As the holiday season knocks at the door, its time for get togethers and grand feasts. From mouthwatering appetizers to show-stopping mains and delightful desserts, these recipes can indeed make your day exciting. Let's make this Christmas memorable with delightful dishes that bring joy to your table in no time!


1. Yule Log (By Chef Sandeep Panwar, Executive Chef at DoubleTree by Hilton Gurugram Baani Square)


Ingredients:


For the cake



  • 3 eggs (free rage)

  • 85g caster sugar

  • 85g plain flour

  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder

  • 1/2 tsp baking powder


For the filling & icing



  • 50g butter, plus extra for the tin

  • 140g dark chocolate

  • 1 tbsp golden syrup

  • 300 ml double cream

  • 200g icing sugar, sifted

  • Icing sugar


Method:



  • Heat the oven to 200C. Butter and line a baking tray with parchment. Beat the eggs and caster sugar together until thick and creamy.

  • Mix the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder together, then sift onto the egg mixture. Fold in very carefully, then pour into the tray. Tip the tray from side to side to spread the mixture evenly. Bake for 10-15 minutes.

  • Rest the cake sheet on a marble slab, spread the cake evenly with frosty and roll. Let it cool. Cover with butter paper.

  • To make the icing, melt the butter and dark chocolate together in a bowl over a pan of hot water. Remove from the heat and stir in the golden syrup and double cream. Beat in the icing sugar until smooth.

  • Whisk the remaining double cream until it holds its shape. Unravel the cake, spread the cream over the top, and carefully roll up again into a log.

  • Cut a thick diagonal slice from one end of the log. Lift the log on to a plate, then arrange the slice on the side with the diagonal cut against the cake to make a branch. Spread the icing over the log and branch (don’t cover the ends), then use a fork to mark the icing to give the effect of tree bark. Scatter with un-sifted icing sugar to resemble snow, and decorate.


 2. Chocolate Pine Cones (By Karishma Sakhrani from Communion)


Elements:



  • Chocolate Brownie

  • Salted Caramel


Ingredients for Brownie:



  • Dark Chocolate- 240 gm

  • Sunflower oil- 90 ml

  • Castor sugar- 250 gm

  • Water- 160 ml

  • Flour- 180 gm

  • Cocoa powder- 60 gm

  • Salt- ½ tsp


Method to make brownie:



  • Pre- heat the oven at 160°C and line an 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper.

  • Melt dark chocolate over a double boiler and set aside. 

  • In a pan melt sugar with water.

  • Combine the sugar syrup, oil and melted chocolate in a bowl. 

  • Add the Cocoa powder, flour and salt in the above mixture. Whisk until a smooth, fairly thick batter is formed. 

  • Add this mixture to the baking pan and bake at 160°C for 20 to 25 mins.


Ingredients for Salted Caramel:



  • Sugar - 100 gms

  • Butter - 50 gms

  • Heavy Cream - 60 gms

  • Flaky salt- 1 pinch


Method to make salted caramel:



  • In a pan start by melting sugar to a thick amber color liquid. Ensure not to burn it.

  • Once the sugar is completely melted, immediately add in the cold butter while continuously whisking the mixture.

  • After the butter has melted and combined with the caramelized sugar, stir constantly as you very slowly pour in the heavy cream.

  • After all the heavy cream has been added, stop stirring and allow to boil for 1 minute. 

  • Remove from the heat and let it cool.  Caramel thickens once it cools down. 


Assembly 



  • Brownie- 1 piece

  • Salted caramel- 2 tbsp 

  • Icing sugar- 5 gms 

  • Rosemary- a few sprigs 

  • Chocos- ¼ cup 


Method:



  • Take 1 piece of the brownie and crumble it. Flatten the brownie out on your palm with a thickness of half an inch. 

  • Add some salted caramel in between and shape the brownie into a cone. 

  • Place the conical brownie on a plate and place the Chocos in a way to resemble a pine cone. 

  • Add rosemary sprigs in between the chocos and dust the chocolate cone with icing sugar.


3. Turkey with Stuffing (Amit Dogra, Executive Chef, WelcomHeritage Elysium Resort & Spa)


Ingredients:



  • Turkey: This recipe was written for a 12-pound turkey. If your bird is larger or smaller, you'll need to adjust your cooking time.

  • Stuffing mix: Packaged dry bread stuffing mix is usually located on the baking aisle or on the grain aisle at the grocery store. If it's not there, try the instant food section.

  • Butter: Butter adds richness and flavor to the stuffing mix.

  • Vegetables: You'll need diced onion and celery.

  • Bread: Toast sliced white bread, then tear it into pieces.

  • Seasonings: This easy turkey with stuffing is simply seasoned with salt and pepper.

  • Oil: Rub the turkey with vegetable oil before roasting to add moisture, ensuring a juicy bird. 


How to Make Turkey with Stuffing 


Unsure how to stuff a turkey? You're in luck. You'll find the full, step-by-step recipe below – but here's a brief overview of what you can expect when you make this turkey with stuffing. 



  1. Prepare turkey: Remove and discard the giblets. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels and place it in a roasting pan.

  2. Prepare stuffing: Bring the water and butter to a boil. Stir in the stuffing mix, cover, remove from heat, and let rest for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the celery and onion in butter. Add the cooked veggies to the stuffing. Stir in bread pieces, salt, and pepper.

  3. Stuff turkey: Stuff the bread mixture into the body and neck cavities of the turkey. Rub the skin with vegetable oil.

  4. Roast turkey: Loosely cover the bird with aluminum foil. Roast the stuffed turkey in a preheated oven until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 180 degrees F and the interior of the stuffing reaches 165 degrees F. Remove the foil during the last 30 minutes of roasting to brown the skin. 


