More Christmas hosting with these deliciously festive recipes. From Festive Hasselbacks to Spiced Clemencello, impress your guests this party season.

Spiced Clemencello Sour

Host-ing with the most-ing means planning ahead on the important stuff - including the cocktails 🍸 Our prep ahead Clemencello guarantees festive tipples on tap - so you can really impress your guests this party season with our Spiced Clemencello Sour. 

Clemencello

Serves: 1.5 litres clemencello

Cooking Time: 10 mins plus 2 weeks to infuse

Clemencello Sour

Serves: 1

Prep Time: 5 mins

Ingredients

For the clemencello

  • 18 clementines
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 2 star anise
  • 1 vanilla pod split in half lengthways
  • 1 litre vodka
  • 500g granulated sugar

For the Sour:

  • 50ml clemencello
  • 50ml orange juice
  • 1 egg white

To serve

  • Clementine peel twist
  • Star anise

Method

  1. Zest all of the clementines, ensuring to stop before you get to the white skin. Pop the zest in a large, sealable jar. Add cinnamon sticks, star anise, vanilla and 2/3 of the vodka. Seal and leave for 5 days, giving a shake every day to speed up infusion.
  2. After 5 days boil 400ml of water with the sugar in a pan until dissolved. Leave to cool to room temp and pour over your vodka mix and re-seal. Leave for 9 days. After 9 days, sieve your clemencello into a sealable bottle ready to use.
  3. For your spiced clemencello sour, add clemencello, orange juice and egg white to a cocktail shaker and give a good shake. Fill the shaker with ice and shake vigorously until the shaker becomes really cold in your hands.
  4. Strain into a glass and top with a clementine peel twist and star anise for the perfect festive tipple.

Ginger Beer & Chilli Jam Gammon

Allow us to add a little ✨spice✨ to your Christmas spread with our Ginger Beer & Chilli Jam Gammon served with a zingy pineapple, mint, lime, red onion and chilli salsa! Save for when you’re planning the big day, you won’t regret it.

​​Serves: 12+

Cooking Time: 4hrs 30 mins

Ingredients

For the gammon:

  • Gammon joint (around 4-5kg)
  • 2-3 litres ginger beer
  • 2 onions peeled and quartered
  • 2 star anise
  • 2 large tbsp chilli puree
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 16 cloves (reserve 10 of these to stud the gammon)

For the gammon glaze:

  • 420g chilli jam
  • 3 tbsp Worcester sauce
  • 1 tbsp garlic paste

For the salsa:

  • 1 large pineapple skin removed & diced
  • 1 red onion diced
  • 2 large red chillies finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 limes juice and zest
  • Small handful fresh mint roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

To serve (optional):

  • 50g butter
  • 200g tenderstem broccoli
  • 500g brussels halved
  • Medium savoy cabbage sliced
  • 2 tbsp mint sauce
  • Small handful fresh mint roughly chopped

Method

  1. Pop the gammon in a very large deep saucepan (deep enough that the gammon can be fully covered in liquid) and fill with ginger beer, onions, star anise, chilli puree, bay leaves and 6 cloves. If the gammon is not fully submerged, top up with water. Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook for 3- 3 1/2 hours, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 65ºC.
  2. Pre-heat oven to 200ºC/180ºC fan/gas 4. Remove your gammon from the pan once ready and transfer to a deep roasting tray (reserve cooking liquid and pop to one side). Remove the skin from the gammon, ensuring to retain a thin layer of fat. With a sharp knife, carefully score the fat in a criss-cross diamond shape and stud with cloves. Place to one side whilst you make your marinade.
  3. Remove any fat that has formed on top of your retained ginger beer liquid and add a ladleful to a clean saucepan along with your chilli jam, Worcester, garlic and pinch of salt and pepper. Simmer until thickened.
  4. Coat your gammon all over in the marinade (leave a little to one side to pour over later) and pop in the oven for 30-45 mins. Check every 15 mins and spoon over the marinade that has collected in your tin.
  5. Whilst roasting, mix all salsa ingredients plus a pinch of salt and pepper in a bowl and place to one side until ready to serve. For the minted veg, heat your oil in a large, non-stick, deep pan and add your tenderstem, brussels and savoy, frying and stirring for 10-15 mins until softened. Add your mint sauce, fresh mint and seasoning and stir so evenly coated.
  6. Remove your gammon from the oven, drizzle over remaining marinade and serve alongside your salsa and minted veg to add a little spice to your Christmas.

Beef in a Blanket

Not a fan of Turkey on the big day? Impress your guests with Beef in a Blanket: a Morrisons beef joint coated in a cranberry, stuffing, chive and wholegrain mustard blanket and wrapped in crispy bacon - enough giving Pigs in Blankets a run for their money.

