Let’s face it, Christmas is a period to indulge. I can not imagine a more satisfying comfort food than baked camembert. We have also included a recipe for our breadsticks, but if the time is short, purchasing good quality breadsticks will also do.

You need:
1 wheel of camembert
2 sprigs of thyme
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
3 tablespoons of cognac

Preheat the oven to 200C
Place the cheese into a Brie/Camembert baker
Pierce the cheese 10-15 times with a small knife and insert the garlic
Wrap the thyme around the cheese and pour the cognac over the top
Cover with a lid and bake for 30 minutes until the middle of the cheese is completely melted
Serve straight away!

For the breadsticks:

500g strong white flour, plus extra for dusting
2 tsp salt
7g sachet fast-action yeast
3 tbsp olive oil
300ml water
2 tablespoons of pestoMix the flour, salt and yeast in a large bowl
Make a well in the centre, then add the oil and water, mix well
Pop onto a lightly floured surface and knead for roughly 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic
Place it in a lightly-oiled bowl
Leave to rise for 1 hour until doubled in size or place in the fridge overnight
When risen, plait into breadsticks and fill with tapenade or harissa (if you fancy something hot)
Place the sticks onto a baking sheet to prove for a further 30 minutes until doubled in size
Heat oven to 200C
Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown
Cool on a wire rack.