Mary Berry's Christmas Party

Christmas is my favourite time of year.

It's a perfect excuse to indulge in everything that you love.

This year, I've decided to invite some special guests...

Welcome, Darcey.

..to help me cook for my Christmas party.

DOORBELL RINGS

Happy Christmas!

How are you? Merry Christmas.

They will be making some of my recipes...

Don't drop the tin, don't drop the tin, don't drop the tin.

Just perhaps test it.

No way, no way, no way!

..and also cooking their own festive favourites.

They do look great, don't they?

I don't think you can over-herb, can you over-herb?

-Yes, you can.

-Right, OK, you can over-herb!

Look at that over there.

But, just as a backup, I will be making a few things on my own.

I think that looks positively regal.

All a recipe for a perfect Christmas party.

We were a bit generous with the brandy, weren't we?

I love how Christmas is the one time of year when even the most hesitant

cooks are prepared to give it a go.

Mary knows that I'm not a brilliant cook or a chef.

I mean, in fact, she knows that I barely cook at all.

So, the fact that she said, "It doesn't matter, come,

"I would love to have you in the kitchen," means the world.

And actually, for Mum,

it's even bigger.

I mean, Mum is thrilled.

-Alex.

-Hello, Mary.

Happy Christmas.

Even though Alex Jones doesn't think her cooking is up to much,

I suspect she's going to be marvellous.

What better way to start than with

my wicked white chocolate Christmas cake?

I mean, I'm terrible at making cakes, but if anybody can teach me,

-it's you.

-You like a challenge.

I've seen you do all sorts of things.

-That is true.

-This is yet another challenge for you.

-This is probably the biggest yet.

No, come on, I've seen you hanging off a cliff on a bed.

Oh, that's nothing, Mary, compared to doing sponge with you.

Really?!

I think I'll kick things off by melting 100g of white chocolate.

But I'm going to let Alex loose on the sponge.

So, we've got eggs, four eggs.

-But we're not chefs.

-No pressure.

No pressure. You don't have to do them two at once.

Just simply.

Next, add 250g of flour, 200 of caster sugar, 225 of butter,

then just a dash of vanilla extract.

Here we are. Half a teaspoon.

Oh, no!

Wait a minute. That's it.

All of it? Nothing went in.

-What was that then?

-Well, a little bit.

It'll be very vanilla-y.

Half of that.

-Oh, gosh.

-Don't worry.

Sorry, Mary.

That doesn't matter. It's giving a lovely smell to the kitchen.

It doesn't matter, and actually, I mean, it looks more realistic now,

doesn't it? This is how people's kitchens look, isn't it?

Mine very often.

OK. In we go.

Right. Next challenge, try and mix it all without disaster.

I still have faith in her.

Mum always says you do have to weigh everything meticulously with a cake.

And I always thought, "Well, just throw it in...ish."

I'm glad I did the measuring out,

because that sponge mix looks perfect.

Now for the bit that makes this cake extra special.

Add in the delicious rich melted chocolate.

So who is doing Christmas dinner in your house?

Well, I mean, even though my sister and I are fully grown women,

we still go home to Mum and Dad at Christmas.

They just like having us home.

It's a chance for them to be parents again, I suppose,

and so we are not allowed in the kitchen.

Time to pour the sponge mix into the two tins.

I think Alex's mum would be really proud.

My mum is a fabulous cook.

At Christmas, she,

she just... The house comes alive.

She decorates everything beautifully.

Yeah, I don't know what happened to me.

I mean, she gave me all the training,

but, I mean, she looks at me and she's confused.

She's like, "How are you not domesticated?

"We've done it all. We've given you every opportunity."

Mary, you might have to just open the door.

Amazing. OK.

Pop into the oven at 160 fan for about 20 to 25 minutes.

There we are.

While that cooks, we should make the cream filling.

It's easy enough.

200ml of double cream and a generous tablespoon of icing sugar.

There we are.

-Lovely.

-Now we'll just put a little bit of brandy in it.

We don't mind that, do we?

-No.

-Now, could you be more careful with the spoon this time?

-Two tablespoons.

-Right, two tablespoons.

Here we go.

The thing is, if you slip with brandy,

-it's not the end of the world, is it?

-Lovely.

One for the road, or not?

No, we're not having one for the road.

That's perfect.

-Right.

-That's the badger.

Have you heard of that saying before?

-No, what is it?

-When something's right, you say, "that's the badger".

And that is the badger.

OVEN BEEPS

The big moment is here.

I do hope that Alex's sponges have worked well.

I mean, do they look professh?

I think you have done wonders.

They are absolutely beautiful.

A little bit of a crack but that's because of the white chocolate.

-That's really...

-I'm pleased. I'm really pleased.

-Well done.

You should be very proud.

An excellent first attempt.

Now to get them out of the tin.

There we are.

That's right.

OK. Look at that.

A wing and a prayer.

Here we go.

There we are. Perfect.

While the sponges cool...

..Alex is going to make one of her Christmas favourites.

I wonder what it is?

I secretly hope it's something savoury.

I've had quite a lot of cake in my time.

It's a bit World War II.

Oh. Must be Spam.

Not far off.

