Last Minute Mince Pies

baking
 
These last minute mince pies are perfect to whip up with the kids on Christmas eve to leave out for Santa. They are bite size, light and packed with flavour. With crispy filo pastry cases, dried fruit centers and topped with a marzipan star. So easy you can do them with all the family to keep them busy on the run up to the big day.

You'll need...
1 packet of filo pastry (250g)
1 jar of mincemeat (400g)
50g butter
200g golden marzipan (ready to roll)

To make...
Take your filo pastry out of the fridge (but not out of the plastic wrapper) leave to adjust to room temperature for a couple of hours before you start.
Preheat the oven to 200oC
Melt the butter in the microwave for 30seconds then take two 12 hole baking tin and lightly brush with the butter.
Unfold the filo pastry, take one sheet, brush with butter then top with another sheet.
Cut into 8 pieces, brush one side with butter and fold each piece in half.
Push the filo pieces into the prepared tray, filling each hole.
Brush with a little butter on the edges of the pastry cases.
Bake for 10 mins.
Roll out the marzipan to the width of a pound coin.
Cut out star shapes using a small star cutter.
Take the filo cases out the oven and add a spoonful of mincemeat and top with a marzipan star.
Put back in the oven for 5 mins.

Christmas Tableware

Ashley Thomas at home

Christmas dinner made easy with my limited edition tableware at Debenhams. The collection features hand-painted song lyrics, robins and leaping deers, perfect to get you and your guests into the festive spirit.

Exclusive to Debenhams 
Shop in stores nationwide or online for a limited time only. Items from £5.
www.debenhams.com/ashleythomas



Christmas Cake TrayBake

baking

This recipe is a quick and easy version of the classic Christmas cake. It's a lovely way to get into the Christmas spirit and a great thing to have in the house if you are expecting a few visitors over the Christmas season. It will keep in a cake tin for 2-3 weeks. You can also drizzle brandy to the top of the cake before you ice it. Just poke some holes into the baked cake and spoon a little brandy over the top. Leave to soak in for 20 mins and then top with marzipan and icing as below.

You'll need...
For the fruit cake...
175g Butter
175g Golden caster sugar
3 Large eggs
175g Plain flour
1 ½ tsp mixed spice
500g Pre-soaked mixed dried fruit
200g Glacé cherries

To decorate...
apricot jam
500g ready to roll marzipan
500g ready to roll royal icing sugar
silver balls




 To make...
Preheat the oven to 170oC
Soften the butter in the microwave for 30 seconds, add the sugar and mix well.
Beat in the eggs bit by bit and mix in the flour and mixed spice.
Cut the cherries in half and then add these along with the dried fruit.
Add baking paper to the bottom of a traybake tin, mine measures 11 x 7 inches.
Add the cake mixture to the tin and bake for 45-50mins.


Allow to cool completely. Then take the cake carefully out of the tin, I flipped mine onto a glass worktop saver. But this can be tricky as it is a heavy cake!

Meanwhile take the marzipan and roll out to the size of you traybake tin. This requires some serious muscle power! I'd recommend to draw around your traybake tin first on some baking paper. Warm the marzipan slightly in the cooling over and add it to the baking paper. Then add another sheet of baking paper to the top of the marzipan (so it is between two sheets) and get rolling!

After this do the same with your royal icing and roll out to the size of your traybake tin.


Finally piece it all together, first add a few spoons of the jam to a small bowl and warm in the microwave for 15seconds.
Take a brush and brush the top of the cake with jam.
Add your rolled out marzipan to the top of your cake and then your rolled out icing.
Trim the sides, taking off all the excess marzipan and icing.
Top with silver balls and cut into slices.
Ta da! You are now a Christmas domestic goddess!





Debenhams Christmas Collection 2016

Ashley Thomas at home
My Christmas collection is now available at Debenhams. This season's theme is Christmas Woodland, look out for the leaping deers, watercolour bunnies, pheasants and robins. Its a beautiful collection using my hand painted woodland imagery. Typography plays a big part in this years range, with seasonal inspired phrases and classic sing-a-long jingles.


Medium oval platter £20
Hand-painted mugs £10
Gravy boat £18
Star cookie cutters £5
Star 3 tiered cake stand £35
Set of 2 Christmas cake tins £20
Deer large bowl £22
Set of 3 star bowls £16




Christmas woodland bedding £30-60


Snowman biscuit jar £20
Snowman salt and pepper £10Tree shaped cookie cutters £5
Prancing reindeer cake stand £22
Boxed mug £10
Large oval platter £22
Set of 4 dessert plates £20 

All products are limited edition and are exclusive to Debenhams.
Please click the links to shop the full range or please get in touch with the Debenhams customer services on 0844 800 8877 to order directly. The collection is available for a few months only as it is a special Christmas commission I've done for them.