Josie Orr shares her favourite sweet and savoury festive bakes!

The Christmas season is well and truly upon us, and this means that our favourite Christmas recipes are too! As soon as the festive season arrives, I can’t help but start to get excited about all the food that comes with it; be that the ultimate Christmas dinner, various Christmas sandwiches for sale in local shops or all the sweet treats. Throughout December is a time to try new recipes and revisit old ones and share them amongst your family and friends!

My personal favourites are chocolate truffles and ‘coconuts tops’. You can never go wrong with chocolate truffles because they are so easy to make and can custom them however you want! You can cover them in cocoa powder, coconut, sprinkles or nuts and they make the perfect snack or homemade gift. Even add a liquor if feeling adventurous! ’Coconut tops’ are also so delicious and super light – another treat that is quick and easy and always very popular. I usually tend to dip them in chocolate because I love the combination of coconut and chocolate – but you can also add raspberries or cardamon, or if you’re feeling very festive why not use chocolate orange?

Another favourite is a chocolate Yule log – great if you have plenty of time and is definitely worth the effort because it tastes so good. For more savoury treats sausage rolls, cheese twists and cinnamon buns are all perfect to make to get into the Christmas spirit. Of course, the best way to enjoy making the food is to listen to Christmas music loudly and have a big glass of mulled wine by your side. When it comes to Christmas, I don’t think it is ever possible to be too indulgent and I think especially after the year we have had everyone deserves a treat!