Nostalgic taste of Christmas past: Recipes Candice Brown learnt from her granny – Daily Mail
Christmas dinner is a meal like no other. It represents continuity, conjuring memories of bygone feasts.
There is nearly always an element of family history in the food we choose for the big day; unique rituals that make the meal special, tastes that connect us to our past.
In my case I do what my mother did. Maybe not in every respect, but always when it comes to her amazing fruity turkey stuffing, which survives to this day, long after her death.
It’s not only about the main dinner. There are other specialities that I still cherish which are part of the ether of her influence. Some are posh, such as Elvas plums which you can buy in Fortnum & Mason, others are a little trashy: in the run-up to Christmas I comb shops for cheese footballs, with diminishing success.
Smoked salmon was a huge treat in my 1970s upbringing — not like now when you can buy it in every supermarket with varying degrees of quality.
UK-based writers including winner of The Great British Bake Off in 2016 Candice Brown (pictured) share festive memories and recipes to inspire you to create your own at home
Christmas Day morning began with a glass of bubbly for the grown-ups and a little smoked salmon on brown bread for everyone; squeeze of lemon juice and a turn of black pepper — utter luxury. Somehow, after blinis blew into our party food lingo, I began to experiment, taking my childhood treat and turning it into something new, which has, in turn, become an integral part of my daughter’s Christmas experience.
I make skinny but rich buckwheat flour pancakes then roll them with smoked salmon, cream cheese, dill and a copse of baby salad leaves. Afterwards, I cut them to make little colourful coils. My daughter fell in love with them, and they have been made on every Christmas Day since — always with her help.
From gingerbread houses to Christmas Eve curries, read on to discover more festive memories — and recipes to inspire you to create your own at home.
MY SHOWSTOPPER TO TOAST NAN’S MEMORY
CANDICE BROWN, 36, won The Great British Bake Off in 2016. She runs a pub, The Green Man, in Eversholt, Milton Keynes, with her brother, Ben. She says:
Margaret Florence, my dad’s mum, was my favourite person in the world. She was the most incredible cook, …….