Serves: 8

Cooking Time: 1hr20 mins

Ingredients

  • 70g sage and onion stuffing
  • 3 tbsp olive oil (2 for beef in pan and 1 for when returning to oven)
  • 1.75-2kg Morrisons Best 28 day matured beef joint (remove from the fridge 30 mins before you start to allow to come to room temperature)
  • 1 large white onion cut into 8 segments
  • 500g carrots cut in half lengthways
  • 220g cranberry sauce
  • 2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
  • Handful of chives chopped
  • 1 pack smoked streaky bacon
  • 2 tbsp maple

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 220ºC/200ºC fan/gas 7. Cook your stuffing as per the package instructions.
  2. Season your beef all over with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large pan over a medium-high heat, add your beef joint and sear on all sides until evenly browned. Remove from the pan.
  3. Place your onions and carrots into the centre of a deep roasting tray and sit the beef on top. Pop in the oven for 20 mins.
  4. Meanwhile, make your mustard coating by crumbling your cooked stuffing into a bowl and mixing with cranberry sauce, mustard, chives and a big pinch of salt and pepper.
  5. Remove your beef from the oven and reduce the temperature to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Layer your mustard stuffing all around the top and sides of your beef before tightly wrapping your streaky bacon snugly around, with each piece overlapping one another to ensure no gaps. Drizzle all over with a tbsp of oil and maple and return to the oven for 40-45 mins for rare, 55 mins for medium and 1hr 5 for well done. Check half-way and cover with foil if the bacon is catching. Check with a meat thermometer to check- rare beef should read 50C, medium 60C and well done 70C.
  6. Remove from the oven, leave to rest for 15-20 mins and serve alongside all of your favourite trimmings.

Boozy Brussels

Love ‘em or hate ‘em…Try our boozy brussels for the ultimate festive gift this Christmas. Creamy chocolate and prosecco truffles guaranteed to win anyone over. Tag a sprout hater… we have a feeling they’re going to love these ones 🥂

Serves: 30-35 chocolates

Cooking Time: 45 mins plus chilling time

Ingredients

For the truffle centres:

  • 150ml double cream
  • 20g salted butter
  • 100g high quality milk chocolate roughly chopped
  • 200g high quality dark chocolate roughly chopped
  • 75g chopped hazelnuts
  • 75ml prosecco

For the truffle outer layer:

  • 600g white chocolate
  • 2tsp green food colouring
  • Edible gold dust

You will also need...

  • Small craft gift boxes
  • Gold tissue paper
  • Gold ribbon
  • Craft gift tags

Method

  1. Place double cream, butter, milk, and dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently boiling water ensuring the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Stir until melted and smooth, remove from the heat and stir through your hazelnuts and prosecco.
  2. Pop in the fridge for 2-3 hours until set and mouldable. Once mouldable, pinch away a small amount at a time and roll into truffle shapes (you should be able to make about 30-35). Pop on a tray and freeze so fairly solid for about 20 mins.
  3. Meanwhile, melt your white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently boiling water ensuring the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Once melted, mix through the green food colouring.
  4. Using a skewer to hold in place, dip each brussel truffle in the white choc, lay on a lined tray and pop in the freezer to set for 20 mins. Once set, use a tsp to roughly drizzle the rest of your melted white (now green) chocolate all over each sprout to give a rough, 'leaf-like' texture.
  5. Pop aside until set, sprinkle with gold dust, put into tissue-lined gift boxes and tie with a ribbon and tag for the most thoughtful brussel truffles this Christmas.

Festive Hasselbacks

Hasselbacks, but make them 🎄 festive 🎄 Put a twist on the classic potato with all the good stuff about Christmas, from maple glazed bacon mini slices to gooey brie stuffed into golden, crispy hasselback.

Serves: 4

Cooking Time: 1hr 20 mins

Ingredients

For the hasselback potatoes:

  • 1.5kg Potatoes (Maris Piper or King Edwards)
  • 5 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp dried mixed herbs
  • 5 garlic cloves crushed
  • 200g brie sliced

For the maple bacon:

  • 8 smoked streaky bacon rashers cut into thirds
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp maple
  • 1 tbsp hot sauce (optional)

To serve:

