It is that time of the year once again; filled with cheer, merry-making, delectable Christmas foods and goods, and more importantly family and loved ones. What is Christmas without an array of appetizing and flavoursome dishes? We’re sure you’re scrummaging all over the internet for some Christmas meal ideas to make your Christmas at home just a tad better with some homemade specials! To add some fun and joy to this Christmas season we have some tasks set out for you to enjoy with your loved ones. We can guarantee that these are some Christmas food dishes that are household favourites and are sure to excite everyone! Do try out these recipes for some fun and yums!
1. A Merry Chocolate Santa
You will need:
• 200g “ANODS” Dark Chocolate
• 100g “ANODS” Milk Chocolate
• 75g Coco Butter
• A Chocolate Santa Mould
• Edible Dusting Powders
How to create the magic:
Firstly, melt the dark and milk chocolates separately by adding coco butter & leave a side. Thereafter, take the chocolate Santa mould & fix both sides of the mould using the clips for stability. Then, go on to highlight the features of Santa with the melted milk chocolate using a clean dry brush and let it dry for some time.
Then rinse the inside of the mould with melted dark chocolate and let it chill for around an hour, then repeat the process with the second coating. Once the second coating has been completed, leave the mould to chill for 2 hours. Thereafter, you can begin the unmould process.
Finally, add those finishing touches on your Chocolate Santa by highlight using edible dusting powder as demonstrated in the video.
Photo Credits : @chocetmoi
2. A Snuggly Hot Chocolate
Things you will need:
• 400ml hot water
• 250g Cadbury Drinking Chocolate Mix
• 75ml Chocolate Sauce
• 2 tsps Nestomalt
• 1 tsp Caramel Sauce
• 100ml Steamed Milk
• Whipped Cream
• Wafer Stick
• Butterscotch Sauce
What you need to do:
To prepare the Chocolate Sauce, mix 250g of Cadbury’s Drinking Chocolate Mix with 400ml hot water and leave aside to chill. Add the 75ml of Chocolate Sauce, the 2 tsps. of Nestomalt, 1 tsp. of Caramel Sauce and mix it well in a 16oz Hot chocolate glass.
Thereafter, steam the milk until it’s hot, and avoid burning the milk.
Then, go on to pour the hot milk to the hot chocolate glass and give it a good stir. Finally, top it off with some whipped cream and garnish with a drizzle of Butterscotch Sauce and a wafer straw for a glass of rich hot chocolate that will keep you in check for these festive times.
Photo Credits : @actuallynhn
3. Christmassy Star Cookies
Things you will need:
• 1kg all-purpose flour (plus more for work place)
• 700g unsalted butter (plus more for baking sheets)
• 350g sifted icing sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• Pinch of salt
Creating your Star Cookies:
Firstly, line the baking trays with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat, and set aside.
Add the butter and icing sugar into a food processor and process until it reaches a creamy texture. Thereafter, gradually add the eggs along with a pinch of salt and a dash of vanilla. Process for a further 30 seconds until combined, adding the flour gradually, and process until smooth.
Thereafter, turn the dough out onto a work surface, cover the dough entirely with a plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled.
Place half of the chilled dough on baking mat and top it with a sheet of plastic wrap. Roll out the dough between the baking mat and the plastic wrap until it is around 1/8 inches thick. Refrigerate for thirty minutes or until firmly chilled. You can keep repeating the process with the remaining dough.
Now for the fun part, using a 2-inch star cookie cutter, cut out the dough and transfer to prepared baking sheets and place the sheets in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes or until dough is chilled.
Pre heat the oven to 325 °F and bake until cookies for 12 to 15 minutes at which point the cookies should have turned s pale golden colour. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool down, decorate and enjoy!
Photo Credits : @creamyconfections
4. A Jolly Stollen
Things you may need:
• 175g Raisins
• 25g Orange Candied Peel
• 50g Lemon Candied Peel
• 50ml Dark Rum
• 30g Yeast
• 125ml Milk
• 50g Sugar
• 800g Flour
• 2 tsps Vanilla
• Lemon zest of two lemons
• 2 tsps Lemon juice
• 50g of Almond flakes
• 200g Unsalted butter, melted
• 10g Salt
• 150g butter, softened
• Pinch of nutmeg
• Pinch of cloves
• 8oz marzipan
For dusting to serve –
• 25g Butter, melted
• 250g Icing sugar
How to make:
Preheat the oven to 190C /375F.
Combine the flour & sugar in a large bowl. Add the yeast on one side of the bowl and the salt on the other. Thereafter, add the softened butter and half of the milk and stir well.
Add the remaining milk and bring the mixture together to form a soft dough, transfer to a generously floured work surface & knead for 6- 7 minutes or until smooth and pliable.
Thereafter, mix the nut meg, cloves, vanilla, almonds, dried fruits and mixed peel together in a large bowl. Put the dough on top and knead from the outside into the center incorporating the dried fruits and spices as you go. When everything has been fully incorporated cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and leave to rise for 1- 2 hours in a warm place or until doubled in size.
Flatten the dough and roll out on a lightly floured work surface and form a rectangle about 45 to 35 cm/18 to 14 in (or so the short side of the dough matches the longest side of your baking tray) and brush with the melted butter.
Roll out the marzipan to about 35 to 15 cm/ 14 to 6 in ( the long side should approximately match the width of the dough) and place on top of the dough in the middle. Roll the dough up to enclose the marzipan and transfer to a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Cover and leave to rise for about an hour or until risen and doubled in size.
When the dough is risen, bake for an hour, remove from the oven brush with melted butter & dust with icing sugar, make sure you serve cold.
Photo Credits : @cookingpeanutsofficial
5. A Snowy Yule Log
Things you will need:
• 3 nos large eggs
• 85g Sugar
• 85g Flour
• 2 tbsp Cocoa Powder
• 1/2 tsp Baking powder
For the filling:
• 50g Butter
• 140g Dark Chocolate
• 200g Icing Sugar
• 50g Cocoa Powder
For garnishing:
• Few holly sprigs
• Few berries
• Snow icing
• Chocolate flakes
How to make it:
Firstly, preheat the oven to 200C/180C. Butter and line a Swiss roll tin with baking parchment. Beat the eggs and sugar together with an electric whisk for about 8 minutes until thick and creamy.
Mix the flour, Cocoa Powder and baking powder together then sift onto the egg mixture. Fold it in carefully adding the melted butter. Then pour it into the tin. Tip the tin from side to side to spread the mixture into the corners, and bake for 10 minutes.
To make the icing, cream the butter whilst adding icing sugar gradually, and add the melted chocolate and Cocoa Powder. Beat until it’s creamy and smooth.
Thereafter, unravel the cake, spread the cream over the top and carefully roll up into a log.
Cut a thick diagonal slice from one end of the slice on the side with the diagonal cut against the cake to make a branch. Spread the icing over the log and branch (make sure you do not cover the ends)
Use a fork to mark the icing to give the effect of a tree bark, sprinkle chocolates flakes and scatter with snow icing sugar to resemble snow & decorate with holly & berries. You’re good to go!
Photo Credits : @gracefulleats
Author – Shenella Fonseka
