Viennese Whirl Mince Pies. I found these really satisfying to make, using the homemade mincemeat from my LIVE yesterday. They aren’t as whirly as I’d have liked (I chilled after piping the topping before baking and the mixture was as stiff as I could feasibly pipe with). If anyone has any top tips on how to achieve this, please share! They taste amazing, a proper sturdy mince pie (love the orange in the pastry), if you have a little time to spend. If not, do the Mincemeat Crumble Slice - knockout and it’s extremely quick 🎄

Cream Mustard Chicken Stew. Nice and quick for a kid-week meal when you want something to warm your cockles. I cut my potatoes in the larger side so I needed to cook for longer, so I would size down and add an extra tablespoon of Dijon and a splash of wine too. Served with garlic broccoli and I wished I’d done some peas too. Never have pea regret, it’s not pleasant 🫛

There has to be room for a pavlova or three at this time of year. The Thermomix does an amazing job with egg whites, but if you notice a recipe amendment for the TM7 with adding the sugar in two steps, I would recommend going back to basics and adding a spoon at a time through the holes in the lid - you really want that gradual incorporation of the sugar. This is what I shall be doing next time after some brain storming with my team! 🎄

Ok, it’s been a bonkers month but I feel the Christmas content has been lacking! Here’s a nice easy one that’s very quick to make and no recipe required. Melt some chocolate, pour into a lined tray and decorate with pretzel antlers, smartie noses and sugar eyes = reindeer bark Break it into pieces and wrap in a cellophane bag for stocking fillers and hampers. Job done in about 5 minutes (+ cooling time) 🎄