Author: Madhuri Vuggina

A beautiful Christmas table setting is created with as much attention to detail and care as the Christmas meal itself. Whether you’re setting up a table for a formal sit-down dinner or using your dining room for a buffet spread for Christmas lunch. Some key elements need to be considered, regardless of your style. It will ensure your table decorations and everything on it, including the decoration don’ts (like fussy centrepieces), fit seamlessly into your overall festive decor. Don’t distract from the real star of the day: Christmas dinner!

What is Tablescaping ?

Tablescaping is a form of art that draws inspiration from many different elements. Highlight a particular theme or create a pleasing arrangement of colours, textures and objects. Everything sits on the table, from the flatware to the decorations, to the tablecloths and place settings. It goes beyond setting the tables as they are personal extensions of your personality.  So, we need to add creativity to make it look unique.

Let’s check out some of the best Christmas themes :

Coastal Theme :

The challenging part of decorating a coastal Christmas tablescape is finding the correct elements. It’s all about choosing natural materials with a sandy or rocky texture and bringing the beauty of nature into the home. The driftwood candle holder used in this table setting is a step in the right direction, as well as the eucalyptus garland. However, other than that, it’s all about simplicity. The natural elements are the real stars here. So choose a neutral colour palette for your dining room. Such as white plates, napkins and tabletop trees for added greenery. Plywood or sand dollars for fun elements to bring in the ocean theme. Try using a coral napkin holder to tie it all together.

Rustic Plaid Theme :

We can quickly achieve rustic holiday decor by using plenty of plaid details. You could use a plaid table runner across the middle of your dining room table. This will create a fun aesthetic that blends rustic and festive think. Christmas stuffing, Campbell’s Soup can labels and vintage wrapping paper can add more vibrant look. By keeping the Christmas table centrepiece minimal, you can make it so that the runner is the star of the show. Pairing down on the other decorations allows you to have more fun with each element. Tie ribbon bows to the backs of each chair to add an unexpected detail. You could also opt for coordinating piping on your chair straps or even choose candy cane-striped napkins.

Gold & Glamorous theme :

Mix gold accents with white to give your Christmas place settings a glamourous feel. Gold ornaments, gold-rimmed champagne flutes, or even a Christmas tree figurine from our gold Christmas themed items can liven up your place settings. Try pairing greenery with elegant clear champagne glasses for maximum contrast if you need some Christmas place setting ideas. Place the clear champagne glass upside-down on the table so that the rim is facing up. Then add a gold centrepiece such as a Christmas tree figurine to the inverted glass for added festive flair. For additional inspiration, our gold Christmas napkin rings and place settings help make decorating easy and fun!

Whimsical & Bright theme :

White Christmas table decorations can be a winter staple in your house. Picking out the right place settings and ornaments can be challenging, but it can also be a lot of fun! Make your decorating easy by choosing red, gold, and ice-blue ornaments to fill a small red serving dish to create a fun centrepiece. Incorporate those same colours in your place settings to keep with the overall theme. Finally, don’t forget the lighted tabletop Christmas tree! It will add some festive sparkles to your white Christmas tablescape.

Winter Wonderland theme :

Winter Wonderland is a collection of snowy-themed decorations for the Christmas holiday table. A large centrepiece decorated with flakes and ornaments of silver, woodsy pinecones, holly sprigs, silver glass balls and a candle creates a snow-covered canopy above that incorporates light blue accents such as in dishes and cloth napkin rings. Silverware packs a snowball on the handle while small tree napkin holders hold square perfection. The winter palette is completed with the illumination of small tea light candles.

Peppermint-Inspired theme :

The red and white peppermint theme is prevalent, especially around the holidays. Use red and white plates, cups, and bowls to create a candy cane-inspired look. Add red poinsettias as a centrepiece, or use red and white artificial Christmas trees as decorations. You might also want to add a red Christmas ribbon to each plate in addition to the candy cane decoration.

