recipes

• Mix the dates and bicarbonate of soda in a large bowl with a pinch of salt.
• Pour in 300ml of hot water and stir well and leave until cold.
• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius.
• Butter an ANTA baking dish and line the base and sides.
• Rub the butter pieces into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
• Core and chop 1 apple.
• Stir in the walnuts, apple and muscavado sugar until evenly combined.
• Tip the flour mixture and the eggs into the cooled dates.
• Beat well to mix, then pour into the prepared ANTA baking dish.
• Core and slice 1 apple and place on top of your mixture.
• Bake in the oven for 1-1 1/4 hours or until a skewer comes out clean.
• Cool in the dish for 5 minutes, then turn it out on to a wire rack.
• Double-wrap the cooled cake, and store in an airtight tin for 1-2 days before eating.

• Bring the milk and vanilla to the boil in a saucepan then remove from the heat.
• Mix the sugar, egg yolks and arrowroot together until thoroughly incorporated.
• Pour the warmed milk over the egg mixture and whisk vigorously.
• Then pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan with the milk and continue to whisk over a medium heat.
• Cook until the mixture just starts to boil and thickens being careful not to let it burn on the bottom of the pan.
• Remove from the heat cover with cling film to prevent a skin forming.
• Allow to cool and place in the fridge until needed.
• To make the soufflé, first preheat your fan oven to 190°c.
• Butter 4 small ANTA mugs evenly and chill then repeat and dust with caster sugar.
• Mix in some crumble gingerbread cake into the crème patisserie till completely incorporated. In a separate bowl add 4 egg whites and a pinch of sugar and whisk until soft peak.
• Gently fold in some of the egg whites into the gingerbread mix a bit at a time.
• You should need around 2 tbsp of whisked whites to 1 tbsp mix.
• Spoon the finished mix into the prepared ramekins until full and wipe around the rim of the top then knock on the table to remove any larger air bubbles.
• Cook until the soufflé has risen and also turned golden.

• Start by thoroughly mixing the breadcrumbs, sugar, suet and spices together in a large bowl with a wooden spoon.
• Stir in the raisins, sultanas, orange peel and almonds along with the chopped apple and orange zest.
• Measure in the gin and orange juice followed by cracking in the eggs one by one.
• Now is your opportunity to give the mixture a really good stir. Don’t forget to make a wish and get others involved!
• Once combined really well, cover and leave overnight.
• The next day, sift in the flour and stir again.
• Transfer the mixture into a lightly greased pudding basin.
• Cover the basin with 2 layers of baking parchment and 1 layer of foil.
• Secure really tight with string (and an elastic bank for extra security).
• Place the pudding in a prepared steamer over a pan of simmering water for 8 hours.
• Keep checking and topping up with boiling water when necessary.
• Once done, leave to cool and replace the parchment and foil.
• Leave in a cool room ready for Christmas day.

On Christmas Day

• Prepare the steamer over a pan of simmering water and steam the pudding around 2hrs.
• Again, keep checking the water and top up if needed.
• When you are ready to serve, run a knife around the edge and turn out gently onto a plate.
• Heat a little Seville Marmalade Gin and when at the table, light the gin and evenly pour over the pudding.

• Preheat oven to 140c / Gas 1.
• Grease and double line a 23cm loose bottomed cake tin.
• Wrap a double layer of brown paper around the cake tin and fasten with string.
• This prevents the cake from burning on the outside.
• Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Gradually beat in the eggs add a tbsp of flour to prevent the mixture from curdling.
• Mix in the treacle.
• Sift flour with the mixed spice and nutmeg.
• Add about two tbsp to the fruit and stir in.
• Fold the remaining flour and spice into the egg mixture.
• Add the fruits and chopped almonds to the cake mix and fold in.
• Spoon into the prepared cake tin, leaving a dip in the middle.
• Bake in the centre of the oven for 4-4 1/2 hours.
• Check the cake after 2 hours and if it looks coloured, cover with a grease proof paper disc and continue cooking until it is firm to the touch and well coloured.
• Check the cake is cooled by inserting a skewer into the middle of the cake.
• This should come out clean.
• Allow to cool in the tin.
• When cool, wrap the cake in clean greaseproof paper and foil and store in a dry place.

