Dessert in a jar

For those who think they don’t like trifle, forget rubbery jelly, soggy fruit, mushy sponge and sickly sweetness. We’ve omitted the jelly and used florentine between the layers for chewy crunch. Poach

Pears included in Elizabethan recipes are typically ‘wardens’ – hardy varieties that must be cooked before eating, their flesh blushing with a red hue and softening into buttery deliciousness. Tudor d

MAKES 16-20 pieces PREP 20 mins plus 3 hrs chilling COOK 8 mins EASY 50g butter, plus extra for the tin400g blonde white chocolate (or use500g regular white chocolate),broken into pieces100g white cho

IN LIEU OF A TRADITIONAL DESSERT, TRY ONE OF HELEN’S FESTIVE ALTERNATIVES

Sweet, rich PX sherry and dried figs give this ham a beautiful finish. SERVES 8 | PREP 30 MINS PLUS SOAKING | COOK 2 HRS 30 MINS | EASY 2 dried figs75ml pedro ximénez sherry2kg gammon joint1 thyme spr

This is a classic and fairly simple fudge that has made an appearance on our Christmas gift baking list for the past seven years. The ginger works well to cut through the sweetness of the white chocol