Now is the time to tap into its rich potential, from mini Christmas trees to simple table ornaments, whatever your creative flair. So get those creative juices flowing and create your holiday masterpiece.

Come and celebrate the Christmas Season with us at Brook pub, Cambridge. All types of food like starters and main courses are included in the Christmas recipes. We serve up a delicious Christmas dinner menu from November 25th to December 30th with 2 or 3-course meals available for £20.95 or £23.95, respectively. We are now taking reservations until December 30th, so don’t let the chance of enjoying our unique Christmas food slip away. We are here to provide the best atmosphere for you and your loved one’s so that you can enjoy Christmastime to the fullest.

 

We all love to enjoy different beautiful cakes and desserts at various festivals. Such festivals bring us so many varieties of desserts that we all like the most. If we talk about plum cake, then it is famous in many countries. Christmas brings in many desserts, plum cake the most. Cooking with fresh seasonal plums is a classic treat for a Christmas celebration. So, try out this delicacy and enjoy a yummy Christmas.

This traditional Christmas plum cake is prepared using the best quality fruits and nuts, along with wine and rum. It is an excellent amalgamation of sweet, sour and nutty flavours that everyone will love. The cake has become a part of almost every Christmas celebration, and this year is no different. Get your hands on the best and enjoy this delicious cake with your family and friends.

The traditional plum cake is a delicious treat for Christmas. While it is loaded with sugar and fat, these tips help you create a healthy version of the traditional cake while retaining the delicious taste of the original version. 

Ideas To Make Plum Cake Healthier:

• Avoiding Sugar :

Do you want to make your cake gluten-free without compromising on taste? Eliminate excessive added sugar from your cake recipe by replacing it with naturally sweet ingredients like honey, stevia, agave, bananas, apricot puree and ground dates paste. These ingredients are nutrient-rich and will give you a perfectly balanced cake without compromising on taste.

• Make it more Nutritious.

Nutritious Christmas desserts are not hard to make. No need to get fancy with specialized ingredients or bakeware. You can make use of some seeds to enhance the nutritional value of your favourite holiday dessert. You can opt for many sorts, like chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds.

• Use Healthier Flour:

Plum cake is traditionally made with all-purpose flour, which is not a healthy option. An excellent way to make the cake healthier would be to replace it with wheat flour, almond flour, quinoa flour, oats flour, coconut flour and chickpea flour. These ingredients will also add a unique flavour profile and texture to your cake!

• Avoid Butter

You can make your favourite plum cake healthier with healthy fats like olive oil and coconut oil. All you need is to flavour them and bake the cake as usual. Let go of butter from now on!

Bake a traditional plum cake for your family and friends and see them happy while they tuck into it. The secret unsweetened plum juice reduces the sugar content, making it a healthier version of your favourite cake. Also, eliminating the need for frosting, the plums bring a unique flavour to a classic recipe.

At the Brook pub in Cambridge, we have the best Christmas menu designed for the holidays. Starting from starters to the Main course and then desserts, you have a wide variety to choose from. The festive food vibe starts from November 25th till December 30th. We love to see you all come in to enjoy our food along with some of the best Cocktails and drinks.

During Whether you love food, or love to bake, or just someone who loves having fun in the kitchen, there is no doubt that Christmas time is something to look forward to when it comes to baking. One glance in any grocery store, and it’s easy to see why. During holidays there is no shortage to bake from trays upon trays of cookies and singles, pies, cakes, and cupcakes that are covered in Christmas colours and sprinkles.

The smell of fresh, hot bread baking in the oven is music to any baker’s ears. From shortbread to challah, from sweet brioche to classic baguettes.  There are more varieties of bread out there than you could imagine! Christmas bread is often more decorative and has celebratory qualities. Such as the Bulgarian Christmas Bread that symbolizes prosperity for the upcoming year. Other classic Christmas bread from around the World include Panettone or Stollen, filled with fruits and nuts. 

