Christmas is quickly approaching, and like others, we are finalizing our holiday plans and menus. We traditionally host a Christmas Eve dinner for family and a few friends and neighbors. Every year, we have a theme or pick a country to “celebrate” during the dinner. Our theme dictates our menu.
I find it easier to pick a theme and stick with that to narrow my focus for cooking.
Several years ago, we decided to focus on England for our Christmas Eve meal and party. A friend jokingly asked if we were just going to serve a bunch of really bad and bland food. I do not consider English food to be bad and think English food has been given a bad rap. During our visit to the UK, we enjoyed the food. I thought everything was flavorful, tasty, interesting, and delicious. We had Korean barbecue, Indian food, and so many baskets of fish and chips that I can’t count. I love their meat pies and sausage rolls and enjoyed every aspect of the foods we ate when we were there.
These are some of our selections for our English Christmas. Looking back at our photos, it is fitting to celebrate the late Queen. What an amazing woman, leader, and dedicated monarch. It makes me even more proud to have celebrated her and her beautiful country. We celebrated with a life-size cut-out of the Queen, tiaras for the kids, lots of fancy hats and fascinators, and plenty of proper curtsies and bows.
Along with the recipes listed below, we served platters of fish and chips with malt vinegar and a version of mushy peas that did not warrant publishing.
Filet of Beef
We knew that roast beef would be a must on any Christmas menu from the UK. Because we would be serving a lot of people and things needed to be simple, we decided to go with a beef tenderloin.Not much carving needed, and it is easy to prepare and can be made a few hours before and simply covered with foil until ready to serve.
This recipe comes from the Barefoot Contessa and it has always been pretty much perfect every time I’ve ever prepared it. We served the beef with horseradish cream and plenty of Colemans English Mustard.
1 whole fillet of beef, 4 to 5 pounds, trimmed and tied, if needed
2 tablespoons butter at room temperature
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 500°. Place the beef on a large baking sheet and pat dry with paper towels. Spread the softened butter on the beef and sprinkle it evenly with salt and pepper.
Roast in the preheated oven for exactly 22 minutes for rare and 25 minutes for medium rare. Remove from oven and cover tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest at room temperature for at least 20 minutes.
Remove any of the strings if the beef is tied and slice the fillet when ready to serve.
Horseradish Cream
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 cup heavy whipping cream, chilled
1 teaspoon salt
In the stand of a mixer, with a wire whisk, whip heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add in horseradish and salt and continue whipping until firm peaks form. Season to taste and add additional salt or horseradish if desired. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Coronation Spread
I am not exactly sure of the history of the Coronation Salad but I believe it was created and served at one of the Queen’s coronation celebrations. We found coronation sandwiches in a lot of grocery stores and delis throughout the UK. We enjoyed picking up sandwiches for an occasional lunch in London. This was a quick and inexpensive lunch and they make a perfect picnic food for visits to the many parks in London.
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 - 8-ounce block cream cheese, softened
1 pound package of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1/4 cup orange marmalade
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 to 3 teaspoons curry powder, depending on your taste
To make the coronation spread, process mayonnaise and cream cheese until smooth. Pulse in orange marmalade, curry powder, green onion, and bacon pieces. Season with salt and pepper.
When ready to assemble sandwiches, use two slices of firm wheat or white bread and spread a thin mixture of coronation spread on each. Top with two slices of deli chicken or turkey and a few pieces of baby arugula. Top with other slice of bread and cut into triangles.
Khatte Chhole or Sour Chickpeas
We wanted to have a vegetarian option for our guests and my daughter brought home this wonderful Indian recipe from her roommate. It uses delicious curry spices and chickpeas and reminded us of some of the Indian or North African dishes we ate in London. We made it ahead of time and served it warm from the crockpot.
2 1/4 cups dried chickpeas, washed and drained
7 1/2 cups of water
3 medium onions, peeled and chopped very finely
About 2 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 fresh jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium sized tomatoes, finely chopped or 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon ground coriander seed
1 tablespoon ground cumin seed
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons Garam masala
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
In a large pot, soak chickpeas in the 7 1/2 cups of water for about a day and a half. Once chickpeas have soaked, bring the peas and water to a boil. Cover and simmer gently for an hour and a half or until the chickpeas are tender. Strain the chickpeas and save the cooking liquid.
In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine 2 tablespoons of the chopped onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt, chopped jalapeño pepper, grated ginger, and lemon juice. Set aside.
In a large casserole style pot, heat oil. When oil is hot, add remaining chopped onions, stir for about eight to 10 minutes or until the onion begins to brown. Add the tomatoes and continue to cook for another five to six minutes mashing the tomato pieces with the back of a spoon.
Add in the coriander, cumin, and turmeric and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the drained chickpeas and about 1 3/4 cup of their cooking liquid. Add two additional teaspoons of salt, the Garam masala, and the cayenne pepper.
Stir and bring to a simmer. Cover, turn heat to low and cook very gently for about 20 minutes, stirring a few times. Add the spice/pepper mixture and stir again.
