Christmas is round the corner and we have already started smelling various flavours of cakes in the oven. For Christmas, we all visualize the scrumptious food and the ‘larger than life’ feast that makes this festival all the more welcoming with our family and friends! If food is your calling, then the joyous festival of Christmas is the right occasion to indulge in a variety of interesting recipes. Christmas dinner is a magnificent dinner arranged in different parts of the world in several ways!
Let’s learn about some favourite Christmas recipes that can be easily made at home and enjoyed over your Christmas celebration…
Here are the top 10 favourite Christmas recipes:
1. The evergreen ‘Plum cake’:
Can we think about Christmas without its signature plum cake? This deep brown ‘Plum cake’ goes synonymous with ‘Christmas’ and makes a special place in everyone’s heart as well as stomach! Plum cake is a fruit cake consisting of fruits like plum and dry fruits like raisins, prunes, sultanas, which are soaked in rum or orange juice many days ahead of Christmas, forming the best tea cake to indulge in!
2. Ginger bread:
Have you seen those cute little houses made with gingerbread and cookies? Christmas baking is incomplete without gingerbread, which is another ‘must-have’ recipe that finds its place on the Christmas menu list. Contrary to its name, gingerbread does not contain ginger. Gingerbread is made with molasses, honey, egg, brown sugar, and spices. It’s fun to knead the dough, wrap it, roll it out, use cookie cutters to create the gingerbread shape, and bake them! The aroma of gingerbread cookies with a dash of chocolate on them makes it a heavenly and inviting Christmas recipe!
3. Roasted Turkey or Chicken:
One of the popular Christmas recipes includes roasted turkey or roasted chicken. Though turkey is more common in foreign countries, we Indians are great fans of chicken and prefer roasted chicken on Christmas as the main meal. The taste of the juicy and tender roasted chicken (marinated with spices, butter, celery, and herbs) is just unmatchable with any other meal. Believe me, roasting a whole chicken is one of the most classic Christmas dinner ideas!
4. Sugar Cookies:
Added with a lot of sweetness and love, sugar cookies with icing are irreplaceable on Christmas eve! The mesmerizing taste of butter, sugar, and refined flour makes them lip-smacking and delectable. The aroma of sugar cookies makes the entire ambience so festive and joyful. Like any other cookie, the dough for a sugar cookie consists of refined flour, butter at room temperature, baking powder, egg, salt, and vanilla extract. Then comes the delicious icing that makes it so unique.
5. Christmas mince pie:
Nuts, cream, and raisins make Christmas pie, a sinful dessert. You can mix and match your favourite ingredients and make a customized mince pie in different favours! Mince pie is so special, that it is believed to resemble Jesus’s cradle and is also a sign of good luck! The rectangular shape of the mince pie denotes welcoming Jesus in his cradle. It is a tradition to eat one mince pie for the 12 festive days of Christmas. The mince pie filling is made up of sugar, raisins, mixed apple, pickle juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and more.
6. Baked Pumpkin:
If you thought that Pumpkins are only for Halloween, you are wrong! Baked pumpkins make wonderful starters on Christmas eve! Mixed with thyme, red wine vinegar, and coriander seeds, the chunks of pumpkin are baked, making it a mouth-watering recipe for Christmas! Slightly sweet baked pumpkins garnished with maple syrup, olive oil, walnuts, chilies, and feta make it a signature dish on Christmas or even Thanksgiving!
7. Eggplant Parmesan:
This is another classic Christmas recipe where breaded eggplant slices are baked instead of fried, so saving on those extra calories! This recipe is a good mix of parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, tomato sauce, and a dash of Christmas spirit! This Christmas special dish is saucy, crunchy and has everything a dish can offer you on Christmas! It can be even paired with a broccoli salad or a creamy garlic soup.
8. Stuffed mushroom caps with cheese:
Whether you love or hate mushrooms, you can’t ignore this appetizing Christmas recipe of stuffed mushroom caps loaded with the goodness of cheese, onions, bell pepper, and dates. So, what goes inside the filling are garlic, herbs, and cheese! This blissful combination is then baked till we find the angelic golden hue. It is one of those vegetarian recipes that give non-vegetarian recipes a run for their taste and flavours!
9. Christmas pudding:
Who doesn’t love the idea of having pudding for dessert? Puddings, especially chocolate puddings are irresistible. The fragrance of brandy or rum, mixed with raisins, and prunes, is something no one can ignore. There is a fascinating belief that Christmas pudding consists of 13 ingredients that represent Jesus and his 12 disciples such as flour, raisins, citron, currants, suet, mixed spices, brown sugar, breadcrumbs, lemon peel, milk, orange peel, eggs, and brandy. It tastes just ‘yummy’, especially once the sugarcane sauce or hot whiskey is poured on it.
10. Christmas Brownies:
Another good Christmas special dish includes the ever-loved chocolate brownies. Enjoy Christmas baking with Christmas brownies which are made with butter, coffee, vanilla essence, and of course – chocolate. Christmas brownies are the right mix of traditional and contemporary recipes. They taste very chewy and delightful once topped with smooth buttercream and vibrant sprinkles. Christmas brownies give a perfect feeling of holidays as they smell not only chocolate but also cinnamon, marshmallows, and sometimes peppermint too!
Christmas is a lovely festival celebrated throughout the world! Make it more special by trying the above Christmas recipes, which are not only easy but will also add more flavours to your Christmas celebration this time! And don’t forget to sing along…. Joy to the world…
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
What is the favourite food for Christmas?
The favourite food for Christmas includes fruity-nutty plum cake, gingerbread, and roasted chicken.
What special dishes are prepared at home on Christmas?
People prepare a variety of Christmas dishes on Christmas like baked pumpkin, Christmas pudding, Christmas brownies, and plum cake.
What are some classic Christmas recipes for home?
Some classic Christmas recipes for home are Christmas mince pie, sugar cookies, gingerbread, and roasted chicken.
Can you suggest some easy Christmas recipes for beginners?
Some amazing, easy-to-make Christmas dishes for beginners are plum cake, sugar cookies, sweet potatoes with garlic yogurt sauce, and Christmas pudding.
