Christmas time is almost upon us! Here are some ideas for South African Christmas recipes for Christmas lunch or dinner, as well as some tasty treats to cook up before the big feast.
Christmas nibbles
1. Easy rum and raisin chocolate truffles
A quick, homely chocolate truffle recipe that’s so easy to make even your children can do it.
Get the full recipe here
2. Christmas santa-berries
These are adorable, delicious and super-easy to make. What’s better than decorations you can eat?
Get the full recipe here
3. Festive sweet and savoury nuts
Easy to make and delicious to snack on at any Christmassy moment.
Get the full recipe here
Christmas main dishes
4. Roast duck with honey spice glaze
If you’re of the opinion that Turkey is a place, not a meal, try this roast duck. Crispy skin, juicy meat, and it’s infused with the aromatic glory of Chinese five spice powder.
Get the full recipe here
5. Gammon with a sticky orange and ginger glaze
Combine that wholesome smoky flavour of gammon with this delicious sweet, spicy citrus and ginger glaze.
Get the full recipe here
6. Butterflied leg of lamb on the braai
Skip the turkey altogether and put a leg of lamb on the braai. Why not?
Get the full recipe here
7. Turkey on the braai with cashew nut stuffing
Our ed’s favourite Christmas recipe.
Get the full recipe here
8. Crayfish and beef fillet
Add a bit of surf to your turf (roast) and mix things up a little by combining crayfish with your beef roast.
Get the full recipe here
9. Gammon with a pomegranate and pink peppercorn glaze
This elixir of pomegranate syrup, cherry juice and crunchy rosy-pink peppercorns is dead easy to make, and tastes sensational drizzled, warm and syrupy, over a gammon.
Get the full recipe here
10. Mango and macadamia nut turkey stuffing
A must-try, albeit rather unusual, Christmas stuffing.
Get the full recipe here
11. Bacon-wrapped apricot and macadamia nut stuffing balls for roast turkey
If you roll your eyes every year at the wodges of pallid, soggy stuffing that are scooped from the inside of the Christmas turkey, here’s a recipe for you.
Get the full recipe here
12. Christmas gammon glazed with brandy and coke
Fancy incorporating a bit of Klippies en Coke into your Christmas feast?
Get the full recipe here
13. The perfect roast lamb
Not a fan of turkey or gammon? Try this delicious roast lamb, made with rosemary and garlic.
Get the full recipe here
14. Roast potatoes with biltong
To accompany your roast lamb, beef, turkey or glazed gammon make these uniquely South African roast potatoes with biltong.
Get the full recipe here
15. Shallot and brie tart tatin
This tart tatin is a delicious option for the vegetarians at the Christmas table.
Get the full recipe here
And for Boxing Day lunch, here are some ideas for using up leftover gammon and turkey.
Christmas desserts
16. Panettone pudding
Crispy top, gooey centre: bread and butter pudding made with Christmas-spiced Italian bread and a marmalade zing is a great addition to your Christmas table.
Get the full recipe here
17. Tower of ice cream with berries and meringue
Why have ice cream in a bowl? Draw gasps of delight and excitement witha splendid tower of ice cream!
Get the full recipe here
18. Ice cream Christmas pudding
Christmas in South Africa is too hot for traditional Christmas pudding. Try this perfect southern hemisphere summer ice cream Christmas pudding instead.
Get the full recipe here
19. Christmas mince pies
What’s Christmas without mince pies? This easy recipe will motivate you to make your own – so much better than the store-bought variety.
Get the full recipe here
20. Christmas cookies
These Christmas cookies are the perfect festive treat to bake for your work colleagues, hairdresser, your kids’ teachers, and Santa Clause.
Get the full recipe here
21. Christmas ice cream cake with white chocolate and berries
With mushed up mince pies, crushed Crunchies, lots of cream, brandy AND a white chocolate casing, this could well be the ultimate Christmas pudding!
Get the full recipe here
22. Boozy, fruity Christmas trifle cake
Easy to make and can be prepared a day (or even two) in advance. Need we say more?
Get the full recipe here
23. Amarula malva pudding
If you love pudding but aren’t into candied fruits, bake an easy malva pudding with a boozy touch – it’s sure to please the whole family.
Get the full recipe here
24. Phyllo crackers with spicy plum filling
A spicy Christmas sweet treat.
Get the full recipe here
25. Quick and easy chocolate and Amarula trifle
If you prefer chocolate to fruit and Amarula to sherry then you’ll love this boozy trifle.
Get the full recipe here
26. Poached prune tart with red wine glaze
Another non-traditional Christmas dessert, this poached prune tart with a red wine glaze is the pudding to make if you’re putting on a sophisticated Christmas meal.
Get the full recipe here
27. Rum egg nog
A delicious traditional Christmas tipple.
Get the full recipe here
Recipes by Jane-Anne Hobbs Rayner, Michelle Parkin, Meg de Jong, Sarah Duff and Cameron Ewart-Smith.
Photos by Jane-Anne Hobbs Rayner, Michelle Parkin, Meg de Jong.
Cover photo by Jane-Anne Hobbs Rayner.
