At this time of year, I like to stay home, shut off from the world and do as little as possible for as long as possible. Eat all the food, embrace all the leftovers and be creative with whatever’s in the kitchen. After the big day, I like to turn leftovers into some sort of pie: they’re forgiving and malleable and work with whatever you have hanging about. This leftovers pie from Tom Hunt and this turkey and ham pie from Felicity Cloake are great places to start. You could absolutely make your own pastry, as Tom does, or use shop-bought if you want to keep things as simple as possible (I always store a few rolls of pastry in the fridge over Christmas for precisely this reason). If it’s cheese that you have in abundance, meanwhile, then Rosie Birkett’s decadent-sounding lazy cheeseboard tart is a perfect way of using up the odds and ends of any remaining festive fromage.
As well as comfort food, I also find I need a change of pace after the 25th; I start craving spice and less hearty meals, too. Yotam Ottolenghi’s Boxing Day fried rice with garlic and spring onion sauce is the perfect way to be resourceful with leftover roast veg, as is Meera Sodha’s Christmas veg penang curry, a real treat of a dish that I enjoy year-round, and especially after the indulgence of December. Nigel Slater’s roast parsnip and stilton soup with beetroot crisps is another great addition to your leftovers repertoire, not least because it is a recipe that needs very few ingredients, very little work and is immensely adaptable. If I don’t have beetroot kicking around, I just leave it out. And if I have leftover comté instead of stilton, I’ll chop and stir that in instead.
And then there are the puddings. No matter how well I plan, I always have an excess of mince pies and Christmas pudding, so this year I am stocking up on the additional ingredients for Felicity Cloake’s fabulous Christmas pudding tiffin – what an inspired way of giving new life to leftovers! It’s perfect for any last-minute visits or visitors, or just to enjoy on the sofa with a glass of sherry in front of your favourite Christmas movie. Merry Christmas to all!
My Christmas in sweets
More bakes | I’m clearly embracing my sweet tooth and want to share one of my favourite festive reads of all time: Advent by Anja Dunk. I adore this classic Christmas book and think it is a must for any keen bakers. Dunk shares recipes from her German heritage, and her book is filled with inspiring recipes and stories, beautiful photography and prints that she created herself. Favourites of ours include peppery gingerbread, gefüllte lebkuchen (jam-filled lebkuchen) and marzipan-filled stollen. A beautiful addition to any bookshelf.
Scandi treat | My current addiction is Lakrids by Bülow; these little balls of chocolate-coated artisanal liquorice are my achilles heel; I also love their Christmas pairing of caramel balls with festive raspberry. Sous Chef also stocks a smaller festive set, as well as many of their other flavours (they’re gluten-free, too).
New Year, new cake | Leaning into my Greek Cypriot roots, I love making all the traditional festive biscuits and cakes in December, such as melomakarona, kourabiedes and vasilopita. Vasilopita is a cake that’s traditionally eaten at New Year, and features a lucky charm hidden inside, a bit like the French galette des rois. It is said that the finder will have good luck all year and my yiayia (grandma) always makes a large one for all of our family. You can absolutely have a go at making it yourself, or just order one from Greek Mama’s Bakehouse, which makes them all by hand and is delivering before New Year. Great as a gift or to have at home to see in 2026 with loved ones.
One last sugar hit for the road | If you’re still in need of a present for a fellow sweet-toothed loved one, head to Gower Cottage Brownies. These treats by post have cult status – and rightly so: they are very, very good (they have gluten-free and vegan options, too). You can either send a box by post, or set up a gift box subscription. After all – and let’s be honest here – it’s in the deepest depths of January, February and March that we really need a sweet treat to get us through the short, dark days.
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