Who doesn’t like Christmas? Everyone around the world celebrates Christmas as it is a festival of giving.
Many would look forward to taking selfies along the streets that have been beautifully decorated with illuminated dazzling arches of lights. Children would look forward to the present below the tree.
My family and friends would google recipes and hunt for online food delivery in preparation for the gathering dinner on eve of Christmas or on the actual day of 25th December.
I shall take this opportunity to share 8 recipes of what I plan to prepare for this Christmas.
Let me start with 3 snacks that children will love to have before the start of the dinner.
1. Wreath Cookie
Source: Taste.com
Procedure
Preheat oven to 160°C. Line 2 baking tray with baking paper.
Use an electric mixer, beat ingredients: butter, sugar and vanilla extract until light and fluffy. Sift flour and custard powder over the butter mixture. Follow by stirring with a wooden spoon till soft dough forms. Set aside for 10 minutes
Spoon ¼ dough into a piping bag fitted with a 1.5cm fluted nozzle. Pipe 6 cm circle on prepared trays. Bake for 14 – 16 minutes or till golden in colour. Cool on trays for 10 minutes.
Make lemon glaze by combining icing sugar and lemon juice in a bowl. Dizzle with glaze and top with sprinkles.
Love to have this wreath cookie? Checkout at Hommyliciouz, Wreath cookie at $15 / box.
2. Meringue Sweet
Another kid’s favourite festive food that you should have on your table is non-other than meringue sweet. For those who may not know, meringue is a type of candy or dessert and it is commonly known as Italian, Swiss and French dessert.
Due to its easy to make recipe, many bakers have recreated and made it personalised for different occasions. Read on to find this
Source: Soberjulie
Procedure
Preheat oven to 100°C
Place your egg whites into your mixer and beat on a medium speed until foamy. Now add in the cream of tartar and vanilla and mix on medium again for approximately 2 minutes.
Next, you will add in the sugar gradually, don’t rush this! Turn the mixer to high and watch the magic begin. Soon the mixture will begin to stiffen, you’ll know it’s done when stiff peaks appear as you lift the mixer from the bowl. Just before it is complete, add in food colouring and allow it to blend through.
Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Take your meringue and put it into a piping bag with a tip that has a larger round hole
Make the reindeer heads by piping the shape you like and add a mound at one end for the nose area
Place into the oven for two hours. Allow it to cool.
Take your melted chocolate and make antler shapes on parchment paper.
Place your meringue reindeer heads on top, make noses on the heads with the remaining chocolate. Don’t forget to use a bit of melted red candy melt for Rudolph!
Allow chocolate to cool and set.
Once set, place candy eyes onto the heads by using a dab of white icing.
Peel back the antlers from the parchment and serve!
No time to make this festive sweet for your kids? Check out from Hommyliciouz, Santa and reindeer meringue sweet at $4.50 today!
3. Gingerbread man
All thanks to the childhood storybooks and movies related to Gingerbread man during the Christmas season. Everyone will associate Gingerbread man with Christmas.
Source: Sallybakingaddiction
Procedure
Use a handheld mixer, beat butter till smooth and creamy. Add the brown sugar and molasses and beat till creamy. Next, beat in egg and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt ginger, cinnamon, allspice and cloves together. Slowly mix the wet ingredient together.
Divide dough in half and place each onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Wrap the dough tightly and pat it down to create a disc shape. Chill discs for at least 3 hours
Preheat 177°C. Line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Remove 1 disc of chilled cookie dough. Generously flour work surface, on hand and on the rolling pin. Roll out till ¼ inch thick.
Cut into shapes
Bake cookies for 9-10 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool before decorating.
If you prefer to enjoy the gingerbread man cookie without any mess? You can check out at Hommyliciouz, Gingerbread man cookie $20 / 50 pieces
We are done with the snacks. Let’s start our appetizer. One of the easiest yet presentable appetizers that I enjoy is this prawn cocktail.
