Season's Eatings Nigella Express

I am just full of the Christmas spirit

and I bring tidings of comfort and joy, and I really do,

because it's Christmas express style.

Now, I don't mean the big day itself,

which is always going to be a long haul.

But the thing is, this time of year is full of so many days

ready to be filled with festive treats and I have it all wrapped up.

For inner glow, it's got to be holiday hotcake

with lashings of eggnog cream for the grown-ups.

Doing double duty as edible gifts and get-ahead goodies,

spiced peaches and chocolate pistachio fudge.

To get the party started, moreish, salt, sweet, spicy popcorn

and frothy snowballs, my all-time favourite Christmas cocktail.

Then, for a fabulous festive spread, gleaming ginger-glazed ham

with roasted butternut squash,

sprinkled with pecan nuts and morsels of blue cheese.

This is fast, festive food to make your holiday season a snap.

MUSIC: "Let It Snow" by Dean Martin

# Oh, the weather outside is frightful

# But the fire is so delightful

# Since we've not place to go

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

I'm crazy about this time of year. I really love it.

I mean, why wouldn't I?

Cos the thing about the seasonal express treatment,

means it's full-on festivities and no fuss.

And my holiday hotcake is a case in point.

It's incredibly easy and it's so perfect.

Warm, comforting, smelling of Christmas. Just right for anyone,

even this lot, coming in from the cold.

HE BUMPS INTO THE BARRIER

-Careful!

-Sorry!

When I want to wallow in the full-on spirit of Christmas,

I make my holiday hotcake.

It's somewhere between a pudding and a cake

and sticky toffee at the same time.

Full of spices that make it so warming

and it's incredibly easy to make.

I've got 150g of flour, and on top of that,

I want 100g of light muscovado sugar.

So dense and treacly, this, I love it.

And now, some spice. I've got a teaspoon of ground ginger

and then another teaspoon of ordinary ground mixed spice.

That has a bit of everything in it -

cloves, cinnamon, caraway, coriander seed.

Now, a teaspoon of baking powder and that's the dry ingredients.

About 125ml of milk, full-fat milk.

And 60ml of ordinary, flavourless vegetable oil.

I do this cos it's easier than mixing in butter.

Finally, one egg, and mix it together. That's what I love about this,

it's infinitely express and very basic,

you just need a wooden spoon and a bowl.

And then pour into a lightly buttered pie dish.

It looks like there's not enough, but it spreads and rises as it bakes.

Now, what I'm about to do may seem completely bonkers,

but I promise you, it works. And it doesn't only work,

it makes this fabulous sticky toffee sauce

that sits on top before it goes in the oven,

and then when it bakes, it splits and the sauce goes underneath.

Thick, oozy, gorgeous.

Now the spices again, exactly the same as before.

A teaspoon of the ground ginger

and the deeper, darker, mixed spice, a teaspoon again.

And some butter, just cut off 6 teaspoon-sized nuggets

and dot them on top of the sugar.

And finally, the piece de resistance,

if a bit on the alarming side,

I pour 500ml of boiling water on top of the cake.

It looks like a catastrophe, doesn't it?

It's not that beautiful when baked,

but it doesn't look like that, and it is delish.

This goes into the oven for 30 minutes, it's pre-heated to 220,

and once it's out I'll just let it stand for 10 minutes,

just so it's not so piping hot and the layers have time to separate.

And while the holiday hotcake cooks,

I'm just going to get some cream from the fridge.

Mmmm, need some whipped cream on top.

Obviously, this isn't exactly hard work.

So I'm just going to start whipping.

It's rather lovely with ice cream as well,

but this is my absolute favourite. You wait!

Everything about this is easy,

and I suppose what I like a lot about the holiday hotcake is

you could never have baked before and you can just do it,

and it would work. It looks odd, but it works.

We're about right now.

So, for the children, a snowy mound of softly whipped cream.

But for me, my own treat, my eggnog cream.

This is how simple it is - a bit of advocaat, carry on whisking

and put in a few sploshes.

Right, it's done. I'm just going to pile it into this goblet for me,

just by itself, sheer Christmas.

Does anyone have any scissors?

Yep, over here.

MUSIC: "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas" by Perry Como

Should be ready now.

Ah, that is so Christmassy, the smell is gorgeous.

Children, come on!

This will warm you up.

-Doesn't that look like snow there?

-Yeah!

