From the kitchen

Easy Christmas recipes

Updated 3 November 2026 · 6 min read

Four simple recipes that work well in the countdown weeks: something to bake with children, a warm drink for cold evenings, a sauce you can make weeks ahead, and the hot chocolate to go with a Christmas film.

Gingerbread biscuits

Makes about 24 · 35 minutes plus chilling

A firm dough that holds its shape, so it's good for cutters and for decorating afterwards.

Ingredients

• 350 g plain flour, plus extra for rolling
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 125 g cold butter, diced
• 175 g light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 4 tbsp golden syrup (or honey)

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan, 350°F) and line two baking trays.
2. Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices in a large bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until it looks like breadcrumbs, then stir in the sugar.
3. Beat the egg with the syrup, pour it into the bowl and bring everything together into a ball. Knead briefly until smooth, wrap and chill for 15 minutes.
4. Roll out on a floured surface to about 5 mm thick, cut out shapes and space them out on the trays.
5. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until golden. Leave on the tray for 5 minutes, since they firm up as they cool, then move to a rack.

Tip: the dough freezes well for up to a month. Defrost it in the fridge overnight before rolling.

Spiced cranberry and apple punch

Serves 8 · alcohol-free · 15 minutes

A warm, deep-red drink that makes the house smell like Christmas. Good for parties where children and drivers need something better than squash.

Ingredients

• 1 litre cloudy apple juice
• 500 ml cranberry juice
• 1 orange, sliced
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 4 cloves
• 2 star anise
• 1 tbsp honey, or to taste

Method

1. Put everything in a large pan over a low heat.
2. Warm gently for 10 minutes without letting it boil, so the spices infuse but the juice stays fresh-tasting.
3. Taste, add more honey if you like, and ladle into mugs with a slice of orange.

Tip: keep it warm on the lowest heat for a party, or in a slow cooker set to low.

Make-ahead cranberry sauce

Makes 1 jar · 15 minutes

Much better than shop-bought, and one less thing to do on the day. It keeps in the fridge for a week or the freezer for two months.

Ingredients

• 300 g fresh or frozen cranberries
• 150 g caster sugar
• Zest and juice of 1 orange
• A pinch of cinnamon (optional)

Method

1. Put the sugar, orange zest and juice in a pan and heat gently until the sugar dissolves.
2. Add the cranberries and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until most of the berries have burst.
3. Take it off the heat. It looks runny but thickens a lot as it cools. Spoon into a clean jar.

Proper hot chocolate

Serves 2 · 10 minutes

Made with real chocolate rather than powder. Rich enough that small mugs are plenty.

Ingredients

• 500 ml whole milk
• 100 g dark chocolate (about 70% cocoa), chopped
• 1 to 2 tsp sugar, to taste
• A small pinch of salt
• Whipped cream or marshmallows, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Warm the milk in a pan until it's steaming but not boiling.
2. Take it off the heat, add the chocolate and leave it for a minute, then whisk until smooth.
3. Add sugar and the pinch of salt, which brings out the chocolate flavour. Warm through again and pour.

Tip: stir in a little cinnamon or a few drops of orange extract for a Christmas version.