass of port... The death of his super-organised mum put paid to cosy family Christmases for Tom Barlow – or so he thought

Drinks

Seasonal wines and spirits, beers with oomph and a warmer for a chilly night

Welcome to your dazzling dozen

Look what’s on the tree... At this time of year, you deserve something special to drink with all that wonderful food. But that doesn’t mean you have to blow the budget, says our drinks editor Susy Atkins. She’s rounded up the best in each category to guarantee good cheer all round

Wrapping up the year

It’s the most wonderful time for a beer, and as the festivities approach, many brewers are producing special bottles and cans to celebrate the season

Make. Life. Simple .

Quick-but-stylish meals for busy evenings Stash-away ba kes and ideas for leftovers

Everyday trendsetters

These drool-worthy recipes feature up-to-the-minute fashionable ingredients, but surprisingly they don’t need hours of prep – they’re weeknight-doable. Trust us… And enjoy

Choose-your-flavour freezer cookie logs

This simple cookie recipe is one to keep in your freezer year-round, and you can flavour the dough however you like. One frozen slice turns into one cookie, so you can make as many or as few as you need, fresh from the oven. Genius!

Treacle parkin with spiced custard

This squidgy cake, originally from northern England, is a warming treat for Bonfire Night or any time, with or without the spiced custard. Dense with oats and spiced with cinnamon and ginger, parkin gets stickier the longer you leave it – but how long can you wait...?

Use it up

When space in the fridge or cupboard is at a premium, don’t let extra ingredients take up valuable space or go to waste – try these fun and festive ideas

Be a better cook

Tips for saving Christmas if things go wrong in the kitchen, plus a profiterole stack, a glorious Ukrainian wreath and our very own foolproof bundt cake – tailormade to your taste

Christmas dinner SOS

If you’ve read any of this issue, you’ll know that getting Christmas dinner done without a hitch involves a little forward planning, a little know-how and a lot of deep breaths. But what happens if it doesn’t all run to plan? Keep these solutions at the ready on your worksurface or iPad, and it really will be OK.

Jeremy Lee’s profiterole tower

From the culinary wizard at Soho restaurant Quo Vadis comes a majestic pudding. If you’re looking for something special to end your festive meal, make it a showstopper moment with this pile-it-high-and-dive-in celebration of a French classic

Mix ’n’ match bundt cakes

Don’t they look magnificent? Bundts may seem daunting but the making and baking is a cinch – the tin does all the sculpting. It’s worth taking time, though, to choose the size, flavours and decoration from our handy table of combinations. Whichever you choose, the cake will keep for up to two weeks – make it ahead for the big day or give one as a gift

The technical bake Kolach

Step aside, panettone: there’s a new festive bake in town. Let Olia Hercules introduce you to kolach, a traditional Ukrainian braided loaf enjoyed on Christmas Day, studded with citrussy mixed peel, sprinkled with poppy seeds and baked with love

Next-level crab toastie

This unashamedly luxurious recipe from Mike Naidoo, chef of Catch in Weymouth, elevates the classic crab sarnie to Christmas-party-with-bubbles-worthy heights

THE delicious. MAIL ORDER GUIDE

Want to know where you can buy a slow-grown turkey, special mince pies or cheese to put the shine on Christmas…? We know you care about buying from ethical and sustainable independent businesses where possible, despite times being tough. It’s not an exhaustive list, but here are some top food producers and shops (many award-winning) that deliver nationwide, with new, different or lower-cost items highlighted

Six of the best festive three-star winners

Need more make-it-special goodies? We’ve rounded up half a dozen Christmas-ready three-star champions from this year’s Great Taste Awards, all available with nationwide delivery

“Infused with truffle”? Oh no it’s not

As pantomime season rolls around, food writer Matija Babić is here to unmask a villain – fake truffle flavour, extracted not from real truffles, but something much less savoury