Easy-Peasy Festive Cookies 2025, includes freeze-ahead-and-bake

There is something very gratifying about baking festive cookies at this time of year and packaging them up for gifts.

If you have a store of frozen dough which can be sliced or rolled out as needed, life is even better.  

These recipes from the archive are simple, easy and produce spectacular results. Try one or all of these.  Even if the Christmas budget is tight, just one recipe will provide unforgettable delight.  None will disappoint.

Selection includes non-freezable dough and dairy-free options.

 Spiced Festive Crescents, 

Giant with half size option; oh so celestial: richly textured; melt-in-the-mouth

Pfeffernusse,
Delightful German Christmas cookies, elegant rich chocolate balls with nuts; make ahead, freezes well, makes 100

Christmas Swirl Freezer Biscuits: 

delightful to look at; wonderful to eat; easier to put together than you think

Dairy-free Date, Orange & Walnut Freezer Cookies
Unadorned, low-sugar moreish cookie stufffed with dates & nuts are an  alternative to super-sweet offerings. Made in advance, frozen and baked to order. (icing is an option)

4-ingredient shortbread: 
 Not the 'will-do' type of biscuit for tight budgets but rather scrumptious First Class melt-in-the-mouth treats.  Easy-peasy;  roll-em-into-balls-and-squash-them flat OR roll and cut out shapes.   

Grown-up Gingerbread Cookies

Adult-friendly, sophisticated but lower-fat & carb.  Man magnet. The ginger flavour is glorious; the proportion of sweet to spicy, perfect.  Easy, make-ahead.

Triple Chocolate Cointreau Bites

Irresistable darkly delicious biscuit for the sophisticated cookie-muncher. .  A cross between shortbread and sandy Viennese biscuits with a slight alcoholic kick.  Easy.  

 

These recipes have been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced without the author's written permission. 

Take the Pressure Off Mum during the festive season 2025 ( many updated prices )

Fast, easy & make-ahead family dishes before Christmas 

A partner/parent/older kid who helps pick up the slack for Mum during the festive season will feel the glow of giving.  These recipes take stress out of mealtimes in Nov/Dec --  and the dishes  are so rewarding for the novice cook.  Includes advice for Festive Season storecupboard recommendations

updated 2025; first posted 2017 

Imaginative touches like these might be few and far between in the weeks before the festive season but these simple, tasty, fun recipes will make up for it.

Note: most prices have been updated to 11/25; a few are a 1-2 years out of date; others longer.  Calculate accordingly

ALMOST INSTANT

Chicken & Sweetcorn Soup, classic & irresistible, vegan option

Peachy Fruit Sponge, ever-so-quick & tasty

Almost Instant Tomato Soup

Spinach & White Bean Soup, frugal but easy; half an hour from start to delicious finish, vegan

Almost Instant Intense Tomato Soup, stunningly delicious & so easy, vegan

Simple Chicken Wings: easy, kid-friendly, link to other popular wing recipes

7-minute Pork/Chicken & Pineapple Noodles, if the body's demanding carbs, this is the way to go

Cheat's Tortilla Espagnol, eggs, a trip to the chippie, Bob's your uncle and kids will be thrilled!!


PEPARE AHEAD

Creamy Tuna Casserole, kidults love the potato crisp topping; no one notices the wholemeal pasta

'Chicken' Gougons, vegan delight; they won't miss the meat

Bunless burgers with dark mushroom gravy: simple lower-fat North American classic

Spanish Roast Chicken: an unexpected glorious Mediterranean twist takes the chill off Arctic temperatures, make ahead

Tantalizing Make Your Own Pizzas, 3 Vegetarian Pizzas with carnivore options: Sausage & Grape, Mushroom & Cheese, plus Potato; dough made the day before

Chunky Lentil Soup 

EASY HEALTHY SOUPS

Puchero'. a high-nutrition wallet-friendly peasant Spanish Stew

Chunky Lentil Soup with Meatballs, kids love the meatballs

Egg-Flower Pea Soup

Kids adore this vegetarian soup with vegan option; low-fat/cholesterol/salt 

German Potato and French Bean Soup: carnivore or vegetarian frankfurters make it a whole meal; vegan option

SWEET TREATS FOR FIREWORKS NIGHT

  Chocolate Orange Spiced Cake

It's a doddle - so easy kids can make it .  

