It’s less than three weeks now but surely it’s far too early to start any Christmas food preparations? Well, I wouldn’t put the turkey in the oven yet, however long some people believe it takes to roast one, but it might be surprising how many bakes keep very well indeed or even benefit from standing around and maturing – and that’s not just the Christmas pudding or cake.
Here is a (fitting number of) twelve bakes that can be started on right now! Delightful biscuits, including Italian biscotti and English ginger snaps can be enjoyed from now till Christmas Day and beyond, as can mince pies. My (and Caribbean) offer of Christmas cake, black cake, gets better as it stands, as does French gingerbread cake. So stock up on fruit, nuts, milk and honey and get baking!
Pain d’épices is a delicious honey and spice French gingerbread cake, not overly sweet in spite of the huge amount of honey it contains. It’s spiced with cinnamon, ginger, star anise, cloves or whatever spice combo is your personal favourite.
Why not try brunsli this year? Those Swiss Christmas biscuits are incredibly easy to make, gluten free and very delicious. Brunsli, or Basel brunsli for the Swiss city where they originate from, means 'little brownies'.
Brunsli chocolate biscuits
RECIPE
Biscotti means ‘twice cooked’ and it’s where the word ‘biscuit’ comes from though the latter are only usually cooked once. Gingerbread biscotti spiced with Christmas flavour, crunchy and dunkable, with mixed nuts and cinnamon sugar coating. Honey and spice and a festive spirit twice cooked!
Butter Stollen, German Christmas bread, at its most indulgent. Here are two kinds of Stollen in one recipe: one packed with fruit and almonds, and the other swirled with smooth nut filling. Bake yours now, wrap well in parchment and foil and store in a cool corner of the house.
Unbelievably delicious, without ridiculous icing-marzipan layers on top, it’s Caribbean Christmas black cake with rum soaked fruit and burnt sugar flavour. It is the Jamaican or Trinidad cousin of British Christmas cake and it stands tall in comparison!
Panpepato, Italian classic Christmas dessert from the province of Siena, is the ancient version of panforte di Siena, hard Italian biscuits. Panpepato is packed with fruit and nuts, spicy, peppery and very chocolatey. Like biscotti, it keeps forever though through richness rather than double baking.
Zimtsterne are German cinnamon and almond star-shaped cookies baked and gifted during Advent and Christmas. Tiny, dainty and naturally gluten-free, they are like an edible sweet snowflake! In my view the absolutely most delightful Christmas biscuits of all.
Thin and super-crunchy, spicy and melting, old fashioned ginger snaps are a snap to make! Grab that jar of stem ginger from the back of the cupboard and put the syrup to good use.
The best mince pies from scratch, shortcrust pastry and filling. Homemade mincemeat is very easy to make and much nicer than anything you could buy. And thankfully eating them on Christmas Day is not illegal anymore!
Sticky cranberry gingerbread cake with molasses and maple syrup is easy to make, sweet, spicy and tart. It's just perfect for the festive season.
Cranberry gingerbread cake
RECIPE
Traditional Christmas fruitcake, my family recipe going back three generations. Polish Christmas keks, teacake or fruitcake, is lighter and more delicate than its English counterpart, though its name is derived from English Christmas cake. Bake now, freeze half for Christmas Day afters to serve with cheese.
Lebkuchen, traditional German gingerbread biscuits, are soft and chewy, flavoured with a festive spice mix, very easy and enormous fun to make. Cut them with Christmas shapes, brush with delicious icing and decorate with sprinkles.