Food, Glorious Food!

Food is at its most glorious at this time of year, bringing warmth and cosiness while it’s chilly outside. We’ve come up with two tasty festive bakes that are perfect for indulging in with friends and family. You could even use our gingerbread stars recipe to make some eco-conscious edible decorations!

Gingerbread Stars

Makes 30 | Time 1 hour 30 min

Ingredients

• 115g unsalted butter

• 150g light brown soft sugar

• 150g golden syrup

• 340g plain flour

• 3 tsp ground ginger

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

• Icing pens (to decorate)

Directions

1. Add the butter, sugar and golden syrup to a pan and heat on a medium heat until you have a smooth mixture. Remove from the heat and leave for 10 minutes.

2. Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and add the ginger, cinnamon and bicarbonate of soda. Make a well in the centre, pour in the cooled mixture and stir to combine. Knead to create a soft, smooth dough. Wrap the dough in cling film and let it chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.

3. Line 3 baking sheets with baking parchment. Unwrap the chilled dough, place on a lightly floured surface and roll to a thickness of 4mm. Use star-shaped cutters, placing the stars on the baking parchment. Re-roll and cut the dough until you have about 30 stars. Let the shapes chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

4. Pre-heat the oven to 190°C (conventional), 170°C (fan) or gas mark 5. Bake the stars for 12 minutes and leave on the baking sheets to cool for 10 minutes. Transfer the biscuits to a wire rack to cool completely.

5. Decorate your gingerbread stars with icing pens and leave to set. Enjoy with a cup of tea, coffee or hot chocolate!

Camembert, Rosemary, and Cranberry Bake

Serves 10 | Time 1 hour 45 min

Ingredients

• 345ml whole milk

• 9g fast-action dried yeast

• 1.25 tsp caster sugar

• 625g strong white bread flour

• 1.25 tsp fine sea salt

• 63g unsalted butter

• 3 medium free-range eggs, beaten

• 4 tbsp cranberry sauce (plus more to serve)

• 6½ tbsp Grana Padano

• 1 whole camembert

• 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary

• 2 cloves of crushed garlic

Directions

To make the dough

1. Warm the milk on a low heat. Pour 75 ml of the milk into a large mixing bowl, add the yeast and sugar and stir until it dissolves.

2. Add the flour, salt, butter, half the beaten eggs, and the rest of the warmed milk. Combine to form a dough.

3. Tip the dough onto a floured surface. Knead it by hand for 10 minutes or until it becomes elastic and smooth.

4. Place the dough back in the bowl, cover with a fresh tea towel and leave in a warm place to rise (allow 45 minutes to 1 hour).

To assemble the bake

1. Once the dough has risen, gently knead it to remove any air. Then divide it into 4 equal balls. Roll out each of the balls into the shape and size of a dinner plate, keeping the 4 pieces as equal as possible.

2. Place one piece of rolled dough on a sheet of baking paper. Spread 1 tablespoon of cranberry sauce on top and add a sprinkling of Grana Padano and chopped rosemary.

3. Lay another piece of dough on top and repeat step 2. Then, place the camembert on top, adding some rosemary and crushed garlic inside. Place the third piece of dough on top of the camembert and repeat step 2. Then cover with the final piece of dough.

4. Gently shape the dough around the camembert, pressing down to remove any air pockets.

5. Using a sharp knife, make 4 cuts from the edge of the camembert to the edge of the dough. Halve each piece to make 8 strands of dough, then halve again to make 16 strands.

6. Taking 2 strands of dough that are next to each other, twist them away from one another and press the two ends together to form a point. Do the same with the rest of the strands. Your bake will then have a star shape.

7. Brush the dough with 1 beaten egg and leave to prove in the fridge for 30–40 minutes. While you wait, heat the oven to 190°C, 170°C (fan) or gas mark 5.

8. Remove the bake from the fridge, brush with the rest of the beaten egg and bake for 30 minutes or until the dough is golden and the cheese is oozing.

9. Garnish with the rest of your Grana Padano and a few sprigs of rosemary and enjoy!