Best Christmas Recipes

T’is the season to be jolly; well at least for the foodies it is. It’s that time of the year again where skinny people are skinny no more and the not skinny people find it hard to fit through doors. When you can sniff the cinnamon in the air and when stuffing cookies in your face is perfectly acceptable. Ladies and gentlemen it’s Christmas! And as famous songwriter George Wyle once wrote, ‘it’s the most wonderful time of the year’. Christmas goes hand in hand with cakes and cookies and the old classic; eggnog. Christmas without theses goodies is pretty much like food with no salt, it’s still edible but it’s not tasty. So if you’re culinary-ily (is that a word?) challenged, fret not gentle soul for we bring you tidings of deliciousness and joy with some of the best Christmas recipes. Read on for some awesome and yet easy Christmas cookie recipes and dazzle the taste buds of your guests with these super delicious and surprisingly easy Christmas treat recipes.

There are three things that are an absolute necessity of the season, the Christmas cake (it even has Christmas in the name!), Christmas cookies (mouthful of chocolaty and cinnamon-y goodness) and last and extremely vital eggnog (T’is a blasphemy to go through Christmas without a swig of eggnog). As we mentioned it doesn’t matter if you can’t cook, because the Christmas recipes we bring for you are so simple you could make them with your eyes closed (please don’t try these recipes with your eyes closed)

Keep reading to learn how to add a little flavour to your Christmas, with our simple yet delicious and probably the best Christmas recipes.

Some Best Christmas Recipes

1) Christmas Cake Recipe

Ingredients: 

Melted butter, to grease
800g dried mixed fruit
410g jar fruit mince
1 tablespoon finely grated orange rind
1/2 cup (125ml) orange juice
1/3 cup (80ml) brandy
250g Western Star Chef’s Choice Unsalted Butter, melted, cooled
1 cup (200g) firmly packed brown sugar
2 cups (300g) plain flour
1 cup (150g) self-rising flour
2 1/2 teaspoons mixed spice
4 eggs, lightly whisked
1 cup (160g) blanched almonds
2 tablespoons apricot jam, warmed

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 150°C. Grease a deep 22cm round cake pan with melted butter. Line the base and side with 3 layers of non-stick baking paper, extending 5cm above edge.

2. Combine the dried fruit, fruit mince, orange rind and orange juice in a large saucepan over medium low heat. Cook and keep stirring for 10 minutes or until fruits soften. Remove from heat and set aside for 30 minutes to cool. Add the brandy and stir to combine.

Add butter and sugar to fruit mixture and stir to combine. Add the combined flours and mixed spice and stir to combine. Add the eggs and stir until well combined. Spoon into prepared pan and smooth the surface. Lightly tap pan on bench top to settle the mixture. Arrange the almonds over the top of the cake.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 3 hours 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted into centre comes out clean, covering cake loosely with foil if over browning. Remove from oven. Brush hot cake with apricot jam. Cover cake with foil. Wrap cake in a large tea towel and set aside overnight to cool completely.

2) Christmas Cookies

Ingredients:

3 cups sifted all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
1 1/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup ground cinnamon
Salt
3 sticks unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Royal Icing
Confectioners’ sugar or lustre dust

Method:

1. Sift flour, cocoa, cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt into a large bowl.

2. Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture, and beat until combined. Divide dough in half, and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to a 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out cookies in desired shapes using cookie cutters, and transfer to baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.

4. Bake until crisp, but not dark, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks, and let cool completely.

5. Punch desired shape out of stiff paper (we used a thick envelope) using a craft punch. Hold stencil over 1 cookie, and brush a thin layer of icing over exposed surface using a small food-safe paintbrush. Holding stencil in place, gently sift confectioners’ sugar over cookie through a fine sieve to evenly coat exposed surface. Lift stencil, and return cookie to wire rack. Repeat with remaining cookies. Let dry.

3) Eggnog

Ingredients:

4 cups milk

1 1/3 cups sugar

12 large egg yolks

1/2 cup bourbon, (optional)

1 cup chilled heavy cream

Grated nutmeg, (optional)

Method:

1. In medium saucepan, whisk milk and sugar over medium heat until sugar is dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks. Whisking constantly, pour hot mixture into yolks in a slow and steady stream.

2. Return mixture to pan; cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until thick enough to coat back of spoon, 20 to 25 minutes; do not let simmer. Quickly strain into a bowl. Stir in bourbon, if desired, and cream. Cool completely; cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate until chilled. Garnish with nutmeg, if desired.