Innholdsfortegnelse for 2024 i The Christmas Magazine

Are you ready? It’s officially time to start thinking about Christmas 2024… it’s going to be a good one! You know the team at The Christmas Magazine love to plan all things festive and, as always, we’ve been scouring the market since July to bring you the best of the best so that you can ‘sleigh’ on the big day. At the time of print, some prices were not yet available – that’s the level of exclusivity we demand for you, our lovely readers – so please make sure you check prices and availability with individual stockists (page 99). Don’t forget to turn to page 60 to be in the running to win an incredible prize bundle with Cricut™ worth over £500… now that would start your Christmas off with…

1. The gift that keeps on giving Buy a Christmas gift which saves someone time and entertains them all year round – plus save money on the shop price! A magazine subscription will help them stay inspired and informed, fuelling their passion and gets delivered directly to their home. With 47 magazines to choose from, we have something for everyone! Shop.kelsey.co.uk/XMAS24CM 2 Tree looking a bit thin? Whether it’s real or artificial, if your Christmas tree is lacking fullness you can add some depth with a garland or some dark green tinsel. Do this before adding your ornaments and no one will know any different! 3 Limit travel with kids None of us enjoy long car journeys, and it’s particularly tough on little ones. Set a limit on how far…

SNACKS FOR SANTA Serve cookies for Santa on this cute Home For Christmas plate. TREATS FOR ALL Make a Christmas Eve box full of cosy festive goodies for all the family. SO SWEET Serve up hot chocolate in these sweet festive mugs. MOVIE NIGHT Make a festive treat box for a Christmas Eve movie night. GET COSY Cosy up on the sofa with a cute gingerbread hot water bottle AMBIENCE Create a festive ambience with scented candles. SNUGGLE UP There’s nothing like snuggling in cosy matching PJs on Christmas Eve. GAMES Get into the spirit of Christmas with some fun family games. BEDTIME Dress the kids beds ready for the big day with fun bedding and cosy cushions. BAKE IT Bake some yummy gingerbread cookies for Santa.…

CHOOSE THE RIGHT TREE ‘The foundation of a beautifully styled Christmas tree is selecting the right one,’ says Rebecca. ‘Whether you prefer a real or artificial tree, pot-grown or pre-lit, make sure it fits well within your space and suits your style. A full-bodied real tree like a Nordmann Fir is a great choice for larger spaces and will give your home a traditional Christmas feel, however, artificial trees are great if you’re looking for a specific style – for example a snowy tree with cool toned lights and blue decorations can be really effective.’ SET THE SCENE Rebecca suggests: ‘Before you start shopping and decorating, decide on a theme and colour palette. This will help create a cohesive and visually appealing look. Popular themes include those featuring festive reds…

DECORATE YOUR MANTLE Mantlepieces are perfect for decoration during the festive season and they look great with lush foliage draped across the top. Either invest in a real one or cheat with a faux design. When you’ve decorated your living room, planned your Christmas dinner and have started wrapping the gifts, it’s time to give the rest of your home a little attention. This could be festive bedding, a staircase garland or a flurry of fairy lights on the landing, they all contribute to making your home welcoming for family and friends. CREATE A BEDROOM WONDERLAND We love the idea of having festive bedding, it could be that Christmas Eve treat that becomes a tradition where you swap your existing duvet set over to one that has reindeer, robins or…

Speedy starters Pre-prepared party food makes a great starter and leaves you free to focus on the main event. Asda’s Fantastic Grazing Board (£10) and Charcuter-wreath (£7), with a mix of meats, pickles, olives and cheeses, can be left on the table for guests to enjoy on arrival before you all sit down to dinner. Or pop Waitrose’s Baking Camembert with its sticky plum and ginger glaze in the oven and serve with bread for dipping as a warming Christmas treat (£10, 540g). Alternatively, skip the starters entirely and hand around plates of nibbles with a drink before the main course. We love the Tesco signature British Pork pigs in blankets, with roasted pork stock and a blend of herbs and spices, wrapped in dry cured smoked bacon. Serve alongside…