So I asked Mum what I should cook for Mary Berry.

And she laughed out loud because she said, "Well, Alex,

"everything I make is from a Mary Berry cookbook.

"So you're basically going to give her her own recipe back."

So we came up with rissoles because it is quite Welsh.

They are just delicious.

People outside south Wales look at me as if I have got two heads when I say, "Do you like rissole?"

But, honestly, the nation will come around.

So we are going to swap places, cos Berry is normally the boss.

I'm going to take control.

Right, let me help.

I'll be the sous-chef. Thank you.

This is hysterical.

OK.

First of all, we need to chop the onions.

OK. So, shall I open the corned beef in the meantime?

Nobody has probably seen this on the BBC for years and years,

somebody opening a corned beef tin. But I'm bringing it back.

It does look a bit like cat food.

-But...

-It's delicious.

Ignore that. It's really delicious.

While you cut the onion, I'll just roughly chop up the corned beef.

I did practice yesterday, and they were edible.

I mean, I can't give you any more than that,

but they were edible!

Now, do you think we need to heat this corned beef up or not?

I should do what your mother did.

OK. Well, let's put that in there for a little bit.

The corned beef goes into those lovely sauteed onions.

-Mash it down now?

-Mash it down so there's no lumps in it.

Now bind it all together with some mashed potato.

Now, ideally, we'd put this mixture in the fridge to harden for half

an hour. But we are doing express today.

And what else has got to go in there?

All we'll do is the herbs.

I don't think you can over-herb.

-Can you over-herb?

-Yes, you can.

Right, OK. You can over-herb!

This is the secret ingredient.

And Mum just said, "Just a couple of squirts."

This is bringing everything down to base-level now, isn't it?

That looks good.

And then, we have to taste, don't we?

-As we go?

-I'm all for that.

If we get a little teaspoon, maybe.

Or even a nice big spoon.

Well, I mean...

Is that quite nice?

That is absolutely delicious.

Perfect. We'll just grab it...

The last step is to shape and dip the mixture into flour

and egg. Then a generous coating of breadcrumbs

and straight into a hot pan.

And the fact that they're not a perfect shape

makes everyone think that they are home-made.

I know everything is about presentation, but, actually,

just close your eyes and taste them. You're going to love them.

-Do they look ready?

-They certainly do.

I mean, they don't look the prettiest,

but they are very tasty.

Well, actually, I'm impressed.

Despite being a bit World War II,

I bet those rissoles will be very popular later.

But I'm not ready to let Alex go yet.

She's still got to finish that delicious white chocolate cake.

Now just feel that, how lovely and moist it is.

-Oh, wow!

-It's a bit of all right.

Now, cherry jam.

Spread it all round.

Now for our brandy cream.

-Half?

-That's plenty, yeah.

-That's it.

-That looks delicious.

Gently.

-Look at the size of that.

-Oh, wow!

And it oozes out, that's what matters and it's good.

We are almost there.

Alex is about to pipe a cake for the very first time.

You do it up like that and then we

go down like that, all the way round.

Out and down.

Out and down.

You're very quick to learn.

Well, thank you.

I don't think I've ever concentrated this much on anything.

And you've just got enough.

That's right.

That's it. Very, very good.

Topped with some white chocolate shavings

and a few Christmas touches.

Come on, you can't go wrong with that, can you?

I can't believe that I've made a cake with Mary Berry and it worked.

-Look!

-And everybody is going to say, "Did you really make it?"

-And I shall say, "Of course you did."

-Yes.

I'm absolutely chuffed for Alex.

The cake is bound to be a hit.

Now it's my turn.

From one party centrepiece to another.

Nothing says Christmas like a glazed ham.

It's popular with everybody.

And I've got a rather interesting way of doing it.

I've got a beautiful piece of gammon here.

And I'm going to cook it very slowly,

but I'm cooking it in ginger beer,

which gives it a lovely depth of flavour.

Then I'm going to glaze it with a ginger syrup

and chopped ginger on top.

Pop the ham into a large saucepan

and cover with 600ml of ginger beer.

Now, the ginger beer won't quite cover it.

And so what I'm going to do is to make it up with water...

..just until it comes to the top of the string there.

That's it.

Turn up the heat and wait for it to come to the boil.

Now a good sauce to go with it.

Mustard is a natural marriage with ham.

I'm using wholegrain and Dijon mustard for this one.

Two tablespoons of each.

Then 200g of creme fraiche and six tablespoons of mayonnaise.

That's it.

Finish with seasoning and a sprinkle of sugar.

And you can keep this all over Christmas in the fridge

and it'll keep for two weeks.

I bet the ham is gone by then.

By now, the ham should have come to the boil.

Turn it right down and let it simmer.

If it's a 3kg ham, like this one,

leave it for just over two hours.

This has been such a wonderful smell.

It's been wafting through the house.

I think one or two people think they are getting it for supper,

but they're not. I'm saving it for that party.

So, off with the lid.

I'm finishing the ham off in the oven.

First, I need to get rid of the string and remove

the outer layer of fat.

Do it when it's hot, and it will carve easily.

Score the skin ready for that lovely Christmas glaze.

Simply pour over the syrup from a jar of stem ginger.