• Peel the pears leaving the stalk.
• In a large pan heat all the ingredients together until the sugar has dissolved.
• Bring to the boil.
• Add the pears and poach over a low heat for 15-20 minutes until the pears are soft.
• This will vary with how ripe your pears are.
• Remove the pears with a slotted spoon and bring the liquid to the boil again.
• Heat until thickened and reduced by half.
• Allow to cool slightly then pour over the pears and serve with whipped cream or ice-cream.

• Soak the ham overnight in cold water in an ANTA salad bowl to reduce the salt.
• Preheat the oven to 190° C / Gas 5.
• Pour off the water.
• Cover with fresh cold water, adding the quartered onion, cloves, black peppercorns and bay leaf.
• Cover with a dinner plate, place in the oven to simmer, allowing 20 minutes per 450g.
• Once the ham is cooked, remove from the bowl and allow to stand for 15 minutes.
• To finish, mix the mustard and sugar together.
• Remove the skin from the ham, score the fat in diamond shapes.
• Spoon the sugar paste over the meat.
• Transfer to an ANTA Pudding Bowl.
• Bake in the oven, basting with the juices until golden brown.
• Allow to stand before serving.

• Heat oil in a large pan.
• Add the onion and cook until soft.
• Add the celery, leak, potato and butter.
• Allow to sweat for five minutes.
• Add the stock and broccoli.
• Cook for 10-15 minutes until all the vegetables are soft.
• Puree the soup.
• Stir in the Stilton, allowing a few lumps to remain.
• Season with black pepper.

• Remove the outer casing from the haggis, break up into 24 pieces and roll each piece into a small ball.
• Place the flour and paprika in a shallow bowl, the egg in another shallow bowl and finally the breadcrumbs in a third bowl.
• Roll the haggis balls in the paprika flour, then in the beaten egg and finally in the breadcrumbs until evenly coated.
• Transfer to a baking tray and chill for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, stir together the mayonnaise, wholegrain mustard and whisky.
• Spoon into a serving bowl and set aside.
• Pour vegetable oil into a medium saucepan to a depth of about 6cm.
• Heat until it reaches 170ºC or drop a small piece of bread in the oil – when it turns brown in about 30 seconds, the oil is ready.
• Using a metal slotted spoon, lower the haggis bon bons, a few at a time, into the oil and cook for 2-3 minutes until golden and crispy.
• Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm in a low oven while you finish cooking the remainder.

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
• Grease your ANTA baking dish, then line with baking parchment.
• Beat the butter, flour, sugar, baking powder, eggs, yogurt, milk and vanilla until lump-free.
• Stir in the chopped chocolate.
• Spoon into your dish; bake for 25-30 mins until golden and risen and a skewer comes out clean.
• Cool in the baking dish.
• Melt the rest of the chocolate.
• Stir icing sugar into soft cheese, then the chocolate until smooth.
• Chill, spread over the cake, then cut into squares and decorate.

• Preheat oven to 220 degrees gas mark 7
• Put the flour and seasoning into a large jug
• Using a hand whisk mix the eggs into the flour adding the milk a little at at time until all ingredients are combined.
• The mixture should be thin and resemble single cream.
• Beat well for a few minutes and leave to stand for 30 minutes.
• Add a drop of oil into the bun tins.
• Place in the oven for 5 minutes until smoking hot.
• Pour a little mixture into each half filling each section.
• Bake for 10 minutes until we’ll risen and golden brown.
• Don’t be tempted to open the oven whilst cooking.
• Fill the mini puddings with a black olive and a shaving of Parmesan and serve as a canapé.