No matter what your traditions are, everyone’s Christmas has one thing in common: food! Eat your way through the festive season with our A to Z of Christmas food.
A for Avocado. One of the best things about Aussie Christmas is all the fresh summer fruit and vegetables that we have access to. Add a lovely seasonal avocado to your Christmas salads or eat avocado and tomato on toast for an easy Christmas-coloured breakfast.
B for Brandy. Brandy butter, brandy custard – this spirit will bring out the flavours of your traditional deserts beautifully.
C for Cookies. The kind you leave out for Santa on Christmas Eve.
D for Decorating. Decorations aren’t just for your house! Go all out with the icing on your cookies, cakes and Christmas ham.
E for Eggnog. The quintessential American Christmas drink can be made with or without the brand or rum, so the whole family can enjoy it.
F for Fruitcake. Some people love it, others would rather stick with the Pavlova, but there’s no denying it’s a Christmas classic.
G for Gingerbread House. Set aside a full day for this one! Gather your friends and family and build the most colourful, decadent creation to use as the centrepiece of your desert table.
H for Ham. Hot or cold, this festive food will make for great next-day nibbles.
I for Indulgence. If there’s one time of year you can eat until you’re stuffed it’s Christmas!
J for Jobs. Your Christmas feasts will take a lot of work – don’t forget to share the cooking amongst your family or ask guests to bring a plate of something to seasonal get-togethers.
K for Kris Kringle. Home-made treats are a thoughtful and inexpensive gift to give to your nearest and dearest.
L for Leftovers. Boxing Day is the time to sit back, relax and not worry about cooking. Leftover ham, turkey, salad and dessert mean you can eat your fill without doing any more hard work.
M for Mince Pies. These beautiful little pastries are perfect late-night snacks or go wonderfully with a relaxing mid-morning cup of tea or coffee. They’re also sweet gifts to take to festive parties.
N for Nuts. Sprinkled through fruitcake, coated in chocolate or plain and simple, nuts are a tasty treat to keep you going in between main meals.
O for Oysters. Make the most of our summer seafood by adding some oysters to your menu.
P for Pavlova. This Australian favourite can be decorated with whatever you want – piled high with summer fruits, in traditional Christmas colours using seasonal berries, even drizzled with chocolate and caramel sauce!
Q for Quince. Elevate your cheese platter with some yummy quince paste. You can pick some up at the local supermarket or try your hand at making your own!
R for Rocky Road. Another easy-to-make treat that can be slipped into stockings and given out to friends as a sweet gift.
S for Sauces. Scatter sauces around your dinner table to complement your meats. Seafood sauce for the prawns, applesauce for the ham, and gravy for the roast.
T for Turkey. No traditional Christmas feast is complete without a delicious roast turkey fresh out of the oven – with a side of stuffing of course!
U for Upside-Down Cake. Try something a bit different by making a simple but stunning upside down cake to add to your dessert menu.
V for Vegetables. There’s so much you can do with your side dishes – try a mix of fresh salads and roast root vegetables to create variety.
W for Wine. Doing some research and finding out what kinds of wine will best suit the food you want to serve for Christmas dinner will really pay off. Plus you can impress your guests with your knowledge!
X for Xmas Cookbooks. If you’re not confident in the kitchen or want to try some new recipes this year, there are a wealth of Christmas-themed cookbooks that can help you out.
Y for Yule Log. This sponge cake rolled into a log and frosted is popular in French festive feasts.
Z for Zzzz – as in all the sleep you’ll need after feasting on all your amazing Christmas food!