During the two weeks before Christmas start to prepare and freeze
the dishes for the holiday period. Cross the dishes off your prepara-
tion list once they are in the freezer, and remember to enter them in
your freezer log.
Bread sauce: This can be made and stored in the freezer in a polythene
container, leaving a headspace.
Poultry stuffings: Your chosen stuffings can be prepared and stored,
wrapped in freezer foil. It is not a good idea to stuff poultry before
freezing. Stuffings suitable for turkey and chicken include chestnut,
and parsley and thyme (forcemeat); for goose and duck, sage and onion.
Fresh breadcrumbs which you will need for the above two items can
have been made from left-over pieces of white bread in the preceding
weeks. Freeze the breadcrumbs in a polythene container or bag
sealed with a twist tie. By far the quickest way of making breadcrumbs
is to place cubes of bread in the liquidiser where they can be reduced
to fine breadcrumbs at a flick of the switch. Alternatively, rub the
bread through a sieve, or rub it on a grater to make the crumbs.
Sausage rolls and mince pies: This 1s another time-consuming job
which can be got out of the way in the two weeks prior to Christmas.
Make some small sausage rolls, which are ideal to serve with drinks,
from either defrosted frozen puff pastry or the chilled puff pastry which
is available from some supermarkets. Place them (unbaked) in a poly-
thene container, with foil or cardboard dividers to enable you to
remove only as many as you may require at a time. Place the frozen
rolls straight on a baking sheet, brush with beaten egg and bake
off in a hot oven (425°F, 220°C, Gas Mark 7) for 15-20 minutes. If
liked, a couple of slits may be made in the top of each sausage roll
after they have been glazed.
84
Mince pies are nicest made with an enriched short pastry—8 oz./
225 g./2 cups plain flour, 5 oz./150 g./generous 3 cup butter, 1 egg yolk
and 1 tablespoon castor sugar dissolved in 2 teaspoons water —par-
ticularly is you intend to serve sausage rolls made with puff pastry.
Again, store the mince pies unbaked, to enable you to bake them off
as required in a moderately hot oven (400°F, 200°C, Gas Mark 6)
for 25-30 minutes. 8 oz. flour etc. will make 8-12 mince pies, depending
on the size. When preparing mince pies for the freezer, open freeze
them in the patty tins, then remove from the tins and pack. Serve with
a sprinkling of castor or icing sugar, and with brandy or Cumberland
butter.
Brandy butter: This is delicious served with mince pies and the Christ-
mas pudding. Beat together 6 oz./175 g./# cup unsalted butter and
8 oz./225 g./2 cups sieved icing sugar until light and creamy. Beat in
brandy to taste—do not use your best brandy for this, the cheaper
variety will do—and pack the mixture in polythene containers. Seal
and label. A nice touch when serving the brandy butter is to spike
the surface with slivered almonds. With the freezer as your friend and
ally, it is no trouble to add these little extras when entertaining.
Cumberland butter: Carefully melt 8 0z./225 g./1 cup unsalted butter
over a low heat without allowing it to froth or brown. Place 11b./450 g./
2 cups soft brown sugar and a pinch of nutmeg in a bowl. Pour in
3 tablespoons rum and mix well. Gradually add the melted butter,
beating the mixture with a wooden spoon until it begins to harden.
Pack in polythene containers, seal, label and store in the freezer
until required.
Freezing citrus fruits
Page 35
Presented as published in 1900. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
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During the two weeks before Christmas start to prepare and freeze
the dishes for the holiday period. Cross the dishes off your prepara-
tion list once they are in the freezer, and remember to enter them in
your freezer log.
Bread sauce: This can be made and stored in the freezer in a polythene
container, leaving a headspace.
Poultry stuffings: Your chosen stuffings can be prepared and stored,
wrapped in freezer foil. It is not a good idea to stuff poultry before
freezing. Stuffings suitable for turkey and chicken include chestnut,
and parsley and thyme (forcemeat); for goose and duck, sage and onion.
Fresh breadcrumbs which you will need for the above two items can
have been made from left-over pieces of white bread in the preceding
weeks. Freeze the breadcrumbs in a polythene container or bag
sealed with a twist tie. By far the quickest way of making breadcrumbs
is to place cubes of bread in the liquidiser where they can be reduced
to fine breadcrumbs at a flick of the switch. Alternatively, rub the
bread through a sieve, or rub it on a grater to make the crumbs.
Sausage rolls and mince pies: This 1s another time-consuming job
which can be got out of the way in the two weeks prior to Christmas.
Make some small sausage rolls, which are ideal to serve with drinks,
from either defrosted frozen puff pastry or the chilled puff pastry which
is available from some supermarkets. Place them (unbaked) in a poly-
thene container, with foil or cardboard dividers to enable you to
remove only as many as you may require at a time. Place the frozen
rolls straight on a baking sheet, brush with beaten egg and bake
off in a hot oven (425°F, 220°C, Gas Mark 7) for 15-20 minutes. If
liked, a couple of slits may be made in the top of each sausage roll
after they have been glazed.
84
Mince pies are nicest made with an enriched short pastry—8 oz./
225 g./2 cups plain flour, 5 oz./150 g./generous 3 cup butter, 1 egg yolk
and 1 tablespoon castor sugar dissolved in 2 teaspoons water —par-
ticularly is you intend to serve sausage rolls made with puff pastry.
Again, store the mince pies unbaked, to enable you to bake them off
as required in a moderately hot oven (400°F, 200°C, Gas Mark 6)
for 25-30 minutes. 8 oz. flour etc. will make 8-12 mince pies, depending
on the size. When preparing mince pies for the freezer, open freeze
them in the patty tins, then remove from the tins and pack. Serve with
a sprinkling of castor or icing sugar, and with brandy or Cumberland
butter.
Brandy butter: This is delicious served with mince pies and the Christ-
mas pudding. Beat together 6 oz./175 g./# cup unsalted butter and
8 oz./225 g./2 cups sieved icing sugar until light and creamy. Beat in
brandy to taste—do not use your best brandy for this, the cheaper
variety will do—and pack the mixture in polythene containers. Seal
and label. A nice touch when serving the brandy butter is to spike
the surface with slivered almonds. With the freezer as your friend and
ally, it is no trouble to add these little extras when entertaining.
Cumberland butter: Carefully melt 8 0z./225 g./1 cup unsalted butter
over a low heat without allowing it to froth or brown. Place 11b./450 g./
2 cups soft brown sugar and a pinch of nutmeg in a bowl. Pour in
3 tablespoons rum and mix well. Gradually add the melted butter,
beating the mixture with a wooden spoon until it begins to harden.
Pack in polythene containers, seal, label and store in the freezer
until required.
Freezing citrus fruits