At this point, mixture can be cooled and refrigerated overnight. Reheat in a slow cooker or over medium heat.
Welsh Rarebit
This is an old dish with many variations. It has sometimes been called Welsh “rabbit” but it is a hardy cheese sauce. No rabbits included.
1-pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated
6 eggs, beaten
3 cups milk
1/2 cup flour
Salt, black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce, to taste.
For serving, smoked salmon, fresh sliced tomatoes, English muffins.
In a heavy bottom pot, gently scald the milk and then temper egg mixture in with milk off the stove being careful not to scramble the eggs. (You temper ingredients by carefully adding a few spoonsful of the hot milk mixture to the eggs until the eggs are about the same temperature as milk.)
Return pot to the stove and whisk in cheese, flour, and seasoning. Cook on very low, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens.
Serve warm with your choice of toppings over a freshly toasted English muffin.
English Muffins
1 3/4 cup lukewarm milk
3 tablespoons softened butter
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg, beaten
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast
Put all ingredients in a stand mixer and beat with a paddle attachment for about five minutes. This will be a soft dough.
Cover dough and allow to rise for one to two hours. Once dough has doubled in size, deflate, and divide into 16 pieces about the size of a tennis ball. Sprinkle each dough ball with a little semolina flour or cornmeal. Place balls directly on a cool large griddle, allowing about1/2 inch between each to rise. Allow to rest on the griddle for about 20 to 30 minutes. They may not double in size that will puff a good bit.
With dough balls still on, turn on griddle medium and begin cooking them for about 10 minutes per side or until the crust is golden and center is done. Flip over and allow to bake for an additional 10 minutes. If the center is still not cooked, bake in a 350° oven for a few more minutes. Allow to cool and use a fork to separate the English muffins.
Anna Kat’s Christmas Yule Log or Buche de Noel
I am not even sure how this traditional French dessert ended up being at our English Christmas party except that we got caught up in the British Baking Show and that the news reported Prince William and Princess Kate making one on TV, therefore we had to do the same. It was so much fun and we went a little overboard with every single part of the prep. Not only did we make the log shaped cake but we made meringue mushrooms, “woodland” rosemary sprigs, sugared cranberries, and marzipan pinecones. It was an absolute blast but every part of my kitchen was covered in some type of sugar or chocolate. The cake was beautiful, delicious and the process was even more fun.
For the cake:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup dark cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, divided
3/4 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons sour cream
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the mascarpone filling:
1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
8-ounce container of mascarpone cheese, softened but still cold
For the chocolate ganache icing:
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup heavy whipping cream
To make the cake, preheat oven to 350°. Line a jelly roll sheet pan with parchment paper. This is important as you will use the parchment paper to lift the cake out of the pan and roll it up.
In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt together and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar and whisk together until they are well combined.
Add the sour cream, melted butter and vanilla extract. Mix together until well combined. Add the dry ingredients and gently whisk until well combined and then set aside.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in about 1/3 of the whipped egg whites into the chocolate mixture to loosen up the batter. Then, add the remaining egg whites and gently fold together until combined.
Spread the cake batter evenly into the prepared jelly roll pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or till the top of the cake springs back when touched. Remove the cake from the oven and immediately lift the cake out of the pan using the parchment paper and place it on the counter.
While the cake is still hot, use the parchment paper the cake was baked in and start at the shorter end of the cake and slowly roll up the cake. Set the cake aside to cool completely. When the cake is cold and is ready to be filled, make the filling.
To make the filling, add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt to a large mixing bowl and beat on high until soft peaks form. Add the mascarpone cheese to the whipping cream and whip until stiff peaks form.
Carefully unroll the cake being careful for areas where the cake might be sticking. Use an offset spatula to carefully scrape it if needed. Spread the filling evenly onto the unroll cake and then roll it back up removing the parchment paper as you roll.
Wrap the filled cake in plastic wrap with seam side down and refrigerate for at least an hour to firm up.
When you are ready to decorate the cake, make the chocolate ganache.
To make the ganache, add the chocolate to a medium size bowl and set aside. Heat the cream in the microwave just until it begins to boil and pour over the chocolate. Allow the chocolate and cream to sit for a few minutes and then whisk until smooth. Let the ganache cool until it is about room temperature and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Whip on high speed until lightened in color and thick enough to spread.
When ready to ice cake, use a large serrated knife to gently cut off a piece of the log about three inches in length. Make the cut with the diagonal as you will add it to your cake to form a branch. Use some of the chocolate ganache to attach the small log to the side of log and then spread remaining chocolate ganache over the top of the cake. Use a fork to create bark like lines all over it.
Decorate with sugared cranberries, sugared rosemary, meringue mushrooms, marzipan pinecones and anything else you would like. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
To make sugared rosemary sprigs:
Fresh rosemary
1 large egg white
1 tablespoon water
granulated sugar
Combine egg and water. Using pastry brush, apply egg mixture to the rosemary and then sprinkle all over with granulated sugar. Leave out a room temperature to dry or put in the refrigerator. These will be used to garnish on the serving platter.
