Christmas Special Recipes

Christmas Cookies

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Making lip smacking delicacies during the festive season of Christmas is a customary seen in every Christian household. Out of all the dishes prepared for the festival, cookies stand out. This is probably because they are the chosen sweets for the festival. Christmas cookies can be prepared in innumerable ways. They have long shelf life, because of the ingredients used in them. If you are looking for easy recipes of cookies for this Christmas, then read the article. Learn how to make a couple of easy Christmas cookies recipes, in the following lines.

Christmas Cookie Recipes

Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup Molasses
* 1 tsp White Sugar
* 1/2 cup Butter
* 1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
* 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
* 1 tsp Ground Ginger
* 1 tsp Cocoa Powder
* 1 pinch Ground Black Pepper
* 1 tsp Ground Clove
* 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
* 1 pinch Ground Nutmeg
* 1 pinch Cayenne Pepper
* 1 pinch Salt

Method

* In a saucepan, combine butter and molasses. Heat the mixture over medium flame until it begins to boil, while stirring continuously.
* Remove the mixture from the flame and allow it to cool for sometime.
* In a large bowl, mix all-purpose flour, ginger, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, clove, cayenne pepper, black pepper, nutmeg and fold in salt. Blend the mixture well.
* Pour the warm molasses-butter mixture into the mixture made in the above step. Stir continuously to form a thick dough.
* Cool the dough in refrigerator for about 10 minutes, until it sets.
* Form small lemon sized balls of the dough, using 2 tablespoons of batter, each time. Now, pat the balls using your finger, to flatten them into the shape of cookies.
* Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
* Grease a baking sheet with butter and place the cookies on it.
* Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for about 8 minutes.
* Cool the baked cookies in the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, before transferring them to wrack to cool completely.
* Store the cookies in an air-tight container.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup Peanut Butter
* 1 3/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
* 1/2 cup Packed Brown Sugar
* 1/2 tsp Salt
* 1 tsp Baking Soda
* 1/2 cup Butter, softened
* 1/2 cup White Sugar
* 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
* 1 Egg, beaten
* 2 tbsp Milk

Method

* Sieve all-purpose flour, baking soda and sugar in a bowl and reserve.
* In a bowl, blend sugar, peanut butter, brown sugar and butter together with an egg beater, until it becomes fluffy. Fold in egg, milk and vanilla extract.
* Add the sifted flour mixture to the mixture prepared in the above step. Blend well, to form a dough.
* Shape the dough into small balls. Place the balls in your palm and using your fingers, flatten them to form the shape of cookies.
* Grease a baking sheet with butter.
* Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
* Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for about 8 minutes.
* Remove the baked cookies from the oven and leave them in the sheet, for about five minutes.
* Transfer the baked cookies to a wrack and then leave them to cool completely.
* Store the peanut butter cookies in an air-tight container.

Keywords: christmas recipes, christmas cookies, christmas pudding, cakes

Christmas Fudge

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Christmas is celebrated with immense zeal and enthusiasm in every Christian family of the world. Partying and feasting form an important part of the celebrations. On the occasion of Christmas, umpteen numbers of delicious delicacies are prepared in every home. These delicacies may range from main course items to desserts and drinks. Sweet dishes like cakes, bars and fudges are vital items on the Christmas party menu. Christmas Fudge is one of the most popular of all the sweet delicacies on the menu chart. Extremely luscious to taste, the Christmas Fudge is also not very difficult to make. If you also want to try this mouth watering item, here is the recipe.

Ingredients

* 1 cup Sugar
* 1/2 cup Butter
* 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
* 1/8 tbsp Salt
* 2 cups Powdered Sugar
* 1 tbsp Vanilla
* 1/2 cup chopped Red Candied Cherries
* 1/2 cup chopped Green Candied Cherries

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Method

* Spray an 8"x8" baking dish with cooking spray.
* In a large saucepan, bring the sugar, butter, cream and salt to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently.
* Let boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
* Remove from heat and slowly add the powdered sugar and vanilla.
* Keep stirring until smooth and well combined.
* Stir in the cherries until evenly distributed.
* Spoon into baking dish and chill for 1 hour or until firm.
* Cut into squares.
* Store in an airtight container.

