This year’s best cookbooks
At Christmas, there’s nothing lovelier than a fabulous recipe book to unwrap, bursting with delicious inspiration. Here’s our pick of six to buy now.
At Christmas, there’s nothing lovelier than a fabulous recipe book to unwrap, bursting with delicious inspiration. Here’s our pick of six to buy now.
As you’d expect from Dame Mary Berry, this book, published to mark her 90th birthday, is packed with brilliant recipes.
There are classics, such as her Victoria sandwich or brownies, and no fewer than three different lasagne recipes (a variation with sausage and spinach, a veggie one, and her timeless favourite).
But there are also brand-new recipes that demonstrate how this guru of the nation’s kitchens has moved with the times.
Wonderful tales and photographs from Mary’s long career are peppered throughout the recipes, making this a fabulous read, too.
Lyrical writing about food, the places it comes from and the cultures that create it, have won Diana Henry legions of fans – not least among other leading food writers, including Nigella Lawson, Nigel Slater and Stanley Tucci.
This is a beautiful collection of some of her very best essays, handpicked from more than two decades of her beloved cookbooks. One to dip into and truly savour.
This is the ninth book from the resident cook on ITV’s This Morning and arguably it’s her best yet, with simple yet delicious recipes packed with healthy ingredients and nutritional superpowers.
From her Daily Happy Juice to Chicken Cuddle Soup and Comforting Kedgeree, every recipe is designed to spark joy.
Clodagh also shares her personal secrets for keeping anxiety at bay and staying content in her own life. This is the book to be heading into 2026 with.
Despite having written more than 25 cookbooks, this is Rick Stein’s first focused on Christmas. Covering the lead-up to the festive period, Christmas Day, the in-between days, and New Year, it contains recipes to appeal to both British and Australian fans of his cooking (he splits his time between the two countries these days).
Alongside those are emotive essays on everything from memories of childhood Christmases to New Year’s resolutions.
Some are poignant, others are humorous and, as we’ve come to expect from this Oxford University English literature graduate, all are beautifully written.
Try our new Recipes Homepage, with Saga Magazine favourites from Mary Berry, The Hairy Bikers, and more.
An Iranian-born, self-taught home cook turned chef, cookery teacher and food writer, Sabrina Ghayour put Persian flavours on the map with her worldwide bestseller Persiana, and she followed it up with several more brilliant books.
With this latest volume – her eighth – she’s created more than 100 Middle Eastern inspired dishes characterised by simplicity and accessibility, so even those lacking confidence in the kitchen can have a go.
Cookery writer Skye McAlpine’s passion for the festive season shines from every page of this beautiful book, which includes recipes covering everything from holiday parties to bake sales, as well as Christmas lunch.
There are also ideas for Christmas decorations, edible gifts, crafting crackers and making an advent calendar. Skye’s own favourite things to make are Christmas cakes for gifting and her baking recipes (of which there are many) are particularly inviting.
Image credit: GettyImages
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