Delicious.

And then I've chopped some of the ginger.

And I'm going to pat that over the top.

And it'll go a beautiful golden brown.

And it's just a little bit different.

Set the oven at 220 fan, and cook it for about 25 minutes.

Just look at that.

Great for Christmas, great for

New Year, and it smells just wonderful.

I'm just going to serve it now on the plate.

On it goes.

And there's a little bit on the edge here that has got my name on it.

There's this gorgeous, rich, golden brown.

I don't know if you could hear that crunch,

but it's become crispy on top,

and I think that looks positively regal.

That's the ham done.

But I couldn't imagine throwing a Christmas party without making

a pavlova.

Is there anyone more perfect to cook it than the country's

best-loved ballerina?

Welcome, Darcey.

I'm slightly worried about cooking for Mary Berry.

I'd be very happy to cook with her and that she will direct me.

I can't say I'm a natural, so I'm worried that she's going to be

quite disappointed.

So, together we're going to cook a pavlova for the party,

and it's going to be pear and hazelnut,

with a bit of chocolate round the outside.

That sounds delicious.

I've never done one like that before.

To make the pavlova just that little bit more festive,

we're going to shape it like a Christmas wreath.

All the way round the outside like that.

-See if that's done.

-Perfect.

Yep, that's perfect.

Whoohoo!

And it's fitting that Darcey is making the meringue.

This one has six egg whites whisked until they take on

a cloud-like appearance.

Gradually add 375g of caster sugar.

Now the next one.

Until you get to the bottom.

-What? The bottom of this?

-You've got to get it all in.

-Oh, I see.

I think that's a little more sugar than my ballet dancing friend was

-expecting.

-Oops, I'm dropping the sugar.

You can go a little bit faster now.

OK.

I have made a pavlova before.

Not on my own.

No, my mum is a big pavlova maker.

They'd always be vast, these giant things.

They'd never turn out the way she always wanted,

because she's a bit of a perfectionist.

I'm very happy I'm with Mary.

Job done.

Now I want to show you what we've been aiming for.

What we really want is that it's absolutely at peaks.

-Can you see?

-Ooh, yes.

That's a pretty good example.

-Excellent.

-And also, it's really rather fun to just perhaps test it.

No way, no way, no way!

Oh, no, I won't do it on you.

I wouldn't dare. It's quite fun.

Can you see?

That is really, really stiff.

Finish with cornflour mixed with white wine vinegar.

And the reason for adding it,

is that we want it a little bit soft and chewy in the middle,

-and that makes it soft and chewy.

-Ooh!

Now for the fun bit.

Creating our gorgeous Christmas wreath.

Yeah, I'm feeling a little bit of pressure here.

That's right, and then we can push it.

OK, we can push it round.

I wish I had been secretly practising, but no.

Oh, oh, oh!

I know that when I put my head down,

I can actually come up with good results.

-You're quite methodical, aren't you?

-I know. Is it really annoying?

No.

I can cook.

Give me a barbecue, I'm really happy.

That is a perfect wreath, but,

we're going to put loads of cream and also some hazelnuts,

so let's make a little trench in there, all the way along there.

All the way round.

Shall I push that back?

Go on, then.

Little perfectionist.

I'm a bit fanatical about shape.

That's it. There we are.

-Look at that.

-That is absolutely perfect.

So, I'll go and open the oven door for you.

Thank you.

I've preheated the oven to 140 fan.

As soon as it's in,

drop the temperature to 120 fan and cook for a further hour.

Then turn it off and leave the pavlova to cool slowly inside.

-Are you proud of that?

-I'm very proud.

Now we come to the fun part, because we're going to decorate it.

For the filling, it's equal parts Greek yoghurt

and whipped double cream.

A little bit of vanilla.

And icing sugar.

So, I want to know if my skills are any good.

I think your skills are brilliant.

-Really?

-I know that if you asked me to dance,

I wouldn't be able to do a step, and here you are,

making this meringue and making it so beautiful.

Rubbish. You'd be doing millions of beautiful steps, I know you would.

That's it. Add some syrupy sweet tinned pears

and then gently fold that together.

And now we've got to try and get it in that.

-Exactly.

-OK.

-Please supervise.

-Just go all the way round.

Darcey's danced in front of thousands.

She can't be scared of cream.

Do you know something?

You are really methodical when you do things.

You are measuring it out and thinking,

"I'm not going to run out of mixture."

I don't want a lump anywhere, either.

It's going to be nice and even. Oh, I got a plop.

There we are, a little bit more to go in.

Have you a sweet tooth, darling?

Just a little.

Top with some of the tinned pears and toasted hazelnuts.

And it's our original design.

It is.

That's it. Now, a drizzle of chocolate all over the top.

How are you with piping?

-I'm rubbish.

-We'll practise.

No, no, I'm really rubbish.

No, I'd like to see you doing rubbish on the table.

We'll see.

That looks good enough to give it a go.

I'll hide behind it and it will all be a surprise for me.

I'll look away.

Oh, hello.

It's not coming out. It's just messy now.

-No, it's not.

-It is, I've got little blobs.

Let's have a look. It'll come.

Oh, see, it's the touch.

