Cosy Christmas recipes to keep you warm this winter

Mulled hot chocolate

Use up your left over red wine to jazz up your hot chocolate over the festive season. This quick and easy mulled hot chocolate is the perfect way to warm up during the wintery months.

Pulled pheasant broth with sage and horseradish dumplings

This is a great way to try pheasant, in a gorgeous, aromatic clear broth with smoky pancetta and buttered cabbage, and not forgetting those fluffy dumplings, perfect for when the evenings begin to have a little chill to them.

Pheasant Broth Recipe and Horseradish Dumplings with Sage

Dutch tomato soup

On a chilly winter's eve what could be better than a steaming bowl of hot tomato soup and a big wedge of chunky bread?

Salted maple brownies

How do you improve a fresh batch of brownies straight from the oven? Add sea salt and maple syrup of course! This recipe is really easy to make but looks impressive and delivers big flavours.

Pork belly and potatoes baked in milk, bay and smoked paprika

This recipe is inspired by an Italian dish that would usually use rolled loin. Pork cooked in milk is tender and succulent – this recipe is more about the meat than the crackling. For optimum crackling, cook for longer at the higher temperature before reducing.

Hot spiced cider cocktail

This super simple, soul-warming autumnal cocktail is sure to impress your guests. Serve warm and decorate with cinnamon sticks for added festive flair.

Cauliflower shawarma, pomegranate, tahini and pine nuts

Smothered in shawarma butter this recipe from Berber and Q in East London is packed full of seasonal flavours. It makes for a great vegetarian Christmas dish or, as it's under 500 calories, a healthy winter warmer!

Mustard roast beef

There's nothing like proper roast beef, pink and juicy. Serve as a centrepiece and carve at the table for a real showstopper (listen out for the gasps as you carry the platter to the table). This mustard beef with a wine, beef stock and redcurrant jelly gravy is a great Sunday roast recipe, or one for entertaining during the festive season.

Spiked hot chocolate

Get cosy on the sofa with a mug of this comforting, boozy hot chocolate recipe from Mr Lyan's book Good Things to Drink with Mr Lyan and Friends (£20, Lincoln).

Beef and Guinness stew

Sunday lunch is easy with this heart-warming beef and Guinness stew. This one-pot results in meltingly tender meat – just a little prep and a long, slow cook for a deep, rich, weekend treat. Plus instructions on how to make this in a slow cooker.

Toffee apple cinnamon buns

Ramp up your Christmassy flavours with these gorgeously sticky apple, caramel and cinnamon buns.

Ham hock, cider and green peppercorn pie

This delicious, warming pie will give you something to look forward to while you're travelling home from work in the darker winter months. If you're a little short for time and want to skip cooking the ham hocks, some butchers and supermarkets sell them ready-cooked at the deli counter.

Hot pepper jam

Warm your cockles from the inside out with this hot pepper jam. This recipe makes eight small jars, so make a batch and take to dinner parties or keep in the fridge for up to 2 months.

Chocolate soufflé with hot chocolate sauce

People can be very frightened of soufflé, particularly chocolate soufflé, but this easy to follow recipe will give you plenty of confidence to bake light, fluffy and chocolatey soufflés for friends and family. Don't be surprised if they ask for seconds!

Butternut squash and gruyère pithivier

This take on a puff pastry pie is a smart vegetarian main course for a dinner party, or as a special family lunch. Layers of butternut squash mean that once cut open this French-style dish looks as good on the inside as it does on the outside with its decorative top. Serve with a green salad or seasonal veg.