Mulled rosé wine.... Santa's favourite Tipple

HO! HO! HO! Why not leave these out for Santa on Christmas 's eve and he may just grant your wishes this time around..... May it be Vertiginous  heels !! Giant Cocktails rings !!!Vintage designer frocks !!!! or like Marilyn, you like and wear only Chanel no 5....!!!!!
Well, whatever you did ask for, embrace the festive season in style and forget the heavy spiced dark red mulled wine, that will have you rooting for the solpadeine or rennies on Christmas morning. 
Be kind to yourself  & Santa and give these a try instead, they are light, easy to drink yet still full of festive fruitiness .

Spiced Xmas's Eve cakes....Lighter & done afresh

These are perfect for my kind of Christmas eve. There is the traditional, that requires the little black dress, three rows of pearls & fresh holly; But for cutting-edge, think smart boutique hotel or New York loft. This requires altogether a different look.
Banished from my home are the overly sweet mince pies.While full of festive flavours,these spiced little cakes are light and will leave you with plenty of room to feast like kings & Queens on Christmas day.
And they will look pretty too on your table.

" Florentines ".... Bowls of delight & full of festive fruitiness

Florentines are festive cookies, traditionally they are made for Christmas and packed with a luxurious medley of fruits and nuts. I am using flaked almonds,raisins,cranberries,cherries, candied orange peel and diced stem ginger, but the choice is yours. I can only guarantee that your guests won't be able to resist these jewelled treats.

" A Gluten free Chocolate & Chestnut Log" , Dreaming of a dark chocolate Christmas

A flour less Chocolate & Chestnut log,this dark handsome secret of the festive season will definitely get your friends talking as it possesses a wow factor that attracts many , the way it looks is another .
If, like me , you adore chocolate, then you'll love this wicked treat, which is very easy and quick to make .Made without flour, this dessert is deliciously light and moist.

" Macaron " Sweet & Savoury ... Pretty on the plate and the perfect gift

"Macaron," Lift your spirit up with a batch of these sweet little gems. They can be topped and dressed to look like Xmas baubles and they will taste fantastic too.And, let’s not forget that the fruits of your hard labour, would be ideal for parties and for gifting. Trawl the shops, the Internet if you prefer, for pretty wrappings, papers, ribbons and boxes or even the odd antique Cup and saucer wrapped up in cellophane.
They can be both sweet or savoury. What give Macarons their flavour, apart from the shells of course is mostly the fillings ( ganache) and the shells freezes really well too.
Full fill your artistic urges with the millions of combinations and change them to go with moods and fashion. I definitely like to keep my colour schemes in tune with what's on the catwalk. 

Decorating your Gluten free Christmas cake ..." All dressed up " ( Part 2 )

Christmas is the perfect occasion for indulging yourself in dressing up and your fashion fantasies,so with a bit of drama in shape, form &colour, go for an overload of luxury .She may be Gluten free , but she is no ugly Duckling. Think outside the box for this girl, we are talking, perfectly manicured nails, giant cocktail rings, designer dresses and vertiginous heels. Do you get the picture ?????
Here this gluten free, rich fruit cake, steeped in alcohol, covered in golden almond paste,stylishly dressed in gold lamé and bronzed to the hilt, will make a stunning centrepiece on your table this Christmas.

A Gluten Free Christmas Cake & the regular kind too...." A complete new classic " (Part1)

Christmas is always a special time , but for those doing the festive preparations, it can also be extremely stressful. Yet, it needn't be like that this year. Starting with Day one, keep abreast, with some of my tips,to pre-empt the panic and bring the wow factor to your table and take the hassle out of entertaining.From Christmas cake, Edible gifts, Canapé &Cocktails and many more......
Christmas wouldn't truly be Christmas without a cake and here is a Gluten Free Christmas Cake .
Gluten free baking needn't be a daunting or terrifying affair , but with the right ingredients , it can be  extremely satisfying . I actually prefer this Gluten free Christmas cake to the more conventional one and I can assure you that most people will find it difficult to tell the difference between this one and the regular one.
Gluten is ordinarily a major factor in baking, as it holds the gases that are produced when the cakes rises and also provides an appealing texture.Hence ,this is where Xanthan Gum comes into play, it will bind,improve the texture,reduce crumbling by acting as a gluten replacement. The other ingredients are Polenta , a gluten free grain , made from dried corn kernels. It has a slight sweet flavour which makes it perfect for cakes.Rice flour, made from a blend of brown & white rice,milled together to produce a creamy flour and finally Ground almonds for flavour and texture.
The other beauty of this cake is , it doesn't require the lengthy baking time. This one is done in 1 hr 10 mins. This is why , it is one of my favourite .
Today , is all about Baking and Tomorrow will be about Cake Decorating and bringing that extra sparkle to your Christmas cake. A complete makeover.... She may be Gluten free but She's no Uglyduckling....