YOU WILL NEED: • Card (roughly 180gsm)• Dowelling or a stick• Invisible thread• Scissors• Pencil• Ribbon• Glue Optional: • Cricut Joy Xtra™• Computer or tablet with Cricut Design Space™ downloaded• Cricut blue mat and pen If you have a Cricut™ machine, you’ll find it easy to cut intricate shapes and letters in no time. Otherwise, you might find it easier to stick to more simple outlines. Cricut smart cutting machines allow you to cut, draw, score and more. Available from cricut.com, Hobbycraft, John Lewis, Very and Amazon. 1 Cut your desired shapes and letters from the card: If you have a Cricut machine, you can choose shapes and lettering in Cricut Design Space and cut them out using your Cricut machine. Or you can draw them freehand onto the card…

Give them a Christmas gift that lasts all year. A subscription to Uncut EVERY ISSUE INCLUDES A FREE CD! • Legendary musician features Album Reviews • News and happenings THEY WILL RECEIVE • 13 issues of Uncut a year• The Uncut 2025 calendar• FREE CD with every issue• EXTRA subscriber-only CD** Your gift will fuel their passion for music and give enjoyment all year ’round. And, you’ll save £63.50!* TO BUY YOUR GIFT Go to shop.kelsey.co.uk/XMAS24UNCG Call 01959 543 747 and quote: XMAS24UNCG Lines are open Mon-Fri 8.30am to 5.30pm. Calls are charged at your standard network rate. TERMS AND CONDITIONS *UK Direct Debit and Continuous Card Payment offer only. You will pay £59.99 per year. Saving based on annual basic rate which includes cover price and Kelsey’s single issue…

London There’s plenty of stories to check out in London. Regents Park for 101 Dalmatians by Dodie Smith, home of the Dearlys; walk through the park, past London Zoo and to the top of Primrose Hill where Pongo and Perdita spread the word about their missing puppies before setting off across the country to track them down (it all ends happily ever after at Christmas). Notting Hill for Bridget Jones’ Diary, which opens and closes at Christmas, though sadly one of Bridget’s main haunts, the restaurant 192 where Mark Darcy was frequently castigated over bottles of Chardonnay, is now closed. You could, instead, recreate the scene in the film where Renee Zellweger races out of her apartment to catch Colin Firth, by running through the streets in your underwear in…

For stockists turn to page 99…

For stockists turn to page 99…

For stockists turn to page 99…

For stockists turn to page 99…

Serves: 4 Time: 1 h 15 min INGREDIENTS For the roulades • 4 tbsp rapeseed oil• 4 dried apricots; finely chopped• 1 carrot; peeled and finely diced• 1 shallot; peeled and finely diced• 1 clove garlic; peeled and finely diced• half yellow pepper; seeded and finely diced• salt• freshly ground black pepper• curry powder• 1 tsp mustard• 100g cream cheese• 4 turkey escalopes; approx. 100g each• 8 rashers bacon• 150ml chicken stock For the vegetables • oil; for frying• 400g potatoes; peeled and cut into chunks• 1 tsp chopped chives• 250g tenderstem broccoli• 200g carrots; peeled and cut into matchsticks• 200g Savoy cabbage; finely sliced• 1 handful Brussels sprouts; halved• cranberry sauce and chestnuts; to serve METHOD 1. For the filling, heat half the rapeseed oil in a pan and…