 Tender, fine crumbed, lightly spiced and scented with orange.  

 

 Chilli Chocolate Truffles 

Easy-peasy, made in advance

Easy prep-ahead sophisticated low-added-sugar treat for chocaholics: not too fiery but enough of a slow, gentle burn to enhance darkest undertones in chocolate
(Family version:  Basic Chocolate truffle mini-bricks no-alcohol version)

Sensational Spicy Ginger Cookies

Butter free, low sugar, darkly delicious, like a biscuit version of gingerbread

Not quite 'For Men Only' but definitely appeals to the sophisticated cookie muncher...

These recipes have  been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.  

 

Best Cheap Foods for Brain & Heart: Sam Rice, Daily Telegraph....

This report from the The Telegraph’s nutrition expert Sam Rice is so useful for budget-conscious shoppers, 67goingon50 has reprinted it in a shorter, lightly edited version.    

16th October 2025

Article starts here:

"The best cheap foods to boost brain and heart health, including a 49p tin of beans   

This week, my breakfast blueberries set me back just under £5; a dozen free-range eggs cost an eye-watering £4.40; a miniscule pair of cod fillets £5.75. That’s the best part of 15 quid before I’d even made it to the meat or dairy aisle.

Yes, food prices are on the rise again. According to the Which food inflation tracker, they were up 5.4 per cent in the three months to end  August 2025. The overall annual rate of inflation currently stands at 3.8 per cent -- unless you’ve an arm or a leg to spare, fresh food is increasingly becoming a treat.

I am often asked, as a nutritionist, how are we to keep healthy when all the healthiest food is so expensive? Luckily, there are plenty of affordable foods which savvy shoppers can find in the frozen section, and many more in tins and packets on the shelves to mix in with the fresher fodder. As a nutritionist, I scout these out on a regular basis.

These are my pick of the most affordable brain and heart-health-boosting foods to eat more of, along with ideas on how to enjoy them. 

• Tinned sardines 65p per 120g tin

Sardines on toast was Sunday night supper in my youth, and they are still one of my favourite ways to get a cheap brain-health boost. There’s a huge body of evidence that the omega-3 fatty acids in oily fish have neuroprotective benefits, reducing inflammation and increasing blood flow to the brain. I also like to use them in pasta dishes, swapping out the meat in a bolognaise and the pancetta in a carbonara for a fishier, healthier kick.

• Tinned black beans 49p per 400g can (235g drained weight)

It can be challenging to fit enough fibre into your daily diet, but it’s one of the best things you can do for your heart health. According to Harvard Health, long-term observational trials suggest fibre-rich diets reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke by as much as 30 per cent. My favourite way to eat them is in a veggie chilli.

• Tinned tomatoes 47p per 400g can

Not only are tinned tomatoes cheaper than fresh, they also contain more heart-healthy antioxidant lycopene. High temperatures used during canning help release more lycopene, high blood levels of which have been associated with a 31 per cent lower risk of stroke. 

• Frozen berries £4.75 per 1kg

According to The Grocer, berries had a spectacular summer season, up 24% year-on-year. This is great news for our brains (plant chemicals provide antioxidants that protect against cell damage which contributes to age-related cognitive decline), but not so good for our pockets.  With fresh berries over £10 per kg, frozen berries are less than half the price, but out of season, are also richer in micronutrients because the vitamins and minerals are “frozen in” shortly after picking. 

