Christmas 2024: Simple at-home festive recipes to bring holiday cheer instantly

Christmas is a time to celebrate warmth, love, and, of course, food! While many families around the world celebrate the holiday in their own unique ways, for Indians, Christmas is generally a combination of traditional festive foods and regional modifications that add comfort and festivity to the table.

Whether you're planning a large family meal or a small gathering, these Christmas recipes will bring flavour and cheer to your festivities.

1. Christmas fruit cake

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A rich and delicious fruit cake, flavoured with rum and filled with dried fruits, is a Christmas tradition around the globe. The Indian version frequently incorporates native nuts such as cashews and raisins, which makes it even more delicious.

Here are the ingredients:

• 1 cup mixed dried fruits (raisins, currants, dates, and prunes)
• ? cup cashews, chopped
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ? tsp ground cinnamon
• ? tsp ground nutmeg
• ? tsp ground clove
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• ? cup rum (optional)
• ? cup orange juice
• ? tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 170¡ãC and grease a cake tin. Soak the dried fruits in rum and orange juice for a few hours or overnight. In a bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and spices together. In a separate large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar until creamy.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, alternating with the soaked fruits and chopped cashews.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake for about 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely before slicing.

2. Gingerbread cookies with Indian twist

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Gingerbread cookies are a Christmas staple, and giving them an Indian twist with spices like cardamom and nutmeg adds a delicious flavour to this popular dessert.

Here are the ingredients:

• 2? cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ? tsp ground cardamom
• ? tsp ground cloves
• ? tsp baking soda
• ? cup butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• ? cup honey
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

In a bowl, sift together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and baking soda. In another bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, honey, grated ginger, and vanilla extract, and mix well.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and combine to form a dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 180¡ãC and roll out the dough on a floured surface. Cut out shapes using cookie cutters and place them on a baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Let them cool before decorating.

3. Eggless Christmas pudding

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This eggless Christmas pudding is ideal for individuals who want to avoid eggs while still enjoying a festive, rich meal.

Here are the ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup semolina (sooji)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 cup milk
• ? cup sugar
• ? cup chopped mixed dried fruits
• ? cup ghee
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Instructions:

Grease a pudding mould or cake tin and set it aside. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, semolina, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. In a separate pan, heat ghee and add the dried fruits.

Saute for a couple of minutes. Add the dry ingredients to the ghee and fruit mixture, and stir in the milk, sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix well to form a smooth batter and pour it into the prepared mould.

Steam the pudding for about 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool slightly before serving, and garnish with chopped nuts.

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