'Champagne is essential' - Prue Leith shares her Christmas Day must-haves, and the two things she won't have in the kitchen

From the turkey to the trimmings, plenty of planning, preparation and, let’s be honest, perspiration goes into what we’re going to eat and how we’re going to cook it over Christmas.

Fortunately, the experts are generous with their advice and secrets, and tips like Jamie Oliver’s 'best thing you can make' for a vegetarian Christmas dinner to Ruth Langsford’s easy cranberry sauce recipe that can be made ahead of time can help manage the load.

But what’s something to eat without something to wash it down with? Bake Off’s Prue Leith insists you cannot overlook a good festive tipple, and a glass of Champagne for the cook is an 'essential'.

Here she reveals everything from her favourite tipple recipes to advice on what’s worth buying pre-made to save on time…

What are your Christmas Day cooking essentials?

A glass of champagne for the cook! And that the children and their new Christmas toys stay out of the kitchen.

What is worth buying pre-made and best to make from scratch?

I make my version of Christmas pudding by folding together two-thirds crumbled Christmas cake, mincemeat or broken-up mince pies (shop-bought or homemade) with two-thirds vanilla ice cream, also from the supermarket.

But I cook everything else from scratch, more because I enjoy it than from some lofty principle!

What’s your favourite Christmas tipple?

Eggnog, made the American way with eggs, milk, brandy, rum, nutmeg and cinnamon, whizzed up with ice cream.

Advokat (eggnog in a bottle) is good too, but I prefer the homemade one. I use Advokat to make small, rich desserts, mixed 50/50 with ginger marmalade and topped with whipped cream.

What’s been your worst Christmas cooking disaster?

One year I had two huge joints of pork instead of turkey. I put them on at 8am to slow-cook all day. Just before serving time I opened the oven to find the pork stone cold and raw.

My nephew had turned everything off after making his breakfast fry-up! My brother and I sliced up one of the pork and hastily fried slices. It sure wasn’t gastronomy, but everyone had a great time. Christmas is not all about the food.