Let’s see some of the Christmas Breads around the World:

• Stollen Bread :

Stollen bread has been a German holiday tradition for centuries. Its origins date to 13th century Germany, and it is now popular around the World. A sweet bread with dried fruits and candied orange and citron zests. Stollen get its rectangular shape from three baking pans and its gently spiced aroma. The rich flavour from rum-soaked dried fruit and myriad spices: cinnamon, clove, cardamom, anise seed, ginger, nutmeg, lemon peel and orange peel. Let the flavours mingle for several days before slicing thinly to serve warm or at room temperature as a dessert or midmorning.

For best results, allow Stollen Bread dough to rise at room temperature for 4 hours. Bake in an oven preheated to 350°F for approximately 35 minutes, or until tops are golden brown. Make-ahead tip: Stollen keeps well on the countertop for 3 days. Rewarm stollen on a baking sheet in a 250°F oven for 12-15 minutes, or until warmed through.

• Krendel Christmas Bread:

Try this tasty Krendel Christmas Bread recipe! It’s an important Russian tradition to have this during the holiday season. Ideally, you want to allow plenty of time for the dough to rise, so it has a nice, soft texture with a delicious filling of pears, apples, cherries, honey and nuts. If your kitchen is cool, you may need more time for it to properly rise.

A rich yeast dough is the foundation of the Krendel tradition, and the recipe has been passed on from generations and made with care in every detail. In this Yeast Dough recipe collection, you get four varieties: two elaborate versions filled with pears, nuts and fruits. A soft version filled with plums, and the basics for a vanilla cream-filled Krendel.

• Swedish Coffee Bread :

Most bakers know Swedish coffee bread as cardamom bread. For this loaf, add sugar and cinnamon and top it with sliced almonds and raisins. As much as we love these classic elements, we also think you can feel free to experiment and add your touches. For example, try replacing the almonds with walnuts. Substitute with chopped dried apricots or raisins for the raisins and sliced almonds.

It’s not just for the Christmas season to bake and eat some delicious Swedish coffee bread. We can eat it at any time of the year! Whether you use it as a mid-morning or afternoon snack, or if you enjoy it with a cup of coffee or tea in the evening, there are so many ways to enjoy this bread.

• Panettone :

The Champagne of Italian bread, Panettone, is a super-sweet and buttery celebration of the holiday season. Typically filled with candied fruits and topped with vanilla or rum-flavoured icing, it makes a wonderful dessert or afternoon treat. Light, fluffy and moist, this traditional Italian fruit- or chocolate-filled Panettone is best served when soft and warm with a cup of espresso. It is an excellent choice to serve at Christmas breakfast with fresh fruit and rum fragrance.

• Chai-Spiced Tea Loaves :

Have a potluck or tea party on your hands? Chai-Spiced Tea Loaves are a delicious, not to mention beautiful, way to bring something homemade to the table. These loaves are made from a flour blend that includes whole-wheat flour, which gives them a hearty texture and earthy flavour. They’re easy to make ahead and freeze for up to three months, making them perfect for giving as a hostess gift during the holiday season.

Chai is a blend of warming spices, and this bread includes several of them, including cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom and cloves. The bread gets its sweetness from coconut sugar and maple syrup. Light and sweet, these loaves can be alternately baked as mini-cakes and served with vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel. Perfect for serving at a casual brunch, these loaves make great gifts.

The best way to enjoy Christmas is to bake bread ahead and enjoy it with family and friends. This year at our Brook Pub in Cambridge, we have brought up a new Christmas festive menu with a lot to offer our customers. New recipes, main course, and yes, of course, yummy desserts. The holiday season to serve the festive food starts from November 25th till December 30th (excluding Christmas Day & Boxing Day) with 2 courses only £20.95 and 3 courses £23.95. Rules include a non-refundable deposit of £15 / 15€ to secure a table for 10 or more guests. One week before your reservation date, a pre-order may be required for parties of 10 or more.