-It's the Berry touch.

-It didn't dare not.

Come on.

All right.

Are you approving? You're watching me.

I'm approving. I think it looks lovely.

Voila!

How about that? Are you proud?

Yeah, yeah, I'm really chuffed.

I think it could be a lot better if you did it.

I think it looks absolutely brilliant.

And you should be really, really proud of that.

Thank you very much, Mary.

Well, I think this party's shaping up.

I love Christmas and I can really indulge.

And I go to town and I know how to party.

So that is a good thing.

I'm pleased Darcey is a fellow reveller.

And there's one other tasty morsel I think she'll love.

Small, light, perfect with a glass of champagne.

Delicious blinis.

This blini recipe is so simple.

Just flour, egg and milk.

My own special touch is to add some fresh mint and basil.

That just makes it a little bit different

and people know that you haven't bought them.

But cooking them is Darcey's domain.

Now, for your next challenge, ten.

-Can I fit ten in there?

-I think you will.

OK.

And also you can have quite fun if you're doing this sort of thing with

children. They can do their initials in batter.

They can do all sorts of things.

-They're good.

-No, I'm not very happy with those at all.

Well, they look fine to me.

As soon as they bubble, they're ready to flip.

I think you've made a few pancakes in your time.

I have made a lot of pancakes, yes.

Once they're done, top the blinis with whatever takes your fancy.

One that always goes down well at my parties is creme fraiche...

Oh.

..and caramelised onion.

So, shall we have a whole one or a half?

-A whole one.

-A whole one.

OK, don't watch.

INDISTINCT SPEECH

We should do it in one go.

I don't think I can do that, Mary.

The actual blini itself, I don't know if you're going to agree with

me, is beautifully soft.

-That's very nice.

-That's a really good combination.

Another of my favourites is cream cheese, sun-dried tomato,

feta and basil.

-That's it.

-Are we going to go for one more?

I'll have to go for the little one.

I'm going to go for that one.

How did she do that? That's so beautiful.

I can't, I can't do it like that.

And I've got a really big mouth.

Well done.

That's Darcey done.

I'm pleased she liked the blini.

I have another bite-sized treat that should also pull them in at

the party. My delicious turkey and cranberry burgers.

They're little burgers,

and you can eat them in one or two mouthfuls and they're

absolutely delicious.

Begin by whizzing two slices of bread,

creating some lovely light breadcrumbs.

Then next, I've got some turkey breasts here,

I've chopped it into sort of rough pieces

and I'm going to put it in the processor

until it's in chunky pieces, about the size of coarse mince.

Add the turkey to the breadcrumbs and then pop in one tablespoon of

chopped chives and another of chopped parsley.

And some well-flavoured Cheddar cheese.

Choose mature Cheddar cheese, as strong as you can get it.

An egg yolk will help to bind, and season it well.

It's as simple as that.

And you just work that together until it holds together.

And because we've got such a lot of parsley and chives in there,

you can really see when it is well mixed together.

Let's get ready to make those burgers.

Are you looking at my red nails?

Well, it is Christmas, and it's been done specially.

Their acrylic, and they're not going into the mixture,

just in case you thought they were.

Right. I'm going to cut that into 12.

It's always easy for me to do it like a cake.

So, if my arithmetic is right...

..each one of those I've got to cut into three.

A good tip is to wet your hands when shaping the burgers.

It will stop the mixture from sticking.

So, in it goes.

I like that sizzle.

SIZZLING

I am going to aim to just turn them once.

So you get them beautifully brown, and I'll turn the heat down,

because I want them done in the middle.

The burgers should take no longer than two minutes on either side...

..until they're that delicious-looking golden colour.

They look pretty good, don't they?

Don't be tempted to cook them for a long time.

If you cook them for too long they'll be dry and hard.

And these are going to be absolutely perfect.

Find some little brioche buns just big enough to hold a burger.

So this is just cranberry sauce,

you'll have got some of this ready for the turkey on Christmas Day,

so just put some cranberry sauce like that.

And they fit very nicely and they are very generous.

You might even say over generous.

A long slice of sweet dill pickle tops them off.

Put their little crowning glories on top.

And they're all ready for the party.

A really different way of having cranberry and turkey,

and I think they'll go like lightning.

Isn't that the perfect Christmas dish?

Now, I've just enough time to get ready for my next Christmas helper.

I don't know how I'm going to impress Mary.

How do you impress Mary Berry?

I mean, it's going to be an impossible task.

I'm just going to listen intently and carefully,

and just do exactly as I'm told.

-Ah-ha!

-Happy Christmas.

How are you? Merry Christmas.

Adil Ray is one of my favourites from Citizen Khan

but I've no idea what his cooking's like.

Welcome to the kitchen.

And it's nice to have a chap here.

We've had too many girls.

Well, you say that now, but let's see how you feel after we've cooked.

So what sort of cooking do you do over Christmas?

I do get involved, actually.

And one of the things I do, I've been doing it the last three or four

years, is a dark, sticky, ginger cake.

But I think my family are going, "Here he comes again,

"with this same ginger cake."

I think they're ready for an upgraded version, and, Mary,

only you can provide that.

