Do you have festive recipe that you make every year? Christmas baking starts early in our household when we make the Christmas cakes before the end of summer. We always follow this by making mincemeat for my serious mince pie addiction. But with Christmas just around the corner here are my personal favourite festive bakes and my recipe for a Baileys hot chocolate that might just get you on Santa’s naughty list.
Pudding
Festive Cranberry and Apricot Sponge Pudding with Caramel Sauce
Earlier in the year I wrote an article on Stir Up Sunday, for my local newspaper, the Jersey Evening Post. This was the time when families traditionally gathered together and made their Christmas pudding. I thought it would be good to come up with an alternative that was lighter but still very in keeping with all the other festive recipes I love so much. After some experimenting in the kitchen, I think I came up with a great alternative.
Festive French Toast – Panettone Pain Perdu
Festive French toast is a great way to use up Panettone, the classic Italian cake / bread from Milan. We always seem to have some left over Panettone after Christmas. We overdose on cake and biscuits, pretty much like everyone else. So my recipe today is a direct result of my last post and the feedback I got from friends on social media. One of the joys for me of food writing for me is the community of amazing people I’ve met and after my French Toast recipe I had a conversation with the talented Bryony Hill. Bryony, a painter, gardener, author and cookery writer was thinking of a Christmas eggy bread. The result of our conversation Panettone pain perdu.
How to make French Toast
French toast is a perfect holiday season treat served for breakfast with berries and maple syrup. French toast or pain perdu is a simple, delicious dessert or breakfast dish made by frying slices of bread soaked in egg and milk. The dish dates back as far as the Romans and Apicius gives a recipe finished with honey.