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Festive Cocktail Recipes to Serve at Your Christmas Party

Fancy a festive tipple? We’ve teamed up with our good friends Hayman’s Gin to create 3 delicious cocktails using their range. Quality is what we cherish here at Maldon, and Hayman’s Gin just does that through the making of their distilled treats. As a family-run business for over 150 years, Hayman’s uses only the finest of botanicals available with their two-day gin making process to infuse highly acclaimed flavours to their spirits. As a result, your left with a range of gin’s perfect for any occasion, particularly as we head into the festive period!

This article will explore the different flavours of each cocktail through the reflection of seasonality. This is an element in which is different to the normal, classic drinks you make all year around, as these cocktails will embrace the flavours and aromas that you experience as you head into the winter months.

We are first met with late summer as we create ‘The Salty Dog’ resonating the last notes of citrus and tanginess through the use of a salt rim. Growing into autumn we then make the concoction of ‘The Maldini’, where we start to use slightly bitter flavours as the season grows colder. Finally, if you want to jump to the ‘Pomegranate Fizz’ recipe, you will be able to create the perfect festive cocktail for your Christmas party this year. Bursting with flavours of glitz and dazzle, your guests will sing praise once you serve them these delights on your drinks trolley!

HAYMANS SALTY DOG

The Salty Dog – Hayman’ Exotic Citrus Gin

‘The Salty Dog’ was initially created by George Jessel in the 1950s, using a combination of gin and grapefruit juice to play a game of balancing the sweetness and bitterness together. And this is exactly what is echoed through the tastes of late summer; tethers of citrus and zest clinging onto the last summer months as the bitterness of autumn looms over. To reflect this, we used Hayman’s Exotic Citrus Gin. This spirit is bursting full of citrus through the use of pomelo, and mandarin whilst also having a faint bitterness through the Persian Lime.

 Within the recipe you will also be demonstrated how to use a salt rim for this cocktail.  As revealed, a salt rim using none other than Maldon Salt will enhance the sweetness of the citrus notes and balance out the bitterness. This is why you commonly see salt rims on margaritas, as the salt will offset the sweet and sour tastes of the drink as you take a sip. If you are more into the conventional things in life, you can find our Classic Tequila Margarita Cocktail on our Recipes, Blog and Tips page.

HAYMANS MALDINI

The Maldini – Hayman’s London Dry Gin

Autumn. The gradual transition of trees changing to auburn; temperatures turning cooler and daylight growing shorter. What perfect way to reflect this than through our recipe of ‘The Maldini’. 

Stemmed from the original ‘Martini Cocktail’, it is believed this drink was invented by Professor Jerry Thomas who was a 19th century bartender known to have made this drink at the Occidental Hotel in San Francisco. At basic level, you mix together vodka or gin with vermouth to give a slightly sweeter taste to the drink.

With our own take on ‘The Maldini’, we use Hayman’s London Dry Gin, a classic in their range. The result of crafting their gin over 2-days creates a fresh, crisp spirit with notes of winter juniper and spice. The recipe also reveals how to do a Maldon Salt solution. Simply mixing 100ml water and 4g Maldon Salt will allow the cocktail to have depth and counteract the bitterness from the gin and vermouth. Adding a cornichon for garnish may also appear out of place to a few of you, but did you know actually adding a pickled vegetable such as a gherkin or cornichon will enhance the flavour of the drink and reduce it from being as sharp!

HAYMANS SLOE GIN POM FIZZ

Pomegranate Fizz – Hayman’s Sloe Gin

‘It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!’ … And now for the grand finale as we head into Christmas…The ‘Pomegranate Fizz’. Using Hayman’s Sloe Gin, this wonderful spirit is a match-made-in-heaven for wanting to make a festive cocktail! Packed full of fruity notes of wild-foraged sloe berries, plummy aromas and hints of almond and frangipane, this really does scream out ‘Christmas’ to your guests. This recipe will show you how to utilise the sloe gin with a dashes of pomegranate juice and champagne to give a wintery fizz whilst you take your first sip.

