Ah, Christmas. The season of joy, goodwill… and borderline panic as you realise you’ve promised a feast worthy of Downton Abbey with barely a clue how to pull it off. Enter Jane Lovett and The Get-Ahead Christmas Cook, your ultimate festive BFF. This book is packed with recipes that let you prep in advance and breeze through the big day looking like a culinary goddess.

Jane’s got it all covered: foolproof canapés to make you the toast of the Christmas drinks circuit, big-day showstoppers (with veggie and vegan spins), and indulgent sweets for when you’re officially 80% mince pie by volume. Whether you’re a kitchen newbie or practically have your own cooking show, Jane’s no-nonsense tips, leftover hacks, and cheeky shortcuts mean you’ll be pouring yourself a well-deserved mulled wine rather than scrambling in the kitchen. So put on your Santa hat, grab The Get-Ahead Christmas Cook, and let Jane Lovett show you how to nail Christmas with zero stress.

Here’s a, er, taster of a wonderful recipe for Chocolate Florentines. The challenge is not to eat them before Santa gets here!

Chocolate Florentines

INGREDIENTS

MAKES ABOUT 26 (depending on size)

• 50g butter
• 60g demerara sugar 60g flaked almonds 30g unsalted, shelled
• pistachios, roughly chopped 50g dried (pitted) dates or
• figs, roughly chopped 50g dried cherries or
• cranberries (or a mixture of the two), roughly chopped
• 50g mixed candied peel 1 piece of stem ginger in
• syrup, drained and chopped (optional)
• 15g plain flour
• 1 tablespoon double cream 150–200g dark chocolate
• (minimum 70 per cent cocoa solids), broken into pieces
• icing sugar, for dusting (optional)
  

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment or silicone paper.
2. Melt the butter and Demerara sugar together in a pan on a gentle heat. Set aside.
3. Mix all the nuts, fruit, candied peel and stem ginger (if using) together in a mixing bowl, then add the flour and stir to coat. Stir the cream into the butter mixture, then pour this over the dry ingredients and mix well to combine.
4. Dot heaped teaspoons of the mixture onto the lined baking sheets, leaving a little space for spreading during cooking. Flatten each one with the back of the teaspoon, trying to avoid holes as best you can, then bake for 8–12 mins or until golden brown.
5. Leave on the baking sheets for 3–5 mins or until firmed up, then transfer to a wire rack using a palette knife and leave to cool. Repeat to make the remainder, if necessary. Melt the chocolate in a small, heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, or in a microwave on High in 30-second bursts.
6. Put a sheet of baking parchment or silicone paper under the wire rack to catch any drips of chocolate. When cold, turn the florentines over with their flat underside now uppermost with a teaspoon, small palette knife or brush, spread a layer of melted chocolate over each florentine and leave until the chocolate is cold and set hard, around an hour or so, or chill. If you like, just before the chocolate fully sets, mark a swirly, wavy pattern with a fork. (Scrape up the excess dripped chocolate and use for something else.)
7. Arrange the florentines overlapping on a plate, alternating the chocolate and fruit and nut sides uppermost, or store in an airtight container until required. A light dusting of icing sugar just before serving looks pretty, too.

GET AHEAD

Store florentines in an airtight container at room temp or in fridge for up to 1 month or more. Or freeze for up to 3 months.

HINTS & TIPS

Substitute any other nuts or dried fruit you may prefer or have to hand, except for the flaked almonds.

Any scraggy edges can be ‘tidied up’ while still warm when florentines come out of oven. A pastry cutter is useful for this.

The Get-Ahead Christmas Cook by Jane Lovett (Headline Home), £28