Christmas Aga with Sarah Whitaker

Christmas Aga comes around again so quickly!

Sarah was here today, showing us some great new ideas and recipes for Christmas, whilst showing everyone around the Aga, how to use it efficiently and effectively.

We discussed what can be made ahead and frozen for the festive period.

Talked about pans, trays, dishes

Sarah shared tips galore and answered some great questions.

Here is just a small selection of what Sarah managed to cook in just 2 hours!

Shredded stir fried brussel sprouts, delicious!

Courgette and carrot bake, perfect for vegetarians or as a side dish

Banana and pecan pudding cake

Here's the glorious slow cooked turkey, along with smoked haddock tart, chicken & apricot casserole, cauliflower souffle and everyday sides such as roast potatoes, rice, beans and gravy!

Sarah will be back at Treetops in the New Year.

Aga Christmas Parties with Sarah Whitaker

Thursday was Christmas Parties Aga with Sarah Whitaker

A new class full of delicious ideas for entertaining, canapes, meals, recipes that can be made ahead and frozen and tasty puddings.

It was also a good opportunity to get all of my festive bowls out of the cupboard!

Above are bacon pinwheels and below cheese puffs made with choux pastry, which Sarah demonstrated step by step.

Some warm home made onion bread, baked in the roasting oven.

We discussed how to cook root vegetables and potatoes in the Aga

A delicious mince family dish, perfect to make ahead and freeze in it's dish

Festive Flapjacks, these have a yummy mincemeat layer in them, Sarah then sprinkled them with icing sugar, edible glitter and her sprinkles!

Delicious Treacle & Walnut Tart

Sarah with her Wondrous Mushrooms, deliciously stuffed with caviar, dill and cream cheese.

There were so many festive things cooked, the kitchen smelt delicious!

We then enjoyed a tasting lunch of all the food cooked.

Sarah will be back at Treetops in 2018

Christmas Aga Class with Sarah Whitaker

Sarah was here yesterday for our Christmas Aga Class

The Aga managed to produce an amazing amount of food in two hours and Sarah supplied everyone with loads of brilliant tips and advice to make Christmas with an Aga much easier. 

Best of all was Sarah's advice on which recipes can be made now and frozen (or hidden!)

We had Beef Wellington, a marmalade glazed ham, a delicious tart for vegetarians and a variety of vegetables, including Brussel Sprouts, which were delicious, simply roasted in sesame oil with sesame seeds stirred in afterwards.

The trifle was very popular, having made chocolate muffins Sarah used them to line the bottom of the bowl, followed by sparkling cranberries that had been cooked and soaked with other great flavours, and the toppings included cream, mascarpone, custard and white chocolate!

After the demonstration everyone sat down for a lovely festive tasting lunch 

 

Christmas Aga Class 2016 BOOK NOW!!

Our Christmas Aga class is slightly earlier this year:

Friday 4 Nov

There are a few places left, so please get in touch to book your place

CONTACT EMILY

The class is with Sarah Whitaker, an Aga accredited chef.

It runs from 9:45am - approx 1:30pm and includes a tasting lunch of the food cooked.

We alternate each year with either a beef or turkey menu.  This year it's the Beefs turn to take centre stage!  So even if you came last year, do come this year and get yourself another set of recipes to help with Christmas.

Sarah is great at giving you ideas of things you can make and freeze ahead of time, helps you with juggling the ovens on the day, and how to retain the heat.

There is plenty of time to ask questions.

Sarah also brings her travelling shop, there are some great present ideas, useful kitchen and Aga things, as well as her brilliant recipe books

The class costs £65 

Christmas Aga with Sarah Whitaker

Sarah returned for our very popular Christmas Aga Class, which this year featured

TURKEY!

Sarah gave everyone plenty of tips and ideas for making a delicious Christmas Day Menu, this included lots of dishes that can be prepared and frozen ahead of time.

The Cranberry Sauce can be made as a gift.

Sarah made a delicious pear, walnut and stilton quiche for the vegetarians and showed us all how you don't need to 'bake blind' in an Aga.