Not only that, we also show you how to make an egg white foam for the top of the cocktail. This will add a glorious texture, mouthfeel and volume when you’re sipping this delicious tipple. Sprinkling a little pinch of Maldon Salt to finish off will enhance the sweetness of the drink and balance out the bitterness of the sloe berries.

To finish off, garnish this cocktail with sprigs of rosemary and pomegranate seeds to give pockets of sweetness and wintery pine. Although many might miss this step, garnishing your cocktail is a very important element of mixology as the final garnishing’s accentuate the drink’s flavours and aromas, tying them together before your guest take that first delicious sip.

Let’s Raise a Toast for the End!

All three of these gin-based cocktails are perfect to create for your Christmas party this year. ‘The Salty Dog’ is a great welcoming drink to freshen your guests’ taste buds as they come in from the cold and into the warmth of your home. ‘The Maldini’ then transports your guests to a more bitter, dryer side of flavours, cleansing their pallets for the final festive tipple…The ‘Pomegranate Fizz’. This cocktail is a great way to end your party with the dancing flavours of sloe berries, pomegranate and champagne for an added fizz.

We love to see your creations from the recipes that we post! Make sure to tag whilst you make these fabulous cocktails on Instagram using the #maldonsalt.

TRUFFLES

Christmas Food Recipes to Impress Your Guests!

The countdown to Christmas has officially begun! Time has flown by this year, and what better way to get into the festive spirit than sharing our ‘deliciously’ new recipes for your Christmas feast. Within this article you will be thrilled by our Maldon Salt x Le Creuset team-up, where we introduce recipes for a Starter, Main and Dessert using their finest cookware. Jump to the ‘Recipes for Christmas Dinner’ section to find the details to create an exception menu for Christmas!

Looking for the perfect gift for your fellow foodie friend? We’ve got you covered with our ‘Gifting Trio’; from Fudge, Truffles to Cookies. Browse down below to find out more about this perfect gift set that can be easily baked by yourself!

And last but by no means least (pardon the pun), we also share with you those ‘Last-Minute Whip Up’ recipes during Christmas where you haven’t had the time to prep and cook an extravagant feast, but you still want to impress your guests with festive flavours.

Recipes for Christmas Dinner

Christmas is a time of coming together and celebrating the joyous festivities, and this is something that we treasure here at Maldon Salt. We were delighted to team-up with cookware brand Le Creuset and collaborate in creating an exciting Christmas menu for you all to enjoy over the coming weeks.

BEETROOT CURED SALMON

Starter – Beetroot Cured Salmon

Something light for Christmas can always be difficult to cook up when surrounded by the riches of food and sweet treats. However, we came up with a dish in which praises a new way in how to serve salmon and impress your guests. Using Le Creuset’s Stoneware Heritage Rectangular Dish in Deep Teal, you place the side of salmon and cure with chopped beetroot. Why would you use beetroot?  Using this root vegetable within the curing process among with the orange zest, lemon and juniper berries not only gives an undertone of earthiness, but also creates a stunning maroon colour to the flesh of the salmon. Cure the salmon for 2-3 days to really bring out the colour and juices.

ROASTED DUCK

Main – Slow Cooked Duck Legs with Blackberries, Orange and Cinnamon

Now moving onto the ‘main’ event…glorious duck legs, slow cooked amongst the warming, festive flavours of blackberries, oranges and cinnamon. For this we use the well-known Le Creuset’s 30cm Iron Shallow Casserole Dish in the colour Cerise. It’s as easy as simply adding the browned-off duck legs into the dish along with the remaining ingredients and cover in the oven for 1-hour, 30 minutes…quick but yet packed full of flavour! Within the recipe we’ve also included a tantalizingly good side dish of Celeriac Mash that pairs perfect with the slow cooked duck legs.

PISTACHIO SOUFLEE

Dessert – Pistachio Souffles with Cranberry Coulis

Souffles; the dreaded dessert even chef’s fear to make…. but fear not! We’ve created a recipe in which goes into detail on how to make the perfect souffle, flavoured with the nuttiness of pistachio. We use Le Creuset’s 9cm/0.1l Stoneware Set of 4 Mini Ramekins in the colour Meringue to hold the shape of these fluffy treats. Once the souffles have risen, you need to serve immediately otherwise they will lose their impressive height. But don’t forget to serve these with our Cranberry Coulis, using Le Creuset’s Stoneware Small Jug in Bamboo. Seamlessly lay the sweet coulis over the top of souffles and enjoy the light, sweet pudding to finish of the Christmas feast.