On our cover! Serves: 12 (1 cheesecake) Preparation and cooking time: 2 h 35 min Cooling time: 14 h Baking time: 1 h 40 min INGREDIENTS • For the cheesecake• 225g digestive biscuits; crushed• 80g unsalted butter; melted• 2 tbsp soft brown sugar• 150g white chocolate; chopped• 675g cream cheese• 300g caster sugar• 4 large eggs• 3 tbsp cornflour• 1 tbsp vanilla extract• 1 pinch salt• 120g sour cream• 250g chocolate chips; or chunks• 2 tbsp golden syrup• 2 tbsp coconut oil FOR THE COTTAGES • 400g plain flour; plus extra as needed• 45g cornflour• 1 tbsp ground ginger• 1 tsp ground cinnamon• 1 tsp salt• 250g unsalted butter; at room temperature• 250g molasses; warmed• 1 tsp vanilla extract• 2 medium egg whites; or 3.5 tbsp liquid egg whites• 1.5…

PRESENTED BY PRACTICAL PUBLISHING YOU WILL NEED • coral cardstock• various shades of green cardstock• gold mirror card• light jade & gold ribbon• Smoked Emerald, Green Topaz, Frosty Jade & Pink Tulip Spectrum Noir Harmony Water-reactive Ink• Lucy’s Cards Little Things Chunky Bridal Jewels• Salted Caramel & Radiant Chloe’s Creative Cards Sparkelicious• Collall Tacky Glue• hot-glue gun• polystyrene hoop• embossing ball tool & mat• manual die-cutting machine• Sizzix Framelits Eucalyptus 2pk die set• Sizzix Thinlits Elegant Leaf die• Creative Expressions Sue Wilson Festive Collection Winter Foliage die set• Florartistry Festive Winter Foliage Christmas Mistletoe die set STEP 1 Take a large polystyrene hoop and cover in gold ribbon. Use hot glue to stick the ends to the back. STEP 2 Wrap around a satin ribbon in light jade, leaving spaces…

PRESENTED BY PRACTICAL PUBLISHING YOU WILL NEED • white 10.5x13.5cm card blank• white, pink, purple, bright blue, pale blue & blue cardstock• silver mirror card• Stamper’s Anonymous Tim Holtz Christmas Cartoons stamps• Nocturne VersaFine Clair inkpad• Silver gems• white gel pen• manual die-cutting machine• Creative Craft Products Supersize Nestables Bunting dies• Lawn Fawn Mini Snowflakes die set STEP 1 Die-cut the appropriatesized ‘bunting’ die upside down into a 10x13cm panel of white cardstock. Die-cut a few snowflakes from white cardstock. STEP 2 Cut five colours of cardstock into strips of differing widths, glue them in your chosen order onto scrap paper, butting them up against each other, and leaving no gaps. STEP 3 Add the panel with triangle aperture over your background, making sure to tuck in a couple of…

PRESENTED BY PRACTICAL PUBLISHING BOB THE BEAGLE YOU WILL NEED For both projects: • grey, mid brown, tan, dark brown, blue, white, red, green, dark green & yellow embroidery floss• needle beads• 14ct aida• 4½” hoop• 3” hoop TOP TIP Why not take inspiration from Fair Isle knitting patterns to create your own background for Bob? CLARA THE CAT…

YEAR-ROUND ACTIVEWEAR Subscription boxes are excellent present ideas as they really are the gift that keeps on giving. We absolutely love this one from Axel Clothing, the UK’s first fitness and wellbeing subscription box. Simply select the size you wish to receive in your monthly subscription box and the team at Axel will do the rest! MERRY MUGS Is it even Christmas without a new festive mug (or five)? You’ll already know that it’s one of our favourite traditions here at The Christmas Magazine! These alphabet Christmas mugs are sweet and well-priced, making them ideal for the whole family. We think they’d also make excellent gifts or stocking fillers, too. DRESS YOUR TREE We love this wooden tree skirt for giving your tree a luxurious finishing touch. It also ties…

