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Christmas 'munch' at home - what are you doing?
One of our great yearly pleasures - or horrors, depending on your point of view - is to prepare for the Christmas eat-a-thon!
Yep, it's that time of the year again to dust off the Santa suit and prepare for the invasion of relatives descending on you yet again on Christmas Day. Whether you're having the family around for Christmas lunch or dinner, you become, unconsciously perhaps, a catering manager, a commercial cook (or chef, depending on your expertise!), a beverage manager, entertainment officer, motel manager (how many people are coming to stay for a few days - and have you a comfortable chair for Grandad to have a snooze after lunch?), house cleaner...it goes on and on.... On this page, we'll be providing some easy to prepare Christmas treats - and meals - so that some of the pain might be taken out of your preparations. We 'top load' our recipes here... so spool down the page for more! We'll be loading more here weekly! |
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Christmas Fruit Mince Pies
Afternoon tea after a big Christmas lunch requires a special treat or two to keep the adults happy while the kids play with their new toys. Now’s the time to create another ‘Wow!’ moment as you whip out your very own hand-made Christmas Fruit Mince Pies!
This recipe is easy to make in the days leading up to Christmas and will cement your place in family folklore!
In medieval times, this pastry was called a "chewette" and contained chopped meat or liver, boiled eggs, ginger, dried fruit and other sweet ingredients. Thank goodness we don't include the meat and boiled eggs today!
Here are some of the traditions surrounding this delightful sweet snack...
Afternoon tea after a big Christmas lunch requires a special treat or two to keep the adults happy while the kids play with their new toys. Now’s the time to create another ‘Wow!’ moment as you whip out your very own hand-made Christmas Fruit Mince Pies!
This recipe is easy to make in the days leading up to Christmas and will cement your place in family folklore!
In medieval times, this pastry was called a "chewette" and contained chopped meat or liver, boiled eggs, ginger, dried fruit and other sweet ingredients. Thank goodness we don't include the meat and boiled eggs today!
Here are some of the traditions surrounding this delightful sweet snack...
- Mince pies are a favourite of Father Christmas, so let the kids put one on a plate with the carrots for the reindeer.
- When you're making your mince pies only stir the mixture clockwise because stirring it counterclockwise is bad luck for the upcoming year.
- While eating the first mince pie of the season, it’s traditional to make a wish.
- Always eat mince pies in silence. (use this to silence the kids while you savour your masterpieces!) And note - eating a mince pie each day of the 12 days of Christmas is good luck for the upcoming year.
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Something to drink with that?
And while the munchkins hoover their way through your pies, here’s how to specially treat Grandad (or ‘significant other’ male) before he goes to sleep on the lounge....
And while the munchkins hoover their way through your pies, here’s how to specially treat Grandad (or ‘significant other’ male) before he goes to sleep on the lounge....
It’s time to give him his Christmas present - that special bottle of old Tawny, just made to go with your mince pies. Tawny (aka Port) strikes just the right note to accompany the fruity flavours of your mince pies - and what better place to source your tawnies than the Barossa Valley! Here’s a couple of suggestions for you.
Now if you’ve got a lazy $2,000 laying around, what better than a bottle of 1916 Centenary Tawny from Seppeltsfield! Give Grandad a bottle of this and he’ll write everyone else out of the will in favour of you! This 375ml bottle comes in its own special case with Certificate of Authentication. Can’t afford the 375ml botlle? There’s a 100ml bottle for just $700 - but either way, these tawnies are not for slopping back on the tonsils, so make sure Grandad appreciates their ‘collectors’ heritage.
If Grandad’s not 100 years old, you can buy his ‘birth year’ collector’s tawny from Seppeltsfield, at various price points, depending on his age.
Now if you’ve got a lazy $2,000 laying around, what better than a bottle of 1916 Centenary Tawny from Seppeltsfield! Give Grandad a bottle of this and he’ll write everyone else out of the will in favour of you! This 375ml bottle comes in its own special case with Certificate of Authentication. Can’t afford the 375ml botlle? There’s a 100ml bottle for just $700 - but either way, these tawnies are not for slopping back on the tonsils, so make sure Grandad appreciates their ‘collectors’ heritage.
If Grandad’s not 100 years old, you can buy his ‘birth year’ collector’s tawny from Seppeltsfield, at various price points, depending on his age.
For something a bit more affordable (and just as yummy) why not get the Old Codger a bottle or two of....well, OLD CODGER... - from Dutschke Wines of Lyndoch!
