Good Housekeeping - Christmas with Good Housekeeping

GET AHEAD

Make up to 1 day ahead. Once cool, pack into an airtight container and store at room temperature. To serve, reheat in a single layer on two greased baking sheets in the oven, preheated to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6, for 10 minutes.

Scotch Quails’ Eggs

These beauties are real show-stoppers. Make sure you have enough to satisfy demand!

Makes 12 Scotch eggs

Hands-on time: 25 minutes

Cooking time: about 20 minutes

300g (11oz) Cumberland pork sausages, about 5

Plain flour, to dust

1 large egg, lightly beaten

75g (3oz) dried breadcrumbs

12 hard-boiled quails’ eggs (see GH tip, here)

2–3 tbsp vegetable oil

Sea salt flakes and mustard, to serve

Per half egg69 cals, 3g protein, 5g fat (1g saturates), 4g carbs (1g total sugars), 0g fibre

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6. Squeeze the meat out of the sausage skins into a bowl and discard the skins. Put some flour, the egg and breadcrumbs into three separate small bowls.

2. Divide the sausage meat into 12 equal portions. With lightly floured hands, form a portion into a patty about 6.5cm (2½in) across in the palm of one hand. Put a boiled quails’ egg in the middle, then shape the meat around it. Set aside on a board and repeat with the remaining eggs and sausage meat.

3. Dip the covered eggs in flour, tap off the excess, then dip in the beaten egg and coat in breadcrumbs.

4. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium–high heat. Add the coated eggs and fry, turning regularly, until golden on each side (in batches if necessary). Transfer to a baking tray.

5. Cook the eggs in the oven for 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature (sliced in half, if you like) with sea salt flakes and mustard.

GET AHEAD

Hard-boil the quails’ eggs up to 2 days ahead. Cool and peel, then cover and chill. Complete the recipe up to a day ahead (if needed). Cool and chill. Allow to come up to room temperature, or warm in the oven, preheated to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4, for 5–10 minutes before serving.

GH TIP

For ease, buy pre-cooked and peeled quails’ eggs, or hard-boil your own in simmering water for 3–4 minutes. Cool and peel.

Mini Eggs Benedict

These impressive bites will be the talk of the party!

Makes 12 canapés

Hands-on time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: about 5 minutes

Oil, to grease

12 quails’ eggs

3 standard thin-cut white bread slices

1 tbsp mayonnaise or ready-made hollandaise

2–3 ham slices, cooked

Per canapé41 cals, 2g protein, 2g fat (0g saturates), 3g carbs (0g total sugars), 0g fibre

1. Bring a medium pan quarter-filled with water to a simmer. Grease a lipped baking tray with oil, then put the tray on top of the pan to heat up. Carefully crack all the quails’ eggs into a bowl, then gently pour the eggs into the hot tray, moving the yolks so they are not touching one another. The steam will cook the eggs in 3–5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, toast the bread slices. Use a 3.5cm (1½in) round cutter to stamp out 12 circles of toast. Top each circle with a dab of mayonnaise or hollandaise. Next, stamp out ham circles with the same cutter and put one circle on each toast stack.

3. When the egg whites are cooked (and the yolks are still soft), lift the tray off the pan. Use the cutter to stamp around each yolk and use a palette knife to transfer the egg circles to the stacks. Crack over some black pepper and serve.

GET AHEAD

These are best made fresh, but will sit happily for 30 minutes once assembled.

Smoked Trout and Beetroot Hummus Tortilla Cups

The smokey flavour of the trout works wonderfully with the earthiness of the beetroot hummus.

Makes 24 canapés

Hands-on time: 25 minutes, plus cooling

Cooking time: about 10 minutes

3 large flour tortilla wraps

½ tbsp olive oil

FOR THE FILLING

100g (3½oz) cooked beetroots (not in vinegar)

125g (4oz) cooked chickpeas (from a tin)

Finely grated zest and juice ½ lemon

1 small garlic clove

1 tbsp creamed horseradish

25ml (1fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil

100g (3½oz) smoked trout, skin removed, fish flaked

TO GARNISH (optional)

1 tbsp finely chopped dill

1 tbsp pumpkin seeds

Per canapé38 cals, 2g protein, 2g fat (0g saturates), 4g carbs (1g total sugars), 1g fibre

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6. Stack the tortilla wraps and use a round cutter roughly 5.5cm (2¼in) across to stamp out eight circles (so you have 24 in total). Brush the circles with oil, season lightly with salt and pepper and press each firmly into a 24-hole mini muffin tin. Cook in the oven for 5–8 minutes until crisp and golden. Allow to cool in the tin.

2. Meanwhile, make the beetroot hummus. Whizz the beetroots in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the chickpeas, lemon zest and juice, garlic and horseradish, and whizz until smooth. With the motor running, gradually add the olive oil until smooth and blended. Season to taste.

3. To serve, fill the cooled tortilla cups with beetroot hummus, top with the flaked smoked trout and a grinding of black pepper. Garnish with dill and pumpkin seeds, if using.

GET AHEAD

Store unfilled cooled tortilla cups in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Make the beetroot hummus up to 3 days ahead; cover and chill. Assemble up to 1 hour ahead, and keep loosely covered in the fridge until you’re ready to serve them.

Dolcelatte Croissants

Warning – these cheesy morsels are addictive.

Makes about 18 canapés

Hands-on time: 20 minutes, plus chilling and cooling

Cooking time: about 20 minutes

60g (2½oz) vegetarian Dolcelatte, at room temperature

Half a 320g sheet all-butter puff pastry (the sheet should be halved lengthways)

Per canapé47 cals, 1g protein, 4g fat (2g saturates), 3g carbs (0g total sugars), 0g fibre

1. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment and set aside. Beat the Dolcelatte in a bowl until smooth and easily spreadable.

2. With a long edge of the pastry in front of you, spread the Dolcelatte over the pastry (a spatula is best for this). Cut lengthways in half to make two strips.

3. Cut the strips into triangles (alternating tips pointing up and down) – each triangle with a base about 4cm (1½in) long. You should get nine triangles from each strip. Roll the first triangle up from base to tip and bend ends in slightly to make a crescent shape. Place tip down on the prepared sheet (so it doesn’t unravel). Repeat with remaining triangles, spacing apart on the sheets. Chill for 20 minutes.