Christmas Recipes
New Zealand Christmas Recipes
Whether you opt for a traditional Christmas spread or eat Kiwi-style with a barbeque by the pool or a picnic at the beach, we've got ideas and supplies for your festive feast.
Traditional Kiwi Christmas dinner
The usual fare for Christmas in New Zealand is glazed ham or turkey with roast potatoes, pumpkin, kumara, onions and cloves of garlic, all covered in tasty homemade gravy.
Christmas in New Zealand is a summery, warm, sunny day affair, so a traditional Christmas dinner or midday meal may not be what you choose. Why not try something different? Many Kiwi families opt for a barbecue by the pool, a Christmas Day picnic at the beach, or a Christmas feast with a Kiwi flavour.
For a fresh Christmas picnic, try:
- A range of gourmet breads with homemade hummus, guacamole and dukkah
- Fresh green salads with homemade bread
- Quiche or bacon and egg pie with salads
- Fruit punch made with lime, apple and feijoa juice
For dessert, as well as the traditional Christmas cake and steamed Christmas pudding, try tucking into:
• Pavlova topped with fresh kiwifruit or strawberries
• Lemon and mango cheesecake
• Fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and boysenberries with vanilla ice cream
• Fresh papaya glazed with sugar and topped with sliced almonds, orange zest and yoghurt
Remember to try out any new Christmas dinner recipe ideas ahead of time to ensure you avoid stress and wow your guests on the day!
Christmas cake recipe
A traditional Christmas favourite, this rich fruity cake is ideal for Christmas and other special occasions, such as weddings, christenings and New Year celebrations. You’ll find this Christmas cake an easy favourite to make.
Ingredients:
500g raisins and 500g sultanas
125g chopped dates
150g glace cherries
150g mixed peel
150g sliced or flaked almonds
2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp mixed spice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon or cloves
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1/2 tsp salt
grated rind of 2 oranges
2 cups brandy
500g butter
500 g dark muscovado sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
10 eggs
125g self-raising flour
500 g flour
Method:
1. Prepare cake tin – grease and line a deep 25cm square cake tin with two sheets of baking paper.
2. Mix raisins, sultanas, dates, cherries, mixed peel, almonds, nutmeg, mixed spice, cinnamon or cloves, white pepper, salt, orange rind and 1 cup brandy together. Cover and leave overnight.
3. Beat butter, sugar and vanilla essence until light and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after adding each. Sift flour on top, then add fruit and gently mix (with your hands is best).
4. Place mixture into prepared cake tin and level the cake’s top. Wrap outside of tin in six layers of newspaper and secure with string.
5. Bake low in the oven at 160 degrees Celsius for 3.5 to 4 hours. Cover with baking paper if the top of the cake colours too much.
6. Sprinke quarter cup of brandy over the top of the cake and wrap in foil. Over the space of a month, pour another three lots of brandy over the cake, re-wrapping each time.
7. For butter icing, mix 500g softened butter with 1kg icing sugar, 2 tbsp of milk and 2 tsp of almond or vanilla essence.
Find more Christmas cake recipes and Christmas food shops in the NZS.com directory.
Christmas pudding recipe
A classic Christmas after-dinner treat, this Christmas pudding will be enjoyed by all the family. Reheating to serve is easy: just bring a pot of water to the boil and simmer the pudding in it for one hour. Serve with whipped cream, ice cream or plain yoghurt.
Ingredients:
200g nuts, including almonds, walnuts and brazil nuts
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
1/2 cup mixed dried fruit
3/4 cup finely grated carrot
3/4 cup brown or muscovado sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped prunes
1/2 cup finely diced dried figs
1/2 cup flour
125 grams butter, grated
1/2 cup Guinness or dark beer
4 eggs
2 tbsp treacle or golden syrup, warmed
grated rind each one lemon and orange
1/2 tsp each mixed spice and cardamom or ginger
Method
1. Chop nuts and mix with breadcrumbs, dried fruit, grated carrot, sugar, prunes, figs, flour and butter in a bowl. Make a well in the centre of the mixture.
2. Beat Guinness, eggs, treacle, citrus rinds and spices and pour into the well. Mix together thoroughly.
3. Place mixture in a greased and floured oven roasting bag, then shape into a ball. Wrap this in scalded calico and tie with string to make the package watertight.
4. Boil a large pot of water and place an old saucer in the pot so that the pudding doesn’t come into contact with the bottom of the pot. The water should cover the pudding. Bring to the boil.
5. Simmer for three hours, adding boiling water as the level of water lowers in the pot.
6. Lift pudding out and hang to dry. Once the pudding has cooled and is firm, place in the fridge.
Find more Christmas pudding recipes and Christmas food shops in the NZS.com directory.
Christmas baking and recipes for kids
Some of the best Christmas food is also the easiest to make. If you have kids in your household over the Christmas holiday season, get them into Christmas baking!
- Quick trifle made using a pre-made sponge, raspberry jam, tinned fruit salad, whipped cream, custard and grated chocolate to top it all off. Add sherry for an adult dessert!
- Spicy ginger cookies cut into festive Christmas shapes and decorated with icing or chocolate chips.
- Shortbread angels to hang on the Christmas tree.
- Mulled wine for kids, made from grape juice and spiced up with cloves, cinnamon sticks, orange and lemon peel, crushed nutmeg and lemon or lime juice.
Find more ideas to get kids Christmas recipes online to get your kids into the kitchen over the summer holidays.
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Seasons and Celebrations images from Flickr: Dyed Eggs, Chickees and Chocolate Bunnies.
