CHRISTMAS FOOD & DRINK SPECIAL A NICE SLICE Naughty but nice TRY IT AT HOME Chocolate peanut butter brownies IT doesn’t get much naughtier than this. For TA N YA’S RECIPE FOR ROAST the ultimate chocolate, gooey treat Kerry BUTTERNUT SQUASH Edwards bakes these chocolate peanut butter I n g re d i e n t s : JOY TO THE b ro w n i e s . 1 large butternut squash The 28-year-old, who lives in Beeston and 3 or 4 shallots works in marketing, founded Nottingham City 2 cloves of garlic WI in 2008 . 2 tsp rosemary She loves baking and features recipes on her 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar blog www.kerrycooks.wordpress.com. Around 6 tomatoes She says: “One of the best food combinations Method: ever, peanut butter and chocolate, come 1 tsp smoked paprika 1. Pre-heat your oven to gas mark 4/175°C/ WORLD... together in perfect harmony in these brownies. 350°F, and put the butter and chocolate into a Method: And just to ramp up the sweet-salty contrast 1. Preheat oven to 190°C/gas mark 5. large heavy bottomed saucepan over a low even more, I added salted pretzels to the top of 2. Cut the tomatoes into halves and slice the shallots so they resemble heat. Stir around as they melt. each brownie. strips. 2. Transfer your melted butter and chocolate to “They are somewhat of a diet saboteur! And 3. Chop garlic to fine bits or use a garlic press. Alternatively, press whole Taste of alternative celebrations a large bowl and add the sugar, vanilla and the bad news is that the peanut butter cloves and add to the squash cocoa powder. Check that the mix isn’t too counteracts the richness of the chocolate, 4. Cut the butternut squash into quarters and scoop out the seeds. warm before adding your eggs as you don’t meaning its easier to eat more of them.” 5. Place the butternut squash segments into a roasting dish, with the flesh want them to cook. It should be fine as long as This recipe makes 8 large brownies. side facing upwards. Drizzle with olive oil until well covered. Not everyone will be tucking it’s just warm (not hot) and you mix quickly 6. Add balsamic vinegar, paprika, rosemary, garlic, shallots and tomatoes. after each egg. into traditional and I n g re d i e n t s : 7. Use a wooden spoon to mix the ingredients together so the butternut 3. Finally, add the flour and a pinch of salt and squash slices are well covered. Add a dash of pepper and salt to taste. on B ro w n i e s : mix. Pour the batter into your greased tin. 230g unsalted butter 8. Place in the oven for 30-40 minutes. The butternut squash is cooked 4. To make the peanut butter swirl (make sure 340g dark chocolate (at least 60% cocoa when the flesh is very soft. December 25. LYNETTE the butter is very soft) mix all the ingredients solids) together and dollop large spoonfuls of your PINCHESS talks to three 50g good quality cocoa powder VEGAN TIRAMISU peanut butter mixture onto the top of your 5 large eggs Tanya says: “If you are looking for a people who will be brownie batter, and use a knife to marble it into 300g light muscavado sugar quick vegan tiramisu recipe, none the chocolate batter. celebrating with an 100g caster sugar exist. All the required ingredients are 5. Cook the brownies on the middle shelf for 280g plain flour pretty expensive so this is really a alternative festive feast 45-50 minutes. Check regularly so as not to 1 tablespoon vanilla extract dessert for special occasions. overcook them. Remove from the oven as soon Good pinch sea salt “You must set some time aside to as they are cooked around the edges but still make this tasty one –the wait will be Peanut butter swirl: fudgy and soft in the middle. If you cut into ANNA Miralles and her husband will be enjoying 8 tablespoons peanut butter (crunchy or worth it though.” them and they are a bit too gooey, you can a traditional Spanish Christmas –but she is with smooth) The measurements are in US cups. easily pop them back in the oven. the Brits when it comes to one of our festive 1 cup icing sugar I n g re d i e n t s : 6. When cooked but still warm, press a large foods. ½ cup soft unsalted butter For the sponge fingers: salted pretzel in place on top of each of the “I don’t like sprouts. I think at the end of the Small pinch salt 2 cups plain flour brownies, and secure with a little melted they’re the only thing left but it wouldn’t be 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp