Now available – a new version of Baileys with an added hint of coffee. This makes four in the Baileys range the coffee version joining those with a hint of mint chocolate, a hint of creme caramel and the original.

In anticipation of a marvellous Baileys filled Christmas the wonderful people behind the creamy drink have created an ‘Essential Guide To A Baileys Twist on Christmas’ - a selection of Baileys inspired cocktails and puddings created by celebrity chef James Martin.

From this guide SpittoonExtra has tried out the Baileys Coffee Cream Crunch pudding with tremendous results.

Available from ASDA for £12.79.

A perfectly prepared mixer is a prerequisite to a superior party experience, and just a little knowledge of mixology can raise your soirée a notch or three above the rest this Christmas. But if the prospect of preparing mixed drinks leaves you feeling shaken, have no fear. Ben Reed is Britain’s leading mixologist and he’s joined forces with ‘Schweppes‘ to stir up a special video feature that strips the mystery from mixing and gives you all you need to get the ball rolling drinks-wise this Yuletide.

It takes a whole lot of practise to get to Ben’s level of cocktail creating competence, but here he shows us how to make three quick signature serves to dazzle your friends – and their palettes – in mere moments.

Whipping up a Vodka Russchian, Game On Ginger or an Almond Affair as per Ben’s recipes will instantly confer the decadence of a Fred Astaire movie upon your humble festive get-together or, indeed, the louche savoire faire one might typically associate with James Bond at the roulette wheel.

So hit the link and get mixing!

Delia Smith and her Frugle Christmas featured on Wake Up To Wogan, on BBC Radio 2. Basically, backing up her Frugal Cooking Book (pictured), she explained that being on a budget at Christmas, doesn’t mean you have to miss out on all the old favourites.

She has devised two, four-course menus that will allow you to feed your family for less than a fiver a head. Each of the recipes, ranging from Buckwheat Blinis with Smoked Salmon Crème Fraiche and Dill and Pot-roast Turkey Drumsticks with Port and Chestnuts Roast Potatoes, Button Sprouts, roast parsnips through to Delia’s Classic Christmas Pudding With Brandy Sauce and Traditional Mince Pies are all available for download in PDF format.

Click through to the BBC Radio 2 website to download.

Holiday-Rentals, the UK’s number one holiday home rentals website, has launched the free-to-download Holiday-Rentals Travel Cookbook, containing holiday home owners’ favourite regional recipes from around the world. With over 90 recipes from 14 countries, personal tips and comments, and links to beautiful holiday home rentals, this free e-book provides plenty of food for thought for a gastro-break.

“This free e-book includes a variety of simple-to-make starters, mains and desserts, with recipes ranging from typical specialities such as duck with blackcurrant, to more unusual creations like sweet and sour wild boar or figs with lavender honey. Many have been passed on by local friends or relatives, or are owners’ personal adaptations or creations. For some recipes, guests can even find the ingredients in the holiday home’s garden.

With over 122,000 private holiday homes worldwide, Holiday-Rentals has properties to suite every taste and budget. Most have comprehensive kitchen facilities and BBQs on site, and many have unique features like pizza ovens, olive groves, fruit trees, vineyards or a veggie patch. Lots of owners offer welcome hampers of regional goodies too and some even offer cooking lessons on site.

In addition, staying in a private property provides a much more authentic experience, and owners can be an invaluable source of information, really helping guests get more from the holiday. From making sure they fit in all the ‘must-see’ attractions to telling them about that fab little café or restaurant that only the locals know about.”

Visit www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/travelcookbook to download

Living up to its reputation as one of London’s mosts innovative market bakeries, Breadstall has introduced some mouthwatering festive treats for Christmas.

This fantastic outdoor bakery, situated at Clapham’s historic Northcote Road market, will be offering such homemade seasonal favourites as Mince Pies With a Snowy Crumble Topping, a glorious concoction that combines a traditional mince filling of orange and lemon zest, dried berries and rum with a melt-in-the-mouth butter pastry and rounds the whole thing off with a sugar snow sprinkled crumble topping.

Those with a sweet tooth should also make a bee-line for Breadstall’s traditional Christmas Pudding, made with proper beef suet, or the mouth-watering and authentic Stollen sourced from Cologne, Germany. Meanwhile, who could resist the company’s all-butter Festive Cupcakes, lovingly emblazoned with yuletide greetings? Customers can choose from traditional salutations or be an Ebenezer Scrooge and plump for ‘I Hate Xmas’.

There won’t be any bah humbugs come Christmas week however when Breadstall entices frost-bitten shoppers with its limited edition hot Apple and Blackberry Mini Crumbles served with custard.

Savoury tastes are also catered for with delights that include irresistible Mini Turkey and Cranberry Pies. Making good use of its recently installed two-deck pizza oven, Breadstall is also offering customers its Christmas Pizza Slice – pizza bianco (no tomato) with turkey, cranberry, chipolata sausage, rosemary and crumbled roasties.

Breadstall was founded some 10 years ago by former advertising agency copywriter Sebastian Vince who used a £200 overdraft to buy a second hand French market stall. Just over a decade later, Sebastian has realised his dream and transformed Breadstall from these humble beginnings into a state-of-the art roadside bakery which now attracts over 8,000 customers a week.

Breadstall is located half way down Northcote Road, outside Hamish Johnston Cheeses.