Can you suggest a suitably festive and light dessert to serve alongside a regular Christmas pud?
A lot of people find it too rich after a heavy main course, and I’m fed up with offering fruit salad as the alternative. Mary Dudsley, Wells, Somerset A. Get some really delicate shortbread biscuits, and serve junket with that. You can flavour the junket with something light, like rosewater, orange flower water or rose petals, and serve with the shortbread. Q. Do have a recipe for the perfect festive caramelised ham? Anne Rushton, Kent A. I’ve cooked hams before at Christmas, but not for a long time. I’m going back years now, but you basically poach the ham in its broth, take it out, dry it, criss-cross the skin, then coat it in a mixture of brown sugar and honey and mustard, stud it with cloves and then roast it. Q. I’ve got a big family and I’m on a tight budget any tips on how to keep costs down? Gilly Graeme, Banbury A. Roast some extra potatoes, and do them in vegetable oil if olive is too expensive. It’s all about bulking up on the things that are cheap and nice to eat. If you go