bicarbonate soda Christmas without them,”she says. chocolate drizzled on top. 2 tsp baking powder Since Anna, from Barcelona, came to the UK ½ cup diary-free margarine nearly five years ago and settled in Colwick with 1 cup caster sugar her Iranian husband Hamid, she goes back to Just under ½ cup maple syrup her roots for Christmas dinner –with the main ½ cup almond milk (you can use other diary-free milk, but as this recipe does celebratory meal on –or not use alcohol (Amaretto), the almond milk will give some of that flavour. as it’s called in Spain. For the tiramisu filling: “The meal depends on the area. Some 1 container Tofutti sour cream families have seafood and fish while others have 2 containers Tofutti cream cheese like turkey and beef,”says Anna. ½ to 1 cup of heavy diary-free cream such as Oatly cream. She starts the festivities with a Catalan soup 1 tsp flour made with , meat and known as 2 tsp cornflour galets, followed by a main dish of meat. “It is The Spanish treat Turrones that Anna Miralles eats 1½ tsp vanilla essence boiled for five hours, it’s so tender.” instead of . Up to 1½ cups of icing sugar (or vanilla powdered sugar). It can be easy to Instead of rounding off dinner with Christmas overdo it so taste the tiramisu filling while adding the sugar to make sure it’s pudding or mince pies, the Spanish favour ‘My before, youngsters put their shoes on the not too sweet. turrones and polvorones. Anna explains: balcony and leave a plate with nuts and Sarah Firth at a German To assemble: “Turrones is a husband is and a glass of sweet liquor called Moscatel. “It’s in 1½ cups of cooled strong coffee such as filter or espresso, not instant sweet hard bar what your parents like really,”says Anna, 29, who Tokyo and (right) Cocoa powder made with not keen on runs a personalised chocolate wrapper business Japanese Christmas Dark chocolate bar (make sure it is vegan) honey and My Sweet Memories. cake made with Whole coffee beans for garnish almonds but According to the RSPCA, we eat 10 million chocolate and cream. Method: there are now the Catalan turkeys on Christmas Day. 1. To make the sponge fingers sift together the flour, bicarb and baking other variations But someone who won’t be tucking into turkey powder into a bowl and mix together. with chocolate soup so is vegan Tanya Byrne. While the rest of her family too. is a bit trickier to make, but it can be concept of Yuletide food is a fairly recent, and 2. In a separate bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar until well and dried fruit. my mum eat meat –her dad is a butcher –Christmas done vegan style. In fact pretty most Christmas commercial, arrival. blended and creamy. Polvorones are dinner for the 30-year-old is usually nut loaf or food can be made vegan.” “Here, the holiday season sees couples 3. Stir in the maple syrup. a kind of sweet a l wa y s roast butternut squash. Tanya, who will be spending Christmas with exchange presents and go for romantic , 4. Slowly mix in the flour mixture. If the mixture looks too dry, add the pastry and very A non-meat eater for 20 years, she doesn’t her parents and relatives in Birmingham, isn’t much like our Valentine’s Day, so I was surprised almond milk. t a s t y. ” does miss the traditional turkey but those vegans and keen on bread sauce but, that too, can be to see Christmas cakes in the shops. 5. Place this mixture in the fridge for at least an hour Anna has vegetarians who do hanker after it can cook a adapted for vegans by using soya or almond “Families order a rather expensive cake to eat 6. To make the filling beat the sour cream, cream cheese and cream with a already had a Catalan substitute known as tofurkey, which is made milk instead of dairy. on Christmas Eve.” whisk. Christmas from tofu or wheat protein. As for wine, most is unsuitable for vegans Although the cakes are topped with a festive 7. Add in the flour, cornflour, and vanilla. Beat to combine. celebration in bread with Tanya, who is an IT developer analyst for since it is filtered through fish bladders, Santa scene, that’s where the resemblance ends 8. Sift the icing sugar into the mixture. Mix until thickened and resembles Nottingham with Nottingham company Legal Recoveries and especially red, says Tanya, so the secret is to the type of cake Sarah would eat in the UK. heavy cream. Place in the fridge for an hour to thicken. other Spanish