This Christmas, get your loved ones to enjoy some of the best drinks and Christmas food.

Each country of the world has its traditional Christmas foods, although not all are eaten only during the holidays. They are all part of the “Festive Season” and although their origins are varied, many have become an integral part of this time of year.

Savory smoked ham, roasted chestnuts, and the sweet yule log are favorite festive foods. We explore their importance in festivities from around the globe. Starting from Italy’s mushroom risotto to New Year’s Day specialties in Japan and turkey and turnips in the UK. Cupcakes, eggnog, and several other sweets and treats can all be found in this collection of traditional recipes for Christmas food.

Cooking a delicious, fresh Christmas meal is a long-held tradition with a modern flair. Traditional Christmas foods with a modern twist make a memorable meal with family and friends. This collection of recipes is designed to get your creative cooking juices flowing.

Roast Goose:

The secret to preparing a gorgeously roasted goose is the overnight brining. Salt-curing the goose for several hours helps it absorb more moisture.  It Keeps the meat incredibly moist during roasting. This recipe also fills the cavity with onions, apples, celery, and bay leaves. These are discarded later but benefit the dish by flavoring the bird during cooking. Pricking the skin helps create a rich golden layer of crispy skin on top of each piece of goose meat.

Turkey :

The turkey became the perfect holiday bird, slicing neatly into portions. Created Sauces, stuffing, and pies to complement this new centerpiece of the celebration. Nowadays, most Americans still see Thanksgiving as the main time for serving turkey. Although the Christmas dinner is also big, particularly in Catholic countries.  Turkey is the star of many festive holiday meals. Turkey can be roasted whole, stuffed, or ground up for meatballs, meatloaf, and burgers. This versatile bird has a mild flavor that pairs well with all kinds of sides.

Today, roasted turkey is a classic holiday dish, appearing on tables British tables during Christmas. Butter-rubbed roasted turkey is an irresistible combination of crispy skin and juicy, tender meat. In this recipe, the roast bird’s many aromatics—garlic cloves, onion slivers, lemon halves—lend flavor to a mixture of herbs and spices on the outside. Although only a small amount of butter is spread over the skin before roasting. It melts as the turkey heats up, puddling between the skin and breast meat. Serving this roast turkey with gravy made from pan drippings makes for a particularly rich meal.

Glazed Ham :

The glazed spiral ham is the perfect centerpiece for your Christmas dinner. The precooked ham contains phosphates to enhance juiciness. It includes a glaze made with butter, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, orange juice concentrate, white wine vinegar, cloves, and lemon peel. It ensures that your family will enjoy it as much as you will.

Serving ham during Christmas, the preparation must start at least four weeks before the holiday. To ensure a tender, flavorful Christmas ham, cooks must select a young, well-fed pig and cure it using a dry rub of salt and brown sugar. The true artistry comes from barding—wrapping the ham in a thin layer of fat from the pig to protect the meat from drying out during its long stay in the oven. Traditionally served with braised red cabbage, boiled potatoes, braised greens, and cornbread dressing.  Glazed spiral hams make an impressive centerpiece for holiday tables.

Plum Christmas Pudding: 

Christmas is on its way, and this year, make it even more special with Plum Christmas Pudding. It’s old-fashioned comfort food with pureed dried fruit, roasted almonds, brandy, pumpkin seeds, and spices. And now you can enjoy it as a pudding pie with your family and friends. Not only is the pudding pie baked in a pie crust to create a sliceable dessert, but it has that homemade appeal that adds ambiance to your holiday celebrations. Everyone will love it!

Fruit Cake:

Today’s fruitcakes are still likely to feature hefty amounts of figs, dates, raisins, chestnuts, and other fruits like cherries. Many recipes incorporate brandy or rum for an added kick, and some also contain pineapple or coconut for tropical flair. Most traditional recipes use an entirely dried fruit filling.  Nowadays, many cooks make their batter with fresh fruit like strawberries, apples, pears, peaches, plums.

