The Christmas Companion: Simple Recipes and creative ideas for a magical festive season
By (Author) Skye McAlpine
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
4th November 2025
United Kingdom
General
Non Fiction
Cooking for parties and special occasions
Hardback
368
Width 170mm, Height 245mm
The Christmas Companion is the indispensable guide to a cosy, relaxed and memorable Christmas. With three sections covering Magic Making, Feasting and Making Merry, the book is filled with delicious recipes, inspirational ideas and helpful advice for making the very most of the festive season.
Magic Making
The book opens with how to plan a magical Christmas including:
Crafts like homemade ornaments and wreaths
Edible gifts like Candy Cane Hot Chocolate Sticks and Cocoa and Panettone Truffles
+ gift-wrapping, crackers, tree decoration etc
Feasting
At the heart of the book are fabulous and deceptively simple recipes, be it for two or twenty:
Cocktails and Canapes such as Amarena Amaretto Sour
Meat and Vegetarian Mains from Pomegranate-Glazed Turkey to Camembert and Cranberry Pithivier
Cakes and Puddings like Gingery Christmas Cake, Salted Caramel Pecan Pie and Christmas Cupcakes with Brandy Buttercream
+ recipes for breakfast, winter salads, sauces, side dishes, delectable sweet treats and more.
Making Merry
At the end are tips and tricks for effortless entertaining:
Menus for every type of gathering
Ideas for different dietary requirements
+ many other useful bits and bobs
From thoughtful gifting to fabulous hosting, Skyes aspirational-meets-effortless style is a festive inspiration. This beautifully photographed book will be a trusted companion, bringing the magic, warmth and sparkle of Christmas for years to come.
Skye McAlpine is a cookery writer who believes that food tastes best when shared with others. She is the author of three other books, A Table in Venice, A Table for Friends and A Table Full of Love, writes a monthly column for The Sunday Times and has contributed to publications from around the world, including vogue.com, Vanity Fair, Corriere della Sera and Conde Naste Traveller. In 2021 she launched her own created range of homeware, Skye McAlpine TAVOLA. Skye divides her time between London and Venice with her husband, Anthony, and her two sons, Aeneas and Achille.
@skyemcalpine