WHY DO WE EAT TURKEY AT CHRISTMAS? The fact that most of us tuck into a Mexican bird come 25 December says less about our interest in globalism and more about our love of literature. Turkeys originated in Mexico and were farmed by the Aztecs and their ancestors for centuries. The explorer Cortés brought them to Spain in the 16th century, from where they made their way to other parts of Europe – there’s a record of Henry VIII eating turkey as part of his Christmas dinner in the later part of his reign. Mind you there was scarcely a bird they didn’t eat back then, swans, herons, storks, peacocks and more were all served at royal feasts. By the 19th century, goose had become the festive bird of choice…

It’s a time for celebration, to make special memories with loved ones, whilst enjoying some extra time off from the usual working week. As we countdown to Christmas, vets across the country are preparing for one of their busiest times of year. According to Vets Now, there is a huge spike in pet emergencies around Christmas and new year, as worried pet owners battle with the unexpected dangers of the season, with everything from accidental ingestion of raisins from eating mince pies, to fairy light and candle burns. An astounding third of pet owners will experience an emergency this festive season. With over half of the UK population owning a pet (51% according to the latest 2024 PDSA PAW report), we’ve got the best advice to keep furry members of…

There are always Christmas decoration trends to follow and this year is no exception, we have Dark & Dramatic Blues, Scandi Brights, Timeless With a Twist and Forest Chalet. Each has its own charm and will suit all existing schemes, which will you pick? TREND 1 DARK & DRAMATIC BLUES The trend for moody interiors isn’t going away, so if this is your vibe then you can embrace it during the festive season too. Choose as many blue decorations as you can, different shades will add interest. This look is extravagant and oozes luxury, beads and feathers are a go! HANG HIGH This bead-encrusted hanging star will certainly dazzle in your living room. HALF WREATH If you don’t love the full traditional style wreath then consider a design on a metal…

Everything you need to make thoughtful handmade gifts throughout the year! Meet Cricut Joy Xtra™ our compact, fits-in-any-space, looks-good-anywhere smart cutting machine, and your gateway to creativity. Together with the Starter Bundle, which contains a host of materials, you can get started straight away.* As a new machine owner, you will also get a free trial subscription to Cricut Access™ which means you can benefit from subscriber-exclusive features such as Create Sticker, Warp Text Tool, and Monogram Maker™ giving you even more ways to personalise your projects.** From personalised totes to monogrammed tableware, the possibilities are endless. HOW TO CREATE BESPOKE MUGS: 1. Choose a design in the Cricut Design Space™ app 2. Cut the Infusible Ink™ Transfer Sheet using your Cricut Joy Xtra™ and light blue cutting mat 3.…

Nostalgia Rose Backdoorshoes A pretty design to leave by the backdoor and slip on when you need to nip out to the garden office or walk the dog. Bluebell Supersole Recovery Flip Flops Our Supersole recovery flip flops go down a storm at RHS Chelsea Flower Show, they are so comfortable you won’t want to take them off. Daisy Lemon Backdoorshoes A fresh take on our original Daisy garden shoes, with a zesty lemon lift. These will add a cheer to your feet. Chunky Tread Nuts and Bolts Make a statement with these Chunky Tread Nuts and Bolts, the extra thick soles offer added comfort in the garden. Incredibly Durable With built-in arch support Lightweight Comfortable Waterproof and washable Non-split guarantee We are proud to have over 7,000 5-Star reviews!…

For stockists turn to page 99…

For stockists turn to page 99 ON OUR COVER! Blueberry and eucalyptus wreath, £29.99, Dobbies…

