Whilst I'm on the subject of cherries …

Here's another addition to your speedy dessert recipe section but before I begin, you have a choice of cherries :

Frozen cherries create their own juice.

I use frozen Dark Sweet Cherries which I get from

Sainsbury's - they come in 500g bags.

Tinned cherries have syrup or juice

Fresh cherries will need extra juice – you can

get cartons of cherry juice from either Waitrose or M&S.

Bear in mind their season is short and they are expensive

for jamming

Cherry Jam

250g black cherries, stoned

2 tbsps of arrowroot

2 tbsps Kirsch or Cherry Brandy - optional

4 tbsps maple syrup

If using frozen cherries defrost and set aside the juice. If using tinned cherries drain and set aside the syrup. Using a blender, blend half of the cherries with 120ml (4¼ fl oz) of the juice from the defrosted cherries or the cherry syrup from the tinned, arrowroot, 2 tbsps of Kirsch or Cherry Brandy and the maple syrup. Blend until smooth then pour into a saucepan, add the remaining cherries, bring to the boil and let it reduce for 10 minutes until it becomes jam like. Pour into a bowl and leave to cool and thicken.

I'd not recommend using cornflour as a thickening agent – your jam will be cloudy. Arrowroot gives you a glossy finish.

The “cherry jam” will not last for ever and has what I call a soft set. A soft set jam makes for a perfect layer in a cherry version of the emergency desserts.

Use either raspberries or cherries and layer with the compote and/or jam, using the crushed Amaretti biscuits and meringues in the December thoughts … as mentioned in the previous post. If you want a grown up version add Cherry Brandy or Kirsch to the cherries or Chambord Raspberry Liqueur or Framboise to the raspberry. The almond in the Amaretti goes well with both fruits.

The time has come to measure your waistline or try on those jeans that did fit and discover how much damage you've done over the holidays!

Alternative stress free desserts

If you're not keen on the citrus flavours mentioned in December thoughts and your emergency dessert kit 7/12/19 there are alternatives :

The raspberry route -

have frozen raspberries in your freezer

make a raspberry compote and freeze it

The cherry choice -

have frozen cherries in your freezer

make a cherry compote and freeze it

Here's a recipe that will cover both the raspberry and cherry compote :

Cherry and Raspberry Compote

350g cherries, stoned – can use frozen

150g caster sugar

juice of 1 lemon (2 tbsps)

150g raspberries – can use frozen

4 tbsp water or juice from defrosted fruit

Pour the water into a pan and add the cherries, sugar and lemon juice. Place on a medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Cook the cherries over a low heat for 5-10 minutes until they have released some juice but are not overcooked. If you are using frozen cherries you will have the fruit juices when defrosted – use this juice instead of the water and reduce the cooking time to 5 minutes.

Add the raspberries to the pan and cook for a further 1-2 minutes until they start to soften. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the mixture to cool, then chill it well before serving. Blitz the compote and pass through a sieve. You'll get 400ml.

Whilst I'm on the subject of cherries – and stress free .... read on

The all important layers ...

… here's what I transported :

Lactose free Halloumi 250g

A box of spice mix – see below for recipe

If you'd like the recipe for the Halloumi

check out the Cheese label 3/3/18 A bit of fun and

a fab snack and/or Halloumi Smash and Grab for a

photo guide

Vegan Mayo – had I been at home I would have

made the Stick Blender Smoked Mayo – instead I took

Hellman's Vegan Mayo

An Avocado Pear

A lemon

black pepper

The avocado can be sliced or mashed, then

add lemon and black pepper, ready to assemble

Instructions were duly passed on … standby for the results!

Whilst we're waiting, if you'd like a meat eaters version of the layered sandwich with festive leftovers, here it is.

Leftover sliced turkey, chicken or pork

stuffing and bread sauce

redcurrant jelly

mayonnaise

a relish of your choice – mine would be

Bazzin' Beetroot Relish – recipe can be found on the

Beetroot label Saturday 10th August 2019

Sliced black olives – add a zing

The wraps are huge so if you're ravenous they will hit the sandwich spot – divide in half and share otherwise. There are no “quantity” rules here – live dangerously and fly by the seat of your pants!

Now for a dessert …

A serious sandwich …

is just that, a serious business. A final treat before you decide you have to do something about the over indulgence and measure your waistline in January.

A serious sandwich is all about layering your favourite ingredients.