I've got just the ticket to help Adil with his ginger cake upgrade.

I hope he's up for all the measuring.

100g of plain flour, then half a teaspoon bicarbonate of soda.

How do you level it? Oh, with your finger.

Right, OK, there you go.

I'm trying to be polite, but just get your finger in there.

All right. Next up, two teaspoons of cinnamon.

Oh, I love the smell of cinnamon.

Isn't it lovely?

OK. One teaspoon of ground ginger.

A quarter teaspoon of nutmeg.

-Perfect.

-Still more to combine.

Now, in a separate bowl,

add 125ml of milk to 50g of treacle.

75 of light muscovado sugar and one egg.

So it's 50g of melted butter?

-Yes, that's right.

-OK.

-So I'm just going to melt that.

COOKER CLICKS

Right. Have you paid your bills, Mary?

Oh, yeah.

Mix that together and I'll give you the butter in a minute.

OK.

Being from a Muslim family, when I was a kid,

we actually didn't do Christmas in ours.

It just wasn't a thing.

But as we grew up and became teenagers and said to our mum,

"Look, we want to do Christmas, come on."

OK, here goes the butter.

Then you put the two together.

But, there's a big difference, well, there's two big differences.

One, we add a bit of spice into almost everything,

so we'll have turkey but you've got to have a spicy chutney on the side

because turkey's too bland.

And the other thing, of course, the family doesn't drink.

However, we do get these sort of, they look like wine bottles,

and it's like fizzy apple juice.

And I kid you not,

when my mum and my aunt drink two glasses of this apple juice,

they do get drunk. I don't know how they do it.

It's brilliant. It's brilliant.

And they tell jokes and they get all giddy and

they sing along on apple juice.

Once smooth, Adil needs to pour it carefully into a buttered and lined

-loaf tin.

-Here we are.

It's going, it's going.

That's lovely.

The oven should be set at 160 fan

and it will take about 30 to 35 minutes.

Cake's in, now for the trickier bit.

The delicious toffee sauce.

Add 300ml of double cream to 75g of butter,

and 100g of muscovado sugar.

Then heat.

I've sort of always wished when I've made a ginger cake that I would be

able to make a sauce and I just never know how to do it.

-This is just brilliant.

-It is brilliant.

But, you do have do stir it all the time.

It's no good thinking you can walk away and do something else,

-make a phone call.

-No, you can't do that.

You can't get on Twitter or something like that?

-I don't do that.

-You don't do Twitter?

I'll tell you about it later, Mary, it's fine, it's fantastic stuff.

You keep stirring it and you'll see that the butter will melt first.

-Yes, oh, yes.

-And if you don't stir it,

you'll get a crust on the bottom and it tastes horrible.

-Right. OK.

-And so when do you have your Christmas meal?

-Do you have it at lunchtime?

-We have it after the Queen's speech.

Mum wants to watch the speech.

This is what happens at Christmas. We'll watch the Queen's speech,

and the Queen will say something really poignant about poverty or

things going on in the world and Syria.

And we will watch it intently for ten minutes and then my mum

afterwards will go, "Well, the curtains were nice, weren't they?

"She wore yellow again."

It's like, "Mum! She just talked about poverty!"

But, you know, it doesn't matter, we've still got to watch it.

But it is rather exciting to see what she wears and, I mean,

wonderful at her age.

It's amazing. She's fantastic.

It's nearly there. No, no, you've got time to...

It's just the smell of it, Mary.

I know, but you mustn't stop,

otherwise you will notice the very base will burn.

-Naughty.

-You'll remember this when you're making it at home.

-I will. I really will.

-You'll think I'm a dragon.

No, this is brilliant, because this is the stuff I worry about.

I think that's just about right.

Darker in colour.

-Look at that.

-And a coating consistency.

-Yeah.

-I think Adil's ginger cake might just about be ready.

Yes, it's risen. Oh, lovely. Oh.

Lovely. Here we are.

It looks good, doesn't it?

Now, to tell if it's done, you put a finger on it there.

Gentle, gentle, come on.

And it comes out again.

Try.

-Oh.

-To turn it out, pull the sides just up to see if it's loose,

then put the cloth on top, turn it round, and put it back on there.

-Come on.

-Hang on, hang on.

So just pull that to see if it's loose.

-That's loose.

-Now put the cloth over the top, yeah.

-Yeah.

-That's right.

-All right.

-Yeah.

-And just flick that up.

That's it.

I'll try not to...

That's it. There you are.

-Now, aren't you proud of that?

-I am.

-I am.

-You can have a taste. I'll just get a plate.

Lovely.

A generous toffee sauce there.

You see, the way you pour it. I would have just gone...

Ah, you want a spoon.

Please note, I take two spoons out.

I know it's so good, it smells absolutely wonderful.

There you are.

-What's the verdict?

-Oh, my God.

That's amazing. Look at that over there.

-No, no, you're going to...

-Look, look.

Well, I'm glad you like it, and you made it all yourself.

-Go on, you can finish it.

-I will.

So, we're making it for everybody who's coming,

but will you make it for Christmas?

I'm definitely going to make this for Christmas.

My family are going to love this.

-Absolutely adore it.

-Impressing your mum?

