In the old days, pastry was always made with lard. Today it’s more likely to be made with chilled butter or shortening.

4 oz butter

8 oz all-purpose flour

Ice water

Cut the butter into small cubes and rub into the flour with a fork until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs (you may also do this in a food processor). Gradually stir in ice water until the mixture binds together. Roll out on floured board.

Sausage Rolls

English sausage meat is not identical to US meat, as rusk filler is used (i.e. the sausage meat has some kind of starch added to bind the meat and retain the fat). The closest I can find is Jimmy Dean Premium Pork Sage Sausage.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Make shortcrust pastry as before. (You can also substitute sheets of puff pastry from the grocer’s freezer, but shortcrust is more authentic.) Roll out thinly. Make thin rolls of sausage meat. Wrap with pastry dough. Cut into segments about 2 inches long. Bake 15-20 minutes.

Bread Sauce

Goose used to be the traditional Christmas fowl, but today it is usually turkey. The stuffing for either bird is made either with sage or chestnuts, and is accompanied by a bread sauce.

12 cloves

1 large onion, peeled

1 1⁄4 cups whole milk

3⁄4 cup chicken stock

1⁄4 cup light cream

1⁄4 tsp nutmeg

1 bay leaf

5 peppercorns

Salt and pepper

2 cups fresh bread crumbs

1⁄4 cup (one half stick) butter

Stick cloves into the onion. Add milk, stock, cream and the other spices. Bring to boil. Remove and let rest for 1 hour. Strain the liquid through a sieve. Add bread crumbs. Cook, uncovered, until thick. Before serving, melt butter, stir sauce into it.

Christmas Pudding

(or Plum Pudding)

This is the highlight of any Christmas dinner. You can buy ready-made Christmas puddings, but some people feel it is a point of honor to make their own. It really has to be made several weeks before Christmas and left to mature. For this reason, the last Sunday in November used to be called Pudding Sunday.

PREP TIME: 45 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 8 HOURS

MARINATING TIME: 12 HOURS

TOTAL TIME: 20 HOURS, 45 MINUTES

SERVES 8–10

Butter to grease bowl

1 lb dried mixed fruit (such as golden raisins, black raisins and currants)

1 oz mixed candied citrus peel, finely chopped

1 small cooking apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped

Juice of 1⁄2 large orange and 1⁄2 lemon

4 Tbsp brandy, plus a little extra for soaking the finished pudding

2 oz self-raising flour, sifted

1 level tsp ground mixed spice or pumpkin pie spice mix

11⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon

4 oz shredded suet, beef or vegetarian meat substitute

4 oz soft, dark brown sugar

Grated orange and lemon zest

4 oz fresh white bread crumbs

1 oz whole shelled almonds, roughly chopped

2 large fresh eggs