Nigella Lawson Recipes: Christmas With Britain's Favourite Foodie

The past few weeks have seen sultry chef starlet Nigella Lawson fall from grace in a big way. Not only was she embroiled in an ugly fraud case against her former assistants, she’s had to relive the summer’s painful memories when her husband Charles Saatchi was pictured gripping her throat, and now has been forced to admit that she has taken drugs on various occasions.

The festive season is certainly high time for hedonism and over-indulgence: for some this can mean heavy-drinking, retail therapy, binge eating or perhaps the consumption of the less legal kind. However, it’s widely accepted that the best bit of Christmas is the food. Be it an oven-fresh joint stewing in its own juices, mountainous piles of crispy roast potatoes or a Christmas pudding doused in lashings of brandy sauce.

A journalist turned TV chef, Nigella has built up an impressive empire of cook books, kitchen utensils and TV shows thought to be worth £15 million and she is credited with inspiring many to try out cooking for themselves.

1) CHOCOLATE GINGERBREAD

In this recipe, Nigella mixes the indulgence of a heavy chocolate cake with the festivity of the Christmas spices, ginger, cinnamon and clove, to give a sticky and rich wodge of the old-fashioned kind of gingerbread (more of a cake in texture) than the crispy gingerbread people we’re used to nowadays.

Ginger ale does seem like a weird ingredient but honestly for some reason helps push this gluttonous treat into the upper echelons of heaven. However, the cake is sweet and moist enough on its own to omit the icing layer all together if you need to.

Ingredients:

175g butter

125g dark muscovado sugar

2 tablespoons caster sugar

200g golden syrup

200g black treacle

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp ground ginger

1.25 tsp bicarb soda

2 tbsp warm water

2 eggs

250ml milk

275g plain flour

40g cocoa

175g choc chips/chopped chocolate

1) Preheat the oven to GM 3/170 C. Line a 30 x 20 x 5cm roasting tin with baking parchment.

2) In decent sized saucepan, melt the butter, syrup, treacle, sugar and spices. In a cup, dissolve the bicarb in the warm water.

3) Take the pan off the heat and beat in the eggs, milk & bicarb/water.

4) Stir in the flour and cocoa and beat with a wooden spoon to mix.

5) Stir in the choc chips and pour the mix into the lined tin(s).

6) Bake for about 45 mins until risen and firm. It will be slightly damp under the set top - this is what you want. Remove to a wire rack to cool in the tin.

Icing Recipe:

250g icing sugar

30g butter

1 tbsp cocoa

60ml ginger ale

1) Sieve the icing sugar.

2) In a heavy bottomed saucepan, heat the butter, cocoa and ginger ale. When the butter's melted, whisk in the icing sugar.

3) Lift the gingerbread out of the tin and unwrap the liner. Pour over the icing just to cover the top and cut into fat slabs when set.

2) LEMON MERINGUE CAKE

Though Christmas dessert cooking places a wonderful emphasis on chocolate, there may be times over the festive season when you’re stuffed with chocolate from the assortment tin, the selection box, the edible tree decorations, the gold-wrapped Santa, and the chocolate Salame – excuse us whilst we adjust our belts – so eventually you may be seeking respite. Nigella’s legendary lemon meringue cake will inject a fresh citrus zing into your Christmas bloat without letting up on the sweetness. Well it is Christmas, right?

Born from Nigella’s alleged inability to make a traditional lemon meringue pie, this recipe adapts the classic into a tiered cake formation, meaning slip-ups can easily be disguised. In Queen Indulgence’s own words, this is “so much better than a lemon meringue pie could ever be.”

Ingredients:

125 grams very soft unsalted butter

4 large eggs (separated)

300 grams caster sugar (plus 1 teaspoon)

100 grams plain flour • 25 grams cornflour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

zest of 1 lemon

4 teaspoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons milk

½ teaspoon cream of tartar

150 ml double cream (or whipping cream)

150 grams good quality lemon curd

Method

1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 6/200°C/400ºF. Line and butter two 21cm / 8 inch sandwich tins.

2. Whizz the egg yolks, 100g / ½ cup of the sugar, the butter, flour, cornflour, baking powder, bicarb, and lemon zest in a processor. Add the lemon juice and milk and process again.

