Festive recipes from MasterChef's Sarah Rankin and Macdonald Aviemore Resort head chef

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An evening of aromas, flavours and laughter was on offer at a festive event celebrating The Inverness Courier’s digital subscribers.

With 100 people in attendance, the afternoon saw an exclusive appearance from MasterChef finalist Sarah Rankin and Macdonald Aviemore Resort executive chef Edwin Blackhall showcased some of their recipes.

Sarah Rankin cooked up a sweet feast as she prepared a amaretto poached pears, chestnut cream, butterscotch and oat crumble.

The ingredients needed for this festive crumble are:

For the pears

6 ripe conference pears

800ml water

200ml amaretto

200g caster sugar

For the chestnut puree

200g chestnut puree

600ml double cream

30g icing sugar

squeeze of lemon juice

For the oat crumble

50g hazelnuts

50g pinhead oatmeal

30g rolled oats

30g butter

sea salt

brown sugar

For the butterscotch:

140g light brown sugar

2 tbsp golden syrup

50g butter

300ml double cream

sea salt

To make this delicious recipe, you start by peeling the pears and adding them to water, amaretto and sugar and bring to the boil. Turn down to a simmer and place a circle of greaseproof on top to prevent browning.

Cook for around 20 minutes, checking regularly for progress with the tip of a sharp knife. The pears should be firm but tender.

Add the light brown sugar, syrup and butter to pan and heat gently until the sugar has fully melted. Once bubbling, slowly add 300ml double cream and stir well off the heat. Add a few flakes of sea salt.

For the crumble, toast the hazelnuts and pinhead oatmeal and crush roughly in a mortar and pestle. Melt the butter in a wide pan and

add the pinhead, hazelnuts and the rolled oats and fry until lightly toasted. Take off the heat and spread on a sheet of greaseproof to

crisp. Once cooled, break up and toss through the salt and sugar to taste.

For the chestnut cream, whip the double cream to soft peaks with the icing sugar and fold in the pureed chestnuts.

Serve on a platter with the cream spread on the base with a little of the crumble, the pears quartered and arranged on top.

Sprinkle with the rest of the oat crumble and drizzle with the butterscotch sauce.

If you'd prefer something savoury then Edwin Blackhall, Macdonald Aviemore Resort head chef, dish is a great alternative.

He cooked free range breast of chicken, apricot and sage stuffing, perfect for those looking to avoid the mammoth task of cooking a turkey this year.

To make this recipe, you'll need:

2x Chicken Supremes

1 small shallot

50g dried Apricot (soaked overnight in warm water)

10g Garlic (peeled)

10g Sage

100g Sausage meat

4 slices of Parma Ham

50g Butter

Salt and Pepper

Start by finely dicing a shallot, apricot, and some sage.

Then gently sweat off shallots with chopped garlic, add the apricots and sage.

Fold in sausage meat and season with salt and pepper.

Take the skin off the chicken and trim excess fat and make a picket for the stuffing.

After this, pipe stuffing into the pocket using a piping bag and wrap the chicken with the Parma ham.

Roll tight in cling film ensuring the chicken is completely sealed.

Poach in a pan of boiling water for approximately 20 minutes ensuring that the core temperature of the tickets part of the chicken is 75 degrees Celsius or above.

Heat the butter in a pan until foaming then add the chicken and colour it slightly.

Once completed, you'll have a beautifully tender, festive chicken dish to show off to your friends and family this Christmas.

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