The modern fruitcake is very different. Over time, the cake became synonymous with Christmas. Both commercial and homemade versions of fruitcake grew more sugary and less fruity. While folks in some parts of the country still look at fruitcakes as a symbol of the holidays.

These are some of the traditional Christmas food. Anyone can try this holiday to create a great get-together or family dinner. At the Brook Pub, you can enjoy some of the best Christmas food from the updated menu. We serve the best starters, main course, and desserts. Our Christmas Menu is available from 25th November to 30th December (excluding Christmas Day & Boxing Day) with 2 courses only £20.95 and 3 courses £23.95. Our rules include a non-refundable deposit of £15 / 15€ to secure a table for 10 or more guests. One week before your reservation date, a pre-order may be required for parties of 10 or more.

Come in to taste your favorite food along with some of the finest drinks and Cocktails !!

 

Brook pub is easy to be located as it is right in the city’s heart and a short walk from Cambridge University. The pub is famous for its hearty, homemade food, warm and friendly service, and excellent selection of cask ales, premium lagers, and wines.

The pub’s warm atmosphere makes it an ideal meeting place for friends and families to enjoy great food and drinks. We host live music and games. It is a good place for hosting private parties. We have a wide variety of dining facilities, including tables in the bar and the dining area. We also have an outdoor garden area for those who wish to enjoy the open air. Being a dog-friendly place, you can walk in with your pets and enjoy your time.

The Brook pub is fully licensed with a good selection of cask ales, premium lagers, wines, spirits and soft drinks. We also have a good selection of wines, champagnes and beers.  Some great low alcohol and soft drink choices and a choice of quality coffees, and a great tea selection.  We updated our drinks menu with Cocktails allowing you to indulge in tasting some of the best cocktails at the bar. It’s the drinks that we have updated and came up with a merry and magical Christmas menu. We have selected some of the best dishes to treat you all these holidays.

Christmas Menu :

Our Christmas menu is divided into three parts: the Starters, the main course, and desserts. Coming to starters, we will be serving French Onion Soup with cheddar croutons, rustic bread and butter, Classic Crayfish and Prawn Cocktail served with bloomy brown bread and butter, Chicken Liver Parfait served with balsamic vinegar, rocket, parmesan salad and toasted rustic bread, and Tender Turkey Tikka served with cranberry sauce. Next, we serve Traditional roast turkey breast, Tandoori Roast Poussin, Grilled Salmon Fillet, Vegetal Tart and Pork belly for the main course. Next is dessert time, where we will be serving Traditional Christmas cake, Profiteroles, Rich Vanilla Cheesecake and Belgian Chocolate Tart.

Starting From :

Our Festive Menu is available from 25th November to 30th December (excluding Christmas Day & Boxing Day) with 2 courses only £20.95 and 3 courses £23.95. A non-refundable deposit of £15 / 15€ is required to secure a table for 10 or more guests. 1 week before your reservation date, a pre-order may be required for parties of 10 or more.

Brook Cocktails :

 This Christmas, you got to try out our new recipes as well as Cocktails. We serve fresh Cocktails like Matcha Pisco Sour, Passion Fruit Mojito, Palm Beach, Watermelon Martini and many more. So book your table now for your party and create beautiful memories. Our outdoor garden area is the best place to celebrate occasions, birthday parties and office parties.  We have Sky & BT sports and show all your favourite sports action on our 5 large screen TV’s so you can enjoy the action with friends and a great atmosphere.

At the Brook pub, you get to see many students coming with their friends as it is located near Cambridge University. It gives them more opportunities to socialize, meet and hang around new people at the pub. We are yet to plan more events for Christmas, and stay tuned for more updates by following our Facebook page. Our cooks are well experienced in presenting their recipes, and we have a very friendly staff at your service. So next time you are in Cambridge, drop at the Brook pub for a drink and food.

