“Celebrate” by Pippa Middleton is a fully illustrated and beautifully designed book packed with recipes, crafts and inspirational ideas. Beginning with autumn and ending with summer, “Celebrate” is a one-stop guide to entertaining throughout the year. It contains a myriad of personal tips, favourite recipes and useful decorating ideas.

Practical but full of fun, it guides readers through the planning stages to the events themselves, from Christmas and Easter to a show-stopping New Year's Eve and from children's parties, family birthdays, lazy weekend brunches and picnics on the beach to a quiet supper at home with friends.

In “Celebrate”, Pippa Middleton provides easy and affordable ideas for a successful celebration and offers charming and little-known facts and historical anecdotes for each occasion. The result is a cornucopia of information that is fascinating, inspiring and wonderfully accessible.

Author Biography

Pippa Middleton, the socialite sister of Kate Middleton, is the editor of The Party Times, an online party magazine from Party Pieces – the UK's leading online party-supply company, founded in 1987. She has organised many events during her career at London-based events company Table Talk, for luxury brand and corporate companies as well as private parties.

SAMPLE RECEIPES

Pippa Middleton's Cho­colate Yule Log (pictured left)

Ingredients
4 eggs
125g caster sugar
80g self-raising flour
100g cocoa powder
200ml double cream
cherry liquer (optional)
120g butter
160g icing sugar
chocolate shavings to decorate

Method
Preheat the oven to 190°C/gas 5. Grease and line a 33cm x 23cm Swiss roll tin.

Separate 4 eggs. Beat the egg whites with an electric whisk until stiff, then gradually add 50g caster sugar while whisking continuously.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks with 75g caster sugar, add 80g self-raising flour and 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, then fold in the egg whites.

Pour the sponge mixture into the tin. Use a spatula to spread the mixture evenly, then bake for about 10 minutes, until the top is springy. Remove from the oven, place a damp tea towel over the top of the tray and set aside to cool.

Whip 200ml double cream to stiff peaks, then add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Remove the cooled sponge from the tin and turn it upside down on a plate.

Soak the sponge with 8 tablespoons of cherry liqueur (optional), then turn it back over on to the baking parchment and spread the whipped cream on top. If not using liqueur, simply spread the cream all over the sponge. Holding the baking parchment with the longer side towards you, roll the sponge up, keeping it nice and tight.

To make the icing, beat 120g softened, unsalted butter until smooth and then gradually beat in 160g icing sugar and 100g cocoa powder. If using, add another splash of cherry liqueur and mix well. If the icing needs thinning, add 4 tablespoons whole milk a little at a time, then spread it over the entire cake with a palette knife, making markings to resemble bark.

Sift icing sugar over the cake, then decorate with chocolate shavings and Christmas cake decorations.

Pippa Middleton's But­ternut Squash Lasagna (pictured left)

Ingredients
Olive oil
1 1/2 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced
2 1/2 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded and sliced into 1/8-inch-thick crescents
1 large bunch sage leaves, half left whole, half chopped
4 large garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1 lb fresh spinach
Generous grating of nutmeg
Sea salt and freshly ground
Black pepper
1 lb dried lasagna noodles
2 (4-oz) balls mozzarella

For the béchamel sauce:
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
3/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/2 cup extra, for sprinkling between layers

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Drizzle a little oil into a large baking dish, add the onion, butternut squash, chopped sage and garlic, then roast in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes until soft.
2. To make the béchamel sauce, melt the butter in a medium saucepan, then add the flour until you have a paste and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk, constantly stirring until it forms a thick sauce and add the ¾ cup of Parmesan.
3. In a separate pan heat a little oil and add the spinach, nutmeg and salt and pepper. Cook for a couple of minutes until the spinach has wilted, squeezing out any excess water.
4. Bring a pan of salted water to a boil, drizzle a little oil into it and cook the lasagna noodles for 5 minutes, to soften them. Put a layer of pasta into a 9×13-inch earthenware baking dish, top with a layer of the butternut squash mixture, a layer of béchamel sauce, some spinach and a sprinkling of Parmesan. Repeat the layers, ending up with a final layer of pasta.
5. Spread the remaining béchamel sauce on top. Rip the mozzarella into pieces and scatter these over the top with any remaining grated Parmesan. Place in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until the mozzarella bubbles and browns. Garnish with the whole sage leaves flash-fried in a little butter.

Wine: Aromatic and full-bodied whites like Chenin Blanc or a white Rhône.

Tip: This can be kept in the fridge for two days if covered in plastic wrap or frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost fully before cooking.

Serves 8.