4. Prawn Cocktail
Source: Sainsbury’s Magazine
Procedure:
Chop Lettuce and cucumber and place them at the bottom of the serving glasses
Clean and peel prawns. Cook over boiling water.
Mix the prawn with Marie Rose sauce. Ensure all the prawns are nicely coated.
Place the prawn on top of the lettuce and sprinkle a pinch of paprika.
Cut and slice avocado and lemon wedges. Place nicely in the serving glasses. Garnish it by sprinkling chopped chives on top.
I am still waiting for the home chef to start putting up this dish in Hommyliciouz. If you happened to know how to make this dish and are interested to join us as Hommyliciouz’s home chef, you may register via this link
5. Cauliflower soup
Heat butter and oil in a large pot on medium. Add onion, leek, and 1⁄2 teaspoon salt and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until very tender (but not brown), 10 to 12 minutes.
Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add cauliflower, broth and cream and simmer until cauliflower is tender 15 to 18 minutes.
Using a handheld blender (or standard blender, in batches), puree until smooth.
Make Chive Oil: In a blender, puree chive and 1⁄2 cup canola or grapeseed oil until smooth. Transfer to a small saucepan and cook on medium until mixture begins to simmer about 3 minutes. Pour through a coffee filter set over a measuring cup.
Serve drizzled with Chive Oil and cracked pepper, if desired.
Next, I have also included a bonus food idea. This dish is most commonly associated with Christmas. Thyme Roasted Turkey and Gravy.
6. Thyme Roasted Turkey and Gravy
Procedure:
Thyme-Roasted Turkey
Working on a baking sheet, remove giblets and neck of turkey from cavities. Reserve neck and discard giblets. Using paper towels, pat turkey dry. Stuff half of onions and thyme into the main cavity.
Heat oven to 190°C. Tie turkey legs together with kitchen twine. Tuck wing tips underneath the body (this will prevent them from burning). Rub turkey with butter (or oil) and season with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper.
Place turkey neck, carrots, celery, and remaining onions and thyme in a large roasting pan. Place roasting rack in pan and place turkey on top.
Roast turkey until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of thigh registers 73°C, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. (Cover turkey loosely with foil if it browns too quickly and add broth to the pan if vegetables begin to scorch.)
Carefully tilt the turkey to empty juices from the cavity into the pan. Transfer turkey to a carving board or cutting board set in the rimmed baking sheet (to catch juices while carving). Cover loosely with foil and let rest for at least 25 minutes. Reserve pan and contents to make gravy. Carve and garnish turkey as desired.
Thyme-Roasted Turkey Gravy
Remove and discard vegetables, thyme, and neck from the roasting pan. Strain pan drippings into a fat separator (or measuring cup); let stand 5 minutes so the fat rises to the top. Leaving fat behind (or spooning it off if not using a separator), pour juices from the bottom into a large (4-cup) measuring cup.
Place empty roasting pan across 2 stove burners on medium-high. Add wine and cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits, 1 minute.
Pour wine mixture into measuring cup with pan juices and add enough broth to make 4 cups liquid total.
Melt butter in a large saucepan on medium. Sprinkle flour over top and cook, whisking, until deep brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
Gradually whisk in broth mixture; bring to a boil. Add thyme sprigs, reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 8 to 12 minutes. If necessary, season with salt and pepper. Strain just before serving.
7. Chicken Lasagna
Source: All recipes
Procedure:
Boil water with lightly salted water. Cook lasagna noodles for 8 to 10min or till “al dente”. Drain, rinse with cold water.
Cook chicken in boiling water.
Preheat oven 175°C. Dissolve the bouillon cube in hot water. Mix the chicken with bouillon, cream cheese and 1 cup mozzarella cheese.
Spread 1/3 of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Cover the chicken mixture and top with lasagne noodles. Repeat the same for another layer. The top layer shall be covered with the remaining sauce and sprinkled with mozzarella cheese.
