Mary Berry reveals her top tips for Christmas ahead of The Great British Bake-Off Masterclass - Mirror Online:
Mary says Christmas is about cherishing loved ones
From spending time with the family to making sure your turkey actually fits in your oven, Mary gives us her top tips for Christmas Day…
Tell us how you’ll be spending Christmas this year…
It will be a traditional Christmas for us at home with the family – good food and lots of laughter. It’s so lovely to have everyone together, especially the grandchildren, and everyone helps out. I’m a bit of a Mother Hen at this time of year.
With a Christmas tree and all the decorations?
My son is a tree surgeon and always gets me a lovely tree. I like to put it up early, as I can’t wait for Christmas. We dress it with decorations that have been in the family for years.
Do you prepare in advance?
Yes, always. It’s the only way, otherwise it can be really daunting. Make life easier for yourself. Once you’ve made your bread sauce, freeze it. Prepare the brandy butter and keep it in the fridge. On Christmas Eve, make the stuffing, and I usually parboil and half-roast the potatoes and parsnips too. Trim your brussels sprouts, but don’t keep them in water.
Any special twists?
I mostly cook very traditional food, but each year I always like to introduce
a modern twist with new flavours. Always keep handy jars of roasted peppers, cans of chickpeas, tubs of houmous – anything that brings flavour and saves time.
What is your idea of a traditional Christmas dinner?
It has to be turkey with all the trimmings, including a sausage stuffing and optional veg stuffing, bread sauce and gravy. I also try to include a vegetarian option – something like my aubergine five nut roast with tomato sauce.
Store-cupboard staples?
I always have things like olive oil, spices, herbs, tomato passata, dried apricots, chestnuts and mixed nuts available.
Any top tips?
Make sure if you’re buying a larger turkey than usual that it will fit in the oven. Don’t let everyone in the kitchen as you’re preparing, you need some time to yourself to focus. And put the champagne in the fridge the night before, so it’s chilled for a pre-lunch drink!
What’s on your Christmas wish list this year?
For me, Christmas is about family, not presents or anything material. It’s good for the soul just spending time cherishing your loved ones.
What's your favourite Christmas dessert?
I usually make a few. I’d have to include chocolate yule log, as it’s my husband’s favourite. It’s easy to make and the children love it. I make Christmas pudding at the end of November, and I know the kids would be disappointed if
I didn’t make a traditional trifle.
You’re presenting another Bake Off Christmas Masterclass with Paul Hollywood this year. What’s on the menu?
White chocolate cheesecake with ginger. It’s delicious and moreish, and the family love the stem ginger as it gives a lovely Christmassy fragrance. It’s quite decadent, but a real treat during the festive season, and good for people who don’t like the traditional pudding.
We’re also doing a galette – puff pastry with frangipane in the middle. It’s fairly simple to make and you can use ready-made puff pastry. Then there’s
a Genoa cake, which is a light alternative to the traditional Christmas cake. It’s a wonderfully fruity, not too dense and uses pineapple and cherries. I think I’ve been making this for the family at Christmas for over 15 years.
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