Anna Miralles with her tomato and Collections, says: “The last few years I’ve knowing where to buy. “They’re sponge cake and airy cream –and in 9. Sponge fingers (part 2) pre-heat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. families. son Arian. become a bit lazy and order a vegan roast from a “The Co-op mark vegan wine as such, so it some cases they’re chocolate flavoured too. 10. Line one or two baking sheets with greaseproof paper and roll out the “We sang spices, very good supplier. The roast is made from makes buying wine a lot easier.” This travesty saw me ship an Marks & Spencer dough into 2-3cm wide balls on a lightly floured surface. Roll each ball into a Villancicos (traditional Christmas songs), carrots and vegan cheese –it’s very delicious. Last year former Nottingham Post journalist fruit slab over last year.” 6 cm long slab. Place on baking sheets allowing enough room between each everyone brings food and the kids had presents. Spanish “With cooking methods, obviously I don’t use Sarah Firth experienced her first Christmas in T h e re ’s no turkey –but plenty of chicken, of sponge for cooking expansion. If you want to make round sponges just It was lovely.” animal fat to make crispy roasties, but I find that . the fast food variety anyway. squish the balls down. This year she and her husband will be , if you cover the potatoes with semolina and The 27-year-old, who is working as a “By far the biggest ‘festive’tradition began 11. Bake for 10 minutes or until the sponges are starting to brown. Check spending the festive season with her mum in oil it makes them very crispy. The rest recruitment consultant in Tokyo, is craving mince when Kentucky Fried Chicken realised that a they’re cooked by sticking a clean knife in them –if it comes out clean Spain, who will be doing all the cooking. cheese and of my family eat meat, so I tend to cook my food pies but they’re a rare find and the Japanese country just discovering Christmas was a prime they’re done. “My husband is not keen on the Catalan soup separately so I don’t get any animal fats in my often have the misconception that they’re made marketing opportunity. 12. Remove from the oven. When they’re firm, place the sponges on a wire so my mum always does Catalan bread with olives so food.” with minced beef. “Thanks to a 1970s advertising campaign rack to cool. tomato and spices, Spanish ham, cheese and Vegans have to be careful with Christmas “I was excited to see a few packs of pies Colonel Sanders is just as synonymous with 13. To assemble, pour the coffee into a shallow bowl and dunk each sponge olives so he’s the happiest man in the world with he’s the and mince pies in case they’re made tucked away in an international food store the December 24 as himself,”says for a few seconds on both sides. those.” with beef suet, but, says Tanya: “Many of the other week, although at £7 for nine, I reluctantly Sarah. 14. Place a soaked sponge to cover the bottom of serving dish and add It’s their 11-month-old son Arian’s first happiest cheaper varieties are vegan friendly and made gave them a miss,”says Sarah. “People line up in huge queues outside KFC some of the filling on top. Sprinkle cocoa on the cream. Repeat until the Christmas. with vegetable suet. You can also make your own She hasn’t tried to explain what Brussels on Christmas Eve to collect their pre-ordered serving dish is full. In Spain children don’t leave a and man in the Christmas cakes, which always taste nicer than sprouts are to her Japanese friends. fried chicken, many in the belief that this is what 17. Decorate with chocolate shavings and coffee beans. Refrigerate for a sherry for Santa on Christmas Eve. shop bought ones. If you like putting butter in “I tend to enthuse about the more yummier the rest of the world will be tucking into too. I do few hours or overnight before serving. Their big day is Los Tres Reyes Magos (the world with your mash, you can buy diary-free varieties of British foods as I don’t think our cuisine has a my best to spread the word about turkey and all three magic kings) on January 6 and on the night m a rg a r i n e . great reputation over here as it is. the trimmings –but I’m surely fighting a losing those’ “Making vegan brandy sauce is pretty easy “As Japan isn’t a Christian country, the battle against the Colonel.”

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