It takes a lot to impress my mum,

but this is going to be one of those moments.

So, thank you very much.

Wasn't Adil a joy?

While he goes off to get ready,

I want to show you a new favourite of mine.

Gorgeous warm tarts filled with squash, cranberry and brie.

These will really impress your guests.

They're not expensive, they are easy to make and I promise,

they're something very special.

Scatter some diced squash and onion into a big roasting tin.

So, a little oil on top.

Season well, then give a good mix

before putting them in the oven to cook

at 180 fan for about 25 minutes until they're golden brown.

Right, I've got some filo pastry here.

There's one sheet, spread it out.

You don't need to flour underneath it or anything.

Brush the pastry generously with melted butter.

Then do the same to the muffin tin.

There we are. Then I'm going to cut this into nine.

So, take one square...

..and put it down like that and then put the next square

on top at an angle.

Like that.

So, as you pick this up this side is not buttered and you drop

it into the actual case.

Put it in, and that's it.

So simple.

Keep going until they're all done.

And we're ready for that delicious, sweet squash filling.

What could be better at Christmas than a dollop of cranberry sauce?

Wonderful.

Pour in savoury custard made from a couple of beaten eggs and some

decadent double cream.

And top with some creamy brie.

And that will run and melt over the top.

Sprinkle on some paprika.

It adds to the colour and the flavour too.

Then back in the oven to cook for 20 to 25 minutes at 180 fan.

And they're ready to serve.

There we go. I think those look

really tempting and I bet they're the first to go.

They are mouthwatering.

Nothing like a warming tart to get everyone in the mood.

Well, we've almost finished all the cooking,

but I've left one of my favourite dishes until last,

and the wonderful Fearne Cotton is going to help me cook it.

I am feeling so excited.

There's sort of a Christmas tingle

that's going throughout my body right now with excitement.

But I just want to be teacher's pet and to do well,

and for Mary to be my new best friend.

So, for me, there's a lot riding on it.

As you can see, we're really ready for Christmas.

-I know.

-And you, nobody's seen your shoes.

Lift your shoe up. Look at that, that is really glittery.

-They are.

-Aren't they great?

I'm glad that we've done that, Mary,

because otherwise I wore them for no reason,

so I'm glad we got those sparkly beauts on camera.

And they are very comfy?

They are great for cooking.

I can nip about there, here, anywhere you want me to be, Mary,

-in these shoes.

-Have you ever made a chocolate roulade?

You know what, I haven't ever made a chocolate roulade before.

You know what puts me off?

The rolling bit.

Is that not really tricky?

You'll find out, young lady.

Let's get things started by melting some dark chocolate.

And mixing together 175g of caster sugar with six egg yolks.

And what are you kind of waiting for, for it to go...?

I'm waiting for it to go light in colour and also really thick.

Can you just go and stir that and see how far it's got?

-How's that going?

-Is it nearly done?

-It's nearly there.

-Lift it off, then.

That's it. And we'll put it straight in here.

-That's it.

-Oh, look at that.

-There we are.

-All good.

-Now, just turn that on.

Those, I'm just going to wash,

because we want them absolutely sparkling clean

to do the egg whites.

Let me wash those! You can't be doing the washing up!

-I'm good at washing up.

-Are you sure?! Right, OK.

I've watched Mary on TV forever.

And even sort of being in Mary's presence is very exciting.

But to actually cook with her - that's like,

you've played football with David Beckham,

you've done maths with Einstein...

-Make sure you don't press anything.

-No, I won't,

I'm not taking your hand off, Mary!

I could lose all my fingers!

You know what I mean, this is up there.

That's it.

Goodness me!

Fearne needs to beat those egg whites

until they are nice and stiff.

I think she has the knack.

Yes, lovely.

-Good.

-Add a couple of spoonfuls to that lovely,

gooey chocolate mixture.

And just sort of stir it in.

And that'll slacken it down.

And now I can put the rest in.

Yes.

-How about you fold it in?

-I'd love to.

You are doing that beautifully.

But you've made a few cakes in your time, haven't you?

I have. You know, I've got many of your books at home.

But I often skip the pages where I see a roulade, because I just think,

there's no way that I could make that happen.

So this is good to face the fear today.

Well, you're doing it really, really well.

No such thing as too much chocolate.

So why not give it more flavour with two tablespoons of cocoa powder?

-Let it just pour.

-Oh, I mean, that is an absolute dream.

Let me dive into that gorgeous chocolateness!

In our house, whenever we put anything in the oven

-that's a bake we say, "Good luck, cake!"

-OK.

-The kids have to shout.

Good luck, cake!

Don't drop the tin, don't drop the tin, don't drop the tin.

-That would be really embarrassing.

-Here we are.

Good luck, cake.

It will cook at 160 fan for about 20 minutes.

Time to indulge in a bit of chocolate decoration.

I'm sure Fearne will love this.

Spread out some delicious, warm, melted dark chocolate.

Then get artistic with the white.

That's perfect!

-Ah, there we go.

-All different directions.

That's fantastic.

That is such a simple and effective way, isn't it,

of making it look really fancy and like you're really skilled.

It's perfect. Do you like white chocolate?

