Nigel Slater’s Recipes for Mulled Cider, Pomegranate Mimosa and Festive Snacks

Mulled Cider with Potato Cakes

If you enjoy being in the kitchen while your guests make merry, try making these light, crisp fritters. They are best made fresh and served immediately. Peel and grate the potatoes and onion, then mix them together in a colander or sieve with salt. Let it sit for 15 minutes to drain excess liquid. Crush the garlic and add it along with flour, black pepper, and eggs to the potato mixture. Fry the potato cakes in oil until pale gold and lightly crisp. Top with coleslaw or pickled cabbage and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Enjoy!

For the mulled cider, combine cider, apple juice, brandy, soft brown sugar, orange peel, star anise, cloves, and cinnamon sticks in a saucepan. Warm over moderate heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Adjust the sugar and brandy to taste. Serve the mulled cider in glasses.

Crisp Spiced Cheese Biscuits

These biscuits are a perfect accompaniment to the mulled cider or any drink you offer this Christmas. Season flour with Aleppo pepper and black pepper, then rub in cold butter. Add egg yolk, grated parmesan, and black sesame seeds to the mixture. Bring the dough together and roll it out. Tear or cut the dough into pieces and place them on a lined baking sheet. Chill for 20 minutes, then bake until crisp and golden. Allow the biscuits to cool before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Pomegranate Mimosa and Orange Almond Cookies

For the orange almond cookies, whisk egg whites until loose and frothy. Add caster sugar and whisk until thick, firm, and glossy. Stir in ground almonds, almond extract, and orange zest. Roll the mixture into balls, coat them in icing sugar, and then bake until crisp on the outside and slightly gooey on the inside.

To make the pomegranate mimosa, pour fresh pomegranate juice into glasses and top up with sparkling wine.