Food for thought - Last Minute Christmas Cake and cocktails

Choose from over 13000 hairstyles to find a hairstyle that suits you......

The fastest way to find a hair salon

SEARCH FOR A HAIRDRESSING SALON, BARBERS OR BEAUTY SALON IN 3 EASY STEPS

Review a Salon

A healthy lifestyle leads to healthy hair....

Christmas Cocktail Corner

Snowball

1 fl oz (30ml) Vodka

8 fl oz. (225ml) Fizzy lemonade or soda such as Sprite or 7 UP

2 fl oz. (50ml) Advocaat egg liqueur

Put the vodka into a tumbler first, then the fizzy lemonade and a few ice cubes.
Finally add the egg liqueur (a blend of egg yolks, brandy and vanilla).

Bloody Mary

Tomato Juice
Worcestershire Sauce
Freshly ground pepper
Salt
Celery Salt
Splash of lime juice
Splash of pale dry sherry

Tabasco sauce
Plain Vodka
Ice Cubes

Mix tomato juice with all ingredients except Vodka. Pour Vodka shots into a tall glass over ice. Add tomato mix.

Daiquiri

Officially christened by a group of American engineers working in the Daiquiri tin

mines near Santiago de Cuba at the turn of the century.

2 parts White Rum
1 part fresh lime juice
1 part sugar or grenadine

Shake the ingredients together and serve it very cold. A twist of lime looks pretty.

Pina Colado

Invented in Puerto Rico, and literally meaning 'strained pineapple' the classic recipe suggests coconut cream in place of Malibu, but I love the added zing

of the latter. Neither does the recipe include cream, which gives a wicked richness to the drink (not withstanding the extra calories!).

1 part White Rum
1 part Pineapple juice
1 part Malibu
1 part fresh double cream
Crushed Ice

Mix all ingredients in a blender. Serve with slices of pineapple and Maraschino cherries.

Last Minute Christmas Cake

You will need:

8oz. (225g) Soft margarine
8oz. (225g) Soft brown sugar
4 eggs, beaten
3 tbsp (45ml) milk
8oz. (225g) mixed dried fruit
1oz (25g) walnuts, coarsely chopped
12oz (350g) Self-raising flour, sifted
½ tsp (2.5ml) ground cinnamon
½ tsp (2.5ml) mixed spice
2 tbsp Sherry (optional)

Instructions

Grease a deep 8 inch/20cm. Cake tin and line with greased greaseproof paper.
Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat together for 2-3 minutes, or until thoroughly mixed. Add Sherry (optional). Turn the mixture into prepared tin, and bake in a moderate oven (350º/180º or gas mark 4) for 1 ¼ hours or until a fine skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean.
Leave in the tin for 5 minutes, and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool and remove the greaseproof paper.

Festive Brussels sprouts

You will need:

½ lb ( ¼ kg) dried chestnuts, soaked overnight and chopped coarsely
1 lb ( ½ kg) frozen Brussels sprouts
1 oz (25g) butter
1 small onion, peeled and chopped finely
Pinch of ground cloves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Place the chestnuts in boiling salted water and cook gently for 20-30 minutes or until just tender.
Place the Brussels sprouts in boiling salted water and cook for 5 minutes or until tender. Drain and keep hot in a serving dish.
Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the onion and chestnuts.
Fry gently for 5 minutes, stir in the cloves and seasoning to taste and spoon over the Brussels sprouts.

Duchesse potatoes

You will need:

2 lb (1kg) old potatoes peeled and halved.
2 oz. (50g) butter
2 eggs, beaten
Pinch of nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Beaten egg for glazing.

Instructions

Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 15-20 minutes or until tender, drain well and sieve them while still hot.
Return to the pan and dry them over a gentle heat, stirring continually for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the butter, beaten eggs, nutmeg and seasoning to taste. Add a little milk if mixture is too thick to pipe.
Place the potato into a piping bag, fitted with a large rosette nozzle and pipe 16 rosettes onto a greased baking tray. Brush carefully with a beaten egg, and bake
In a fairly hot oven (200º/400ºF or Gas Mark 6) for 15 minutes or until light brown.

Other Recipes

Polenta and Pepper Gratin Stout and Worcestershire cutlets Cheese and Mushroom Sandwich Grill Apricot and Berry Puff Peppercorned Breast of Duck Speedy Salmon Stir Fry Better Butters Spring Onion & Pepper Couscous American Pancakes Delicious Dressings Rich Shortbread Smoked Mackerel Pate Irish Coffee Salmon Fish Cakes Cherry Cake & Peppermint Creams Last Minute Christmas Cake Prawn Stir Fry Eves Pudding Salmon & Herb Butter Macaroni Cheese Ratatouille Cheese & Fruit Toastie Best Bean Salad Tuna & Pasta Bake Salad Nicoise Blueberry & Walnut Muffins Curried Eggs & Rice Quick Cook Banoffi

Strawberries Surprise Pumpkin Pie Tuna Fishcakes Christamas Fayre Cauliflower Cheese Soup Chicken & Pasta Soup Cinnamon Apples & Pears Eastern Lamb Stew Perfect Potato Salad Poached Salmon Citrus Fruit Ice Cream Chicken Dipper Club Sandwich Spinach Frittata Mince Pies Chicken Curry Chicken & Broccoli Bake Tiramisu Boozy Chocolate Fondue Potato & Leek Soup Tomato, Olive and Onion Salad Smoked Haddock & Sauce Chocolate, Mandarin & Cranberry Trifle Sidecar Champagne Cocktail Chocolate Strawberry Fondue Chocolate, Mandarin & Cranberry Trifle Cinnamon Plums Strawberries Romananoff