-Because I do.

-It's a bit sickly, but I do like it.

OK, we're obviously doing the wrong one.

You have that one and I'll have this one.

Right, I think we should be getting on with this.

-Shall we get a move on?

-Now for even more richness.

Whipped cream with a dash of Irish booziness.

I'm a real lightweight as well, Mary.

So, if I go crazy on the roulade at the party, it's game over.

Oh, good, well, have two slices!

There we are.

With the sponge cooked and completely cooled,

we've come to the bit Fearne was worried about.

It's easy, though.

Dust some baking paper with icing sugar.

Then turn out the sponge.

Over it goes. That's just perfect.

-There she goes.

-Yes.

I think it's still stuck in there, Mary.

No, it's not. It just needs a little pull.

Oh, there we go.

Look at that!

Oh! Beautiful.

Spread on that lovely, boozy cream, and don't hold back.

That looks beautifully even, doesn't it?

Yes, good.

Now we come to the rolling.

But a little tip is to go along here,

not going through, but just making

an indentation all along there.

Ah, does that just help to kind of get the roll tighter in the middle?

You are just right. So I'm going to start you off.

-Please.

-And you can finish it. Lift that up,

and then actually break it there.

And that starts the roll.

So let the paper do its work and do that, OK?

You make it look so easy!

I have a feeling it's not going to be.

So watch what you're doing, that's right...

You don't need to use too much pressure.

That's right.

It's still looking pretty straight.

-That's it.

-Oh, my goodness, we've done it!

It is really beautiful.

And when it gets to this stage,

you might just have to give it a little...

That looks satisfying.

Just shake it up, and expect it to crack like a Yule log.

-Doesn't it feel...

-That feels sensational.

Slip in those white and dark chocolate shards.

Oh, how adorable.

Like a little festive hedgehog.

You know, you should be really proud of that.

It is tricky to get that lovely spiral at the end.

And you've achieved it.

The roulade's a success.

Now Fearne is going to make one of her dishes for me.

I'm quite nervous about doing my recipe with you.

I hope you like it.

I'm going to be cooking a Christmassy stuffed squash

with pesto vegetables

and topped with goat's cheese.

That's a long title!

So we're going to start off by just slicing off the top.

And then if you just scoop out all the seeds on the inside.

It's almost like doing a melon as you take the seeds out.

Yes, they are.

You pop them flesh side down in a big roasting tray like this.

And you're going to just put a little bit of water

in that roasting tray.

So when you pop them in the oven, they steam.

At Christmas time, there's so much meat and turkey,

and sausages and things,

this is a lovely option.

Well, it is, because I don't eat meat.

So Christmas can be sometimes a bit bleak.

Fearne is roasting her squash in the oven at 180 fan for a good

35 minutes.

Plenty of time to make the filling.

She's got me to saute four chopped carrots,

a couple of sliced leeks and some crushed garlic.

What I'm intrigued about is Fearne's non-dairy pesto, made with cashews,

oil, basil and mint, and no cheese.

So now we're going to whizz all of this together.

It looks interesting.

Right, be honest if you don't like it.

I'd like that spread on toast, you know.

Blow the avocado,

this will be lovely.

The leeks and carrots are finally soft,

and ready for one of Fearne's favourites, quinoa.

The mere mention of the word...

I mean, it's an awkward word to even say without sounding like a wally.

And people go, "Oh, it's got quinoa in it."

But actually, it's I think how you cook it,

and it can taste very bland and plain,

but if you know what to sort of marry it with

and what flavours to use, it can be really delicious.

So, hopefully, if there are any quinoa naysayers,

we can change their minds at the party.

Once we fill them,

we're finishing them off with sun-dried tomatoes...

..a dollop of Fearne's dairy-free pesto,

and, if you like, a sprinkle of goat's cheese.

Then back in the oven, just long enough for a quick tidy up,

and to let that delicious cheese slowly melt.

They do look great, don't they?

Oh, thank you, Mary.

And nothing could be more Christmassy than that.

The green and red and then the sort of white snow on the top.

Mary, I'd love it if you try a bit now.

I need absolutely no encouragement.

I'll get stuck in as well, why not?

I'm going to get a little bit of everything.

-I'm happy with that.

-You're happy with it?

I'm overjoyed with it!

-Yes!

-Well done. Absolutely...

-I'm in for another one.

-So glad you like them.

-It's really, really good.

And I think it'll appeal to everyone.

Day made, week made, year made.

Christmas is on.

I think we're ready.

I'm so proud of them.

They've done really well.

I can't wait for them to walk in and see what they've accomplished.

What an effort.

A magnificent feast

worthy of any Christmas celebration.

Now all we need are friends and family.

# He'll come a flyin' from a higher place

# And fill the stocking by the fireplace

# So you'll have a Yule that's cool... #

Hello!

This really is a time that brings everyone together.

My wonderful godchildren.

My daughter.

My dear friends.

Colleagues.

And, of course, those wonderful cooks.

Hello! Hello, Mary, how are you?

Wow, look, in pride of place, your cake!

-Ta-da!

-Aren't you proud?

-Oh, I am!

And, look, your ginger cake.

Oh, it looks fantastic.

