Hot from the oven is our round-up of the latest cookbooks to see you through to Christmas and beyond.
This juicy little book features 60 fabulously festive vegetarian and vegan recipes, perfect for when you’re hosting non meat eaters and are at a loss as to what to cook. Recipes from across the culinary smorgasbord are there in abundance, from Christmassy canapes to dazzling desserts, stunning butternut squash festive wreaths to parsnip tarte tatin. Sounds delicious.
By Heather Thomas, £12.99, HarperCollins.
Who doesn’t love a squishy little sausage snuggled up in a tasty gilet? We certainly do, so the prospect of scoffing savoury treats all year round is like catnip to the Platinum team. Enter the world’s first pigs in blankets (PIB) cookbook, or 50 ways to enjoy a small but perfectly formed sausage. Recipes include mac ’n’ cheese pots, PIB-tatas bravas, porky poke bowls and um, the infamous PIB Christmas trifle (yes, you read that right). We’re in.
By The Jolly Hog, £12.99, Ebury
This is a book about good things to eat. It is also a collection of food writing by some of the most talented cooks and scribes, where you’ll find memoirs, essays, short stories and poems alongside recipes, all presented within the framework of a seasonal food almanac. It’s a month-by-month guide to the culinary year, from January right up to the festive season, where each chapter begins with an introduction to the month ahead, followed by seasonal highlights for the larder, spotlights on ingredients and passages on food history.
By Miranda York, £22, Pavilion
The Hairy Bikers’ Brilliant Bakes
The nation’s favourite cooking duo return with another collection of mouth-watering recipes, from lime and coconut drizzle cake to a wonderfully festive chocolate gingerbread. They’ve included classic bakes they’ve loved since childhood, plus new creations for our delectation. And, knowing that baking is all about getting the basics right, Si and Dave share plenty of tips and tricks to build your baking confidence and expertise.
By Si King and Dave Myers, £25, Orion
When it was originally published in 1968, Coping with Christmas was a must-have guide to navigating the festive season. Now resurrected, the viciously coiffed Fanny’s words feel like a delicious parody, while her eccentric and wide-ranging recipes include such oddities as Brussels sprouts soup (“We have never been given this anywhere outside our own home. Why?” Fanny opines.) In today’s world, her often mind-boggling instructions (preparations begin in January!) take on an eccentric new life.
By Fanny Craddock and John Craddock, £14.99, HarperCollins
