Rita Fitzgerald: Creating the Christmas magic for UTV Life's special festive show

I don't know about you but normally I love everything about the festive spirit of Christmas. But this year it feels different because it is different. With so much pain in different parts of the world uppermost in our minds.

But every year the team at UTV Life try to create something that little bit special for our annual Christmas Show and this year the historic Montalto Estate provided the perfect setting.

Pamela, resplendent in pink, presents a packed program of top local talent from comedian Paddy Raff to actor Bernadette Brown from Hope Street and Blue Lights.

I thought I would grab a minute with them to see what they are up to over the holidays and what Christmas means to them.

From making Christmas wreaths from bits I find in the hedgerows to simmering Christmas puddings for hours on end for friends and family, I just love all things festive.

Now I can add making delicious homemade mince pies to my repertoire after my master class with renowned chef Paula McIntyre in the beautiful Kitchens at Montalto.

Working with Paula was both delightful and insightful, a real gem from the north coast.

She has kindly shared her recipe so you can bring a bit of her magic into your own kitchen this Christmas.

Homemade Mincemeat 

• 100g ice cold butter, coarsely grated

•  200g dark brown sugar

•  2 Armagh Bramley apples, peeled, cored and coarsely gratedZest and juice 1 lemon

•  Zest and juice 1 orange

• 200ml booze – a mixture of pear brandy, port and whiskey works best but use whatever is to hand

• 600g dried mixed fruit – a mixture of dried cranberries, cherries, figs, sultanas, pear and raisins

• 2 teaspoons mixed spice

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon ground cloves

Place everything in a bowl and mix well with your hands to incorporate all the ingredients.

Place in sterilised jam jars, seal with a lid and leave for at least 3 days before using.

Pastry 

• 225g plain flour 

• 150g butter 

• 75g castor sugar

• 1 egg 

• 1 egg yolk

Rub the flour and butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs ( you can do this in a food processor). Mix in the sugar and bind with the egg. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for 20 minutes before rolling.

If you are nervous of rolling pastry, put half of it in between 2 sheets of parchment paper and roll.

Alternatively lightly flour a surface and your rolling pin and roll, moving the pastry after each roll to make sure it doesn’t stick.

Cut out the pastry into rounds and press into a 12 hole part tray. Fill with mincemeat. Roll out smaller rounds, brush the bottom with egg yolk and press on top of the mincemeat. Brush with egg yolk on top. Add some star shapes on top in the middle and brush with egg yolk again.

Bake in a 180 degrees for about 20 minutes. Cool in the tin for a few minutes before removing and dusting with icing sugar. 

Rum and cinnamon butter 

- 125g soft butter - 125g icing sugar - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon- 50ml Whiskey

Place butter and sugar in a bowl and bring together with a wooden spoon. Beat together for a minute then whisk with an electric mixer until it resembles whipped cream. Whisk in the cinnamon Fold in the rum to taste. Serve at room temperature with the hot mince pies.

The final run up on Christmas eve for me has to be The Muppets Christmas Carol followed by a few tunes around the tree, topped off with a hot toddy and a rendition of The Night Before Christmas. 

But I'm curious to hear what our film critic Brian Henry Martin will be watching over Christmas and what actor Bernadette Brown will be getting up to.

Playing us out on the program will be The Cookstown Youth Choir accompanied by Soprano Deirdre Masterson, I do hope you enjoy it.

Whatever you get up to this Christmas, I wish you a happy and peaceful break.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

UTV Life Christmas Special, Friday 7pm

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