Champagne-based recipes will add some real festive sparkle to your food

CHRISTMAS and New Year is the perfect time to add a little sparkle into your food.

Serving Champagne potted prawns or hot oysters with Champagne sauce will definitely add a very festive and celebratory . . . not to mention chi-chi . . . element to any dinner party around now.

And for both of these dishes any Champagne or sparkling wine left over from the previous night's party will do, as it will lose most of its fizz in the cooking anyway.

The syllabub (recipe below) is the most simple yet divine dessert, it is like a soft fluffy cloud of creamy Champagne, which is perfectly complemented by some crunchy little biscuits on the side.

And for the perfect start to any Yuletide party when you cannot bear the sight of one more glass of mulled wine, how about a Champagne cocktail, as enjoyed at Rick's Cafe in Casablanca.

Good things to have with Champagne, Cava or Prosecco C

>> Add a teaspoon of one of these per glass:

Elderflower syrup Sloe gin Creme de fraises Murs Framboises Creme de Cassis Peches Apricot
>> Or drop a fresh strawberry, a few blackberries, raspberries or blackcurrants, or a slice of peach or apricot into each glass
>> Maybe float a sprig of mint, lemon balm, lemon verbena or sweet cicely on top
>> To make Bucks Fizz, try replacing the usual orange juice with freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, or, even better, pink grapefruit juice

Champagne potted prawns Serves 6-8 These are delicious served either as a starter or as a light meal in itself. Serve with melba toast or crusty brown or white bread.

These can be made a few days in advance, in fact, the flavour will get even better if you do.

450g shelled raw prawns Two shallots, finely chopped 150ml champagne One generous pinch grated/ ground nutmeg Juice of half a lemon 110g butter Freshly ground black pepper Two tbsp chopped parsley (and some dill if you have it) Put the uncooked prawns, shallots, Champagne and nutmeg in a saucepan and cook over a medium heat until the prawns turn from translucent to opaque and pink in colour. Drain the prawns, reserving the liquid and set aside. Put the reserved liquid and the lemon juice on the heat and boil uncovered until the liquid is reduced down to just three tablespoons.

Chop the prawns roughly and divide between six medium or eight small ramekins or bowls. Pour over the reduced liquid and leave to cool. Melt the butter in a saucepan and cool slightly, add the pepper and the chopped herbs then spoon into the ramekins.

Leave to cool, then put in the fridge (for up to four days). Remove from the fridge about 15 minutes before serving.

Hot oysters with Champagne sauce Serves 6 The divine combination of oysters with Champagne sauce makes a very luxurious starter. This would be perfect for a Christmas or New Year's Eve meal.

18 native or Pacific oysters Four large potatoes, mashed Scrub the oysters well. Just before serving, put them into a hot oven at 250degreesC, gas mark 9, until they start to open. Using an oyster knife (or a screwdriver, in desperation! ) remove and discard the top shell, then pipe or spoon three blobs of mashed potato onto each of the six hot plates (this is not essential, but it helps to keep the oyster steady), and place a generous spoonful of the sauce on each oyster.

Put under a hot grill until the sauce is golden and bubbly and serve immediately.

Handy hint: You may if you want grill all the oysters together on a baking tray then put on the hot plates to serve.

Champagne sauce This sauce is spooned over hot oysters before going under the grill, which gives the sauce a lovely gratinated golden colour. It is also wonderful served in the same way with flat fish, like brill, turbot or black sole. Just spoon on top of the cooked fillets of fish, then pop under the grill to brown.

175ml Champagne or sparkling white wine (can be left-over and 'flat') One tbsp chopped shallot Two large egg yolks 110g butter, cut into cubes the size of sugar lumps 125ml whipped cream (measure it when the cream is whipped) Boil the wine with the shallot in an uncovered saucepan, reducing down to one tbsp approximately . . . be careful the pan does not burn. Cool the pan till barely warm then beat in the yolks.

Whisk in the butter, bit by bit, over a very low heat.

Cool the sauce again, then fold in the whipped cream.

Champagne syllabub Serves 4-6 This is the most luxurioustasting soft mousse-like desert. It can be made earlier in the day . . . just cover in the fridge, and take out 10 minutes before serving to remove the chill.

Serve with a couple of almond macaroons, shortbread biscuits or even bought Amaretti biscuits on the side.

285ml cream 75ml icing sugar 200ml Champagne Whisk the cream and icing sugar together until the mixture forms soft peaks, then add the champagne gradually, still whisking until you have a lovely soft spoonable mixture. Taste and add more sugar if you wish.

Serve in small glasses or bowls with one or two biscuits or macaroons.

Almond macaroons Makes 12-16 These are so simple to make, and will keep for four or five days in an airtight box.

110g ground almonds 75g caster sugar Finely grated zest of one small orange . . . optional One egg white, slightly beaten Preheat the oven to 1800C, gas mark 4. Put the ground almonds, caster sugar, orange zest and the egg white into a bowl and stir to combine . . . it should be firm yet slightly sticky. Roll small desertspoonfuls of the mixture into balls and put on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

Flatten slightly with a wet fork. Cook for about 10 minutes or until pale golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Shortbread biscuits Makes about 25 These are incredibly simple gorgeous biscuits, do make sure the butter is nice and soft. I always have this recipe in my head in Imperial measurements as it is just 2, 4, 6f 175g (6oz) plain flour 110g (4oz) soft butter 50g (2oz) caster sugar Preheat the oven to 1800C, gas mark 4. Put the flour into a mixing bowl, rub in the soft butter, add the caster sugar and bring the whole mixture together to form a stiff dough (or just bring everything together in a food processor). Roll the dough out to about 1/2cm thickness and cut into shapes.

Place carefully on a baking tray and cook in the oven for six-10 minutes, or until pale golden. Take out and cool on a wire rack.

Dust with icing sugar when cool.

Champagne cocktail In 1889, a journalist organised a competition among New York bartenders . . . their mission was to create a cocktail.

John Dougherty, a man of Irish origin, won with his creation . . . Champagne cocktail. Thank you Mr Dougherty!

Champagne Two cl cognac Two dashes Angostura bitters One sugar cube Put the sugar cube in a champagne flute and soak with the Angostura bitters.

Add the cognac and finish with the champagne.

Garnish, if you wish, with a slice of orange and a red Maraschino cherry.