The nation’s favorite cook, Mary Berry, is sharing some of her classic Christmas Day dishes with viewers on her new BBC series Mary Berry’s Ultimate Christmas. So, let’s take a look at some of the recipes she’s rustling up.
Mary Berry is a national treasure and when it comes to putting on a great spread this festive season, fans can look no further than her BBC show which delves into her “stress-free” answers to Christmas cooking.
From perfecting the turkey to a show-stopper of a Christmas pudding, Mary lets fans in on how to ensure their day runs smoothly. She’s joined by some familiar faces in the cooking world on Ultimate Christmas in 2022.
Mary Berry’s Ultimate Christmas recipes: Mini scones
In her ultimate guide to the most wonderful Christmas ever, Mary begins with a starter of mini cheese and herb scones.
The mini scones are topped with cranberry.
These canapes can be made in advance as Mary says that the bases can be cooked ahead and frozen.
Here’s what you’ll need and how to make them:
Mix together with fingertips and the mixture should look like breadcrumbs.
Add flavor next with:
Add to flour and butter mix with mustard powder.
Mix together.
Now, mix together and lightly knead the dough.
Roll out the dough and cut out scones using a 3cm cutter. This should make about 35 mini scones
Place onto a lined baking tray ready for the oven.
Brush tops with beaten egg for a golden shine.
Cut in half once baked and top with stilton, put back into the oven for around three minutes.
Add cranberry and parsley to finish.
Mary Berry 🙌🏼 Mary Berry 🙌🏼 #MaryBerrysUltimateChristmas
— Dean🎄🦌☃️🎁⭐️🛷❄️ (@ItsMeDeaner) December 20, 2022
Mary Berry’s Ultimate Christmas recipes: Ruby red cabbage
A Christmas classic is also on Mary Berry’s to-do list. She makes a ruby red cabbage to accompany her roast dinner.
Mary first removes the core of the red cabbage and then finely shreds.
This is another dish that can be made well before Christmas and frozen in the freezer then later reheated.
She adds olive oil and butter to a hot pan and then adds in the shredded cabbage.
Mary also adds in roughly copped onion and an apple as well as some apple juice and some red currant jelly (about four tablespoons).
She adds a cinnamon stick, a few bay leaves, and some nutmeg.
Mary says: “Put the cabbage into the oven for three hours at 130 fan.”
She fishes out the bay leaves and the cinnamon stick and then removes the cabbage from the liquid with a slotted spoon.
Next, reduce with a knob of butter until the sauce is thick and syrupy.
RT if you watched #MaryBerrysUltimateChristmas!🎄
If there's one person we'd trust to make a perfect Christmas turkey, it's Mary Berry.
Here she uses lemon and herbs to add flavour and keep the bird nice and juicy.
Watch the full show on @BBCiPlayer.
— BBC Food (@BBCFood) December 19, 2022
Mary Berry’s apricot stuffing
Another dish that can be made in advance for your Christmas feast is Mary’s apricot and chestnut stuffing.
The chestnut and apricot stuffing can be made up to three days before December 25.
Firstly Mary chops up 225g of dried apricots.
She cuts them into four and then places in a pan.
She simmers in a pan of water (1 pint) for five minutes along with two roughly chopped onions, four sticks of celery (finely chopped).
Once soft, strain and leave to cool.
Now, Mary gets started on the chestnuts.
She uses frozen chestnuts because they have a crunchy texture and she says they’re easy to chop once thawed.
Roughly chop the chestnuts into fairly big pieces.
Melt 100g butter in a pan – she uses half to fry the chestnuts and half to add to the stuffing mix. Gently fry the chestnuts and add coarsely chopped parsley.
Now bring everything together with 225g of white breadcrumbs, the apricot, onion, and celery mix, and a tablespoon of thyme leaves. Add the parsley and the chestnuts. Finally, add the remaining melted butter, salt, and pepper.
Mix together and tip into an oven dish and bake.
I hate to cook but I love #MaryBerry at Christmas time #MaryBerrysUltimateChristmas
— Dean🎄🦌☃️🎁⭐️🛷❄️ (@ItsMeDeaner) December 20, 2022
Mary Berry’s twice-cooked roast potatoes
Another of Mary’s Christmas recipes that got BBC viewers excited was her twice-cooked roast potatoes.
Mary said that she always roasts her potatoes on Christmas Eve and then re-roasts them on Christmas Day.
Start by par-boiling peeled potatoes for five minutes then drain.
Mary says to use a King Edward or Maris Piper potato, but not a waxy potato for your roasties.
After draining the potatoes, Mary sprinkles them with 40g of semolina flour and shakes the pot to ensure they’re all covered.
She says that it’s very important to roast potatoes in hot fat.
Mary uses four tablespoons of goose fat, although she adds that vegetable oil is a good alternative.
She places them on a baking tray of “smoking hot” fat and pops them into the oven to roast until golden brown.
She then reheats them for about 20 minutes on the day before serving.
Those double cooked roast potatoes are going to be a game changer this year #MaryBerrysUltimateChristmas
— Carol (@gunnerwoo) December 19, 2022
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