I took the ingredients for just such a sandwich with me for Christmas at my Sister's, specifically designed for my Nephew Lucas who is lactose intolerant – why should he miss out!

The bread, as with any sandwich, is the key. I chose Piadina wraps, the large version – they are suitable for vegans and vegetarians and there's a smaller option available too. I bought them ahead and popped into the freezer – easy and convenient for the freezer bag and transit.

Milk is included in the majority of processed bread making so you need to check labels – there are brands that don't – Warburtons is one such. Many of their bakery products do not contain any dairy and are therefore suitable for vegans but are produced in bakeries that use dairy ingredients making milk rolls and milk bread.

Here's what the Piadina looks like and there's a choice :

Next up, the all important layers!

Another retro thought …

and another candidate to dunk in the mayo – Stromboli – it would also be perfect to pop on a buffet table, especially if you've got younger guests – it's just rolled up pizza after all!

Stromboli

400g prepared pizza dough or ready-made base

4 tbsp tomato paste

100g thinly sliced salami

120g baby spinach

100g thinly sliced mozzarella cheese

1 tbsp olive oil

Generous sprinkle of oregano or garlic Italian seasoning

Pre-heat your oven 220fan/200c/Gas 8. Place a large baking tray in the oven.

Place a dampened J cloth on your work surface. Place a piece of baking parchment on top of the cloth – it will stop it sliding – make sure you leave enough to get hold of – you're going to lift it onto the hot baking tray that's in the oven at the moment. Unroll the pizza dough gently on the parchment.

Spread the tomato paste onto the base. Add the slices of salami, followed by the spinach and then the mozzarella and sprinkle with the oregano or garlic Italian seasoning. Roll up the base from the shortest side and brush with the olive oil - make sure it's seam-side down when placed on the tray.

WITH CARE remove the tray from the oven and then carefully lift the parchment and the rolled up pizza onto it. Place back in the oven for 20/25 minutes until golden brown – check at 20 minutes.

When removed from the oven slice into portions to suit and serve.

Choose any of your favourite pizza toppings to create your own Stromboli – the fastest pizza ever.

You'll need an oblong base for the Stromboli – it looks like the biggest sausage roll ever that you'll then slice! I'd suggest Asda's own brand - found in the chiller cabinet - for the prepared pizza dough - £1.00 per 400g pack.

Another perfect emergency item for your freezer stash.

The holidays are short this year – they fall in the middle of the week – however there's a weekend to follow after New Year so still time for a final festive treat or two before reining in the waistline!

Alternatively ...

… you could add two small items to your shopping list – a 1kg bag of Charlotte potatoes and a jar of Schwartz Paprika and Onion Classic Chip Seasoning ready to make your own wedges. Wedges give you “double dunking” with both the mayo and the Baked Camembert. Charlottes are excellent for wedges and dunking – they retain their shape.

How many you want is entirely up to you and whether you are serving 2 or want a huge bowlful as part of a buffet table.

Here's a basic recipe :

1kg of Charlotte potatoes – skin on

cut each potato into 4 – try to make sure

they are of a similar size

tip the wedges into a large mixing bowl

add 1 tablespoon of rapeseed oil and – using

your hands – mix the oil through the potatoes

until covered

tip the potatoes onto a large non stick baking

tray

place the tray into a pre-heated oven 200fan/220c/Gas 7

and bake for 20 minutes – set your timer and turn

after 10 minutes until cooked and have crispy

skins

tip the cooked wedges back into the large mixing

bowl and sprinkle over the seasoning – I'd suggest you

wear gloves – toss the seasoning through the wedges

Serve them in a large bowl with the mayo in a small

bowl in the middle or

serve a baked Camembert in the middle

Scale down depending on how many guests you

are serving

These are delicious, moreish, inexpensive and, last but by no means least, quick and easy!

Memory Lane favourites …

All these ideas for New Year will work whether you're entertaining or whether you've decided to shut up shop and have a duvet day/evening – you can make these treats work, large or small quantities.

Remember the Stick Blender mayo? Make up a batch of the smoked version. Check out the Sauce label Matt's Mayonnaise 7/9/19 on the blog for the recipe.

If you're expecting a gang of guests then throw a large bag of French Fries into the oven – they take approximately 18 minutes - transfer to a large bowl, place the mayo in the middle and watch both disappear. The best French Fries I've used come from M&S – they cost £2 for a 1kg bag – here's a photo :

If you're not a French fries fan but love tortilla chips they'd work too.

Alternatively …

P.s. Happy New Year!