Dec 25th Trifle & Xmas cake

After all the cooking bits and bobs the big day has arrived and finally the sour cherry trifle and the Xmas cake have come together successfully. It was a great Xmas day and my good lady must think my culinary talents are not up there as she gifted me a day at a cooking school. I am delighted and looking forward to it.

Cherry trifle & Xmas cake

Dec 24th Xmas trifle coming together

I have decided to make this year's trifle from scratch as best I can. I have baked a jammy sponge for the base, made some amaretti biscuits to be crushed over, and this morning it was the sour cherry cherry jelly and the vanilla custard. All coming together and a full recipe will appear on my 'Simple cooking' blog.

Cherry jelly and Vanilla custard

Dec 16th Pear and date chutney

A damp and overcast day so full on with Xmas cooking again. To go with the glazed smoked ham joint I like to prepare a home made chutney. This years version included pear, dates, beer, raisins and cranberries. Full recipe will appear on my simple cooking blog. It will develop but yesterday with mature cheddar delicious.

Pear & date chutney

Dec 14th Venison casserole

A grey wet day for a change so time to get ahead of the game and cook and freeze some food for our Boxing Day invasion. Too many people coming to leave the cooking until the day. One of the main dishes is the venison casserole. The supplier of the locally shot roe deer was sold out so the local supermarket stuff will do. An easy dish to prepare, very slow oven cooked, delicious.

Venison ingredients