Did you enjoy the skating?

I can't ice-skate, cos I don't glide, I run!

Can I give anyone some more?

We've managed to demolish this entire cake!

This time of year really is the season of indulgence and sweet treats.

So when I say that I am making a chocolate and pistachio fudge,

I feel I'm making some sort of festive declaration.

So that's 350g of really good, dark chocolate going in.

It's so nice to have something home made and delicious

to give people when they drop in, and there's a lot of dropping in at this time of year!

And I love as well to package some of this up

and give it to my friends.

On top of that chocolate, I need a can, around 400g, of condensed milk.

Look at it oozing out.

And it's the condensed milk, I think,

that helps you get that proper fudge texture.

A confectioner may not want to call it fudge, but this is how I do it.

Straight into a pan, no double boiler,

and no need for sugar thermometers.

So, on top of the chocolate and the condensed milk,

I need 2 tablespoons of butter.

And this goes on to melt.

And I promised chocolate pistachio fudge, so here are my pistachios.

Quite a lot of pistachios, 150g.

And the reason I'm putting the pistachios into a freezer bag,

is because I want to bash them and splinter them,

so I have smaller pieces to disperse throughout the fudge.

And this is easier than chopping.

That's it, beautiful.

I love the greenness of pistachios with some of that rose pink

still on the skin around them, nothing like it.

Stir to make sure everything is shinily combined.

Now, in go the nuts...

Get my foil tray.

It's easier to get the fudge out of this later and no washing up.

I mean, how ridiculously easy was this?

And that's the end of it.

In it goes in the tray.

Spread the fudge mixture all over.

So, when this has cooled, put on a lid, slip it in the fridge

and it will set.

No more work for me,

and I've got ahead and feel happy.

This room really comes into its own at this time of year,

cos I love to have everything well-stocked

so I know I've got everything on standby.

This is one of my all time favourite Christmas quickies, spiced peaches.

So I need four cans of peaches.

Just as easy to make if you were using a small bit.

I need some cloves.

I've got a big stash, cos I get through a lot at this time of year.

And some crumbled red chilli and cinnamon sticks,

and now I will just shimmy off to the stove.

I can't get through the holidays without ham, wouldn't want to,

and I can't have ham without my spiced peaches.

This is ultra express, no boiling away for two hours,

just a question of opening four cans of peaches.

I don't like canned fruit pretending to be fresh,

but I want that preserved taste here. What you can't do, however,

is use peaches that have been canned in fruit juice, you need the syrup.

And obviously, I'm not just having canned peaches to have with the ham.

Just a bit of flavour, a lot of flavour really,

but done very easily. Some hot, fresh ginger, about an 8cm piece.

Just peel it first, you can do this really easily

by scraping the skin off with a teaspoon.

So, just slice the peeled ginger into thin coins.

I don't want to mince it in, because I want the syrup to stay clear

so I can see the golden gorgeousness later.

And in they go, and some cinnamon, lovely festive smell, the cinnamon.

I'm just using 4 short sticks.

And some cloves for that pungent muskiness, about 6 cloves.

Black peppercorns - after all, this is savoury.

About a teaspoon or so.

Teaspoon of crushed, dried, red chillies,

look, how beautiful, like fire.

A little bit of salt, just a teaspoon.

And finally, two tablespoons of rice vinegar.

And this cuts through all the sweetness and the hit of the spice.

So, on with the heat. I'm just really letting these warm through

and then come to the boil and bubble for about a minute.

And now, I'm going to start writing the label,

because along with the fudge, these peaches make a wonderful present.

I like giving food as a present.

So that's ready and so are these.

So now it's just a question of putting them in the jars.

Now the juices go in, and the thing is,

the peaches and syrup will continue to take on flavour

as they get cool in these jars.

And look how beautiful this is.

I mean, who wouldn't want to be given this as a present?

I'll put the label on when they've cooled,

but since I'm in packing mode, I'm going to get my fudge now.

Should be set. I'm going to cut this into 64 small pieces,

in other words, eight down and eight across, then half again, and again.

And then the same this way round.

There we are. I'm just going to slip it out of the foil case.

And that's what I call a piece of fudge!

Should be easy to cut now... and it is.

And these can go straight into a bag, lovely.

That's enough, it's very rich. Tied with my gold ribbon...

I'm hopeless at gift wrapping,

I mean, I can make a book look like a bottle of wine,

but this is quite easy. Put them in a bag, and you tie it with a ribbon.