Now, Adil, have you had a rissole in your life?

No, I've never had a rissole.

I've been looking forward to having a rissole with you, Mary,

for quite some time. Absolutely. So, what's in them, what are they?

Corned beef, mashed potato, and some ketchup.

-Ketchup?!

-And some herbs.

Ketchup! Come on, Mary, it's poison, isn't it?

Oh, no!

-Fearne.

-I'll have whatever's going.

Thank you so much.

Are you not proud?

Oh, this looks absolutely gorgeous.

Oh, my, that's my pavlova!

-Did you make that?!

-Well, with great instruction from Mary, of course.

-Beautiful.

-So, how about cheers!

Merry Christmas!

And thank you all.

You are quite brilliant.

I'm very proud of all of you.

Thanks for having me.

-Mary Berry Christmas.

-Yes, Mary Berry Christmas.

Before we eat, I have one last recipe.

A cocktail guaranteed to kick-start any party.

Come on!

I need help! I'm going to make a MB Zinger.

It's cranberry juice and bitter lemon.

But there's a few more ingredients.

So, in goes the cranberry juice.

And it's half as much bitter lemon as cranberry juice.

OK, I love MB Zinger.

Your signature cocktail, Mary.

Exactly! And very Christmassy, because it's pink,

and of course it gives it a bit of sparkle.

-Yes.

-And then a few slurps of brandy.

That's just makes it...

That much? OK! A little squirt of lime, with some mint, fresh mint.

Well, this looks quite potent.

Well, it's just however much brandy you put in it.

I love your parties, Mary!

But it's such a Christmassy colour, don't you think?

-It is.

-Like that.

And it must be cold.

And if you're doing it for children, leave out the brandy.

But, for us, we've got it there.

For us, I mean...

-There we are.

-Right.

-Happy Christmas.

-Happy Christmas.

-Wow!

-Warming, wouldn't you say?

Two of these, and, well, I'd be no good for anybody.

MB Zinger.

-Have a taste.

-Oh, MB Zinger.

It's bitter lemon, brandy...

Oh, that is really yummy.

-Oh!

-We were a bit generous with the brandy, weren't we?!

Oh, my God!

The first rule of Christmas,

don't drink too much on an empty stomach.

So I've got good news.

I think we should eat. Come on!

Oh, that's great news.

I hope everyone enjoys this wonderful table.

As well as my ginger-glazed ham with mustard sauce,

bite-size turkey burgers,

and those delicious squash, brie and cranberry tarts,

there's also Fearne's vegetable and quinoa squash,

the excellent blinis,

and, of course, Alex's mum's special,

no-fuss corned beef rissoles.

Now, I'm going to give you one

because you said they were your favourites.

I'm very excited about this tart.

-There's so little pastry, what do you think?

-Mm!

That is so delicious!

All in one, right, all in one?

Yes, that's how Mary does it!

They work really well.

But what about those rissoles?

My godchildren have gone straight for them.

Speechless!

-OK?

-It's fantastic!

My last surprise guest, Myleene Klass, has arrived.

Oh, look who I've got here!

With a promise to play some Christmas songs later on.

I haven't cooked anything, but I've come to eat everything!

I'm not sure how fine voiced we are.

Perhaps some of those gorgeous puddings

will help to get us fired up.

The beautifully spiced ginger cake with toffee sauce.

A sumptuous chocolate and Irish cream roulade.

The heavenly hazelnut and pear pavlova, inspired by a ballerina.

And my show-stopping white chocolate cherry and brandy cake.

That's what they say, Adil.

Oh, wow, look at that for a portion!

-Thank you.

-This is yum!

I have to try this ginger.

Brace yourself, are you ready for this?

-Yeah, I'm ready.

-OK.

-Yes?

-It's so soft.

Yes, look at that, it's all in the face, I can see.

Give us a bit of roulade, Mary.

I didn't know you were this good!

No, that's Mary's recipe.

-I just stood there and...

-No, you are good.

Well, I'll take the credit, happily!

Darcey? Shall I do you a little piece?

I don't call that little!

Well, it's Christmas after all!

-There you are.

-Lovely.

OK, so what's in the cream?

-Something naughty?

-Brandy.

-Brandy.

Just a soupcon.

Oh, yes, I mean, only just a tiny bit.

That's nice!

Is it?

# Oh the weather outside is frightful

# But the fire is so delightful

# And since we've no place to go

# Let is snow, let it snow, let it snow

# It doesn't show signs of stopping

# And I've bought some corn for popping

# The lights are turned way down low

# Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. #

# Deck the halls with boughs of holly

# Fa la-la-la-la La la la-la

# Tis the season to be jolly

# Fa la-la-la-la La la la-la

# Don we now our gay apparel

# Fa la-la-la-la La la la-la

# Troll the ancient Yuletide carol

# Fa la-la-la-la La la la-la

# Fa la-la-la-la La la la-la. #

Have a wonderful Christmas and a happy New Year.

# Oh the weather outside is frightful

# But the fire is so delightful

# And since we've no place to go

# Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

# Man, it doesn't show signs of stopping

# And I've brought me some corn for popping

# The lights are turned way down low

# Let it snow, let it snow. #