Chestnut Cranberry Xmas Ring Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Arrange the crescent roll triangles on the prepared baking sheet with the points sticking out, overlapping the bases to form an 8-inch (20 cm) circle.
• Spoon the cranberry sauce onto the bases of the crescent dough triangles and top with the brie wedges. Fold the pointed ends of the dough over the cranberry sauce and brie and tuck underneath to seal.
• Brush the ring with the beaten egg and sprinkle with the flaky salt and thyme.
• Bake for 30 minutes, turning halfway through, or until dark golden brown. Transfer to a platter and serve.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Line a heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Unroll crescent dough; separate along dough perforations into 16 triangles.
• Overlap 8 dough triangles on prepared baking sheet, forming a 10-inch-diameter dough disk that looks like the sun with a hole in the middle.
• Press edges together to seal the dough "disk".
• Using a rolling pin, roll out almond paste between 2 sheets of waxed paper into a 9-inch diameter disk.
• Place almond disk atop dough disk.
• Spread jam over almond paste.
• Using remaining 8 dough triangles, arrange second 10-inch diameter dough disk atop jam.
• Pinch edges of dough disks to seal; tuck edges under.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes.
• While ring is baking, make glaze by stirring powdered sugar, water, and almond extract together in a medium bowl until smooth.
• Drizzle half of glaze over warm crescent.
• Let glaze set for 10 minutes and then drizzle remaining glaze over.
• Decorate with sugar-dipped cherries and small pears, if desired.

Steps:

• Soak the cranberries in the port for an hour. Fry the onion and bacon gently in the butter, until the onion is tender and the bacon is cooked. Add the garlic and fry for another minute or so.
• Cool slightly, then mix with all the remaining ingredients, including the cranberries and port, adding enough egg to bind - I find it easiest to use my hands. Fry a knob of stuffing in a little butter, taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
• To Cook: This stuffing can be baked in a dish, or rolled into balls that will be crisp on the outside and moist inside. To bake, press the stuffing into a greased ovenproof dish in a layer that is around 4cm thick. Bake at 190C/gas 5/fan 170C for about 40 minutes, until browned and, in the case of sausagemeat stuffing, cooked right through. Alternatively, roll into balls that are about 4cm in diameter. Roast the stuffing balls in hot fat (they can be tucked around the turkey or done in a roasting tin of their own) for 30-40 minutes, until crisp and nicely browned on the outside.

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large frying pan, then gently fry the onion for 5 mins until softened. Finely chop the apples either by hand or in a food processor.
• Squeeze the sausagemeat from the sausages into a large bowl, then add all the other ingredients, except the cranberries and streaky bacon. Season generously, then get your hands in and mix well. Weigh out 450g of the stuffing and mix a handful of the cranberries into it. Use to stuff the neck of the turkey (see 'Goes well with').
• To assemble, butter and season a large sheet of foil. Stretch out the bacon rashers slightly with the back of a kitchen knife, then overlap 12 rashers on the foil. Spoon half of the stuffing mix evenly over the bacon, leaving a border of about 3cm. Scatter with half the cranberries, then pat them in. Tuck the long edges of the bacon over the stuffing; then, using the foil to help, roll the stuffing up into a log shape. Repeat to make a second roll.
• Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Put the foil-wrapped rolls onto a roasting tin and roast for 45 mins. Unwrap, draining off any juice, then finish roasting for 15 mins until the bacon is crisp.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter a 2 1/2 - 3 quart backing dish.
• In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the stock until steam starts to rise, 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and add dried cranberries. Set aside.
• In a large frying pan over medium heat, melt the butter and add onion, celery and carrots and saute, stirring occasionally, until tender and translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl.
• If using, in same pan, saute the sausage, stirring and crumbling with a fork, until lightly browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to the bowl with vegetables.
• In a large bowl, stir the egg while slowly pouring in the stock and cranberries. Add the bread and toss until well blended. Let standing, stirring occasionally, until the stock is absorbed, 6-8 minutes.
• Add the vegetable mixture, chestnuts, sage, thyme and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and stir well to mix. Transfer to prepared baking dish and bake until browned and crispy, about 45-50 minutes.