Tie a label round that beautiful jar of peaches.

So that's my edible presents,

effortlessly organised. I can stash them in the fridge for a while.

This is where all the express strategies come together.

Got a seasonal supper, five people coming round

and it just couldn't be any easier.

The centrepiece is a ginger glazed ham. The fabulous thing about it,

apart from its taste, is that it requires only minutes of my time.

And I've got my festive squash, so now all I need to do is make sure

that the table looks as lovely as the food tastes.

I'll artfully place some snowflakes for a bit of seasonal shimmer.

The wonderful thing about this spread is,

it's a meal you can just pull out of your hat any time during Christmas.

So, right. I will get started with the squash.

So, here's the plan.

Something tasty to pick at with drinks,

and drinks themselves are pretty special.

And not just a side dish, but co-star with the glazed ham,

my butternut squash.

And the thing about the squash is that it really is a party piece,

which is important at this time of year.

Not least because this means you can make this

and turn any meal of leftovers into a feast.

Another thing in its favour is that it makes vegetarians feel loved.

Everyone's a winner!

You need 2kg of butternut, that's probably about two squashes,

and chop each squash into about 2.5cm pieces.

You will note that I am not peeling the squash,

and that alone makes this very easy.

But not only does the skin soften in the heat of the oven,

but it seems to help the squash almost caramelise as it bakes.

To this tray of gorgeous goldenness,

I'm going to add three tablespoons of olive oil,

just regular olive oil, not extra virgin.

And half a teaspoon of dried thyme.

I must say, I think thyme is one of those herbs

that is as wonderful when it's dried as it is fresh.

Slightly different, but still wonderful.

The oven's preheated to 220 and this should take about half an hour,

so I'll pop it in on my way to the drinks cabinet.

When I was a child, I often stayed with a friend of mine

at this time of year, and she had a fabulously flamboyant great aunt

who always used to drink a snowball,

and I thought this was the most glamorous thing I had ever seen,

and I longed to be like her.

Of course, I grew up a bit and I realised that a snowball was a drink

greatly to be disparaged.

But now I've got over that and the only thing I think is,

"pour me one"! And that's what I'm going to do, cos I'm about to embark

on my party popcorn. Not that it's very hard work,

but I've got people arriving shortly and I think it's better always

to have a drink before they arrive,

so you're a bit more mellow - I don't like to drink much when they're there.

So it's my way of just easing in to the party spirit.

So it's about one part advocaat to three parts lemonade...

and I put a big splash of ice in now.

My lips are puckering in readiness for this. In with the lemonade.

And then, this is my own touch,

it's not really authentic, but a spritz of lime,

just to make this even more refreshing.

I'm just going to give everything a bit of a mix to combine, lovely.

When you think about it, global warming notwithstanding,

a snowball is an entirely seasonal drink.

I've got everything ready, so I can give out drinks when people arrive.

I'm going to do my popcorn.

Happy holidays!

So I'm imbued with the festive spirit

and excitedly primed for my party popcorn.

I need some oil, just two tablespoons,

any oil will do, but the olive oil was nearby after the squash.

And into the oil, 200g of popcorn maize.

Ooh, I love this! So, heat on,

and then immediately clamp the lid on

and before that starts popping, I shall start melting my butter

for the spiced coating.

four tablespoons of butter,

two teaspoons of ground cinnamon for that lovely welcoming warmth,

two teaspoons of ground cumin, that gives real depth,

a bit of a grown-up taste.

And two teaspoons as well of paprika,

this is mild, sweet paprika, gorgeously red.

Four teaspoons of salt, and this is the only time, really,

I use free-flowing and not coarse salt, and four teaspoons of sugar.

I love salt and sugar together. So, heat under this.

So, this should melt and the popcorn should start popping any minute now.

CORN POPPING

It's started. Mmmm.

It's very tempting to take the lid off and peek

to see how it's doing, but you do risk getting shot.

Give it a bit of a shake.

Just want to make sure all the bits of popcorn maize pop.

Just going to be brave and dare a peek.

See, look, it's not containable.

Once the popping starts to recede slightly and slow down,

then I'll take it off the heat.

I think we're there.

I present to you, the popcorn, still moving!

And now I'm going to turn it into the party popcorn

by pouring over these orangey, spicy, buttery juices.

Just going to stir to make sure everything is shinily combined.

