Cluck, Muck & Cook

Baking & Foodie Blog From Sunny Brentwood Essex

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Boxing Day Chutney

The annual pre Christmas lunch is looming, a tradition that has been going on for about 18 years. It started pre kids with 5 couples and now with all the kids there will be 18 for lunch.

As we do not have a table large enough to seat 18, this year I am going for a Boxing Day buffet theme. The cola baked ham is out of the oven, encrusted with treacle, mustard and demerara sugar. The turkey has been smoked on the BBQ. The brussels and carrots have been peeled and prepped and a bottled of chilled wine has been opened to start the festive dinner preparation.

Boxing Day Chutney

For me, the best bit of the Boxing Day buffet are all the pickles and chutneys to accompany the cold meats and cheeses. I have already made a Port and Cranberry sauce but I still need a special chutney to go with the European cheese mountain one of the guests always brings.

Boxing Day Chutney

I came across Nigella Lawson’s aptly named “Christmas Chutney”. With a little adaptation I now present my “Boxing Day” chutney, full of festive cranberries, satsuma, apples, figs and Christmas spices. Delicious as an accompaniment to your cold meats and cheeses or slathered on a turkey and ham roll.

Ingredients
Makes: 4 jam jars
375g cooking apples
1 small onion
250g cranberries
125g soft dates
1 clementine or satsuma
200g caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon mild chilli powder
250ml cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Maldon sea salt

Instructions
1. Sterilize your jars. I put mine through a hot cycle on the dishwasher.
2. Peel, core and roughly chop the cooking apples. Peel and roughly chop the onion. Put in a large saucepan. Add cranberries (defrost if frozen) and chopped dates into the pan.
3. Zest the clementines/satsumas into the pan and squeeze in the juice.
4. Add the sugar, ginger, cinnamon, salt and chilli powder, then pour in the vinegar.
5. Give the pan a good stir, bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to simmer gently, uncovered, for about 45 mins to an hour or until you have a sticky mix that bubbles like lava.
6. Fill your sterilised jars and seal.
7. This matures with age, store in a dark, cool, dry place. It should store well for 6-12 months. Once open keep in the fridge and use within a month.

Boxing Day Chutney
 
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I came across Nigella Lawson's aptly named "Christmas Chutney". With a little adaptation I now present my "Boxing Day" chutney, full of festive cranberries, satsuma, apples, figs and Christmas spices. Delicious as an accompaniment to your cold meats and cheeses or slathered on a turkey and ham roll.
Author:
Serves: 4 Jars
Ingredients
  • 375g cooking apples
  • 1 small onion
  • 250g cranberries
  • 125g soft dates
  • 1 clementine or satsuma
  • 200g caster sugar
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon mild chilli powder
  • 250ml cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Maldon sea salt
Instructions
  1. Sterilize your jars. I put mine through a hot cycle on the dishwasher.
  2. Peel, core and roughly chop the cooking apples. Peel and roughly chop the onion. Put in a large saucepan. Add cranberries (defrost if frozen) and chopped dates into the pan.
  3. Zest the clementines/satsumas into the pan and squeeze in the juice.
  4. Add the sugar, ginger, cinnamon, salt and chilli powder, then pour in the vinegar.
  5. Give the pan a good stir, bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to simmer gently, uncovered, for about 45 mins to an hour or until you have a sticky mix that bubbles like lava.
  6. Fill your sterilised jars and seal.
  7. This matures with age, store in a dark, cool, dry place. It should store well for 6-12 months. Once open keep in the fridge and use within a month.

 

5 Biscuits

Cranberry and Orange Sable Biscuits

The classic French sable with a holiday twist of orange and cranberry. The biscuits get their name for their sandy texture, sable meaning sand in French. Very much like an English shortbread, the addition of fresh orange zest and dried cranberries bring these biscuits to life.

Orange Cranberry Sable Biscuits

You can make these all year around but on Christmas Eve they end up on a plate by the fire for Santa alongside a glass of sherry and a carrot for Santa’s  reindeer. It is a welcome change from mince pies.

The basic dough is versatile, swap out the orange zest and cranberries for lemon zest or a teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Orange Cranberry Sable Biscuits

It is also a great make ahead dough, Once you get to the stage that you roll it into a sausage and chill, double wrap it and pop it in the freezer. Then just bring it out when you need it, defrost and bake and you have a fresh batch of delicious cookies.

Orange Cranberry Sable Biscuits

Makes: 24 Biscuits
Oven Temp: Gas 4, 350f, 180C (160C Fan)

Ingredients:
250g plain flour
250g butter, softened
55g icing sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg yolk
75g  caster sugar
90g dried cranberries pecans
zest of 2 oranges

Instructions.
1. In the stand mixer with the paddle attachment fitted or in a bowl with a hand mixer, mix the butter and salt on low speed until smooth.
2.Add the caster sugar and icing sugar and mix until smooth,scraping  down the bowl as needed.
3.Chop the cranberries into small pieces.
4.Add 1„ egg yolk, zest of two oranges and the cranberries and mix for 1 minute on low speed.
5. Sift in the flour and mix until just blended, the dough should be soft.
6. Turn the dough out onto the counter and gently bring it together in a ball. Divide it in half and shape each half into a 9-inch log.
7.Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3„ hours. At this stage you can freeze and keep them to cook another day. Just defrost them in the fridge overnight.
8.Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan.
9.Trim the rounded ends of the logs. Then cut the dough into 1/2 inch thick discs. Put them on the baking sheets, leaving 2 „inches between discs as these do spread.
10.Bake the biscuits for 18 to 22 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Allow to cool on the sheets for 5„ minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

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Cranberry and Orange Sable Biscuits
 
Save Print
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
The classic French sable with a holiday twist of orange and cranberry. The biscuits get their name for their sandy texture, sable meaning sand in French. Very much like an English shortbread, the addition of fresh orange zest and dried cranberries bring these biscuits to life.
Author:
Serves: 24
Ingredients
  • 250g plain flour
  • 250g butter, softened
  • 55g icing sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 75g caster sugar
  • 90g dried cranberries
  • zest of 2 oranges
Instructions
  1. In the stand mixer with the paddle attachment fitted or in a bowl with a hand mixer, mix the butter and salt on low speed until smooth.
  2. Add the caster sugar and icing sugar and mix until smooth,scraping down the bowl as needed.
  3. Chop the cranberries into small pieces.
  4. Add 1„ egg yolk, zest of two oranges and the cranberries and mix for 1 minute on low speed.
  5. Sift in the flour and mix until just blended, the dough should be soft.
  6. Turn the dough out onto the counter and gently bring it together in a ball. Divide it in half and shape each half into a 9-inch log.
  7. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3„ hours. At this stage you can freeze and keep them to cook another day. Just defrost them in the fridge overnight.
  8. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan.
  9. Trim the rounded ends of the logs. Then cut the dough into ½ inch thick discs. Put them on the baking sheets, leaving 2 „inches between discs as these do spread.
  10. Bake the biscuits for 18 to 22 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Allow to cool on the sheets for 5„ minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
Notes
There is 3 hour chilling time between making and baking