• Frozen spinach £1.70 per 900g

I love fresh spinach, but it wilts down to nothing when cooked, so unless you’re using it in a salad, stock up on the frozen kind. Spinach is quick-frozen, locking in more nutrients that can otherwise be lost during transportation and storage.
Spinach is rich in potassium, which helps relax blood vessels and lowers blood pressure. One study found that participants who drank a spinach smoothie had lower blood pressure for up to five hours afterwards.  You can substitute 100g frozen spinach for fresh.

• Frozen edamame. £2.95 per 500g

I get through nearly as many edamame beans as frozen peas, which is welcome news for my brain. They are particularly healthy due to the soy isoflavones they contain.  A recent scientific review found that a 1g per day increase in soy consumption correlated with an 8 per cent decrease in the likelihood of developing major neurocognitive disorder.

• Oats £1.25 per 1kg

These really are one of the cheapest, healthy foods you can have in the cupboard. According to Heart UK, the cholesterol charity, oats are rich in the fibre beta-glucan. Consuming 3g of beta-glucan daily significantly lowers cholesterol by binding to cholesterol-rich bile and preventing it from entering the bloodstream.
The amount of fibre in oats depends on the level of processing, so steel-cut oats have the most fibre, followed by rolled oats,and then instant oats. I eat porridge regularly or use them to give a healthy kick to pancakes.

• Pumpkin seeds. £2.85 per 250g

Pumpkin seeds have a list of health benefits as long as your arm. Recent research around Alzheimer’s and dementia prevention has shown that pumpkin seeds contain antioxidant compounds, which help to reduce what is known as oxidative stress, a key driver of neuroinflammation.  They are also a good plant-based source of omega-3 fatty acids (although aren’t as readily available to the body as fish-based omega-3s) and essential minerals like magnesium, zinc, iron, and manganese. The British Dietetic Association recommends having 1tbsp of pumpkin seeds a day. I like them toasted and sprinkled over salad.

Sam Rice's weekly shopping advice:

1. Before you shop, plan.  The best way to cut your supermarket bill is to make a meal plan, write a list and stick to it.

2. Avoid chopped or grated ingredients; they tend to have a shorter use-by date, and extra processing costs  money.  In my local supermarket, loose carrots cost 70p per kg; prepared carrot batons cost£3.38 per kg.

3. Make the most of food waste schemes; Sainsbury's £2 fresh produce "taste me don't waste me" boxes, and discounted grocery bags from various retailers are also offered via the Too Good to Go app.

4. Buy long-shelf-life foods in bulk:  rice, dried pasta, coffee, tea, olive oil, honey, dried fruit and peanut butter.

Soups for fireworks Displays: comforting healthy warming soups that won't break the bank

These wallet-friendly soups will go down a treat after standing in the darkness and  watching fireworks.  They're all delicious, mostly low in fat and salt and still relatively wallet-friendly or good value.

Burger Soup

Dairy-free, lower fat/cholesterol, high fibre, easy, good value

Pleasing, satisfying North American Classic with an element of 'kidult' food but everyone loves it. 

Triple Duty Canadian Split Pea Potage
Awesomely delicious, comforting, healthy: perfect for penny-pinching times

Thick, rich and substantial, it eases stress physically and financially.  Starts with a vegan base; additions create vegetarian or carnivore alternatives.  

Easy Multi-Duty Rich Tomato Soup

No sugar or preservative, low in salt & fat and super flavourful.  Frugal'ish.  

Rich, thick sublimely satisfying; vegan base with vegetarian, pescatarian or carnivore options 

Small Households' Cheats' Rustic Tomato Soup 

Can't face making party soup from scratch?  Tinned tomatoes are still well priced 

If you've a tin of tomatoes, you're good to go with a comforting super-tasty soup in minutes. Add pulses/rice/pasta, herbs, fresh or dried, and garlic if you like. Serve with mini Sardine Pinwheels

Post-fireworks Spicy Corn Chowder, 4 ways

Beautiful, perfectly spiced Party Piece to satisfy all comers!

