Top 10 Festive Recipes #DitsyDecember

I love a lot of things about Christmas, but if there's one in particular that stands out as a big favourite; it's the food. I love Christmas food - and I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that. Aswell as the bought-in items, I also really enjoy making bits 'n' bobs at home and especially indulging in a spot of festive-themed baking. So, I figured today I'd show you lovely lot some of the recipes I've come across that I would highly suggest you give a go and am very much tempted to give a whirl myself soon. It's time to get your bake on...

GINGERBREAD JUMPERS (from 'BBC Good Food') - There's nothing more festive than a bit of gingerbread at Christmas and of all the many, many recipes out there - these cute little jumpers have to be the ones which have caught my eye the most. They're a pretty simple bake, with majority of the work being in the decorating here and I love how you can basically customise them to be exactly as you want them and be all fun and creative in the process.

CHOCOLATE BISCOTTI (Jamie Oliver) - Biscotti isn't something I'd heard much about until recently when it kinda blew up and now you practically find recipes here, there and everywhere. And if it's a festive-tinged version you're after - this one from Jamie Oliver may be one to have a look at. Chocolate is obviously hugely-popular all year round, but this time of year it only seems to come into its own even more so and I love it. So I'd definitely class this as an ideal recipe for the festive season and not only would it be a great little tasty treat, it would also likely make for a great gift option too!

STOLLEN MINCE PIES (from 'BBC Good Food') - Mince pies are another festive classic this time of year and while you can never go wrong with a 'traditional' version, it's nice to mix things up every now and again and this adaptation is probably the one which has made me go all heart-eyed emoji the most. I love a nice slice of stollen at Christmas and I'm also rather partial to a mince pie (or two) so when you combine the two together, I'm pretty sure it's bound to be a match made in heaven...

CRANBERRY AND CHOCOLATE FUDGE BROWNIES (from 'Tesco Real Food') - If you fancy switching up a more 'regular' bake into something a lot more Christmassy, then maybe these brownies are your best bet. They're super quick, but effective at the same time and can be easily whipped up in no time at all. Take your standard brownie recipe, throw in a few juicy cranberries and pistachios and you have a super-festive sweet treat with a fruity, gooey centre. Mhmmm.

SPICED FLAPJACKS (Jamie Oliver) - Flapjacks are another recipe which is pretty plain and simple and so can be instantly jazzed up ready for Christmas and while I'd never thought before about festive-themed flapjacks but they actually make a lot of sense. They look super tasty and pretty straightforward to whip up and I like how again, you can customise them depending on what kinds of spices take your fancy and also any other optional extras that your feel like throwing in too!

MINI CHRISTMAS PUD MUFFINS (from 'Tesco Real Food') - These cute little muffins give yet another modern makeover to a popular Christmas classic - good ol' Christmas pudding. Dividing the mixture up into smaller portions just makes the whole thang so much more adorable and accessible and the addition of the chocolate chips in the pudding mixture and white chocolate topping adds an extra dose of sugar for all those sweet-toothed people out there.

MINT CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES (from 'BBC Good Food') - As for some recipes which handily double up as a DIY gift aswell as just a tasty homemade treat - these little mint chocolate truffles may be a good one to try. Personally, these appealed to me the most as out of all the flavour variations, I feel that you're pretty safe when it comes to this one - who doesn't love some mint chocolate, eh? Wrapped up nicely, they make for a really lovely, thoughtful present and I also really love how the finishing touch of icing sugar makes them look a little snowball-esque too.

SALTED CARAMEL FUDGE (from 'Tesco Real Food') - Secondly in terms of sweet treats which also make for great gifts for a loved one - I really like the look and sound of this fudge recipe. Again, I defy you to find someone who isn't a fan of the salted caramel trend which has been sweeping the recipe books and websites for what feels like forever now and this definitely fits in nicely with that theme. Once again, wrapped up in some pretty packaging you've got a perfect little present for someone - or maybe just for yourself...

CHRISTMAS CAKE POPS (from 'BBC Food') - Another big 'craze' over the past few years or so has most definitely been cake pops and when it comes to a Christmassy offering - look no further than these from the BBC Food website. These are probably the simple recipe of all of them featured in this line-up, especially if you follow it to a tee and use shop-bought Christmas Cake. Of course, you can easily use your own homemade version (or even another cake variation of your choice) but it remains a very easy recipe to get your head around and I really love the look of them.

BAILEYS TIRAMISU (from 'Tanya Bakes') - Last, but certainly by no means least I have a very tasty-looking recipe for if you're after more of a 'Dessert'.. This one from the lovely Tanya's baking book is definitely for the adults only, but I'm yet to find someone (of the right age of course) who isn't a fan of Bailey's - especially over Christmas - so I'd hazard a guess that this kind of thing would go down pretty darn well at any parties or gatherings you might have going on over the festive season. Don't be expecting leftovers - that's fo' sho'...