  • 3 heaped tbsp caramelised onion
  • 4 thyme sprigs with leaves removed

Method

  1. Pre-heat your oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Place a potato between the handles of two wooden spoons and then carefully make multiple slices 1/2 a cm apart across your potato, ensuring that you do not slice all the way through (the handles of the spoons should stop your slices going right through your potato). Repeat for all potatoes.
  2. Pop your potatoes in a baking tray and drizzle vegetable oil and mixed herbs. Use your hands to rub over each potato. Season with a generous amount of salt and pepper and then add your crushed garlic cloves to the tray.
  3. Pop in the oven for 55 mins, removing halfway through and basting all over in the garlic oil for extra crispiness. 
  4. Meanwhile, lay your bacon rashers on a lined baking tray. Mix your olive oil, maple and optional hot sauce and brush all over your rashers. When your hasselback’s have 10 mins left, pop your rashers in the oven.
  5. After 55 mins remove your potatoes from the oven as well as your bacon rashers. The slits within the potatoes should have started to open. Carefully wedge 3 pieces of brie in each potato. Be careful as your potatoes will be hot, and the brie will start to melt. In the remaining slits within each potato slot in a couple of crispy bacon rasher segments.
  6. Remove any burnt, crushed garlic from your baking tray, add your stuffed potatoes and return to the oven for a few mins.
  7. Remove from the oven and serve topped with caramelised onion chutney and thyme for an indulgent potato side like no other this Christmas.

Affogato Pavlova Wreath

Did someone say affagat-ho-ho? 🎅 We’ve put a spin on everyone's favourite dessert to bring you the ultimate Christmas showstopper: Affogato Pavlova Wreath: a fluffy vanilla meringue wreath topped with a coffee cream, melted dark chocolate coffee sauce and crumbled mince pies. Mouth-watering, right?

Serves: 10

Cooking Time: 2 hrs plus cooling time

Ingredients

For the meringue:

  • 7 egg whites
  • 350g caster sugar
  • 1 tsp cornflour
  • 2 tsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the coffee cream:

  • 600ml double cream
  • 100g icing sugar
  • 2 tsp instant espresso powder

For the blood orange salsa:

  • 1 large blood orange peeled and cut into small segments
  • Small handful mint roughly chopped
  • 1 tsp golden caster sugar
  • 150g pomegranate seeds

For the dark chocolate coffee sauce:

  • 150ml double cream
  • 100g quality dark chocolate
  • 20g golden caster sugar
  • 1 tsp espresso powder
  • 2 tbsp amaretto (optional)

To finish:

  • 2 Morrisons The Best Mince Pies crumbled
  • 1 tbsp icing sugar
  • Mint sprigs

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 170ºC/150ºC fan/gas 3. Line a large baking tray with baking parchment and draw the largest circle you can in the middle of the paper. Then draw a smaller circle centre of the larger circle to make your wreath shape template.
  2. Meanwhile, whisk your egg whites in a large bowl using a hand whisk until soft peaks form. Add the sugar a little bit at a time, whisking as you go until incorporated and stiff, glossy peaks form. Once all of the sugar has been added, mix together the cornflour and white wine vinegar and then gently fold into your egg whites along with your vanilla extract.
  3. Spoon your egg white into your drawn ring and then use the back of a spoon to gently make a dent all around the centre of the ring (this will be where your coffee cream sits later). Pop in the oven and reduce the heat to 140C/120C fan/gas 1. Bake for 1 hr 30 mins, turn the oven off and leave the meringue in the oven to cool for a couple of hours.
  4. Meanwhile, onto your coffee cream. Whisk the double cream, icing sugar and espresso powder together until stiff peaks form. Pop in the fridge for later.
  5. For the blood orange salsa, mix all ingredients in a bowl and place in the fridge for later. For the chocolate sauce, gently heat your cream in a saucepan over a low heat before adding all other ingredients, mixing until melted and combined and removing from the heat.
  6. Once your meringue has cooled, remove from the oven, dollop the coffee cream in the dent around the centre of the ring, top with blood orange salsa and crumbled mince pies, drizzle all over with chocolate sauce and finish with a sprinkle of icing sugar and mint sprigs for the most decadent Christmas dessert.

Dough-bauble Tree

Deck the halls with dough-baubles only: a festive picky tea perfect for entertaining 🎄 Our dough-bauble tree is made using ready-to-roll pizza dough stuffed with garlic, mustard, mozzarella and smoked Cheddar before coating in garlic butter and a sprinkling of Parmesan for an easy pull-apart sharer. Mmmmmm, can we have it for Christmas Dinner too?  

Serves: 8

Cooking Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

For the doughball filling:

  • 1 tbsp garlic paste
  • 50g softened butter
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 100g grated mozzarella
  • 100g grated Morrisons smoked Cheddar

For the rest:

  • 800g pizza dough (2 x sheets)
  • 50 g Parmesan finely grated
  • 50g butter
  • 1 tbsp garlic paste
  • Small handful parsley finely chopped

To serve:

  • Dipping sauces of choice (cranberry sauce, chutneys, hot sauce, mayo, ranch, buffalo etc...)

