Xmas Foods Countdown 25 - Roast Goose

I saved this until last as this is one of the meats we are expecting to have tomorrow and I don't recall ever trying it

Xmas Foods Countdown 24 - Toffee with a hammer

This is a bit of a nostalgia thing for me

Xmas Food Countdown 23 - Stollen

This has become more popular here in recent years. It's the lump of soft marzipan in the middle that I love (and the chance to make a poor pun)

Xmas Foods Countdown 22 - Turkey Sandwich with Chutney

Technically this is a post-Christmas joy but I'm running out of savouries to mention enthusiastically

Xmas Foods Countdown 21 - Brandy Snaps

Brandy Snaps don't contain brandy. It's probably something to do with burning (brand)

Xmas Foods Countdown 20 - Roast Parsnips

Parsnips is another one you can have any time but it's one of my Christmas favourites

Xmas Foods Countdown 19 - Chocolate Father Christmas

Xmas Foods Countdown 18 - Stuffing

Stuffing is great any time especially at Christmas - sage and onion, sausage meat, etc, etc

Xmas Foods Countdown 17 - Candy Canes

We didn't see many candy canes when I was a kid; more an American thing it was then. It is claimed that the idea goes back to 1670 and a choirmaster in Germany keeping his choirboys quiet. One has to be sceptical with these things. Getting a good children's talk out of a piece of candy shaped like a shepherd's crook and with white for purity and red for blood should not be too difficult for most.

Xmas Foods Countdown 16 - Pigs in blankets

Pigs in blankets are little sausages wrapped in bacon - not to be confused with devils on horseback where tea soaked prunes are inside the bacon (or angels on horseback where the inner delight is an oyster) I only ever seem to get these on my plate at Christmas

Xmas Foods Countdown 15 - Gingerbread

You can have gingerbread any time, of course but it is a popular winter and Xmas food. I think it's a Scandinavian thing. Gingerbread houses are getting more popular perhaps.

Xmas Foods Countdown 14 - Brussels Sprouts

We've already had some of these here. This is my least favourite food of Christmas. The one way you can make them taste nice is by frying them with bacon and nuts.

Xmas Foods Countdown 13 - Mince Pies

You get to eat these all through December. They can vary but are nearly always nice.

Xmas Foods Countdown 12 - Ham

This is a staple, often glazed with honey or marmalade

Xmas Foods Countdown 11 - Panettone

You see more of this Italian favourite these days. It's not much of an alternative as it is still full of fruit, but it is quite light in colour and texture.

Xmas Foods Countdown 10 - Bread Sauce

Nothing to get excited about but often on the plate at Christmas

Xmas Foods Countdown 9 - Tunis Cake

This is another alternative to Christmas cake using Madeira cake covered in chocolate. It only goes back to the thirties and is not Tunisian.

Xmas Foods Countdown 8 - Nut Roast

Not being a vegetarian I'd not tasted one of these until recently. They are brilliant. Of course, vegetarians eat them all year round I guess.

Xmas Foods Countdown 7 - Dundee Cake

This is an alternative to Christmas cake but as we love icing we rarely see one of these

Xmas Foods Countdown 6 - Cranberry Sauce

I'm trying to alternate sweet/savoury more or less and this is a savoury though very sweet. We didn't used to have it when I was a kid. We nicked it from the Americans.