Old Codger Fine Old Tawny is a blend of many fortified wines from barrels that have been collecting dust in the Dutschke shed for many years. Winemaker Wayne Dutschke says of it:
It shows great complexity and has much rancio butterscotch like flavours, a result of blending the older fortifieds with the younger fresher components.
And Hey! for $20, it may be as much as you want to spend on your Old Codger!
Couple it with Dutschke’s Bourbon Barrel Tawny, if the codger likes Tawny AND the taste of Bourbon. This $40 lip-smacking tawny sniffs of Bourbon because it’s had time on used Bourbon wine barrel wood imported by Dutschke from good ol’ Kentucky in the US of A. Impress your Old Codger by telling him that the Barossa and Kentucky have a lot in common - Kentucky was the home of the first commercial vineyard in the US and once produced more than 50 percent of the US’ grape harvest and wine yield......
(...note the subtle shifts from caterer to bar manager to entertainment officer? .... Yep, you’ll be very much in Grandad’s good books for the next 12 months!) If nothing else, it’ll put him to sleep for the afternoon!
Old Codger Fine Old Tawny is a blend of many fortified wines from barrels that have been collecting dust in the Dutschke shed for many years. Winemaker Wayne Dutschke says of it:
It shows great complexity and has much rancio butterscotch like flavours, a result of blending the older fortifieds with the younger fresher components.
And Hey! for $20, it may be as much as you want to spend on your Old Codger!
Couple it with Dutschke’s Bourbon Barrel Tawny, if the codger likes Tawny AND the taste of Bourbon. This $40 lip-smacking tawny sniffs of Bourbon because it’s had time on used Bourbon wine barrel wood imported by Dutschke from good ol’ Kentucky in the US of A. Impress your Old Codger by telling him that the Barossa and Kentucky have a lot in common - Kentucky was the home of the first commercial vineyard in the US and once produced more than 50 percent of the US’ grape harvest and wine yield......
(...note the subtle shifts from caterer to bar manager to entertainment officer? .... Yep, you’ll be very much in Grandad’s good books for the next 12 months!) If nothing else, it’ll put him to sleep for the afternoon!
Mini steamed Christmas pudding - and bubbly
This is a Christmas pudding recipe that is exceptionally easy to make - and is far tastier than anything mass produced.
Make this now and refrigerate - take it out of the fridge and microwave it after Christmas lunch - make the special Christmas custard to go with it - and you're good to go. You'll be hailed as the best Christmas chef going around!
Below is the recipe... (to help you, we've put the recipe in a .PDF form which you can download - find it at the bottom).
Serves 12. Preparation time: 40 minutes, plus ‘standing time’ (see below). Cooking time: 2 hours, steaming. The puddings can be made up to 3 months in advance (keep them by refrigerating) - or up to a year, if you freeze them.
Ingredients:
Make this now and refrigerate - take it out of the fridge and microwave it after Christmas lunch - make the special Christmas custard to go with it - and you're good to go. You'll be hailed as the best Christmas chef going around!
Below is the recipe... (to help you, we've put the recipe in a .PDF form which you can download - find it at the bottom).
Serves 12. Preparation time: 40 minutes, plus ‘standing time’ (see below). Cooking time: 2 hours, steaming. The puddings can be made up to 3 months in advance (keep them by refrigerating) - or up to a year, if you freeze them.
Ingredients:
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1 1/2 cups (250 g) of raisins
1 1/2 (250 g) sultanas 1 2/3 cups (250 g) currants 2 tablespoons of sweet sherry 1 medium sized apple (170 g) (granny smith) 1 medium carrot (120 g) peeled and grated half cup (60 g) ground almonds (almond meal) 1 1/2 cup (300 g) firmly packed dark brown sugar |
250 g butter, grated
4 cups (280 g) stale bread crumbs 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon of salt 1 cup (150 g) plain flour 4 eggs 2 teaspoons of finely grated orange rind 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice |
Preparing your mix - remember everyone has to have a stir!
Method:
Combine the raisins, saltanas and currents with sherry in a large bowl. Mix well. Cover and stand overnight or for several days, stirring occasionally. This ‘marinates’ the dry mix with the sherry to infuse flavour.
After this, you’re ready to add the rest of the ingredients, but first, prepare the mini moulds. We used Dariole moulds (which you can get from any reputable kitchenware shop. Alternatively you can use heat-proof dishes (3/4 cup, or 180 ml capacity). The ingredients above will fill 12 moulds.
Grease your moulds, and put to one side.
Now prepare the covers which must go over the moulds prior to baking. Cut 12 pieces of baking paper and 12 pieces of aluminium foil each approximately 12 centimetres square.