Bake for 45 minutes.
If you prefer to have it as an individual mini lasagna bite, you can also check out here: Mini Lasagna Bite.
8. Log Cake
Christmas just does not feel complete if you go without having a slice of log cake. This is definitely one of the best food ideas to bring as pot luck during your Christmas gathering.
Procedure:
Preheat oven to 175°C. Line a 17 X 12-inch sheet pan with parchment paper. You will use the parchment paper to lift the cake and roll it later
Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt (dry ingredients) together and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar and whisk till it is well combined
Add in the sour cream, melted butter and vanilla extract and whisk it together.
Add in the dry ingredients and gently whisk together till well combined and set aside.
Add egg whites to a large mixer bowl and whip till stiff peaks form
Gently fold about 1/3 of the whipped eff whites into the chocolate mixture to loosen up the batter
Add the remaining egg whites and gently fold together till well combined.
Spread the cake batter evenly into the pan and bake for 10 – 12 minutes.
Remove the cake from the oven and lift the cake out of the pan using parchment paper.
While the cake is hot, slowly roll the cake up and set the cake aside to coll
Filling:
Add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and salt to a large mixer bowl and whip till soft peaks form.
Add the mascarpone cheese to the whipped cream and whip till stiff peak form.
Unroll the cake carefully.
Spread the filling evenly and roll it back up without the parchment paper.
Wrap it up in plastic wrap and seam side down and refrigerate for at least an hour to firm up
Chocolate Ganache
Add the chocolate to a bowl and set it aside
Heat the cream in the microwave till it being to a boil. Pour it over the chocolate
Allow the chocolate and cream to sit for a few minutes then whisk till it is smooth. Let the ganache cool till room temperature.
Whisk the mixture till lightened in colour and thick enough to spread.
Spread the chocolate ganache on the log cake and decorate with dried fruits such as cranberries as desired.
Find it too hard to make this log cake? Many of our home chefs are ready to bake it this Christmas and Hommyliciouz will deliver it to your doorstep. Check out the home chefs for their Christmas’s log cake.
Chirstmas Set Menu
Not willing to join the crowd of long queue of a restaurant yet does not wish to cook during this festive? fret not. Hommyliciouz have you covered. You may wish to order the Christmas set menu directly from home chef and enjoy the Christmas celebration at the comfort of your own home.
Order your 5 course meal today by clicking here: Christmas set menu
Hope you like the Christmas Food Ideas.
Thanks for reading as always. We welcome your input, suggestions, or comments below. Let me know if the considerations in this blog are beneficial for planning your home chef business and you would like to know more about a specific meal or dish that you are planning to sell. If you plan to be a home chef or you have been selling any of the food ideas on your menu, we would like to invite you to join us as Hommyliciouz's home chef. You may click here to download the mobile application and register as a home chef.
You can contact us on WhatsApp for discussion. Whatever your strategy is, Hommyliciouz is on this journey with you and will help you market your food for success.
About Author
I grew up with my grandma and one of my favourite times when I was young was in the early morning. I could get out of the house with my grandma patronizing the wet market. She would buy fresh ingredients which she would cook for the day. Her love for her family is poured into the food she prepared daily and can be felt by every generation she cooked for. Now with my own kids, I hope they can grow up being able to enjoy healthy home cook food too. As much as I enjoy cooking for my family, I find it a difficult juggle between my 9 to 5 job and preparing meals for my family. At the same time, at the weekend, I could spend more time cooking and I wish I can share my speciality for other people to enjoy.
I knew that in this digital world that we lived in, there has to be a better way and that’s the motivation for me to start Hommyliciouz .
The objective behind Hommyliciouz is to create a connection among people within communities where the passionate chef could provide fresh, home cook meals that are healthy and affordable.
We truly hope that you can enjoy this platform sharing love through cooking.
CEO of Hommyliciouz
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