A Adams & Mack adamsandmack.com All Things Brighton Beautiful allthingsbrightonbeautiful.co.uk Amazon amazon.co.uk And Hope Designs andhopedesigns.com Annabel James annabeljames.co.uk Arran Sense of Scotland arran.com Asda asda.com Axel Clothing axelclothing.com B B&M bmstores.co.uk Baker Ross bakerross.co.uk Baylis & Harding baylisandharding.com Beanies Flavour Coffee Beaniesflavourco.co.uk Benjamin Moore benjaminmoorepaint.co.uk Bethany Duffy Embroidery bethanyduffyembroidery.com  Biscuiteers biscuiteers.com Bottlesoc bottlesoc.com C Charley Chau charleychau.com Cherith Harrison cherithharrison.com Cox & Cox coxandcox.co.uk Cricut cricut.com D Djeco djeco.com Dickens London Tours dickenslondontours.co.uk Different Kind thedifferentkind.com Dobbies dobbies.com Dunelm dunelm.com F Farrow & Ball farrow-ball.com Fitzbillies fitzbillies.com French Bedroom frenchbedroom.co.uk Funky Chunky Furniture Co funky-chunky-furniture.co.uk G Gisela Graham giselagraham.co.uk Good Things goodthingsgifts.co.uk Great House Farm Stores greathousefarmstores.co.uk H Habitat habitat.co.uk Habulous habulous.co.uk Happy Linen Company happylinencompany.co.uk Harper Nell harpernellhome.co.uk Hensol Castle Distillery Hensolcastledistillery.com Herby Hog Herbyhog.co.uk Historic Scotland stor.scot/products Hobbycraft…

Serves: 4 Time: 1h 25 min INGREDIENTS For the soup • 2 tbsp unsalted butter• 1 tbsp olive oil• 1 onion• 4 stalks celery; chopped• 1 carrot; peeled and diced• 1 bay leaf• 1,250ml chicken stock; plus extra as needed• 450g cooked chestnuts; crumbled• 50g white breadcrumbs; 2-3 days old• 3 tbsp sherry• salt• freshly ground black pepper To serve • 2 tbsp unsalted butter• 100g bacon; diced• 2 slices white bread; cubed• 2 cavolo nero; chopped METHOD 1. For the soup: Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large saucepan set over a medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and a pinch of salt and cook for 6-8 minutes until softened. 2. Stir in the bay leaf, stock, and chestnuts, bringing the liquid to the boil.…

Serves: 6-8 Time: 1 h 45 min INGREDIENTS • 2 tbsp butter• 3 shallots; peeled and finely chopped• 500g mushrooms; finely diced• 40ml Madeira• 3 tbsp double cream• salt• freshly ground black pepper• 3 tbsp parsley; chopped• 1.5kg fillet of beef• 2 tbsp vegetable oil• 6-8 slices ham• 3 packs ready-rolled puff pastry• 2 egg yolks METHOD 1. Melt the butter in a pan and cook the shallots, stirring, until translucent. Add the mushrooms and fry slowly until the liquid has evaporated. Stir in the Madeira and cream and bubble over a high heat until reduced. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley and leave to cool. 2. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the fillet until browned all…

Potato gratin Serves: 4-6 Time: 1 h 55 min INGREDIENTS • 1kg floury potatoes; thinly sliced• 2 cloves garlic; thinly sliced• salt• freshly ground black pepper• 500ml double cream METHOD 1. Preheat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan) 320°F, gas 2. 2. Layer the potatoes and garlic in an ovenproof dish, seasoning with salt and pepper as you go. 3. Pour over the cream – it should come just above the top of the potatoes – and cover the dish with foil. Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour. 4. Remove the foil and return the dish to the oven for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are very tender and the top is golden brown. Honey and sage roast parsnips and carrots Serves: 4-6 Time: 1 h…

Makes: 30-35 pies Time: 1 h 25 min INGREDIENTS For the pastry • 300g plain flour• 100g caster sugar• 1 pinch salt• 200g vegan margarine For the filling • 250g pickled sour cherries• 1 tbsp vanilla custard powder• 2 tbsp brown sugar• 40g icing sugar METHOD 1. Sift the flour into a bowl. Stir in the caster sugar and salt. Add the margarine and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Bring together into a smooth dough, adding a little cold water if needed. Shape into a ball, wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes. 2. For the filling, drain the cherries and mix with the custard powder and brown sugar. Preheat the oven to 170°C, gas 3. Line a baking tray with baking paper.…

