A vegetarian Christmas: Chantelle Nicholson’s French mushroom pie, caramelised pear pud and more

Blue cheese and honey gougeres, roast squash soup with melting brie, mushroom and celeriac pithivier, roast miso brussels sprouts, and a caramelised pear and rosemary pudding

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hristmas for me began as a summertime celebration in New Zealand, with long days and warm evenings. Twenty-plus years on, the wintry cosiness of a UK Christmas has taken hold. Now, my essentials include perfectly crisp roast potatoes with plenty of gravy, and sprouts (non-negotiable). Even my young niece and nephew love them, which is a small victory I’m quietly proud of.

Warm gougerès fresh from the oven are a pretty tricky thing to beat. However, adding blue cheese and honey steps them up another level. The best thing about these gougeres, though, is you can make and freeze them in advance, meaning they’re never more than 25 minutes away.

Prep 10 min