Seasons Greetings

The obligatory Christmas post. I wasn't going to do one, but it would seem that most people do, so what the hell.

This has been the first Christmas since leaving home where people have come to us, rather than visiting others. It's also been one of the most relaxing Christmas' that I remember, with no major arguments, things going wrong or lunch at 4pm. Everything was of course vegan.

Having completed most of our xmas shopping in Oct/Nov we instead took a train to Birmingham and had a meal at The Warehouse on xmas eve. It's something that we'd been looking forward to as we somewhat like the place, however their xmas menu was a bit disappointing. The nut roast tasted identical to their standard sunday offering with the addition of 3 brussel sprouts and 2 chesnuts. Not enough potatoes nor well enough cooked (at a guess not parboiled). Still, it was a pleasant excursion and I'll know just to stick to something off their standard menu next time.

The day went pretty much to plan, with time to spare. For our starter we had porcini mushrooms in a creamy white wine sauce on toast. For main:

• 2x Seiten type things ('Turkey' & 'Beef')
• Fakon Wrapped Sausages
• Cranberry & Orange Stuffing
• Maple Glazed Roasted Carrot and Parsnip
• Roast Onion, Pepper, Courgette
• Brussel Sprouts (yuck)
• Awesomely Crispy Roast Potatoes
• Bread Sauce
• Red Wine & Cranberry Gravy

We didn't actually get onto the dessert (sticky toffee pudding) until Boxing Day as we were far too stuffed. Instead of xmas cake we iced and decorated a Stollen.

I got plenty of great presents, including a year's supply of lush products (inc 12 bath bombs), clothes, kitchen things and the world's most awesome glass cake stand.

The sales this year were largely rubbish, as most shops have had identical sales on for weeks prior. We visited family 'up norf' on the 27th-29th, which included a very pleasant late afternoon walk, pictures follow:

For 2010 I've decided to start dieting again. My body seems to naturally stabilize out at 10kg more than I'd like it to be unless I'm actively dieting and going to the gym twice a week. When I stop and try to eat sensibly it just all piles back on. Don't fret, dieting doesn't mean no cocktails or cake, just in even less quantity than I consume already. I'm going to attempt this time round to find some sports I enjoy and get exercise that way, as however much I try to stay motivated I find gym equipment mind numbingly boring.

Chocolate Yule Log

Chocolate Log is a traditional form of Christmas gluttony, in our family household at least. Normally made after the day itself, upon realising that traditional Christmas cake really isn't very nice (other than the marzipan and icing of course).

It's essentially an iced chocolate swiss roll, which is far easier to make if you can buy the swiss roll ready made. Being vegan this isn't an option, but making swiss rolls is actually quite easy.

Ingredients:

• 180g Self Raising Flour
• 150g Caster Sugar
• 50g Cocoa
• 1/2tsp Baking Powder
• 150ml Water
• 75ml Sunflower Oil
• 1tsp Vanilla Extract

Method:

Combine the wet and dry ingredients together and mix thoroughly.


Line a 12"x8" tin with greaseproof paper and pour the mixture in, spreading it evenly out.


Bake in a 200^oc oven (180^oc fan) for 8-12 minutes - until an inserted cocktail stick comes out clean. Do not overcook!

Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly for a couple of minutes.

Place a large piece of greaseproof paper on your work surface in portrait, about twice the length of your tin. Flip the sponge over onto it, so that it is lying in portrait towards the bottom of the paper. Remove the backing paper from your sponge (now on the top) then score a horizontal line across with a knife 1 inch up from the bottom. Place a clean sheet of greaseproof paper over the top of the sponge then roll it up (still warm), starting from the end you've scored. A video showing this procedure can be found here (ignore the instruction to place sugar on the paper).

Whilst the rolled up sponge cools make a batch of chocolate buttercream icing.