3. Divide the mixture between the prepared tins and spread until smooth.

4. Whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar until peaks form and then slowly whisk in 200g / 1 cup of sugar. Divide the whisked whites between the two sponge-filled tins, pouring or, more accurately, spreading the meringue straight on top of the cake batter.

5. Smooth one flat with a metal spatula, and with the back of a spoon, peak the other and sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar over the peaks. Put the tins into the oven for 20-25 minutes.

6. With a cake-tester, pierce the cake that has the flat meringue topping to check it's cooked all through. (It will have risen now but will fall back flattish later.) No sponge mixture should stick to the tester. Remove both cakes to a wire rack and let cool completely in the tins.

7. Unmould the flat-topped one on to a cake stand or plate, meringue side down.

8. Whisk the double cream until thick but not stiff and set aside. Spread the flat sponge surface of the first, waiting, cake with the lemon curd and then spatula over the cream and top with the remaining cake, bronze-peaked meringue uppermost.

Next page: Chocolate Salame

3) CHOCOLATE SALAME

Stuck for Christmas presents this year? You can’t go wrong with this impressive and easy to make coffee time treat that also doubles as a fun prank. The chocolate and biscuit mixture is rolled and covered in icing sugar to look like a tied Italian finocchiona . Indeed, at first it may look like a dusty turd but once you’ve strung it up in the traditional way whoever you choose to gift with this inspired treat will wonder how you managed to pull of such an elaborate looking confection.

With all the nuts, amaretti biscuits and liqueur, Nigella’s isn’t the cheapest edible gift to make but we’re pretty certain that the amaretti biscuits could be substituted for the slightly less indulgent rich tea biscuits, with cheaper nuts chosen and the liqueur omitted entirely – especially if destined for children. Otherwise, this no-bake flash of culinary genius is a doddle.

Ingredients:

250 grams good-quality dark chocolate (min. 70% cocoa solids), roughly chopped

250 grams amaretti biscuits (crunchy, not soft)

100 grams soft unsalted butter

150 grams caster sugar

3 large eggs

2 tablespoons amaretto liqueur

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

75 grams almonds (unskinned), roughly chopped

75 grams hazelnuts (roughly chopped)

50 grams shelled pistachios (roughly chopped)

2 tablespoons icing sugar (to decorate)

Method

1. In the microwave (following manufacturer’s instructions), or in a heatproof bowl suspended over a saucepan of simmering water (but not touching the water), melt the chocolate until smooth. While the chocolate’s melting, put the biscuits into a large freezer bag, seal and bash them with a rolling pin until you have a bag of rubble – not dust. When the chocolate’s melted, remove it to a cold place (not the fridge) and set aside to cool.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together; I do this in a freestanding mixer, but you don’t have to. You just need to use a large bowl and make sure the mixture is soft and superlight.

3. Gradually, and one by one, beat in the eggs. (Don’t worry if the mixture looks curdled at this stage: all manner of ills will be righted once the chocolate is added later.) Then beat in the amaretto liqueur.

4. Push the cocoa powder through a little sieve or tea strainer into the cooled chocolate and, with a small rubber spatula, stir till combined, then beat this into the egg mixture, too.

5. When you have a smooth chocolate mixture in front of you, tip in the chopped nuts and crushed biscuits. Fold these in firmly but patiently to make sure everything is chocolate covered. Transfer this mixture, still in its bowl, to the fridge to firm up a bit for 20–30 minutes. Don’t leave it for much longer than this or it will be difficult to get out of the bowl to shape.

6. Unroll and slice off 2 large pieces of clingfilm, overlapping them, so that you have a large cling-covered surface to roll the chocolate salame out on. Tip the chocolate mixture out in the middle of this and – using your hands, messy though this is – mould the mixture into a fat salame-like log, approx. 30cm long.

7. Cover the chocolate log completely with the clingfilm, and then firmly roll it, as if it were a rolling pin, to create a smooth, rounded cylinder from the rough log you started with. Twist the ends by grasping both ends of the clingfilm and rolling the sausage-log towards you several times. Then put it in the fridge for at least 6 hours – though preferably overnight – to set.