Chowders are a substantial American soup, studded with onions, potato, corn and seafood, usually in a creamy or tomato base.  67goingon50 designed the Chowder for Quadruple Duty: seafood can be replaced with mini-meatballs of minced chicken, and the chowder can be vegan or vegetarian

 

These recipe has been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  They may not be reproduced without the author's written permission.

HOT PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE, family style; part prep in advance; dairy free opt

At this time of year an exotic fruit like pineapple, baked and served hot, brings untold pleasures ... 

  Pineapple Upside Down Cake, with dark toffee & fresh ginger

''This is sublime; I love this -- it's a perfect winter pudding!' Taster

updated 2025; First posted Nov 2016

This is a family version of the Sophisticated Pineapple Upside Down Cake published awhile ago which was aimed squarely at adults and featured alcohol and  plenty of fresh ginger. 

This version is  suitable for kids and family gatherings. There's less fresh ginger, and tinned pineapple can replace fresh, pleasing both cook and kids.  There's no doubt, however, fresh is healthier so if you plan on using fresh, poach lightly in orange juice to tenderise

Either way, despite managing to reduce sugar and increase fibre, the cake will still taste fabulous.  

Cost: £4'ish (2025)
Serves: 6-9, depending on portion control (recipe halves nicely)

Ingred:

Toffee Base:   
   42gm/1.5oz unsalted dairy or vegan butter

   21gm/3/4oz soft brown sugar

   21gm/3/4oz white sugar

   1/2 tsp powdered cinnamon

   1/2 tsp powdered ginger 
 

   4 slices drained tinned pineapple in juice, not syrup, OR fresh ripe pineapple, core removed  (See pineapple for tips on preparing fresh pineapple )
  

Cake Batter:
   4oz/110gm room temp unsalted dairy or plant butter

   3 oz/85 gm soft brown sugar (or a 50-50 mix of brown & white)
   2 eggs at room temp, lightly beaten
   1/2 tsp vanilla extract

   4oz/110 gm plain flour
   2 oz/57gm wholemeal brown flour
   1.5 tsp baking powder
   2 tbsp dairy or plant (pref) almond milk

   crystallised ginger (opt)

Method:

1. Prepare a 9x9 inch or eqiv cake pan; line the bottom with greaseproof paper; if using a square or rectangular pan, put a strip of greaseproof paper down the middle with the edges hanging over 
2. If cooking straight away, pre-heat oven to 350f/180c/170fan
3. Make the toffee base: melt the butter over med heat, add sugars; beat well with a wooden spoon until throughly blended; stir in cinnamon and ginger
4. Pour base into the bottom of the cake pan & spread to the edges; quickly place pineapple rings on top; place half a sugared cherry in the centre of the pineapple ring; set aside
5. Using hand held or tabletop beaters, whisk butter and sugar until pale and thick; it will take a few minutes
6. Add eggs, little by little, beating well in between; it will look curdled but will be ok
7. Add vanilla; beat well
8.  Add 1/3 flour/baking powder mix; beat until just mixed, scraping the sides 
9. Add 1 tbsp milk; beat just until incorporated
10. Add second third of flour mix; beat; scrape sides of bowl
11. Add 2nd tbsp milk; beat
12. Add final third of flour; beat till just incorporated; scrape sides of bowl
13. Use big spoonfuls of the batter to plop gently on pineapple and toffee base, spreading carefully so as not to disturb the pineapple, until evenly distributed
14. (If baking later: cover with cling film, pressing  down on the batter so that no air can get at the surface; refrigerate a few hours or overnight; remove at least one hour before baking to allow batter to relax.  Pre-heat oven to 350f/180c/170fan)
15. If baking right away, place in center of oven
16. Bake 50 mins to an hour; check with a cocktail stick; if it comes out clean and almost dry, it is done.  Be careful; if the stick is a bit damp you might think it has pierced the pineapple but dampness will likely mean the centre bottom has not cooked.  There is no problem if the top of the cake gets browner than normal; it will be unseen as it will be on the bottom of the serving platter. 
17. Rest cake in tin 10 mins on a cooling rack 
18. Run a knife between the cake and the cake tin.  Remove any children from the vicinity.  Wearing oven gloves, place a serving plate with a lip upside down over the tin, enclosing the edges; this will ensure any (very hot) toffee sauce will end up on the the plate or the cake, not down your arm!  Hold the plate and cake dish firmly in place and turn rightside up.  The cake should slide out easily.  
19. Serve with hot custard (tinned is fine) or single, double or clotted cream.  

