Filo Brie and Cranberry Crackers
Package filo pastry
Cranberry sauce (store bought is fine or you could try the easy recipe I’ve included below - that’s the one I tasted with)
A sliver of Brie/crumbling of goats’ cheese
Salted butter, melted
Cut a sheet of filo into squares that are around 15cm x 15cm
(Please be gentle - filo is delicate)
Brush with the melted butter
Add a sliver of the cheese and spread with a little of the cranberry sauce
Roll up and pinch/twist the ends so it looks like a little cracker
Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment or an non-stick mat
Bake on 180c for about 6-10 mins in the middle of the oven turning once
Brie and Caramelised onion bites
Sheet of puff pastry
Approx 60g of Brie/Goats cheese cut into squares
Red Onion chutney (or make your own caramelised onion as below)
Beaten egg
Cut each squares of puff pastry into bit sized squares
Brush with a little of the egg
Score a small square leaving a border on each of the squares. Do not cut quite through the pastry
In the middle of the square pop a piece of Brie with a teaspoon of the onion on top
Pop them on a lined baking sheet and bake in the oven on 180 for 10-15 minutes or until the outer rim of the bite has risen and gone light brown
4 tbsp green pesto
Pack of filo pastry (or use the leftovers from the crackers if making both)
100g goats cheese/brie
Butter for brushing
Cut the filo into strips 30 cm x 10
Butter the strips lightly
Fold the strip into a rectangle square (15x0
Pop some goats cheese and a little pesto in the middle of the square
Fold over into a triangle shape
Bake in the oven on 180c for 6-10 mins or until golden, turning once
Easy Christmas Cranberry and Cherry Sauce
150g frozen cranberries
150g frozen cherries
100g light brown muscovado sugar
50 ml brandy
½ tsp grated nutmeg
½ tsp ground cinnamon
Throw all ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer until thickened & the brandy has had time to cook out
Allow to cool and store in the fridge until needed
Whisky Pork Belly Bites
400g pork belly cut into bite sized cubes
1 tbsp local runny honey
1 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp ketchup
100ml whisky
1 star anise
1tbsp sunflower oil (for frying)
(You can either serve with the marinade as a dip if you make extra - simply double the recipe - or with sour cream and chives on the side)
2 tbsp Sour cream
1 tbsp fresh chopped chives stirred through
Roast the pork belly on 150c - covered - for 20 mins to cook through
While that’s cooking mix the other ingredients together and add the star anise
In a small saucepan, boil the mixture until it is nicely thickened (remove the star anise at this stage)
Remove the pork belly from the oven
Heat the oil in a frying pan to hot - pan check with a drop of water which should smoke on contact - when the pan is hot throw in the pork belly to crisp and colour
Lower the heat, add the marinade on top (reserving half if you made extra for a dipping sauce)
Serve on little skewers as they are hot when out of the pan
Serve with either the dipping sauce of the sour cream and chive
Easy Red Onion Marmalade
3 red onions
1 tbsp butter
3 tbsp brown sugar
A whole lot of patience
Slice the onions very finely - I have to use a mandolin to do this as I can’t otherwise slice finely enough but please be mindful of your fingers.
Fry on a very low heat until soft and browned. Do not rush this or it will end up acrid
Add the sugar and allow to go very sticky
Allow to cool and store in the fridge until ready to use
(Or cheat and use a really good red onion chutney. I can recommend the Tiptree one)
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