Method

  1. Pre-heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and line a large baking tray with baking paper. Meanwhile make your doughball filling by mixing all ingredients in a bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper.
  2. Use a round cookie cutter to cut your dough into 30 rounds. Spoon a tbsp of filling into the centre of each disc and then seal the dough around it, pinching together to seal and stop any filling spilling out when cooking (you may need to flour your hands to make easier to handle). Repeat with all doughballs.
  3. Place each ball on the baking sheet, sealed-side down, in rows, creating a triangular tree shape. Ensure they are sat snugly together and touching oneanother. Season ans sprinkle all over with Parmesan and pop in the oven for 20-25 mins until golden.
  4. Meanwhile, melt 50g butter in a pan, remove from the heat and stir through garlic paste and parsley. Remove your doughbau-ball tree from the oven once baked.
  5. Brush all over with your herby garlic butter and serve with an assortment of dips and chutneys centre stage of your festive table.

Sugar 'n' Spice Trees

Gather your little elves, it’s time to get baking our easy-peasy Sugar ‘n’ Spice Trees. Mini tree shaped cinnamon rolls topped with a chocolate-dipped biscuit star and made in just seven simple steps. Perfect for putting under the big tree for a sweet tooth in your family.

​​Serves: 12

Cooking Time: 30 mins plus

Ingredients

  • 75g butter softened
  • 50g light brown sugar (30g for filling and 20g to dust)
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 pack ready-to-roll puff pastry

To finish:

  • 100g white chocolate
  • Biscuit stars/chocolate stars
  • 12 wooden skewers

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 220ºC/200ºC fan/gas 7. Soak your wooden skewers in water. Mix your butter, sugar, cinnamon and maple syrup in a small bowl.
  2. Unroll your puff pastry and spread all over with your mixture. Cut vertically into 12 strips.
  3. Pierce the end of a strip onto a wooden skewer and then fold back and forth on itself, piercing each layer centrally through the skewer to secure, starting wider at the bottom and then becoming narrower at the top to represent the shape of a Christmas tree. Ensure there is enough coming through the top to secure your stars later. Repeat for each tree.
  4. Place across two lined baking trays, sprinkle with remaining sugar and pop in the oven for 15-20 mins. Meanwhile, melt your chocolate in the microwave in 15 min bursts ensuring not to burn.
  5. Remove your trees from the oven, allow to cool and dollop the top of each tree with melted chocolate so covering any stick that you can see and secure your star in place. Pierce through the top to secure If you can pierce through the top of the pastry. Drizzle trees with remaining white chocolate.
  6. Leave to set, wrap in a clear sweet bag and secure with a ribbon for the cutest gift this Christmas.

Giant Ricotta Bauble

Introducing the party sharer to end all sharers (and 2023🎉). Impress your guests and graze into the New Year with our Giant Ricotta Bauble: ricotta, honey, walnut and spinach stuffed in ready-made filo topped with festive cranberry chutney and pesto.

Serves: 12

Cooking Time: 1hr 30 mins

Ingredients

For the filling:

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large white onion sliced
  • 2 leeks sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 160g baby spinach
  • 100g walnuts roughly chopped
  • 500g ricotta (any excess liquid drained)
  • 150g feta crumbled
  • 4 tbsp honey
  • Zest of 1 lemon

For the rest:

  • 75g butter melted
  • 12 filo sheets
  • 4 tbsp pesto
  • 4 tbsp cranberry sauce
  • Small handful black sesame seeds
  • Small handful parsley finely chopped

Method

  1. Pre-heat oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6. Heat your oil in a non-stick pan over a medium heat and add your white onion, leek, and garlic. Fry, stirring as you go for 5 minutes until fragrant and softened. Add your spinach and cook for a few mins until wilted. Remove from the heat, add to a large mixing bowl, and allow to cool slightly.
  2. Once cooled, add walnuts, ricotta, honey, lemon zest, a small pinch of salt and a generous helping of pepper. Stir until fully combined.
  3. Brush three sheets of filo with the melted butter and stick them together end to end to make a long rectangle, lay another 3 sheets on top and brush with butter to thicken.
  4. Place half of your filling in a long sausage shape, the same length of your filo along the long edge of the pastry and roll, brushing with butter in between each roll. You should end up with a long sausage shaped, ricotta encased in filo. Repeat this process with the remaining filo sheets and filling so that you have two long pastry rolls. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
  5. Lay each roll, butted up next to one another and brush all over in more melted butter. Bend into a ring to make a swirl. Pop in the oven for 35- 45 mins, turning half-way.
  6. Remove from the oven and use your pesto and cranberry to brush the top of each roll to create a red and green spiral effect. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and parsley and serve centre stage for the ultimate NYE sharer.

Take me to the Christmas Hub

This year at Morrisons, we’re showing some glove for the hosts, the ones who don’t let anything stop them from making it a day to remember. Have a look at our festive recipes, tips & tricks here.

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