Pleat the baking paper by folding the paper in on itself a number of times. You pleat the baking paper to allow for the expansion of steam as the puddings cook.
You’ll also need cooking twine to secure the baking paper and foil to each mould.
Take out the mixture you’ve let stand and add the apple, carrot, almonds, sugar, butter, breadcrumbs, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and flour - and mix well. Beat the eggs with the rind and orange juice in a separate bowl, and stir into the mixture.
Divide the mixture among the moulds and cover each mould with a piece of pleated baking paper and cover that with the foil and tie that down with the cooking twine on each mould.
Place the moulds in a shallow frying pan - or an electric frying pan with enough boiling water to come half-way up the sides of the moulds. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and boil for 2 hours. Check the water every 15/20 minutes and replenish it with boiling water as needed to maintain the water level.
After the 2 hours is up, take the moulds out and leave until they cool down. Take the now-cooked puddings out of the moulds and wrap thoroughly in plastic wrap, them place them in an air-tight container or individual freezer bags.
You’re done! You can refrigerate the puddings for up to three months - or you can freeze them for up to a year. Ideal if you intend having a mid-year Christmas party! When you want to use your puddings, simply place them in the microwave (in a microwave-safe container) and heat. To cook 4 puddings at time in the microwave, heat for 3 minutes, for example.
Combine the raisins, saltanas and currents with sherry in a large bowl. Mix well. Cover and stand overnight or for several days, stirring occasionally. This ‘marinates’ the dry mix with the sherry to infuse flavour.
After this, you’re ready to add the rest of the ingredients, but first, prepare the mini moulds. We used Dariole moulds (which you can get from any reputable kitchenware shop. Alternatively you can use heat-proof dishes (3/4 cup, or 180 ml capacity). The ingredients above will fill 12 moulds.
Grease your moulds, and put to one side.
Now prepare the covers which must go over the moulds prior to baking. Cut 12 pieces of baking paper and 12 pieces of aluminium foil each approximately 12 centimetres square.
Pleat the baking paper by folding the paper in on itself a number of times. You pleat the baking paper to allow for the expansion of steam as the puddings cook.
You’ll also need cooking twine to secure the baking paper and foil to each mould.
Take out the mixture you’ve let stand and add the apple, carrot, almonds, sugar, butter, breadcrumbs, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and flour - and mix well. Beat the eggs with the rind and orange juice in a separate bowl, and stir into the mixture.
Divide the mixture among the moulds and cover each mould with a piece of pleated baking paper and cover that with the foil and tie that down with the cooking twine on each mould.
Place the moulds in a shallow frying pan - or an electric frying pan with enough boiling water to come half-way up the sides of the moulds. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and boil for 2 hours. Check the water every 15/20 minutes and replenish it with boiling water as needed to maintain the water level.
After the 2 hours is up, take the moulds out and leave until they cool down. Take the now-cooked puddings out of the moulds and wrap thoroughly in plastic wrap, them place them in an air-tight container or individual freezer bags.
You’re done! You can refrigerate the puddings for up to three months - or you can freeze them for up to a year. Ideal if you intend having a mid-year Christmas party! When you want to use your puddings, simply place them in the microwave (in a microwave-safe container) and heat. To cook 4 puddings at time in the microwave, heat for 3 minutes, for example.
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To-die-for Custard for your Christmas Pudding!
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Something to drink with that?
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Serves 6. Preparation time: 10 minutes. Cooking time: 10 minutes. This recipe can be made 2 days in advance.
Ingredients: 5 egg yolks 1/4 cup (55 g) of castor sugar half of a vanilla bean 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) of full-cream milk 3/4 cup (180 ml) cream 2 tablespoons of liqueur (Grand Marnier, Irish Cream, Kahlua, Brandy or Sherry) Method: beat egg yolks and sugar with an electric mixer until think and creamy split the vanilla bean in half lengthways, scrape out seeds and put them to one side. Combine the milk, cream, vanilla bean and seeds in a medium saucepan. Bring to the boil, stirring as you go. Remove this from the heat, then gradually add this mixture into the egg mixture. Return this now-combined mixture to the saucepan and stir over a low heat without boiling it, until the custard coats the back of a metal spoon. This takes about 10 minutes. Take out the vanilla bean, and stir in the liqueur. You’re done! Pour the custard over your mini puddings and stand by for rave reviews!
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We liked this Pinot Noir Chardonnay from Thorn Clarke - quintes-sentially Barossan, the grapes picked at night from Thorn Clarke's cooler local vineyards. Great bubbles at an affordable price!
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