Comments:
'I love the ginger and pineapple; it's got a hint of summer fruit that's perfect for shorter, darker days.' Middle-aged poltico.  

Please leave a Comment in the box below 

See How To Cook with Ginger ..
            

This recipe has  been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  It may not be reproduced without the author's written permission

SASSY SKINNER CAULIFLOWER CHEESE: high flavour without sauce, dairy-free option

A stunning healthier version of an old favourite that'll please anyone who turns up their noses at vegetables...and even those that don't

updated 10/25; first posted 2017

'A wholly unexpected fabulous dish that doesn't even taste like cauliflower.'
 'Great dish! It almost came across as light pasta.'  Tasters 
(This photo contains (opt) ham; vegan option available)

Cauliflowers are verywhere right now and they look at their best.  Large white curds, gorgeously green green leaves and, more importantly, extremely good value.  

Cauliflower with Tomatoes and Goats Cheese raises the bar for boring old cauliflower.   The method not only manages to cut dairy and saturated fat by dispensing with the usual cheese sauce, it also avoids the pool of cauliflower liquid that often languishes at the bottom of cauli dishes. 

The recipe is adapted from American cook Martha Rose Shulman, who wrote  for the New York Times.  Her cookbook, The Vegetarian Feast, is sadly out of print and has been used so often as reference in the blogger's kitchen it's falling apart.

The Cauliflower Casserole relies on tomato sauce.  Cheese isn't banished but the small amount in this recipe comes from goat which has no cholesterol per normal serving and half the fat of cheddar.  It's full-bodied sophisticated flavour enhances the dish.  

Skinnier Cauliflower Cheese is a meal in itself with a simple side salad or, it can be served as a side to chicken or pork.  

Cost: £5'ish (10/25)
Feeds: 2-4, recipe doubles easily 

Ingred:
   1 medium cauliflower (organic is worth the  cost) - cleaned & trimmed, 2'ish generous cups
   pepper & salt

  Fresh Tomato Sauce  (or your own recipe/good ready-made brand equiv 425-510gm/15-18oz can will be ok) 

   2 tbsp olive oil

   1 small red onion or 6-8 spring onions whites only, finely diced

   1 large garlic clove, grated OR replace olive oil with garlic infused oil

   1 tsp fresh or 1/3 tsp dried thyme

   1x425gm/15oz can chopped tomatoes in juice

   1/4 tsp  cinnamon

   1/2 tsp coriander

  2 med fresh tomatoes, seeds removed, in large dice 

 generous handful shredded ham hock/slices, pastrami or beef sausages(opt)

  2 eggs 
  2-3oz-/60-90g Chevre or soft goats cheese OR vegan substitute

  1/3 cup Savoury Breadcrumbs (opt)