There were plenty of vegetables accompaniments, crispy roast potatoes, perfect make ahead gravy, a root and sweet potato mash and a great recipe for the perfect sprouts!

As an alternative to the traditional Christmas pud, we also had a chocolate and fruit bombe, here it is covered in cream and golden stars glitter.

  

Sarah will be back with us in the New Year with new recipe ideas and plenty of tips and advice for using your Aga.

Friday 5 February

Springtime Aga

10am - 1.30pm

£65

Aga Christmas Parties Class

Sarah Whitaker returned to Treetops for a new Christmas Class

Christmas Parties

Lots of great ideas for canapes, suppers and preparing ahead.

As Sarah cooked a delicious assortment of food, she was also talking us through how the Aga worked, how to use it efficiently and amazed us with how much she can actually stack inside the ovens!

After the demonstration, there was plenty of time to ask questions, do some shopping and then enjoy a tasting lunch of all the food cooked.

You can buy Sarah's great recipe books from here 

Sarah returns on Friday 6 February 2015 for a class

Making the Most of Your Aga 

Christmas Aga 2013

We welcomed Sarah back for Christmas Aga yesterday.

Instead of Turkey, this year Sarah showed us how to cook a Beef Wellington and a Festive Baked Ham, various accompaniments and a delicious chocolate muffin trifle!

Sarah talked about preparing for the Big Day, which foods can be made and frozen ahead of time, which was really useful, how to look after the vegetarian in your family, and how to use all of the Aga ovens effectively.

Sarah returns to Treetops in April for A Taste of Spain, a great Aga Demonstration Day, please see the blog post below this for further information.

Christmas Aga

Christmas came to Treetops on Friday with Sarah and her Christmas Aga Class.

Sarah made some delicious dishes and helped everyone plan what could be made ahead of time and frozen, how to juggle the ovens on the day, how to retain the heat of the Aga.  It was great, plenty of tips and questions going around the room.

The house smelt very festive thanks to my gorgeous new

candle from Neom

mixed with the smells of red cabbage, rich gravy, bacon, stilton, walnut and pear tart, roast turkey, freshly baked bread, the rum (!) the brandy butter with orange zest, and loads more, it was a really wonderful spread!

Sarah returns on Friday 1 February for Winter Warmers.

9.45am - 1.30pm

£65

Her new book has just been published:

Effortless Aga Cooking

Welcome to the New Term

 As the sun sets on the Summer holidays, I thought I would let you know how the classes are looking for next term, as we get ready to open our doors again next week.

Aga bookings are going well for our two classes, there are spaces available on both:

Friday 21 September - Effortless Entertaining

Friday 9 November - Christmas Aga (Turkey)

Christmas Flowers is almost full on Tuesday 4 December, but there are spaces available on Wednesday 5 December.

Watercolour bookings have been coming in very fast;

Misty September Sunrise - Wed 12 Sept - 2 spaces left

Beginners - Thurs 27 Sept - FULL

Reflections after the Rain - Thurs 11 Oct - 1 space left

Mixed Media - Thurs 18 Oct - 2 spaces left

Life into Still Life - Wed 14 Nov - 3 spaces left

Beginners - Thurs 15 Nov - 2 spaces left

Winter Morning - Mon 26 Nov - 2 spaces left

Winter Morning - Tues 27 Nov - 4 spaces left

Cupcake classes this term are:

Free From (Gluten/Dairy/Egg/Soya etc) 

Sat 29 Sept  11am-1pm   4 spaces

Stage 2

Sat 29 Sept  3.30pm - 6pm   5 spaces

Vintage

Monday 1 Oct  11am-1pm  6 spaces

Vintage

Saturday 13 Oct  11am-1pm  5 spaces

Stage 1

Saturday 13 Oct  3.30pm-5.30pm  2 spaces

Christmas

Saturday 1 Dec  10am-12 noon  3 spaces

Christmas

Saturday 1 Dec  3.30pm - 5.30pm  6 spaces

To book a space or to enquire about timings or prices please call or email me asap.

See you soon!