PRESENTED BY PRACTICAL PUBLISHING YOU WILL NEED Yarn used • Stylecraft Special DK• 1 ball in Matador 1010 (A)• 1 ball in Sunshine 1114 (B)• 1 ball in Meadow 1065 (C)• 1 ball in green 1116 (D)• 1 ball in Jaffa 1256 (E)• 1 ball in white 1001 (F)• 1 ball in black 1002 (G)• 1 ball in Dark Brown 1004 (H)• 1 ball in Walnut 1054 (I)• 1 ball in Copper 1029 (J) About the yarn DK; 295m per 100g; 100% acrylic Other supplies • pompom makers, 4cm and 6cm• 2 dark brown pipe cleaners for Rudolph• green felt for Christmas pudding• 1 large red button for Christmas pudding• darning needle Each pompom is made in two halves that are then joined to make a full pompom. Wrapping the…

PRESENTED BY PRACTICAL PUBLISHING YOU WILL NEED Yarn used • Paintbox Yarns Simply DK• 1 ball each in Spearmint Green 125 (A), Rose Red 113 (B), Pale Lilac 145 (C), Mustard Yellow 123 (D), Lipstick Pink 151 (E) & Marine Blue 133 (F) About the yarn DK; 276m per 100g ball; 100% acrylic Tension 16 sts x 8 rows = 10cm measured over tr Hook used 4mm Other supplies • tapestry needle• 35cm polystyrene wreath• 85mm and 65mm pompom makers• glue gun or fabric glue• string or yarn for hanging Sizing 35x40cm Abbreviations St: stitch Ch: chain stitch Tr: Treble stitch It may seem like the piece you have crocheted is too small, but you will stretch it over the wreath base for a neat and snug fit. Beg 3…

FRONT OF HOUSE Give your front door a spruce up with a stunning wreath, some lanterns, a welcome door mat and some exterior lighting. We love snowmen and cute dog lights! Your home’s exterior is the first opportunity you have to create a welcoming feel this Christmas. So, pull out all the stops and decorate your pathway if you have one, your front door and your hallway – a few key touches are all you need to transform these keys areas into a festive space. STAR SHAPED You simply cannot go wrong working with star lights at this time of year, pick an indoor/outdoor design for longevity. FESTIVE SCENT There’s nothing lovelier than the scent of Christmas, pop this candle in your hallway to welcome your guests. INVEST IN A…

The presents are purchased and the tree theme is picked, now it’s time to turn your attention your table theme for this year. We’ve done the hard work for you and have scoured the trends. This year our favourites are Modern Brights, Decadent Berries, Magical Woodland and the classic Timeless Beauty. LOOK 1 MODERN BRIGHTS Full of Christmas cheer but in a contemporary way, this look is fun and colourful. Bright pinks, reds, greens, blues and yellows adorn the table where you can lay it with tableware in a colour of your choice. Choose modern-style crackers and table gifts like soap wrapped in fabric and tied in ribbon. Hang cheery paper decorations above the table for extra interest. ALL THE BRIGHTS Ric rac is a trend this year so look out…

Not only are these crackers much more attractive than the traditional kind, you can also personalise them and fill them with thoughtful tokens. I used my Cricut Joy Xtra™ machine to cut the crackers from thin card, but you could cut them by hand. Cricut smart cutting machines allow you to cut, draw, score and more. Available from cricut.com, Hobbycraft, John Lewis, Very and Amazon. YOU WILL NEED: • Card (roughly 180gsm)• Sticky tape• Scissors• String• Pencil• Cracker snaps• Ribbon• Pen• Cracker contents• Glue Optional: • Cricut Joy Xtra™• Computer or tablet with Cricut Design Space™ downloaded• Cricut blue mat and pen 1 Start by cutting the cracker shapes from the card. If you have a Cricut machine, you can type ‘Xmas Cracker’ into ‘Images’ in Design Space for your…

