Mulled fruit

250g frozen mixed berries

Place the berries, sugar, cloves, wine, cinnamon stick and water in a pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the cloves and cinnamon and blend to a smooth sauce and pass through a sieve into another pan. Peel the pears and cut in half through the root. Remove core with a melon baller or teaspoon and place in the berry liquor. Cover with a sheet of parchment and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Cut the plums in half, remove the stone and add to the pan. Simmer until pears and plums are just done. Remove pears and plums and boil the liquor to reduce by half. Return the pears and plums to the pan and allow to cool.

Jelly

Soak the gelatine in cold water for 10 minutes. Heat the liquor and add the gelatine leaves. Pour into a dish, cool and chill until set.

Coconut sponge

Beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time. Sift the flour, cornflour and baking powder together and fold into the mixture. Add the coconut and vanilla.

Vanilla custard

Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour.Scald the milk, cream and vanilla and then pour over the egg mixture. Whisk and return to pan. Stir until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Pour into a bowl and cover the surface with cling. Cool and then chill.

Boil the orange juice, zest and cinnamon together until only a tablespoon of liquid remains. Cool. Whisk the cream and fold in the sugar and orange mixture.

To Assemble –

Cut the sponge into 1cm dice and place in the bottom of 6 individual trifle bowls or one big one. Drizzle over some fruit liqueur. Spoon over some of the fruit. Cut the jelly into cubes and spoon over the fruit. Top with custard. Pipe the cream over the top and spray with edible gold glitter.

2 pears, cored and chopped finely

Cook the onions gently in the butter until soft and golden and add the rosemary, cook for a minute and then cool. Mix into the sausage meat with the breadcrumbs, pears, chestnuts and parsley.

Sweet and smoky cranberry sauce

1 small red onion, finely chopped

Cook the onion in the oil until soft then add the tomato puree and cook for a minute. Add the cranberries, paprika, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, sugar and vinegar and cook gently for about 20 minutes.

Braised carrots with leeks and sprouts

500g carrots, peeled and sliced thinly

Heat the butter in a large casserole pan and the onions and garlic. Cook until soft and add the carrots. Cook with a lid on over medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes. Add the fennel seeds and cook for a minute. Pour over the stock, add the lid and leave for about 15 minutes. Add the leeks and return the lid. After 5 minutes add the sprouts and place lid on again. Cook for about 8 minutes or until sprouts are cooked through. At this stage the liquid should have been absorbed but if not crank up the heat for a couple of minutes.

Crispy parsnips with parma ham

4 medium parsnips, scrubbed, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise

Steam or boil the parsnips until just done. Pat dry on kitchen paper and cool. Mix the flour with the salt, pepper, mustard and onion granules.

Mince Pies with Streusel Topping and Orange Cream

Homemade Mincemeat

Place everything in a bowl and mix well with

Pastry

Rub the flour and butter together until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Butter 2 x 12 hole pie tins. Roll out the pastry and cut into rounds and press into the tins.

Streusel Topping

Rub together until the mixture resembles crumbs.

Orange cream

Whip the cream to stiff peaks and fold in the orange zest, sugar and vanilla.

Crostini with triple crème cheese, roasted grapes and walnut

1 ciabatta loaf

Slice the bread as thinly as you can with a serrated knife and place on a couple of baking trays. Bake in a 180°c oven until crisp and golden – about 10 minutes. Cool.

Crostini with local prawns, roast tomato, chilli and horseradish

1 ciabatta loaf

Prepare the crostini as above.

Chicken and leek minestrone soup with walnut and parsley pesto toasts

Chicken and leek minestrone soup

Place the chicken in a pot and add the onions, celery, garlic and bay. Season with salt and pepper and cover with cold water. Bring to a simmer, place a lid on and cook until fork tender on the stove – about an hour and a quarter. Alternatively place in a casserole and cook in a 180oc oven for a couple of hours.

Walnut and parsley pesto

40g parsley coarsely chopped

Toast the walnuts in a dry pan for a minute and coarsely chop.

1 ciabatta loaf

Slice the bread and cook on a hot grill pan until toasted on both sides. Spread over the pesto and top with finely grated parmesan.

Chicken with leeks and mustard

8 boneless chicken thighs, skin on

Heat the oil in a large frying pan until hot and add the chicken skin side down. Cook for about 5 minutes or until skin is golden and crisp. Flip over and cook for 5 minutes on the other side or until cooked through. Remove chicken from pan. Add butter and shallots to pan and cook until shallots are golden. Add the wine and cook for a minute, then add the stock and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half. Add the leeks and cook for 5 minutes. Add the cream and mustard and cook for a minute.Return the chicken to pan with resting juices and check seasoning. Serve with the buttered Queens.

Buttered Queens

Place the potatoes in a pan and cover with cold water. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook gently until done – should take at least half and hour. Drain well and peel the potatoes. Return to the pan and add the butter and parsley. Add a lid and cook gently for a couple of minutes. Toss around to coat the spuds and serve with the chicken.

Beef sausage stroganoff with parsnip mash

500g beef sausages

Heat the oil in a large pan and add the sausages. Cook to seal on both sides and then add the onions and garlic. Cook until golden. Add the mushrooms and dot the butter around the pan. Cook until the mushrooms are golden and mix in the tomato puree. Add the Worcestershire sauce, vinegar and stock and cook until the stock has reduced by half. Add the cream and mustard and cook to spoon coating consistency. Check seasoning.

Parsnip mash

Boil the potatoes.

6 red eating apples

Preheat oven to 200C. Butter a baking dish or skillet.

Apple cream

Cook the apple and sugar until soft. Blend to a smooth puree and cool.

Coffee Cake

Set oven to 180°c and line a loaf tin or baking tin with parchment paper.

Coffee and white chocolate cream

35ml espresso

Warm 75ml of the cream with the espresso and add the white chocolate. Stir over a low heat until chocolate is melted.