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Darina Allen and Rory O'Connell's White Christmas Cake

Darina Allen and Rory O'Connell's Christmas Cake

This White Christmas Cake with its layer of crisp frosting is a delicious alternative for those who do not like the traditional fruit cake. It is best made not more than a week before Christmas.

Christmas recipe • 13 Nov 20

A Simply Delicious Christmas with Rory and Darina: The Recipes

Have a simply delicious Christmas with Rory and Darina.

Food • 19 Dec 18

Rory and Darina's Marzipan Dates

Use up your scraps of almond paste on these Marzipan Dates.

Food • 19 Dec 18

Rory and Darina's Ragged Filo Tartlets

Great for canapés or little tartlets.

Recipes • 19 Dec 18

Rory and Darina's Anchovy and Sesame Seed Straws

Recipes • 19 Dec 18

Rory and Darina's Roast Red Onion Leaves

Choose small red onions for roasting as you really want the finished leaves to be bite-sized. The smoked eel can be replaced with smoked salmon or mackerel.

Recipes • 19 Dec 18

Rory and Darina's Pico de Gallo

Use cherry tomatoes in winter for better flavour.

Recipes • 19 Dec 18

Rory and Darina's Cauliflower Soup with Spiced Oil

I love cauliflower and when I am buying one, I try to get one with as many of its green leaves attached as possible.

Food • 18 Dec 18

Rory and Darina's Salad of Rocket and Radicchio

This is a simple and refreshing salad which is perfect when something light and savoury is required.

Recipes • 18 Dec 18

Rustic turkey or chicken pie with Swiss chard and tarragon.

Rory and Darina's Rustic Turkey Pie with Tarragon

I like to serve the pie with a salad of crisp leaves or a green vegetable such as purple sprouting broccoli or peas.

Recipes • 18 Dec 18

Rory and Darina's Roast Squash & Brussels sprouts

Roast Pumpkin or Squash and Brussels sprouts with Pumpkin Seed Praline, Pomegranate Molasses and Crème Fraiche.

Recipes • 18 Dec 18

Rory and Darina's Cucumber & Elderflower Granita

I think granitas are great for the home cook as they are so easy to make and bring a little of the smartness we expect in restaurants to your own family table. This delightful version seems to suit either the beginning or the end of a meal depending on what else you are serving.

Recipes • 18 Dec 18

Rory and Darina are back for A Simply Delicious Christmas

Rory O'Connell and his sister Darina Allen are back together again for the return of their popular Christmas programme, A Simply Delicious Christmas

Food • 18 Dec 18

Darina Allen and Rory O'Connell's Christmas Nougat

This is my take on Italian Torrone, firmer in texture than the softer French version. Nougat will keep in an airtight container for up to three weeks if you can resist it! You can add more or less nuts as you like.

Christmas recipe • 13 Dec 17

Darina Allen and Rory O'Connell's Christmas Mincemeat

Darina & Rory's Christmas Mincemeat

Here are three delicious options, the first is the classic Mincemeat recipe passed down in Myrtle Allen's family for several generations. Of course, it contains suet so it's moist and juicy and best eaten hot. The second, Emer Fitzgerald's Mincemeat is vegetarian, it doesn't include suet or butter and is also gluten free. The third, Brandy Mincemeat, does not include suet either, but does have butter.

Christmas • 11 Dec 17

Darina & Rory's Christmas Blackcurrant Pastilles

These tiny bites are utterly delicious, they taste intensely of blackcurrant, so we cut them into little squares to savour slowly. A pretty box of these would make a lovely gift or to sell at a Christmas fair.

Christmas • 22 Dec 16

A Simply Delicious Christmas with Darina & Rory: Edible Presents

A Simply Delicious Christmas, Darina & Rory: The Recipes

Darina Allen and her brother Rory O'Connell showed us the perfect edible treats to give to friends and family this Christmas. Get all their delciously Christmassy recipes here!

A Simply Delicious Christmas • 23 Dec 16

Darina & Rory's Cheese Sablées with Sesame Seeds

A brilliant recipe for using up leftover bits of cheese, add a little blue cheese if available.

Cheese Sablées • 24 May 17

Darina & Rory's Chocolate Christmas Tree

This was one of the all-time favourites in the original Simply Delicious Christmas, so it certainly makes it into the revised edition. This time we had the greatest fun experimenting with a chocolate caramel and popcorn tree. It's delicious to nibble, and even relatively nutritious so there's an extra feel good factor!

Christmas recipe • 13 Dec 17

Darina & Rory's Beetroot Purée on Poppadums

I love this combination which I first tasted at The Dutch House in Galle in Sri Lanka, no less! If you can't source Buffalo curd, goat curd, or a soft mild goat cheese with a little extra cream will also be delicious.

Beetroot • 20 Dec 16

Darina Allen and Rory O'Connell's Spicy Indian Meatballs with Pomegranate and Coriander Raita

Darina & Rory's Spicy Indian Meatballs

Spicy Indian Meatballs with Pomegranate, and Coriander Raita is great in a mini bap, or pitta with lots of crunchy Little Gem lettuce and a few sprigs of watercress.

Meatballs • 24 May 17

Rory O'Connell and Darina Allen's Salsify or Asparagus in Filo

Rory & Darina's Salsify or Asparagus in Filo

Fans of the irrepressible Jeremy Lee's Quo Vadis in London's Dean Street, will recognise this recipe, its quintessential Jeremy. He serves salsify, scorzonera and new season's asparagus in filo like this. Jeremy shared the recipe for this delicious bite with me.

Asparagus • 19 Dec 16

Darina & Rory's Christmas Quail Eggs with Cumin

Another delicious bite, provide cocktail sticks and maybe serve them on a bed of watercress.

Quail Eggs • 24 May 17

Darina & Rory's Medjool Dates with Blue Cheese

How easy can a delicious bite be – the blue cheese needs to be mild and meltingly ripe.We were served this delicious little morsel with a Swedish Blue cheese at Wardshuset Ulla Winbladh beside Skansen in Stockholm. It's become a favourite little nibble with a drink.

Dates • 19 Dec 16

Darina & Rory: Sophie Grigson's Ruggelach

Lovely Sophie of the many earrings, was a guest chef at the Ballymaloe Cookery School in 1993. This was one of the many delicious things she shared with us, for me the best Ruggelach we tasted, and somehow they always taste of Christmas to me.

Ruggelach • 14 Dec 16