WIN ONE OF THREE JOHN LEWIS VOUCHERS WORTH £100 EACH* It’s easy to enter online at www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/Christmas24/ YOU AND THE CHRISTMAS MAGAZINE 1. How did you obtain your copy of The Christmas Magazine? ☐ From a newsstand/retailer ☐ From the Kelsey online shop (Publisher of The Christmas Magazine) ☐ From a friend/colleague ☐ Digital/online edition ☐ Free copy 2. How would you rate these sections of the magazine on a scale of 1-5, where 1 star is ‘not very interesting’ and 5 is ‘very interesting’ Crafting ✩✩✩✩✩ Decoration ✩✩✩✩✩ Food ✩✩✩✩✩ Shopping/gifting ✩✩✩✩✩ Travel ✩✩✩✩✩ Planning/preparation ✩✩✩✩✩ 3. Which of the following decisions does The Christmas Magazine help you to make? (Tick all that apply) ☐ Christmas markets/fairs/events to visit ☐ How to make my own Christmas decorations ☐ How…

For stockists turn to page 99…

For stockists turn to page 99…

For stockists turn to page 99…

There’s no denying that food plays a big part in our Christmas celebrations. That’s why we’ve brought you a range of recipes to help you curate your festive menu. With tasty main dishes, gorgeous sides, party picks and divine desserts, we’ve covered all bases! We’ve even brought you a selection of the best festive food buys on offer… because it’s nice to take a break from the cooking. This year, our cover recipe is a decadent cheesecake dripping in chocolate ganache and decorated with gingerbread cottages; it’s all of our favourites in one! We’ll be using the gingerbread recipe on its own to make batches of Christmas cookies to nibble on. Where possible, we’ve included tips on making the recipes gluten-free, dairy-free or vegan. Please do check individual ingredients for…

Serves: 4 Time: 50 min INGREDIENTS • 4 skinless salmon fillets; approx. 140g each• salt• freshly ground black pepper• 450g puff pastry• 160g green pesto• 2 egg yolks METHOD 1. Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas 6. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Season the salmon fillets all over with salt and pepper. 2. Roll out the puff pastry into a large rectangle and cut out 8 12 x 10 cm rectangles. Place the salmon fillets in the centre of four of the rectangles and brush the fish with the pesto. 3. Using a small cutter, cut 2-3 small decorative stars out of the remaining pastry rectangles. Whisk the egg yolks with 3-4 tbsp water. Brush the edges of the pastry around the fish with egg yolk mixture. Place…

Festive mini toad in the hole Time: 45 min INGREDIENTS • 2 tbsp sunflower oil; divided• 4 pork sausages• 225g plain flour• 0.5 tsp dried rosemary• 0.25 tsp baking powder• 3 large eggs• 300ml skimmed milk• 12 cherry tomatoes; halved• salt• freshly ground black pepper METHOD 1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) | 400°F | gas 6. 2. Arrange the sausages in a baking dish and drizzle with 1 tbsp oil, turning to coat. Bake for 12-15 minutes until browned, turning halfway through. 3. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, rosemary, baking powder, eggs, and milk with 1 tsp salt and 0.5 tsp black pepper until a smooth batter forms. 4. Remove the sausages from the oven. Grease a 12-hole muffin tin with the…

PRESENTED BY PRACTICAL PUBLISHING As the Christmas countdown begins, it’s time to turn our attention to festive crafting… I know that’s one of the things you love most about this time of the year, because I do too! I must say a huge thank you to the talented team at Practical Publishing, who have worked tirelessly to produce this jam-packed Christmas Crafts magazine. Inside you’ll find a range of gorgeous projects that will help to get you in the festive spirit. I’m most looking forward to creating my own crochet wreath this year. In addition, you can also try your hand at some pretty papercraft, try making your own gift wrap with a personal touch, or even create some lovely handmade cards and gifts for your loved ones. Of course,…