Voila! And there you have a three-course meal which is perfect to create during the festive holidays. So now that we have the feast sorted for your family and friends, what do we do about the gifts?

Festive Homemade Edible Gifts

It’s always difficult to find a gift in which expresses your personal appreciation and thoughtfulness; however, we’ve created just that gift! Your friends will forget all about advent calendars when they taste these delicious treats…perfect as a gifting trio.

TRUFFLES

Chocolate & Amaretto Truffles

Another tipsy-tipple added to a sweet treat! Amaretto pairs perfectly well with the dark chocolate, create an indulgent, melt-in-your-mouth confectionary for your chocolate-obsessed friend. You can also roll your truffles in plenty of options, including desiccated coconut, chopped pistachio or cocoa powder.

FUDGE

Rum & Raisin Fudge

It’s a classic flavour, loved by many over the Christmas period. Though only for the grown-ups, it will certainly put a childish grin on their face once they tuck into the rich, creamy flavour of the fudge.

PISTACHIO COOKIES

Pistachio & Dark Chocolate Cookies

Pistachio and dark chocolate are a match made in heaven. Our recipe allows you to create the perfect combination of a crisp outer cookie, yet being soft and fluffy in the middle…decadent and packed full of flavour. With a cooking time of only 8-10 minutes, you will be able to impress your friends with delicious treats that are easy to make!

Presents for family and friends always requires time and thought to choose the right gift for the right person…however, what if you’ve run out of time? Your guests are scheduled to arrive today but yet you still haven’t put together a little nibble – what do you do!?

Last Minute Christmas Recipes to Whip Up

Here we’ve come up with two recipes in which you can create in a matter of minutes, which still packs a punch full of flavour and are easy to make.

SMOKED SALMON PATE

Salmon Pâté with Maldon Smoked Salt

Pâté is one of the easiest dishes you can make, and with combining the smoked salmon pieces with the cream cheese and crème fraiche, you create a scrumptious dip in which will be loved my many. Adding our Maldon Smoked Salt also allows a smoky finish to be left on the pallet, enhancing the smokiness of the salmon and also heightening the sweet tones of the lemon juice. Enjoy with rye bread, lemon wedges and an extra sprinkle of dill to really complete the dish.

SWEDISH BEETROOT HUMMUS

Beetroot Hummus

Wow – What a colour! The humble root vegetable of beetroot is really praised through the making of this dip. Using chickpeas as the main base; adding beetroot will give an undertone of earthiness, which is then sweetened up with the addition of lemon, cumin and tahini. Add a generous sprinkle of Maldon along with oil to bind the hummus together. And there you have it, in no less than 10-minutes you have creates a delicious dip in which can be served with your favourite crudites, toasted bread or crackers.

And now the ‘Food’ Festivities Have Finished….

We hope you enjoyed this article in learning how to create the perfect 3-course meal with thanks to our special friends, Le Creuset. You can head over to our main Recipes, Tips and Blog Page to gain the full recipes in detail. The Gifting Trio and Last-Minute Whip Up dishes are also within this page on our website, so be sure to have a browse if you are stuck on what to do over the Christmas holidays!

Not only does your Christmas stockings need filling up, but so does your seasonings cupboard. Please feel free to browse on our Where to Buy Page to find your nearest store in which stocks our beloved Maldon Salt ahead of the festive season…especially our Smoked Salt if you are having a go at the Salmon Pate with Maldon Smoked Salt.

Don’t forget, we also have an abundance of Christmas-themed recipes over on our YouTube Channel with none over than Chef Ben Tish. Showcasing Christmas leftover recipes from The Ultimate Boxing Day Toastie to Brussels Sprouts Pesto!

Lastly, we LOVE seeing your creations – please tag us on Instagram using the #maldonsalt so we can share your culinary masterpieces on our socials.