 

There is a great variety of traditional desserts to try during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. Certain preparations start as early as September for the traditional Christmas cake in Britain. Check out various options try  bring up your holiday cheers  the British way !

Best Christmas Desserts:

Christmas Cake:

On Christmas Eve, it’s the tradition in Britain to have a slice of Christmas cake, which was called plum pudding in olden times. Its origins supposedly go back to Medieval Italy . When in the Twelfth Century Charles the Great in Germany took over the city Palermo, which had similar traditions. The cake or pudding contains dried fruits marinated in brandy or rum, spices, raisins, almonds, oranges and apples. It is very rich with candied peel and whole spices, which gives it a wonderful flavour.

Looking for an alternative cake then a Scottish Dundee cake would be great. It is packed with fruits and nuts and is less heavily flavoured with spices. It’s not as heavily spiced as a classic British Christmas cake. So if you’re looking for a more subtle Christmas cake, try a Dundee.

Mince Pie:

Traditionally eaten after Christmas dinner, mince pie remains the second most popular treat to serve during the Christmas holiday in Britain. Fruits and spices, are used together with suet and wrapped in light, melting pastry.

For a festive twist on a traditional mince pie, try a frangipane mince pie. It is similar like the traditional mince pie and has a welcoming cover of almond-flavoured cake. It’s  topping provides a unique flavour combination.

British Christmas Pudding:

There is no better way to kick off your holiday season than with a traditional English Christmas Pudding. American puddings  are dark, sticky, and dense sponge. It looks like a fruitcake, with mixed dried fruit, candied fruit peel, apple and citrus zest. The use of Brandy and spices provide a deep, complex flavour and signature dark colour.

Although the number of ingredients may seem daunting, the recipe will come together easily if you prep everything ahead of time. Christmas pudding is best enjoyed after it sits for a few weeks so the flavours can mingle and mature.

Trifle:

A British dessert of a ‘trifle’ is a quintessential treat that has graced British tables for hundreds of years. It is simply luscious and usually includes alcohol, while the fruit can be an acquired taste for some.

An English trifle is made with Sponge fingers or pound cake, soaked in sherry, jelly, a thick layer of creamy custard, and lightly whipped fresh cream. The rest is all about personal preference. A delicious trifle is made with jelly, so that children can enjoy it as well as the adults because it gives the cake more texture. If you prefer a trifle without jelly, proceed without it—this will be quicker to make because it doesn’t need to be set up in the fridge. Both are equally delicious.

Scottish Shortbread:

Butter was a luxury item before the invention of margarine, which allows us to make shortbreads more often. Scottish Shortbread is eaten around Christmas and an essential part of Hogmanay. Shortbread is made using a lot of butter,so it was considered a special treat. 

Scottish shortbread cookies are made for snacks any time of the day. The success depends on handling the dough with care and working it as little as possible. For storing the shortbread, choose an airtight container and keep it in a cold place for a week or ten days in the fridge.

Yule Log Cake:

A classic Yule Log Cake is served throughout the Christmas in Europe as a traditional cake. This recipe is a classic version using a chocolate sponge cake and Italian buttercream. It can be made with sponge cake, and flavoured and filled with ice cream, whipped cream, mousses, ganaches, fruit, and more. The variation might change, the technique is the same. A simple filling that is rolled as a swirl and decorated with buttercream.

Stollen Cake:

Stollen cakes are quite popular around the Christmas holidays. We should eat it at other times as it is utterly delicious. It’s filled with almonds, dried fruit, and citrus peel inside a rich pastry dough.

These are some of the best desserts that are served during Christmas time. This special occasion is filled with love, family, friends, drinks and food. Let’s check out the dessert list Brook pub in Cambridge has to offer during this Christmas season. We have come up with a special Christmas menu with new recipes to make your holidays even more special. It will be available from the 25th of November to the 30th of December. So don’t wait till the festival is here enjoy our food and keep coming again !!