Jelly can be whipped into something marvellous | Brief letters

The pudding described by Elaine Joyce as “whipped evaporated milk combined with jelly, then set to create a poor man’s mousse” (Letters, 23 December) is called “jelly fluff” by my wife, who comes from the north-east of Scotland. The Admiral Inn in Findochty once advertised a World Jelly Fluff Championship. And although we didn’t enter this, my wife’s addition of raspberries elevates it to a really great dessert that is frequently enjoyed by our family.Geoff StorerHelensburgh, Argyll and Bute I have avoided a walk in the countryside for many years, fearing I would encounter a “traditional” hunt in progress. But the possibility of coming across Nigel Farage in attendance would just be too much for me (The real test for Nigel Farage will be if donors follow foot soldiers to Reform, 26 December)

Ravneet Gill’s recipe for glazed chouxnuts | The sweet spot

I was sceptical about using an air fryer for baking, but it really does work – we even set air-fryer choux buns as a challenge on Junior Bake Off, and they were a real hit! The air fryer’s quick, even heat makes it perfect for choux pastry, but you can, of course, also deep-fry or bake these in the oven instead. This is just a speedy alternative.Prep 5 min Cook 40 min Makes 8-1050ml whole milk 100g unsalted butter 5g sugar Pinch of salt 100g plain flour 175-200g eggs (3-4 eggs), beatenFor the glaze200g icing sugar 1 tsp cinnamon 20g softened unsalted butter – really pliable and soft, but not meltedIn a saucepan, combine 100ml water with the milk, butter, sugar and salt. Put on a medium heat until the butter melts and the mixture is just about to come to a boil, then take off the heat and quickly stir in the flour until the mix comes together into a dough. Return the pan to a low heat and cook, stirring constantly, for one to two minutes, until the dough forms a smooth ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan

Not your standard fizz: New Year’s Eve party drinks with a difference

If you’re reading this, well done. It means you’ve survived the most expensive, sociable and digestively taxing part of the holiday season. Now you can focus all your efforts on getting through Twixmas (a phrase I prayed wouldn’t catch on) and the New Year’s Eve party. Livers and wallets, rejoice.The Guardian’s journalism is independent

‘It’s not London where indies can let their imaginations fly’ – Grace Dent’s restaurants of the year | Grace Dent on restaurants

Another year gone, and I edge closer to the afterlife I deserve, namely in hospitality hell. The service will be slow, the butter will come in naff wrapped portions, and chipper staff will squat at my table between courses and ask: “Any favourites so far?”The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more.Before then, however, I’ll digest 2024 and regurgitate my findings

Georgina Hayden’s recipe for Bombay chilli cheese ciabatta

In the run-up to Christmas, I like to (mostly) embrace tradition, but as soon as Boxing Day hits, a veil is lifted. I need spice; I need fresh flavours; and I need all the excess cheese to be out of my house. These chilli cheese on toasts are inspired by an Indian classic, the Bombay or Mumbai chilli cheese toastie. I adore the flavours and they’re exactly what I crave right now. Also, feel free to use any not-too-strong melting cheese you have in the fridge

Catherine Brown obituary

The glories of Scottish cookery have had many advocates, but few as quietly eloquent as the food writer Catherine Brown, who has died aged 83. Her dozen books exploring every quarter of her northern realm, as well as years of journalism with the Glasgow Herald and the Scottish Field magazine, both provoked and recorded an explosion of interest in what her nation had to offer our stoves, palates and tables.This turn to her home territory came after realisation that the cookery she was teaching her catering college students was entirely based on a debased lingua franca out of French haute cuisine and that they, and she, would do far better to contemplate the wealth of materials available on their own doorstep. The anecdotal high point of this conversion was her persuading luxury hoteliers to offer a dish of venison tripe (disguised under a Gaelic name) to unsuspecting tourists who, of course, found it excellent.In a succession of books, such as Scottish Regional Recipes (1981), Scottish Cookery (1985), Broths to Bannocks (1990) and A Year in a Scots Kitchen (1996), she teased out the relationship between the kitchen and a country’s population, its landscape and its agriculture