Keep your eyes peeled on our socials during the festive period…we are announcing an exciting giveaway with our friends at Le Creuset!

Join us in creating the show stopping dish of slow cooked duck legs, paired with the festive fruits of blackberries and oranges alongside the spices of star anise and cinnamon. We’ve partnered up with Le Creuset in slow cooking this dish in their Cast Iron Shallow Casserole dish, which has a depth perfect to soak up the juices into the duck legs, causing it to be succulent and tender for your Christmas feast!

  1. Preheat the oven to 160C.
  2. Place a large casserole onto heat. Brown off the duck legs on both sides, starting on the skin side. Once browned, remove from the pan and add the shallots and sliced garlic, frying them until they soften and start to go golden.
  3. Next add the flour and cook into the sauce for a few minutes until it has thickened. Then add the red wine and stock, allow it to bubble and come to the boil.
  4. Add the duck legs back into the casserole along with 2/3 of the blackberries, the orange slices, cinnamon sticks, star anise a pinch of Maldon Salt and rosemary sprigs.
  5. Cover and transfer to the oven for 1-hour 30mins. Once cooked add the remaining blackberries and serve.
  6. To make the mash, add the celeriac to a pan with the stock and milk and bring to the boil. Simmer gently until the celeriac is tender. Mash or pass through a ricer and then stir through a knob of butter and a pinch of Maldon Salt.
  7. Serve the duck legs with the celeriac mash and some sautéed greens.

Ever heard of beet curing? Usually we would cure fish with salt to help preserve the flavours and succulence, however we have used beetroot in the curing process to give the salmon a magnificent maroon colour to the meat. This also gives the salmon tones of sweetness and earthiness which can be enjoyed by family and friends during the festive period.

We’ve used Le Cresuet’s Stoneware Baking Dish (32cm) to place all the ingredients in together as the length and depth of the baking dish allows the beetroot to cure the entire salmon effectively, preserving the succulent, earthy flavour for the fish.

  1. In a food processor blitz together the beetroot, orange zest, lemon zest and juniper berries. Pulse until it resembles a smooth paste. Tip into a large bowl and then mix with the dill, Maldon Salt, horseradish sauce, and golden caster sugar.
  2. Place the salmon, flesh side up, in a baking dish which comfortably fits it, and then spoon and press the beetroot cure on to the fish. Press and pack it in firmly and make sure it is covered all over. Then tightly wrap the tray in cling film and place in the fridge for 2 – 3 days.
  3. Once a couple of days have passed and it’s time to serve the salmon, remove it from the fridge and wash the cure off. Then place on a board and use a sharp knife to thinly slice. Serve the salmon with the fennel salad, lemon wedges, slices of soda bread and caper berries.

What’s better than the decadent, light and airy dessert of a soufflé? Get baking with this easy-to-follow recipe, where we use pistachio cream to give a glorious, nutty tone to the dish. We use Le Cresuet’s Mini Ramekins to hold the soufflé in place whilst it gently bakes in the oven. However, don’t stop there with these little sweet treats!

We also show you how to create a coulis sauce, which is a smooth enhanced by the tang of cranberries to give a balance to the sweetened pudding. Serving this in Le Cresuet’s Small Stoneware Jug will make pouring of the cranberry coulis much easier whilst serving to your guests.

  1. Start by making the base of the soufflés (the panade). Add the milk to a saucepan and whisk in the cornflour and a pinch of Maldon Salt until dissolved. Stir in the 50g of sugar and pistachio cream and place onto the heat. Allow the mixture to come to the boil and then continue stirring until the mixture thickens (3- 5 minutes). Then remove from the heat and cool. Once cool place in the fridge to cool completely.
  2. Preheat the oven to 180C and place a baking tray in the oven to heat up (this will help the soufflés rise).
  3. Prepare the ramekins by greasing with butter and the dusting out with icing sugar. Set aside.
  4. Place the egg whites in a bowl and whisk until foaming. Then slowly add the 150g of sugar, a tablespoon at a time. Keep whisking until all sugar is added and the meringue has reached medium soft peaks.
  5. Measure out 300g of the chilled panade mixture and add the final 20g of pistachio cream. Then carefully fold in the meringue egg whites being mindful not to knock the air out of the mixture. Spoon the mixture into the ramekins and smooth off the top with a palette knife. Then use a cutlery knife to “top hat” around the top rim. Place into the oven on the baking sheet for 8 – 10 minutes (do not open the door).
  6. Remove from the oven, dust with icing sugar and serve immediately with pistachio ice cream and cranberry coulis.