I think I'm ready to pot up now

and I've got quite a few of these dishes

because everyone likes to plunge in to the party popcorn.

I love the look of these, so really I think of it

as part food, part decoration.

Anyway, the best decoration is edible

and I can dot these around the room, a few baubles nearby...

Well, this should get everyone in the mood,

this and the snowball, I mean, it's a pretty unbeatable combination.

Look at this. I mean, luscious.

There is no more festive sight than a glazed ham.

I love everything about it. I could not have Christmas without a ham.

And the thing about ham is it's actually really easy to make.

This 5.5kg joint of gammon took 4.5 hours to cook.

But the point about it is, why it's express for me

is that it took me hardly any time to do anything to it.

All I did was put the joint of ham in a large pan.

Doesn't matter how large, as long as the ham fits.

So, the only other ingredient you add to this pan is dry ginger ale.

You do need a lot of ginger ale, you need seven litres of it,

but this is such an express way to add flavour.

Bring the pan to the boil, lower the heat slightly.

You want the pan to keep bubbling, but bubble steadily for 4.5 hours.

Not exactly speedy, I concur, but the thing is,

I need do nothing to the ham in this time, and believe me,

at this time of year, I've got so much wrapping and organising,

I could use the time.

But towards the end of the ham's cooking time,

I preheat the oven to 220, and I get on with my glaze.

The glaze is as simple as it is delicious.

Put 200g of chunky ginger preserve into a bowl,

and then stir in two tablespoons of hot English mustard.

To the bowl, add 100g of dark muscovado sugar

and half a teaspoon of cloves and mix everything together.

Now, if you can't get the ginger preserve,

do not get in a state about it. Simply use ordinary orange marmalade

and add a teaspoon of dry ground ginger.

And when the ham has had its 4.5 hours,

gently and carefully lift it out of the hot pan

and put it on a foil-lined baking tray or a foil tray.

Carefully cut away the skin, leaving a thin layer of fat

and then just slap on the glaze. You don't need to score anything,

you don't need to stud with cloves. The glaze goes on,

and put the tray with the ham in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

And when that ham comes out, it will be burnished and bronze

and the small cubes of ginger from the preserve will be glistening.

This is beautiful and you can eat it hot or cold.

I think I've got more than enough ham carved now for the six of us.

Everything is done, more or less, and I am calm, collected

and just infused with the holiday spirit.

-Care for a snowball?

-Yes, please!

-It's only right and proper.

Very good. It's divine!

It's like ice cream soda for grown-ups.

-Anybody like to have some popcorn?

-I'd love some popcorn.

It's very spicy and delicious.

-Cheers to you, and sit down, because I want to ply you with food.

-Oh, excellent!

That is so beautiful, look at it.

I'm going to transfer this to my seasonal green platter.

And the really useful thing about this squash

is that you don't need to eat it piping hot. You just dish it up,

and if people are late, it'll still be wonderful.

And as the glazed ham is already cold, as are the spiced peaches,

you can be very relaxed about when people turn up,

which is useful at this time of year.

And now, in a way, I'm going to besmirch

the beautiful goldenness of the squash

by crumbling over some blue cheese.

But although it'll only look a bit less beautiful,

it will taste divine. I just use a packet,

about 125g or so of blue cheese.

You could use any you want. This is St Agur,

which I love because it's soft and melts into the squash beautifully.

Though I suppose you could use any sharp goat's cheese.

And on top of the soft saltiness of the cheese,

just tumble in 100g of dark, smoky pecans.

Perfection. Anyway, I'd better take this back out to the hungry hordes.

Here we are, let the festivities commence.

Your favourite cheese!

-I know, I put blue cheese on everything!

-Do you really?

-Well, it kind of adds instant flavour.

-Those peaches are intense.

Oh, good! These did start off as peaches a long time ago.

But then, I had to rescue them from their cans.

THEY LAUGH

I'm going to take the fudge out for everyone before they go, too.

I'll leave mine in the fridge

and just eke it out over the next week or so...as if!

-OK, I come rustling in with goodies!

-Hurray!

-Peaches for you, my baby.

-Oh, thank you!

And chocolate pistachio fudge for everyone. Happy Christmas!

-Oh, look, how beautiful!

-There you are.

-Thank you.

-Happy Christmas!

-So kind.

-Thank you!

Gone by the time we get home, I'm assuming!

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