4. Whole Roasted Chicken with Orange Pepper and Thyme (By Chef Dheeraj Mathur from Radisson Blu Kaushambi Delhi NCR)


Ingredients:


Orange Pepper



  • 3 tablespoons orange zest (from 3 medium oranges)

  • ⅓ cup crushed black pepper (50 grams)

  • 3 tablespoons salt


Whole Roasted Chicken:



  • 1.5 kg  pounds whole chicken

  • ¼ cup melted butter (4 tablespoons)

  • 3 tablespoon olive oil

  • ¼ cup dry white wine (4 tablespoons)

  • ½ orange

  • 1 ½ tablespoons orange pepper (see above)

  • 4 garlic cloves, grated

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme + 3 fresh thyme sprigs

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)

  • 1 head of garlic, roughly peeled and cut in half horizontally


Method:


Orange Pepper



  • Zest the oranges. Whisk together with crushed peppercorns and place on a parchment lined baking sheet and let it dry out in the oven on 50 Degree Celsius for about an hour or until completely dry. Once dry, add to a spice grinder and blitz until fine. Mix in salt if desired.


Whole Roasted Chicken



  • Preheat the oven to 165 Degree Celsius. Place the chicken on a baking tray, remove any excess fat and feathers (and the neck from the cavity if it's there). Pat dry with a paper towel.

  • In a small bowl, combine melted butter, olive oil, white wine and the juice of half an orange. Pour the mixture over the chicken, inside the cavity, and in under the skin. Separate the skin from the meat by running your hand underneath the skin.

  • Sprinkle generously with orange pepper, garlic and herbs on both sides of the chicken, rub it well.

  • In the cavity, add the juiced orange halve, the two halves of the garlic head and 3 fresh thyme sprigs. Tie the legs together with a kitchen string.

  • Make sure the breast side is up, roast for 1 hour 30 minutes on the middle rack. After 45 minutes, baste the chicken with the juices from the tray (i.e., pour the juices back on top of the chicken). Continue cooking until the juices run clear (about 1 hour 30 minutes total, but this will depend on the size of your chicken). This is also when the chicken is 74 degrees Celsius in the thickest part of the thigh.

  • Baste again and put the broiler on and broil for another 3-5 minutes, or until skin is golden.

  • Remove from oven, cover with foil and allow to stand for 15 minutes before serving.

  • Serve with the juices from the baking tray, orange wedges. 


5. Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls Recipe (By Chef Kunal Kapur, Saffola)


Ingredients:   



  • 1 cup milk powder 

  • 2 tbsp Peanut Butter

  • 1/2 cup powdered coconut 

  • 1 cup chocolate chips 


Method:



  • To make the peanut butter mixture, place a non-stick pan over medium heat and add in the chocolate peanut butter. As the butter begins to melt, add milk powder, and, chocolate chips. Stir consistently until the mixture reaches a thick consistency, then switch off the heat. 

  • Coat your hands with a bit of oil or butter, then shape small chocolate peanut butter balls and roll them in desiccated coconut. Pop them in the freezer for two hours and they're ready to enjoy! 


Tips to make it more delicious 



  • If you want to make these pops more delicious add in some crushed nuts and berries. 



  • You can add 1 teaspoon of coffee to give that aromatic mocha flavour. 


6. Mushroom Spinach Mayo Sandwich (By Chef Kunal Kapur, Saffola)


Ingredients: 



  • Bread - 4 Slices 

  • Mushroom - 1 Cup 

  • Spinach - 1 bunch 

  • Onion - 2 small-sized sliced 

  • Green Capsicum - 1/2 sliced 

  • Eggless Mayonnaise

  • Black Pepper powder - a pinch (as per taste) 

  • Red Chilli Flakes - as per taste 

  • Salt - as per taste 

  • Butter - 1 tablespoon + for greasing 


Method:



  • Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a pan. 



  • Add sliced mushrooms and saute it on a high flame for a minute. 



  • Then add sliced onion and saute for a minute. 



  • Then add sliced capsicum and saute for a minute. 



  • Add well-washed and chopped spinach. Mix well and saute on a high flame. 



  • Add salt, mix well and cook until the water is evaporated. 



  • Lower the flame and add red chilli flakes, and black pepper powder. Mix well and cook for a minute. Then switch off the flame and let it cool completely. 



  • Now, take bread slices. Spread the extra creamy mayonnaise on bread slices. 



  • Put the mushroom and spinach filling and a bit of the extra creamy mayonnaise again. Cover it with another bread slice. 



  • Apply butter on the top and toast it on a hot pan. Apply butter on other side and toast it. 



  • Once done, take it out and cut into pieces. 



  • Delicious 'Mushroom Spinach Sandwich' is ready to be served. 


7. Oats Pudding (By Chef Kunal Kapur, Saffola)


Ingredients:



  • 1 cup Oats 

  • 1 tbsp baking powder

  • 1/2 tbsp cinnamon powder

  • 2 tbsp melted butter

  • A dash of Vanilla essence

  • 2 tbsp instant coffee powder

  • 1 banana

  • 2 tbsp peanut butter ¼ cup Honey 

  • ¾ cup milk

  • 1 small cup chopped Chocolate for Ganache                                        


Method:



  • To make the chocolate ganache, first add chopped chocolate along with butter in a heat proof glass or metal bowl using the double boiling method.

  • Heat the ingredients until it starts simmering. Once it start simmering, turn off the heat immediately and let it sit for a couple of minutes before stirring

  • In another medium bowl, blend oats, baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla, banana, coffee powder, honey and salt. Pour chocolate ganache on top of the oat base. Cover and place in the fridge for at least two-three hours or overnight.

  • Once cooled, serve with your favorite toppings.