It is almost the holiday season, the time for winter feasts, for the preparation of Christmas treats. If you want simple and tasty – Jeremy Lee’s definitive soda bread, a clever spin on cheese straws, or something eye-catching and adventurous like Justin Gellatly’s monumental croquembouche – you don’t need to look further. From Dan Lepard to Dominique Ansel, from Anna Jones to Claire Ptak, from Yotam Ottolenghi to Nigel Slater, our experts have your back. There’s also crispy shortbread stars, Christmas pudding, hash parfaits, Mont Blanc tarts, luxurious meringue cake, even Anja Dunk’s gingerbread house. The best recipes for a family tea or a chic party. Merry Christmas to everyone.
Gloriously festive, these fragrant star cookies are perfect to have on hand for Christmas cuppa teas and make a great gift.
Bright, rich, spicy and above all delicious, this seasonal staple is best made ahead of time and then allowed to warm gently while you eat Christmas lunch.
With its snowy surface giving way to layers of crispy puff pastry and rich, buttery vanilla custard, it’s a winter wonderland cake.
Christmas entertaining is a breeze with these more indulgent snacks – easy to make, quick to cook straight from the freezer, and perfect with a drink.
An easy recipe for a snowy fairy tale scene that’s as fun to decorate as it is to eat.
The deep, rich flavors of prune and Armagnac add seasonally indulgent notes to a chocolate brownie recipe that will always appeal to purists.
This impressive cake, traditionally crushed by the host before being served, makes a theatrical centerpiece for the Christmas table.
This version of an Italian pie is an almost perfect winter pudding – seasonal fruit, wrapped in ricotta cream and baked in a hazelnut crust.
Buttery puff pastry, gooey cheese and layered potatoes, this pie elevates comfort food to a vegetarian main dish worthy of a Christmas feast.
A recipe for fruity, deeply spiced ground meat and one for the perfect crispy batter that helps turn it into those Christmas staples.
A variation of the French Yule log sees the traditional dark chocolate sponge cake and frosting replaced with pistachios and white chocolate.
Nothing beats freshly baked bread, generously spread with butter. This easy bread is made with an interesting heirloom grain and goes especially well with smoked salmon or Christmas cheese.
In this sophisticated tart, the classic pudding of chestnut puree and whipped cream is enhanced with a crispy pecan praline.
The membrillo – quince paste – is not reserved only for the cheese platter. Stirred into a mixture with buttermilk, spelled and poppy seeds, when cooked, it melts deliciously in this surprisingly decadent baking dish.
Like a doused pavlova with a lid, the elements of this merry pudding can be made two days in advance, taking the stress out of the Christmas feast a bit.
This dinnertime favorite gets an update, hiding nuggets of a favorite Christmas candy in its gooey center. One for the haters of the traditional pudding.
This traditional Indian Catholic family recipe is bursting with rich, smooth flavors of caramel and rum, with lots of spicy sweet ginger and chopped cashews.
Influenced by American home cooking, this cheesecake is bursting with seasonal spices – and was a coveted favorite of the Honey & Co. kitchen staff.
There’s no better use for leftover croissants, and it’s an easy and beautifully indulgent brunch or supper for those lazy days after Christmas.
A sweet brioche bread with orange blossom is traditional in Provence for Christmas Eve – but it works just as well as a Boxing Day breakfast to dip into cups of hot chocolate.
