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Ingredients:

125ml Cloudy apple juice

25ml sugar

1 cinnamon stick

1 star anise

Method:

season lightly with all spice

Heat on stove until boiling and sugar is dissolved.Ìý

Pour into a rocks glass and top up with a good healthy measure of Boatyard Double gin. Ìý

Garnish with cinnamon stick and star anise.Ìý

Ingredients:

150g chocolate (2x bars) 70% cocoa

200ml double cream

50g chopped dried cranberries

75g chopped dried pistachios (unsalted)

2-3 tablespoons cranberry liqueur (Ruby Blue is the local variety)

2 tablespoons Cointreau (optional)

Method:

If you have time you can soak the cranberries for a few hours, or even better overnight, in the Cointreau and a tablespoon of cranberry liqueur to plump them up and make them nice and boozy.

Break up the chocolate into smallish pieces in a bowl.Ìý Heat the cream in a pan until just about to come to the boil and then pour it over the chocolate. Mix it together until all the chocolate melts and you have a luxurious, satin smooth mixture. Add the cranberries, mix well and then add the cranberry liqueur. Leave aside to cool and then keep in the fridge for two or three hours until set.

When the mixture had hardened, scoop out small spoonfuls and roll into bite sized balls. This can be a bit messy, but it is worth it. Finally roll the truffles in your chopped pistachio (use a mini chopper for the nuts if you have one), set them on a sheet of parchment and then pop them back in the fridge until you need them They will keep for several days there in an airtight container.

Ìý

Ingredients:

500g chocolate (5xbars) 70% cocoa

I standard tin condensed milk

100g pecans or walnuts chopped & lightly toasted (about 7 – 8 mins in oven)

4 tablespoons Armagnac/Cognac

I tablespoon vanilla essence

½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Method:

Mix & melt all the ingredients in a bowl over a pot of gently simmering water – making sure it doesn’t touch the water directly. When it’s melted add the nuts, mix through and just pour into a tin lined with lightly greased tin foil. Leave to cool and then set in the fridge – a couple of hours should do it – and cut it into small squares as it’s very rich. It will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for at least a week, but it is highly unlikely to hang around that long.Ìý

*When you’re melting the ingredients, if it seems too thick or the chocolate starts to separate, just add another tablespoon of liquid – it can be tepid water if you think you have enough brandy already – as if!!!!Ìý

Ingredients:

6 good quality fresh chorizo sausages (not the cured variety)

2 large potatoes

Handful of plain flour

Rapeseed or vegetable oil

Method:

You will definitely need a spiralizer for this recipe, but after that it could not be easier. Place the potato against the blade, flat side first, and turn into long potato strings.

Take each sausage and lightly dust it in flour before wrapping the potato strings around it.

Fry the potato wrapped sausages in vegetable oil on a medium heat until they are crispy and golden on the outside and the sausages are not quite cooked through.Ìý At this stage you can either finish them off straight away in the oven at 160 degrees or keep them in the fridge and pop them in just before your guests arrive.

When the sausages are cooked through slice each one into four or five rounds before serving warm.

Makes around 24, depending on the size of your sausages

Ingredients:

I pkt of ready-made vol au vent cases

150g chestnut mushrooms

50g dried porcini mushrooms

1 tsp chopped thyme

1 tbsp butter

300ml white sauce

Method:

In a pre-heated oven bake the vol au vent cases according to the directions on the packet or, even better, buy them ready baked.

Soak the porcini mushrooms in a little boiling water until soft and then roughly chop.

Heat the butter in a pan and gently fry the chopped mushroom with the thyme and when almost ready add the porcini for the last couple of minutes.

Add the mushrooms to the white sauce – you can buy ready-made or there’s a recipe below - mix together and season with salt and pepper.

Fill the cases and pop them back into the oven at 160 degrees for about 10 minutes to heat through and serve.

Ìý

White Sauce Recipe

Ingredients:

25g butter

25g plain flour

600 ml milk

salt and pepper

Method:

Melt the butter in a saucepan.Ìý Stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. Take off the heat and gradually stir in the milk until its smooth and with no lumps of flour. Return to the heat and bring to the boil stirring continuously. Simmer for 8-10 minutes until the sauce is thick and shiny.Ìý Ìý

Ingredients:

150ml Cointreau

1 bottle Prosecco

500ml Cranberry Juice

Method:

Before you start make sure you have a large enough jug for all the ingredients and make sure your Prosecco and cranberry juice are very well chilled.

Start with the Cointreau, add the Prosecco, top up with the cranberry and mix well. Pour into champagne glasses and enjoy.