This book contains twenty or so recipes in total, most of which are main courses, with the rest as side dishes and desserts.

I have mixed feelings about this. The title is slightly misleading: the recipes aren’t particularly Christmassy – don’t look for any Christmas cake or pudding recipes for example – and there’s not really enough of them to merit the Ultimate claim. On the other hand, the selection of roasts on offer provide some good ideas, and there are a couple of vegetarian/vegan recipes including cupcakes that might be very useful for family gatherings. If you routinely bake for large gatherings it might be worth a look, as there is no reason why most of these receipes could not be baked for any occassion.

There is a full index, which is right at the front of the book, and the book actually opens after it. For British readers, the use of American measures such as cups and terms like zuccini instead of cucumber might be confusing.

I’d give this a three. The recipes are good but not that seasonal, there aren’t that many of them, and certain of the classics are completely missed.