To make the sugared cranberries:
Remove a portion of a bag of fresh cranberries and pour cranberry juice over them to make them sticky. Drain and toss with lots of sugar. Place on parchment lined baking sheet. Store in the refrigerator for at least an hour or up to a day until ready to use. Allow to dry and decorate.
To make marzipan pinecones: Shape about a tablespoon piece of marzipan into a pinecone or oval shape. Make sure the bottom is flat so that it will stand up. Starting on the bottom and working up add almond slices to make it resemble a pinecone. Store in an airtight container or in the refrigerator overnight.
To make the meringue mushrooms:
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup super fine sugar
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
Combine egg whites and cream of tartar in a bowl of electric mixer. Beat on medium with a whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Gradually sprinkle in the sugar, beating at high speed until mixture is stiff and dull looking.
Scrape mixture into a pastry bag and pipe round button shape to make the mushroom caps onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Pipe pointed “kiss” looking shapes about pme inch tall to make the stems. Dust the tops with the cocoa powder and bake for two hours in a 200° oven.
After two hours turn off the oven and leave the mushrooms inside for another hour to cool completely and dry out.
When ready to assemble the mushrooms, place chocolate in microwave safe bowl and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is completely melted and smooth. Spread a little chocolate on the flat side of each meringue mushroom cap. Use a sharp knife to cut off and discard the pointed end of the mushroom stem. Attach stem to cap using chocolate and set mushrooms aside until the chocolate is dried and stems are glued together. You can make these ahead of time and store in the refrigerator.
When ready to serve your Yule Log, remove from the refrigerator at 30 minutes before serving and decorate with all the forest looking items. Enjoy.
•When Anna Katherine made her Yule log, we made a raspberry sauce to add to the log, but we would not recommend doing that as it caused the cake to get a little soggy. Great flavor but the consistency was not perfect.
Gin and Tonic
We decided to stick with two London Classics for cocktails that evening. The first was a gin and tonic. At that time, we used a traditional British gin but since then, Duane O’Neill of The Manship has been kind enough to share the recipe for their delicious gin and tonic. On their cocktail menu, they call it “The Best Damn G&T” and I totally agree.
2 ounces of Dr. Val‘s Botanical Gin
.75 ounces Jack Rudy’s Classic Tonic Syrup
5 ounces of soda water or tonic water
Slice of lime
Combine ingredients and serve over ice. We have tried it with regular tonic water and with club soda. Both are excellent.
Pimm’s Cup
The first time I had a Pimm’s Cup, our family met my parents in London for a few days of sightseeing. We were on one of those double decker tour buses and got stuck in a huge traffic jam due to a public transit worker’s strike, and ended up having to walk about 5 miles after our bus overheated in the traffic.
It had been a long and busy day of “family travel fun” and we decided to stop in a pub for a late afternoon snack. My husband wisely ordered a large pitcher of Pimm’s Cup for the adults to enjoy. It was the perfect pick-me-up after a long day of sightseeing, and rejuvenated everyone to keep walking.
Pimm’s Cocktail:
Fill a tall glass with about four ice cubes, add 1.5 ounces Pimm’s Original No. 1, an herby gin-based liqueur, add 1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice. Top with ginger ale, sparkling lemonade or lemon-lime soda and garnish with a cherry, a strawberry, an orange or lemon wedge, and a slice of cucumber. Very refreshing and not a boozy cocktail.
Scones and Clotted Cream
We like to send our guests home with a little happy or gift bag from the night. For our English Christmas, we made treat bags filled with a variety of English teas, sweet and savory scones, and our version of clotted cream. We thought this would make a perfect Christmas morning breakfast as everyone celebrated a visit from Father Christmas and fond memories of “jolly ole’England”
Scones are essentially like biscuits, but slightly sweeter and often include dried or fresh fruit. For a savory version, try adding aged cheddar and chives instead of the fruit.
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into pieces
2 tablespoons shortening, chilled and cut into pieces
3/4 cup cream
1 egg
1 cup flavor options: add fresh blueberries, tossed with about a tablespoon of flour; dried cranberries with a little orange zest; white or yellow sharp cheddar cheese with 1 teaspoon chives.
Put flour, salt and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor and pulse one or two times to mix. Pulse in butter and shortening until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
Pour dry mixture into a large bowl and toss in flavor option. Combine cream and egg and carefully fold into dry ingredients. Being careful not to overwork the dough or mash the berries if using.
Divide dough in half and press each half into a flat disk about an inch thick. Cut the circles into eight triangular shapes and chill for an hour or freeze overnight. Scones can be frozen at this point and stored in an airtight container until ready to bake.
When are ready to bake, preheat oven to 400° and place scones on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush scones with a beaten egg and top with a little course sugar, if desired.
Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature with lemon curd and clotted cream.
Faux Clotted Cream
I sometimes find clotted cream in an occasional specialty grocery store, but this version is very similar if you cannot find the real thing.
1- 8.8-ounce container mascarpone cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, chilled
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
Pinch of salt.
Whip cream until firm peaks form and then fold in remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
