With each of our serviced apartments offering a fully fitted kitchen you have absolutely no excuse for not trying a few festive favourites if you’re staying with us over the Christmas period. There’s nothing like some festive baking and there’s a reason why we call this the season to eat, drink and be merry. So start shopping for ingredients and try your hand at a few of these Christmas recipes.
The traditional Christmas lunch
It simply isn’t Christmas without a turkey and all the trimmings. For a succulent turkey make sure you check the weight of the bird and how long it will take to cook. Every cook’s favourite Nigella Lawson recommends brining turkey for 24 hours to make sure it’s extra juicy. Some real roasties – cooked in duck fat of course – with carrots, parsnips and sprouts on the side all finished off with bread sauce and cranberry sauce. You can’t go wrong! Coming up a close second to the traditional Christmas lunch is Boxing Day leftovers. Either go for a mega turkey sandwich or serve cold meats with pickles.
Mince pies
Forget buying them in, you can make your own mince pies with some currants and suet as well as a little sugar and then bake the filling in side baskets with your own shortcrust pastry. The best thing about homemade mince pies is the beautiful smell they fill the air with. The whole apartment will have the scent of Christmas.
Pigs in blankets
Either for a buffet or a side dish for the main event, pigs in blankets are gloriously festive. Wrap miniature pork sausages in bacon and bake. You can play around with the original using chipolatas or Parma ham but we’re firm believers in sticking with the classic makeup.
Gingerbread biscuits
Another bake that guarantees the house will smell festive all you need to do is mix butter, flour and sugar with a few spices. Roll the paste into balls and bake for just twenty minutes. Delicious! You can even punch a hole in the top before you bake, then thread ribbon through it to make homemade decorations.
Fruit cake
The traditional fruit cake doesn’t have to take weeks of reparation and feeding. Instead choose a recipe that simply needs mixing and then baking. A real fruitcake is filled with currants, sultanas, nuts, cherries, lemon and orange peel, spices and brandy. The ideal treat for a rainy afternoon, enjoyed with a mug of tea or mulled wine.
The joy of a serviced apartment is that you’re not relying on eating out over the festive period. Use your fully fitted kitchen in any one of Clarendon’s serviced apartments and make Christmas your own by creating a few of your own festive bakes.