Whether you're bringing together friends for a few festive drinks and looking for nice nibbles to serve, or you need an impressive ham and sides for a big family gathering, SBS Food's Christmas recipes collection has what you need.
CHRISTMAS DRINKS AND NIBBLES
Flamboyant, fresh and full of fast festive flavour, this cheeky drink elevates a classic cocktail with a frozen berry twist.
Frozen berry margarita. Credit: Jamie Oliver Enterprises / Tara Fisher
This creamy cocktail with crushed candy cane rim garnish makes a perfect festive party drink.
Peppermint white chocolate martini. Credit: Spencer's Big Holiday
This recipe takes inspiration from cold winter nights in Sweden, where friends gather for drinks and warm spiced nuts by the fire. But these aromatic spiced nuts are just as popular for an Aussie summer festive gathering (and make great gifts, too).
Credit: Brett Stevens
The sable, a savoury shortbread biscuit, originated in Normandy and dates back to the 19th century. They are commonly flavoured with parmesan or similar cheeses; this recipe adds anchovies for an extra hit of salty flavour.
Credit: Alan Benson
CHRISTMAS CAKE
"This is the cake I make every year and people love it," says Nornie Bero. It celebrates our Australian nuts, muntries, quandongs and spices such as pepperberries. It’s really got everything, and it’s the easiest Christmas cake you’re ever going to make.
Credit: Armelle Habib
Looking for a lighter alternative to the traditional fruit cake? This recipe, with its wonderfully evocative name, comes from Helen Tzouganatos' new book, Gluten Free Express. "When I bake this plump raisin loaf, the smell of cinnamon and mixed spice wafts through my house, making it smell like Christmas and bringing with it some festive cheer all-year round," she says. "This loaf is not overly sweet, so it’s perfect for breakfast smothered with your favourite spread. I enjoy it slightly rested out of the oven when the tea-soaked raisins are still warm and juicy."
The raisin loaf that smells like Christmas. Credit: Plum / Ben Dearnley
Also known as Cathedral or stained glass window cake, due to its exquisite appearance once sliced, this cake is dense with glacé fruit and nuts. The addition of lemon thyme in this recipe from Anneka Manning adds a citrusy hint that complements its rich sweetness beautifully. Serve it simply with a cup of tea or, for a little more sophistication, alongside a cheese plate with a sticky dessert wine.
Bishop’s cakes with lemon thyme Credit: Alan Benson
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Cherry and macadamia fruitcake
CHRISTMAS HAM, TURKEY AND SENSATIONAL SIDES
Wow your festive gathering with this Christmas spread from Mark Moriarty, including a roast ham with a brown sugar and soy glaze topped with colourful chopped glacé cherries, orange zest and thyme, plus swede, red cabbage and carrots.
Glazed roast ham, roast whole swede and festive sides. Credit: Mark Moriarty: Off Duty Chef Christmas Special
"For me, the stuffing in poultry is like a cultural exchange, the flavour of the bird goes into the stuffing, and the flavour of the stuffing goes into the bird. It’s a perfect match," says Adam Liaw. "The stuffing takes its name from the well-known song, but it’s not just because the lyrics are nice, the parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme work fantastically well together too!"
A turkey like this will draw everyone to the table. Credit: Adam Liaw
Mary Berg shares this recipe for her "crunchy, crunchy, crunchy" potatoes! Halved baby potatoes are baked in a bed of seasoned parmesan to create a crisp, golden, crunchy crust.
Credit: Mary's Kitchen Crush
A really easy but magnificent alternative to the classic festive ham. The trick, says Tom Kerridge, is to baste the bacon regularly: it creates a sensational glaze and stops the honey from burning. Great for Christmas, and the leftovers will be delicious on Boxing Day, too.
Credit: Tom Kerridge's Proper Pub Food
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Apple bourbon turkey
CHRISTMAS PUDDING - HOT AND COLD
A fine pudding to make ahead and then serve up on Christmas Day, with a generous dollop of custard, of course.
Source: SBS / SBS Food
Need to make a festive pud at the last minute? This is for you. This fruity number can be made on Christmas Day itself! Don’t be fooled by the quick cooking time, this pud might be easy, but it’s also wonderfully impressive. Another bonus: any leftovers can be used in boozy Christmas popsicles. Win-win!
Christmas Day pudding Credit: China Squirrel
Want a cool take on the traditional Christmas pud? Enter the semifreddo pudding. For an Aussie Christmas, the chilled Italian custard has been given a decidedly fruity feel with mangoes, passionfruit, pomegranate and peaches.
Credit: China Squirrel
ALTERNATIVE CHRISTMAS DESSERTS
An impressive dessert for any festive occasion, this recipe from Rebecca Sullivan and Damien Coulthard adds native Australian flavours including wattleseed, native cherry and riberries (can't get those? No problem - the recipe includes suggestions for substitutions, such as using blueberries instead of riberries).
Strawberry gum, cherry and riberry tapioca trifle Credit: Murdoch Books / Josh Geelen
Tweaking his recipe for apple strudel by substituting just under half the apple filling with fruit mince, Rick Stein creates a festive dessert that would be a lovely lighter alternative to Christmas pudding. This lovely recipe comes from his new cookbook, Rick Stein’s Christmas.
Rick Stein's apple and mincemeat strudel. Credit: Penguin Random House / James Murphy
This frozen parfait, with nuts and fruit and a little chocolate in it, is a wonderful summer dessert idea from Kirsten Tibballs. It can be made ahead and stored in the freezer for up to 3 weeks, making it a great dessert for busy festive gatherings.
Summer mousse pudding. Credit: The Chocolate Queen Christmas Special
The festive trifle gets a stylish chocolate spin, with dulce de leche cream, toasted almonds, chocolate custard, shortbread and a Spanish sherry jelly.
Credit: Feast magazine
This take on the classic Italian dessert of tiramisù lightens it up by pairing mascarpone with ricotta cheese and adds a touch of orange zest.
Jamie Oliver's Christmas tiramisu. Credit: Chris Terry / Jamie Oliver Enterprises
This mango and coconut compilation involves drizzling mango coulis over ice-cream for a vegan Christmas dessert that tastes of summer.
Try making this mango and coconut ice-cream log for a plant-based dessert option this Christmas. Credit: Audrey Fitzjohn
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Choc berry yule log
CHRISTMAS FOR KIDS
A welcome street snack in Mexico on hot summer days, paletas de agua, or ‘water popsicles’, make the most of fresh seasonal fruits. Watermelon, strawberry and lime are among the popular flavours and make a festive red popsicle just right for an Australian Christmas.
White Christmas remains a traditional Australian treat for many households during the festive season. Authentically containing powdered milk, glacé cherries, dried fruits and rice bubbles, this version omits the puffed rice and uses sweetened condensed milk rather than powdered for a truly indulgent and fudge-like result.
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Blueberry limonata
Looking for more inspiration? Explore SBS Food's Christmas recipe collection or visit SBS On Demand's Festive Feasts collection to view festive shows from Jamie Oliver, Rick Stein, Marcus Wareing, Justine Schofield and more.
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