A classic sweet treat to share with loved ones over the Christmas period, the light, sweet notes of rum works wonderfully with raisins all combined within the creamy, richness of fudge. Remember to add a generous pinch of Maldon Salt to help balance the sweetness!

  1. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
  2. Soak the raisins in the rum for 1 hour minimum or overnight.
  3. In a pan place the condensed milk, butter, and sugar and bring to the boil. Stir the mixture continuously until the sugar dissolves. Continue to boil for 10 minutes until it reaches ‘soft ball’ stage on a thermometer.
  4. When the mixture reaches this stage, remove from the heat, and quickly add the rum and raisins, a pinch of Maldon Salt, and vanilla. Stir until it thickens, then tip immediately into the prepared tin and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares and serve.

This Christmas we wanted to focus on the gifting element for our beloved friends and family…and what better gift than to create these easy chocolate truffles! Infused with the sweet and nutty flavours of amaretto, this really does pack a punch to the little sweet treat treats, perfect for your fellow chocoholic. When it comes to coating your truffles, you can choose from pistachios, desiccated coconut or cocoa powder.

  1. Place the finely chopped chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Put the cream into a saucepan and heat until just boiling, then remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Allow it to sit for a few minutes before whisking until smooth. Add the butter, amaretto, almond extract, and pinch of Maldon Salt and then whisk again until smooth.
  2. Transfer to a shallow tin and allow to cool at room temp before adding to the fridge to firm up (2 hours). When cooled, roll the ganache truffles in your hands in balls, keeping in the fridge whilst you do the rest. Then roll the truffles in either desiccated coconut, finely chopped pistachios or cocoa powder before serving.

Cookies for Christmas is a must to bake during the festive period! People tend to think dark chocolate has a bitterness to it, however did you know using a pinch of Maldon Salt actually blocks out the bitterness due to salt having sodium ions! With a generous sprinkle of pistachios, these cookies will give off flavours of mild nuttiness and natural sweetness.

  1. Line a baking tray with baking paper and preheat the oven to 190C.
  2. Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks, and then add the flour and cocoa powder. Knead in the chopped chocolate until smooth and well mixed. Roll into a rough disc and wrap in cling film, then place in the fridge to chill.
  3. On a light floured surface, roll the dough until is it 2cm thick and then use a 7cm cutter to cut roughly 25 cookies. Place onto the baking tray and bake for 8 – 10mins.
  4. Take the cookies out the oven and allow to cool. Once cool, dip one half in the melted chocolate and sprinkle with finely chopped pistachios and a sprinkle of Maldon salt.

Salmon pate is one of our favourites to tuck into! What is so delicious about smoked salmon is that it gives off the perfect ‘smoky’ flavour which pairs well with the rich, creaminess of the crème fraiche. Combined together creates an excellent side dish to be shared and enjoyed with family and friends.

  1. Put the ingredients into a mixing bowl.
  2. Mix together so everything is combined with a generous pinch of Smoked Maldon Salt to give a ‘smoky’ warmth to the pate.
  3. Serve with Rye bread, lemon wedge and an extra sprinkle of dill.

Join us in creating this quick and easy to follow beetroot hummus. It’s refreshing in flavour and makes a delicious dip or a healthy spread on top of your cracker! Adding a pinch of Maldon Salt and cumin adds a little more spice and richness to the appetizer. A generous drizzle of olive oil on top of the hummus also makes the texture of the smoother in consistency and luxurious in texture.

  1. Place all the ingredients into a food processor and blitz until the elements break down and it becomes completely smooth.
  2. Spoon into a serving bowl and top with a sprinkle of nigella seeds, caraway seeds, a drizzle of olive oil and a final pinch of Maldon Salt.
  3. Serve with your favourite crudités, toasted bread or crackers.