Serves 4

What you’ll need

• 250g plain biscuits (for example Scotch fingers or milk arrowroot)
• 100g butter (melted)
• 100g icing sugar
• 160g good-quality white chocolate (broken into pieces)
• 500g full-fat cream cheese (at room temperature)
• 250ml heavy cream
• 4 passionfruit (halved)

To decorate

• 300ml double cream
• 2-3 passionfruit (halved or cut into wedges)

Method

1. Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm / 8 inch loose-bottomed cake tin with non-stick baking paper. Set aside.
2. Tip biscuits into a food processor and blitz into fine crumbs. Add the butter and whizz again until you have the desired crumbly consistency.
3. Tip the biscuit mixture into the prepared tin and pat into a smooth and compact layer using the back of a spoon. Cover and chill in the fridge whilst you make the filling.
4. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water (make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water). Stir occasionally until smooth and melted. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.
5. Scoop the insides from the 4 passionfruit into a sieve over a bowl. Using a spoon, press down to extract as much juice as possible and catch all the seeds. Set aside.
6. Whisk together the cream cheese and double cream until you have soft peaks. Add the icing sugar, cream cheese, melted chocolate and passionfruit pulp, then continue to whisk until just combined.
7. Spoon the mixture over the biscuit base in an even layer, finishing by smoothing over the top. Cover with cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 5 hours, or overnight, to set.
8. When you’re ready to serve, whisk the double cream until you have medium peaks. Spoon over the top of the cheesecake and decorate with the remaining passionfruit pulp and/or slices of halved passionfruit.

More ways to save this Christmas

Christmas is a magical time of year, but it can also put a strain on your wallet. With gifts to buy, festive meals to plan, and social expectations to meet, it’s easy to feel the financial pinch. Check out our handy guide for loads of ways to save this festive season without compromising on joy.

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The post Jingle Bites: White choc passionfruit cheesecake recipe appeared first on The Origin Blog.

Serves 4

What you’ll need

• 1 whole chicken
• 1 cup olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 a lemon
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 sprig of thyme or oregano
• 2 teaspoons sea salt

To serve

• Your choice of chopped root vegetables (e.g. potato, sweet potato)
• Extra lemon wedges if you desire

Method

1. To a bowl add olive oil, lemon juice, pepper, salt, oregano and honey. Mix together well.
2. With a paper towel pat down the chicken skin to remove any excess moisture, sprinkle with some sea salt and pour over the glaze. Rub through the cracks on the chicken and ensure it’s evenly spread.
3. Place the chicken along with any chopped root vegetables of your choice directly into an air fryer with a rack. This will capture all the chicken juice and you can use this as a sauce when serving.
4. Set your air fryer to 175°C and cook for 15 minutes, the skin will turn a dark brown. Lower the heat to 150°C and cook for another 40 minutes. Turn the chicken around and turn the back heat up to 175°C again and cook for another 10 minutes. This will ensure a crisp skin all around the chicken.
5. Place chicken and vegetables on a serving dish and drizzle over any remaining juices. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary or thyme.

More ways to save this Christmas

Christmas is a magical time of year, but it can also put a strain on your wallet. With gifts to buy, festive meals to plan, and social expectations to meet, it’s easy to feel the financial pinch. Check out our handy guide for loads of ways to save this festive season without compromising on joy.

Follow Hoda for more recipe inspiration on Instagram and TikTok.

The post Jingle Bites: Mediterranean roast chicken recipe appeared first on The Origin Blog.

Serves 7

What you’ll need

For the feta dip

• 400g feta
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Zest of 1 lemon

For the balsamic tomatoes

• 400g cherry tomatoes
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 4 sprigs thyme
• Salt to taste

To serve

• Olives
• Lemon zest

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170°C.
2. Whip the feta, Greek yogurt, olive oil and lemon zest in the food processor until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
3. Place the tomatoes in a baking dish, drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle the salt and thyme over the top and bake for 20 minutes.
4. Spoon the whipped feta dip onto a serving dish, and once cooled, spoon tomatoes over the whipped feta.
5. Top with olives, lemon juice and/or zest and serve with your choice of crackers or bread.

More ways to save this Christmas

Christmas is a magical time of year, but it can also put a strain on your wallet. With gifts to buy, festive meals to plan, and social expectations to meet, it’s easy to feel the financial pinch. Check out our handy guide for loads of ways to save this festive season without compromising on joy.

Follow Hoda for more recipe inspiration on Instagram and TikTok.

The post Jingle Bites: Whipped feta recipe appeared first on The Origin Blog.