Keywords: christmas recipes, christmas cookies, christmas pudding, cakes , christmas fudge

Christmas Special Spicy Chicken Curry

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Ingredients:


½ kg chicken, washed and cut into medium sized pieces

3 tbsp curds

1 tsp red chilli powder (adjust to suit your spice level)

¼ tsp turmeric pwd

salt to taste

Make a paste:

6-7 cashewnuts

4-5 tbsps milk

Dry roast and make a fine powder:

1” cinnamon

10-12 curry leaves

3 cloves

Rest of the ingredients:

3-4 tbsps oil

2 big onions finely chopped

1 large tomato finely chopped

1 tsp ginger-garlic paste

1 tsp coriander powder

3/4 tsp black pepper powder (adjust to suit your spice level)

¼ tsp cumin powder

coriander leaves for garnish

Method

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1 Marinate chicken pieces in chilli powder, turmeric powder, curds and salt for 20 mts.
2 While the chicken pieces are marinating, make a paste of cashewnuts and milk. Keep aside.
3 Dry roast cinnamon, cloves and curry leaves for 1 mt and make a powder of them. Keep aside.
4 Heat 1 1/2 tbsps of oil in a cooking vessel. Add the onions and saute till pink. Add ginger-garlic paste and saute further for another 3-4 minutes on medium heat.
5 Add coriander pwd, cumin pwd, pepper pwd and combine well and fry for another minute.
6 Add the tomatoes and let it cook for 3-4 minutes. Combine well and cook till oil separates.Turn off heat. Cool and grind the cooked masala. Keep aside this masala paste.
7 Heat 1 1/2 tbsps oil in a cooking vessel and add the marinated chicken and cook on high flame for 4-5 minutes, reduce heat and cook covered for another 4-5 minutes.
8 Add the ground masala paste, cashewnut paste and ground powder of cinnamon, cloves and curry leaves and combine well. (Add a cup of water for more gravy consistency). Cook till chicken pieces are soft and you get the desired curry consistency. Adjust salt.
9 Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.


Keywords: Christmas recipes, chicken curry, chicken fry, chilli ckicken

Pork curry

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Ingredients:
1 kg Pork, cut into serving portions
5 large Onions, minced
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
2 tblsp Dhania-Jeera powder
2 inch piece Cinnamon stick
8 Cloves
8 Cardamoms
2 tblsp Peppercorns
1 tblsp Mustard seeds
10 Garlic Flakes
2 inch piece of Ginger
6 Green Chillies, slit
250 gms Potatoes, boiled, peeled and cubes
1/4 cup Vinegar
Salt to taste

Method:
1. Deep fry potatoes to a golden colour.
2. Roast and grind together all spices, chillies, ginger and garlic in vinegar.
3. Heat 6 tblsp of oil and fry the onions to a golden colour.
4. Add pork and fry to a golden colour.
5. Add ground paste and salt.
6. Cover the mixture with hot water.
7. When the pork becomes tender, mix in potatoes and remove the curry from fire.
8. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Keywords: Christmas recipes, chicken curry, chicken fry, pork curry, christmas cake, christmas cookies, Christmas Fudge

Mutton Stew

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Ingredients:

Mutton - 1 kg
Onion - 2
Green chilli - 3
Garlic - 4
Cloves - 12
Fennel - 1/2 tablespoon
Black pepper - 10
Oil - 4 tablespoon
Cinnamon - 1 piece
Cardamom - 4
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Vinegar - 1 tablespoon
Potato - 1
Coconut milk - 1 cup

Directions:

Marinate the mutton pieces by mixing it with lemon juice and keep it for about 30 minutes. Add sufficient water to it, together with vinegar, black pepper and curry leaves. Cook it well. Take a pan and fry chopped onions, curry leaves, garlic and green chilies in oil for about 5 minutes. Powder the remaining spices and add it to this. To this now add the half cooked mutton pieces along with potato slices. Add some water enough to cook the potatoes. Cook in medium flame until both the potatoes and the meat gets cooked. Now add the meat gravy and add salt to taste. Finally add the coconut milk and heat. Do not boil it.

Keywords: Kerala food, kerala beef curry, pork curry, mutton curry, mutton stew, christmas special recipes, christmas recipes