Ingredients:

• 50g Sunflower Margarine
• 30g Cocoa
• 1tsp Vanilla Extract
• Icing Sugar
• Soya Milk

Method:

Cream the margarine and cocoa together in a bowl then start to add icing sugar. As it gets stiff add a splash of soya milk and the vanilla, then more icing sugar. Keep adding icing sugar and mixing until you have the right consistency and enough for the filling and outside. If the mixture gets too stiff before this point add a dash more soya milk.


When the sponge has cooled gently unroll it and remove the top layer of paper. Don't worry if some of the sponge has cracked; there's a good chance that once re-rolled and iced there will be no way to tell.

Spread a thin layer of icing over the sponge and re-roll. Cut off the ends and ice the outside, using a fork to give texture.

Clementine Chocolate Bread

Like banana bread, but without the bananas; i.e. it's actually cake not bread.

I've been making this for a few years now, normally with orange, but as we've got clementines in at the moment it makes sense to use them. It would work equally well with satsumas & mandarins.

Ingredients:

• 75-150g Dark Chocolate
• Zest of 2 Clementines
• 410g Self Raising Flour
• 300g Castor Sugar
• 1tsp Baking Powder
• 300ml Clementine Juice
• 150ml Sunflower Oil

Method:

Chop the chocolate into chunks and zest or grate the clementines.


Combine the other ingredients and get someone else to mix vigorously whilst you watch/take photos.


Add the other ingredients to the mixture and fold in, reserving some of the chocolate for the top just before cooking.


Cook in a loaf tin at 200 degrees until done (about 30 minutes in our oven). You can check it's done when a toothpick comes out clean.

No Tinsel

This year's tree is tinsel free.

It's not that I dislike tinsel; far from it in fact. This year however we just didn't feel the our tree needed it.

Another thing I don't dislike is lazy people.

Everyone wants non needle dropping trees these days, so much so that the traditional type are dirt cheap. Last year's 7ft tree was £12, this year it was £10. An equivalent non-drop one that looks less good and smells less good costs £50.

Suckers.

Mulled Cognac

A simple, warming cocktail.

Mix 1 shot Cointreau, 1 shot VS/VSOP cognac (XO would be a waste), 3 cloves, half a cracked nutmeg, 1 inch stick of cinnamon and the zest of one clementine in a brandy sniffer. Move the glass in circles to coat the sides with alcohol, then light. Allow to flambé until the glass and liquid are warm, then blow out a sip.

Vegan Advent Calender

Yesterday was chocolate covered pistachio marzipan, today a pecan truffle.

A quick post before I go to work to share with you the advent calender prepared for me by my beautiful partner.

It's been probably about 15 years since I last had an advent calender and I don't remember it being this good! I bought the Montezumas one as a present a couple of years back and considering it cost about £14 it was complete junk; the cardboard was too weak to stop all the chocolate falling out inside.

Doing it yourself is way better.

Christmas Vodka

It's not too late too start off a batch of Xmas Vodka. The longer you leave it the better, but 1 month should be enough.

I've made this a few times now and the process is very simple. Mix in an infusing jar:

• 1 litre vodka
• 4 cups cranberries, pricked
• 2 sticks of cracked cinamon bark
• 2 cracked nutmegs
• 20 cloves
• 2 tsp corander seeds
• 4 inches of split vanilla bean
• 220g castor sugar

The taste of the vodka you use will be present in the finished product, so use a medium quality vodka rather than cheap and nasty stuff. If the cranberries have been frozen they should be thawed first. The exact combination of spice you use is up to you.

Close and shake the jar for several minutes, then each day during the first 2 weeks violently for a few seconds.

The end result is sweet, dark red, alcoholic and like Christmas in both taste and smell. It can be drunk neat, but is better in cocktails; giving a Christmas taste in place of regular vodka. Mix it with red vermouth (such as Nolly Prat; Martini is not vegan), Cointreau and orange juice for a mulled wine cocktail.