Christmas isn’t Christmas without stuffing, and lots of it! These stuffing balls aren’t the standard bread stuffing but are a delicious and fun alternative to make. For these you first need to make cornbread, a cake made with milled corn. You then have the fun of crumbling it all up and reassembling into balls, perfect for rolling in gravy or dipping into cranberry sauce. They make a great option for getting a variety of veg in, and even a bit of fruit!
Ingredients
Cornbread
75g flour (we used sorghum flour but you can use any plain flour)
125g polenta
1/2tsp salt
10g baking powder
1tsp honey/maple syrup
50ml olive oil
175 ml milk (or dairy free alternative)
½ tsp vinegar
2 eggs
beaten
Stuffing
200g mushrooms, finely chopped
1 stick celery, finely chopped
2 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
A good handful of sage leaves (about 25-30) chopped
30g pumpkin seeds chopped
40g dried cranberries
2 eggs
12g milled flaxseeds
250ml stock
Equipment
Scales
Mixing bowl x2
Whisk
Measuring spoons
Chopping board and knife
Baking tin around 20cm
Baking tray
Baking paper
Frying pan
Wooden spoon
Spatula
Allergens
Egg
Directions
Preheat your oven to 180c / 200c non-fan / gas mark 6. Grease and line a 20cm baking tin and a baking tray with parchment
In a mixing bowl, mix together the dry ingredients, leaving a well in the centre. Add the wet ingredients (honey/maple syrup, oil, milk, vinegar and eggs) and whisk until combined
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the top is golden. When cooked, remove from the oven to cool
While the cornbread cools, heat a splash of olive oil in a frying pan. Add the mushrooms, celery, onion and garlic, cook for 5 minutes until soft. Next add the chopped sage and cook for another 2 minutes. Set this aside to cool
While the veg cools, chop the pumpkin seeds and add to a large mixing bowl along with the cranberries, finely crumbled cornbread, eggs, flaxseeds and veg stock and mix with a spoon. Once the veg has cooled, add it to the mixture too
Make sure the mixture is cool enough to touch before squishing and shaping it into golf ball sized balls - it should make around 18-20 balls
Place the balls on the lined baking tray and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 25 minutes until the outsides are crisp and golden
Serve with your usual trimmings and a bit of gravy or cranberry sauce for dipping!