8. Now – once it’s set – for the exciting bit: tear off a large piece of greaseproof paper and lay it on a clear kitchen surface. Take the salame out of the fridge and sit it on the paper. Measure out a piece of string at least 6 times longer than the length of the salame, and tie one end of the string firmly round the twisted knot of clingfilm at one end of the salame. Then trim away as much clingfilm as you can, but without cutting either of the tapered, nose ends, so that you can attach the string to these.

9. Dust your hands with a little icing sugar and then rub 2 tablespoons of icing sugar (more if needed) over the unwrapped salame to stop it getting sticky as you string it up. Plus it makes it look more like a salame!

10. Make a loop with the string, a little wider than the salame, and feed it over the end of the salame, close to where it is tied on. Pull on the trailing end to tighten (but not too tightly) and form another loop of string as before. Work this second loop around the sausage, 4cm or so further along from the first, tighten again and repeat until you reach the far end of the salame, then tie the string firmly round the other twisted nose of clingfilm.

11. With your remaining length of string, start to feed it back along the salame, twisting it around the encircling string each time it crosses a loop, then tie it again when you come to the end. Repeat these lengths as many times as you want, to make the authentic-looking pattern, but two or three times would be enough to get the effect.

12. Transfer it to a wooden board, and cut some slices, fanning them out as if they were indeed slices of salame, leaving a knife on the board, too, for people to cut further slices, as they wish. Obviously, when you cut the salame, you will cut through the string, but the many knots and twists keep it securely tied. Serve fridge cold, or very near to it.

Next page: Star-Topped Mince Pies & Brandy Butter.

4) STAR-TOPPED MINCE PIES & BRANDY BUTTER

Mince pies are ubiquitous at this time of year and few of us will have resisted the temptation to tuck into a crumbly, warming treat before Christmas Eve. Being everywhere, there’s also a range of standards available too and whilst it may feel like a bargain to pick up 12 for £1 in a BOGOF offer, the quality will automatically suffer.

So why not go the whole hog this year – it is Christmas after all – and try not only making your own pastry, but your own filling as well. We’re sure you’ll agree that once you’ve tried the juicy, booze-soaked, spice-infused sensation of homemade mincemeat, it’ll be difficult to go back to lack lustre jars of the stuff.

Ingredients

Pastry

240 grams plain flour

60 grams vegetable shortening

60 grams cold butter

juice of 1 orange

1 pinch of salt

approx. 350 grams mincemeat

icing sugar (for dusting)

Cranberry Studded Mincemeat - makes about 600ml / 2½ cups

60 ml ruby port

75 grams soft dark brown sugar

300 grams cranberries

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground cloves

75 grams currants

75 grams raisins

30 grams dried cranberries

finely grated zest and juice of 1 clementine

25 ml brandy

3 drops almond extract

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons honey

Method

1. Make the mincemeat in advance. In a large pan, dissolve the sugar in the ruby port over a gentle heat. Add the cranberries and stir. Add the cinnamon, ginger and cloves, currants, raisins, dried cranberries and the zest and juice of the clementine. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 20 minutes, or until the fruit has broken down and has absorbed most of the liquid in the pan. (You may need to squish the cranberries a little with the back of a wooden spoon to incorporate them fully.) Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little. Add the brandy, almond extract, vanilla extract and honey and stir well with a wooden spoon to mash the mixture down into a paste. Spoon the mincemeat into sterilised jars and, once cool, store in the fridge for up to two weeks.

2. Then once you are ready to make your mince pies, get out a tray of miniature tart tins, each indent 4.5cm / 2 inches in diameter, along with a 5.5cm / 2¼ inch fluted, round biscuit cutter and a 4cm / 1¾ inch star cutter.

3. Measure the flour into a shallow bowl or dish and, with a teaspoon, dollop little mounds of vegetable shortening into the bowl, add the butter, diced small, shake to cover it, then put in the freezer for 20 minutes. This is what will make the pastry so tender and flaky later.Mix together the orange juice and salt in a separate, small bowl, cover and leave in the fridge to chill.

4. After the 20 minutes, empty the flour and fat into the bowl of your food processor and blitz until you’ve got a pale pile of porridge-like crumbs. Pour the salted juice down the funnel, pulsing until it looks as if the dough is about to cohere; you want to stop just before it does (even if some orange juice is left). If all your juice is used up and you need more liquid, add some iced water.

