The festive season is upon us. You’ve wrapped the presents, stocked up on pigs in blankets, and planned what to do with the leftovers, but have you considered those dishes that can elevate your holiday cooking from standard to special? Whether you’re planning luxurious starters to kick off the celebrations, delightful teatime treats, or show-stopping mains, sides, desserts, and bakes, Mary Berry has got you covered. Read on for a selection of Mary’s finest recipes to make your festive season truly memorable.
Canapés and starters
Mary Berry’s Dolcelatte and Sage Scone Canapés
Mary Berry’s delightful canapés feature a home-baked cheese scone base topped with dolcelatte and cranberry, making them ideal for festive entertaining.
Mary Berry’s Chestnut, Cranberry and Brie Parcels
If you’re seeking an ideal canapé to serve your party guests this festive season, Mary Berry’s simple chestnut, cranberry, and brie parcels are delectable holiday treats best enjoyed with a glass of fizz.
Mary Berry’s Fabulous Fish Sharing Platter
Featuring prawns, smoked salmon, and quail eggs accompanied by wedges of lettuce, rye bread, and a fresh lemony dressing, this fish platter is a brilliant sharing board to leave out for your guests to graze on.
Mary Berry’s Balsamic Beetroot, Quail’s Egg and Smoked Fish Plate
Mary’s sophisticated smoked fish plate is deceptively simple to put together, making it a brilliant make-ahead and assemble on the day starter.
Mary Berry’s Rustic Smoked Trout and Anchovy Pâté
This smoked trout and anchovy pâté is full of flavour, but light enough to not spoil your appetite ahead of a big feast. Serve it with toasted sourdough or seeded crackers.
Centrepieces and mains
Mary Berry’s Roast Chicken with Tarragon Butter and Melting Onions
Ditching the turkey this year in favour of a smaller bird? Your Christmas dinner will be just as special with Mary Berry’s flavoursome recipe for roast chicken slathered in tarragon butter and cooked on a bed of meltingly soft onions.
Mary Berry’s Orange-Glazed Ham with Mango and Orange Salsa
Another excellent alternative to the traditional roast bird, Mary Berry’s orange-glazed ham makes for a crowd-pleasing centrepiece, especially when served alongside the zingy orange and mango salsa.
Mary Berry’s Roasted Fillet Beef with Fresh Horseradish Sauce
For those opting for beef over turkey this year, this foolproof recipe for roasted fillet of beef from Mary Berry is one for you. The homemade, fresh horseradish sauce adds a special finishing touch. Don’t forget the Yorkshire puddings – scroll down to find Mary’s failsafe recipe.
Mary Berry’s Slow-roast Hand and Spring with Crackling and Onion Gravy
Mary’s ultimate roast pork recipe is a tempting alternative to turkey, delivering melt-in-your-mouth tenderness and rich, savoury flavours. The crackling is a particular triumph.
Mary Berry’s Beef Wellington
For something a little different, why not make Mary’s beef Wellington. With its tender beef wrapped in a flaky pastry, it’s a show-stopping centrepiece to pair with all of the trimmings.
Mary Berry’s Roasted Vegetable Wellington
Roasted Butternut squash, red pepper, mushrooms and goat’s cheese are encased in golden puff pastry for an impressive vegetarian main.
Sides
Mary Berry’s Best Roast Potatoes
No Christmas roast would be complete without proper roast potatoes. Mary’s failsafe recipe delivers perfectly crisp potatoes with a fluffy interior.
Mary Berry’s Crispy Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Why only have white potatoes when you could have sweet potatoes too? Coated in semolina to make them extra crisp, Mary’s chunks of sweet potato are the perfect reason to go double potato this year.
Mary Berry’s Golden Crunchy Thyme Parsnips
Give your roasted veg the Mary treatment with these extra golden, extra crisp thyme-scented parsnips.
Mary Berry’s Yorkshire Pudding
While the traditionalists may only serve Yorkies with a beef roast, we’re all for including them as part of any Christmas feast. Mary’s recipe never lets you down if you’re looking for well-risen, pillowy Yorkshire puddings every time.
Mary Berry’s Celeriac and Leek Gratin
This rich and creamy gratin is a fantastic way to incorporate celeriac into your Christmas roast.
Mary Berry’s Hispi Cabbage Noisette
Add some green to your plate with Mary’s hispi cabbage noisette, our favourite way to prepare a pointed cabbage for a roast. The cabbage wedges are pan-fried in brown butter to give them plenty of caramelisation and a delicious nutty flavour.
Mary Berry’s Simmered Red Cabbage and Cider
If you’re looking to change up your side dishes, try Mary’s tangy recipe for simmered red cabage, made with redcurrant jelly and cider.
Desserts
Mary Berry’s Cranachan Pavlova Wreath
Name a more beautiful festive dessert than this beautiful wreath-shaped pavlova, decorated with raspberries and snow-like whipped cream.
Mary Berry’s Chocolate and Hazelnut Boozy Roulade
With its light chocolate sponge and golden hazelnut praline topping, this boozy roulade is a brilliant alternative to a Christmas pudding.
Cheat’s Christmas Apricot Trifle
Is it even Christmas if there isn’t a trifle or two knocking around? We love Mary’s cheat’s version, which uses shop-bought sponge and custard to make it easier than ever to enjoy this layered Christmas classic with minimal fuss.
White Chocolate and Ginger Cheesecake
This no-bake cheesecake combines creamy white chocolate with a hint of spicy festive ginger, all atop a crunchy biscuit base.
Mary Berry’s Chocolate Steamed Pudding with Chocolate Sauce
Not a fan of the traditional Christmas pudding? This light and fluffy chocolate pudding from Simple Comforts is a crowd-pleasing alternative. You might not be able to set it on fire, but you will get to drench it with a rich, gooey chocolate sauce.
Bakes
Mary Berry’s Classic Rich Christmas Cake
Mary Berry’s Classic Rich Christmas Cake is a timeless festive favourite, packed with dried fruits, nuts, and warm spices. This traditional cake is made well in advance to allow the flavours to mature, so get started nice and early and thank yourself later.
Mary Berry’s Star Almond Mince Pies
Mary’s Star Mince Pies add a touch of elegance to this classic Christmas treat, featuring a buttery, almond-infused pastry and a rich mincemeat filling. Topped with a festive star-shaped crust, they’re a particularly lovely recipe to make with little ones.
Mary Berry’s Apple and Mincemeat Squares
Mary’s Apple and Mincemeat Squares offer a twist on traditional mince pies, combining juicy apples with rich mincemeat in a light, buttery pastry. These easy-to-make squares are perfect for anyone who prefers a sweeter, less intense mince pie.
Mary Berry’s Bûche de Noël (Yule Log)
A show-stopping Christmas bake featuring a light chocolate sponge rolled with rich chocolate ganache and decorated to resemble a festive log.
Mary Berry’s Christmas Stollen
Mary’s take on this German festive bread is filled with marzipan, dried fruits, and nuts, and dusted with a generous layer of icing sugar.
Mary Berry’s Granny’s Gingerbread
This traditional recipe features the rich flavours of treacle, golden syrup, and ginger, making it a comforting treat perfect for enjoying with a cup of tea throughout the festive season and beyond.