  garnish:  2-3 tbsp chives or minced parsley

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 230c/210fan/450f/gas7; line good-sized baking sheet with greaseproof paper or foil
2. Remove bottom and leaves of cauliflower; cut into slices 1/3in/barely 1cm thick; florets may fall off but that's ok; sprinkle over both sides of slices with 1 tbsp olive oil, pepper & salt.  If including ham in casserole, salt sparingly.  Place cauliflower on baking sheet in one layer
3. Roast 10-15 mins, flipping after 8mins, 
4. Deli, supermarket or Home-made tomato sauce (saute onion in lightly sprayed pan over med heat 5 mins; add salt, garlic & thyme, stir 30sec to a min; add tomatoes, cinnamon, coriander, p&s; simmer over med low heat, stirring frequently 10-15 mins or until tomatoes are cooked down; taste and adjust seasoning; set aside)
5. When cauliflower is al dente (the tip of a paring knife will encounter some resistance) and small florets are brown, remove from oven.  Divide slices into smaller pieces, making 2 generous cups; transfer to a large bowl; stir in meat if using.  (The cauli can refrigerated at this stage up to 2 days ahead but the less time in the fridge, the better)
6. When ready to complete cooking, turn oven temperature to 190c/170fan/375f/gas5
7. Oil a 2 pint/1 quart baking dish
8. Stir tomato sauce and fresh tomato dice into cauliflower mix 
9. Scrape into dish
10. Beat eggs, add all but 2 tbsp goats cheese; pour over cauliflower
11. Dot top with remaining cheese
12. Bake 30 mins; ten mins in, scatter over breadcrumbs if using
13. Garnish with parsley or chives

Comments:

'It was great.  The cauliflower almost came across as light pasta and definitely didn't retain the 'cauliflower taste.' It even tasted a bit sweet.' 20-something fund raiser. 
'A wholly unexpected but absolutely fabulous dish that doesn't even taste like cauliflower.'

Tips: 

• the frugal can replace goats cheese with reduced-fat mature cheddar but it may not be as creamy 

         More vegetarian/vegan on NavBar:Recipes II (bottom of page) 

Please leave a Comment in the box below

This recipe  has been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.    

TOAST TOPPER: MEDITERRANEAN CARNIVAL TUNA: wallet-friendly, high fibre,

Anything that jazzes up tuna is welcome but this combo of creamy tuna, egg & olive for heaping on toast is rather exciting.

Toast heaped high with protein makes a satisfying uber-snack;
add a quick & easy soup and it's almost  a meal

Drawing on Mediterrnean flavours, it's wonderfully satisfying and very easy to put together.  

There's enough to heap on two big slices of wholemeal toast -- maybe not quite  a meal but certainly makes a satisfying snack.  

Cost:£1.50'ish

Makes: 3-4 open faced toasties

Ingredients:

1 tin tuna flakes in oil

1 hard boiled egg

4-5 drained olives

1/8 tsp sumac

zest of half a lemon

juice from 1/8 lemon

enough mayonnaise to moisten but not overwhelm

salt & pepper

(opt): diced tomatoes

 Garnish:  small parsley leaves

Method:

1. Drain off most of the oil (set aside for tuna fried rice); add tuna to a bowl; stir very gently to separate but try not to break up too many of the tuna chunks
2. Add coarsely grated or chopped hard boiled egg
3. Quarter olives, add to tuna-egg mixture
4. Add sumac, lemon zest & juice
5. Stir in mayo until fish & egg are well coated
6. Salt and pepper to taste
7. Add diced tomatoes if using
8. Heap onto toast; scatter with chopped parsley

This recipe has been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  It may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission

TOAST TOPPERS

DON'T FORGET TO HAVE A LOOK AT 

WELCOME TO THE BLOG FOR FOOD BARGAINS & NEWS

Protein-rich toppings heaped on thick slices of good toast is not quite a meal but can replace a more expensive lunch.  Served with a cheap and cheerful thick soup and a small salad of lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber on the side, one can eat very well for very little.

Remember Nigella's soup trick?  A tin of tomatoes with 3 tins of water, a generous handful of rice or pasta plus plenty of basil and a touch of sugar is quick, easy and costs - even now - under a pound!

These gorgeous sandwich fillings are a treat not just something to fill a complaining tummy:

Carnival Tuna Topper

wallet-friendly, easy, high protein

Exciting Mediterrnean-style tuna toast topper with chopped egg & olives

Skinnier Ultra cheese on Toast 

Once tried, never forgotten;
they disappear in a flash

!

Ham/Pastrami & Celeriac Salad

Delicious unusual root vegetable is the start of one of the nicest toast toppers

Sardines & Cheese

The star of many a high school pyjama party

Please leave a Comment in the box below

This recipe has been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.