5. If you prefer to use a freestanding mixer to make the pastry, cut the fats into the flour with the flat paddle, leaving the bowl in the fridge to chill down for the 20-minute flour-and-fat-freezer session. Add liquid as above. I often find the pastry uses more liquid in the mixer than the processor.

6. Turn the mixture out of the processor or mixing bowl onto a pastry board or work surface and, using your hands, combine to a dough. Then form into 3 discs (you’ll need to make these in 3 batches, unless you’ve got enough tart tins to make all 36 pies at once).

7. Wrap each disc in clingfilm and put in the fridge to rest for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 220°C/gas mark 7/425ºF.

8. Roll out the discs, one at a time, as thinly as you can without exaggerating; in other words, you want a light pastry case, but one sturdy enough to support the dense mincemeat. This is easy-going dough, so you don’t have to pander to it: just get rolling and patch up as you need.

9. Out of each rolled-out disc cut out circles a little wider than the indentations in the tart tins; I use a fluted cookie cutter for this. Press these circles gently into the moulds and dollop in a scant teaspoon of mincemeat.

10. Then cut out your stars with your little star cutter – re-rolling the pastry as necessary – and place the tops lightly on the mincemeat.

11. Put in the oven and bake for 10–15 minutes: keep an eye on them as they really don’t take long and ovens do vary.

12. Remove from the oven, prising out the little pies straight away and letting the empty tin cool down before you start putting in the pastry for the next batch. Carry on until they’re all done.

13. Dust over some icing sugar by pushing it through a tea strainer, and serve the pies with one of the butters from "Nigella Christmas".

Caramel Brandy Butter:

if you haven’t been converted yet, do yourself a favour and whip up this yuletide favourite. Even if you’re not a brandy lover the oozing deliciousness of the butter and the pervasive sweetness of the sugar will have you coming back for more helpings.

Ingredients

25 ml cold salted caramel sauce

150 grams soft unsalted butter

25 ml brandy

Method

1. Beat the butter with an equal weight of cold salted caramel sauce and brandy to taste (I use about a shot, which is about 25ml / 2 tablespoons) starting with a 15ml tablespoon.

2. Chill in the fridge and serve with mince pies or Christmas pudding or both.

Next page: Holiday Hot Cake with Eggnog Cream.

5) Holiday Hot Cake With Eggnog Cream

“A warming, welcoming pud full of seasonal spice that can be thrown together in a matter of minutes,” says Nigella. A light sponge and lashings of the eggnog cream make this slightly spiced bowl of sticky and sweet indulgence the kind of pud memories are made of.

The sponge may not be photogenic but once doused with the rich sauce, takes on a regality fitting of a dessert table showstopper. The method may seem a little weird at first – pouring boiling water on batter – but don’t worry yourself that Nigella was a little tipsy on the ‘nog at the time (or worse), as all will turn out smashing if you follow the instructions carefully. Also, don’t be afraid to use this very special cream for any others desserts too. Good job there’s more than one hole on our belt buckle!

Ingredients:

150 grams plain flour

300 grams light brown muscovado sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons mixed spice

125 ml full fat milk

60 ml vegetable oil

1 large egg

6 teaspoons butter

500 ml boiling water

350 ml double cream

125 ml advocaat

Method

1. Preheat oven to 220°C/gas mark 7/425ºF and place a baking sheet on the shelf. Put water on to boil.

2. Mix together the flour, 100g / ½ cup of the sugar, the baking powder, 1 teaspoon of the ground ginger, 1 teaspoon of the mixed spice, and the milk, oil and egg.

3. Put into a greased, round baking dish (23cm diameter x 6cm deep / 9 inch round x 2¼ inches deep).

4. In another bowl, mix together the remaining 200g / 1 cup of sugar with the remaining teaspoons each of mixed spice and ground ginger, and sprinkle over the batter in its baking dish. Dot the butter on top and pour the boiling water over the mixture. Trust me.

5. Put the dish on the baking sheet in the oven for 30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving, and make sure you scoop out the sauce beneath the sponge in the dish.

6. Put the cream and advocaat into a bowl. Using an electric whisk, whip until thick but still soft. Serve with the Holiday Hotcake.