X'mas supper

With eight days left for Christmas, it is time to whip up some tasty treats for friends and family. SUNDAY PIONEER brings you some traditional recipes for this festival

Edible ginger bread house

A 20 feet high edible gingerbread house has been erected for the ultimate gingerbread experience at The Oberoi, Gurugram. This life-size dine-in hand-crafted abode is truly what sweet dreams are made of with its stylishly decorated edible walls. The one-of-a-kind house is made of over 250 kg honey, 300 kg sugar, 400 kg flour, 10 kg spice mix that includes ginger powder, cinnamon, clove and nutmeg, and 550 eggs. Besides the Christmas goodies, this edible house also contains chocolate reindeers, Santa’s sledge, a gingerbread family, letters from Santa, chocolate penguins, owls, Christmas trees and lots lots more! The inspiration behind this Gingerbread house was to bring Santa’s living room to life. In addition to the global trend of having everything edible and made in chocolate, the walk-in and tour of the hose captures a warm, cozy feel with an edible post box with letters to Santa and lots more. The chocolate used is Belgian 63% premium chocolate. The team took over a month with the execution of this unique house, the edible interiors of which are regularly replenished for visiting kids to have fun with tasty bites

PlUM PUDDING

HISTORY:  The pudding originated as a 14th century porridge called frumenty. It was made of beef and mutton with raisins, currants, prunes, wines and spices. By 1595, it slowly changed to plum pudding and became the customary Christmas dessert around 1650 AD.

INGREDIENTS    Quantity

Bread Crumbs   10,000 gm

Flour      450 gm

Soaked fruit       7,180 gm

Almond flakes   240 gm

Orange juice, rind            200 ml

Cinnamon powder          5 gm

Vanilla essence                 4 ml

Baking powder 20 gm

Butter   1,000 gm

Brown sugar       1,000 gm

Eggs       16 No

Coco powder     150 gm

Method

• lightly cream butter and brown sugar add eggs one by one slowly, without making the mixture fluffy
• Then add orange juice and all the dry ingredients
• lastly add soaked fruits
• Fill in pudding mound and wrap the container tight enough for it to become air tight
• Steam for 3 hours and serve.

 By pastry Chef Rithvik Ananthraman, The Oberoi Patisserie& Delicatessen, The Oberoi, Gurgaon

Roast Turkey

HISTORY: It is said that original Christmas meal consisted of roast swan, pheasants and peacocks. It was Henry VIII, sometime in the 15 century who enjoyed eating turkey. But it was Edward VII, in the19th century, who  made eating turkey fashionable at Christmas.

Ingredients        quantity

Norbest butter ball turkey           5 kg

Table butter       400 gm

Parsley flat          50 gm

Garlic peeled     50 gm

Herb thyme        50 gm

Salt                         25 gm

Black pepper whole        25 gm

Carrots 100 gm

leeks    50 gm

Celery   50 gm

large onion        50 gm

METHOD

• The whole turkey to be prepared for the roasting process by removing giblets and wings.
• Carrot, leeks, celery and onions to be diced in equal quantities.
• Butter to be softened and chopped parsley, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper to be added to make the signature butter mix for stuffing.
• The butter then has to be stuffed inside the breast and thigh of the turkey. Steam gently. 
• After stuffing the breast and thigh with the butter the turkey should now be placed in a roasting tray filled with mirepoix (carrot, onion, celery and leeks).
• Pre-heat roasting oven to 180° Celcius. Cover the turkey with aluminum foil and put inside the oven to roast for 45 minutes at 180° Celcius.
• Remove the foil and cook the bird for one more hour until perfectly cooked.
• Served with a sage and chestnut stuffing, roast baby potatoes, Glazed baby carrots, buttered whole corn, brussel sprouts and broccoli, sweet potatoes, Jerusalem artichoke, roast gravy and the cranberry sauce.

Red wine pears withparsley cream

HISTORY: With time a lot more desserts were added to the main Christmas meal. While this dessert is contemporary, many serve it at the end of the dinner as part of other traditional sweets eaten on this festival.

Ingredients        QUANTITY

Pear       1 No

Red wine             200 ml

Cream cheese   20 gm

Parsley                 3-4 sprigs

Almonds              4 No

Cucumber           1 No

 Salt and pepper               To taste

Method

• Peel the pear and simmer in a solution of 50 per  water and 50 per cent red wine. Add salt and a pinch sugar. leave it to cool.
• Add chopped parsley into the cream cheese and season it with salt and pepper.
• Cut the cooked pears as per choice and top it with cream cheese and crushed almonds.
• Best served chilled.

By Chef Sudhir Nair, Executive Chef, Courtyard by Marriott and Fairfield by Marriott, Bengaluru

Apple pie

HISTORY: Eating pie during the Christmas was heavily influenced by The Church. But it was not until 16th C, when sugar prices fell and fruit pies became popular.

For the tarts

Ingredients        Quantity

Flour      375 gm

Unsalted butter chilled  250 gm

Powder sugar    125 gm

Baking Powder  A pinch

Egg         1No

Vanilla Essence 1 teaspoon

METHOD

Creaming

• Cream butter and sugar in a kitchen aid or with the help of a hand beater till very light and fluffy.
• Slowly incorporate 1 egg into the mixture till it is fully incorporated into the mixture. Add vanilla if using egg.
• lightly mix in the entire flour till it forms rough dough. Do not over knead the dough as it would affect the finished product.
• Refrigerate if required for approximately 30 minutes. Roll out and use as desired.

For the apple filling

Ingredients        Quantity

Golden apple     2 No

Water   30ml

Red Delicious apple         4 No

Cinnamon powder          1 teaspoon

Clove powder    1/4th teaspoon

Ginger powder 1/2 teaspoon

Sugar     60 gm

Rum soaked fruits,          100gm

orange & lemon peel    

Butter   15gm

Salt         A pinch

Vanilla   1 teaspoon

Cake crumb          1/4th cup

Apricot jam         To glaze

Egg wash               1 No

METHOD

• Peel and cut Golden apples in big chunks, add in water and microwave for 10 mins till all soft and easy to mash with a fork.
• Peel core and dice Red Delicious apples and add to the mashed golden apple with all the other ingredients except jam and egg wash and cool it down.
• line a pie tin with sweet paste and fill with the apple filling.
• Roll out rest of the pie dough and make a basket weave pattern on top, stick using egg wash generously.
• Apply egg wash on the surface and bake the pie in hot oven at 150C till golden brown till will take approximately 45minutes to 1hour.
• Brush the top surface with jam polish and serve warm.

By Chef Gaurav Wadhwa, Owner, Theos

Mince meat pie

HISTORY: The pie was discovered sometime around 11th century when the crusaders were returning from the Holy land. In honor of the birth of the Savior, the mince pie was originally made in an oblong casings but later they became smaller and the shape changed too and the meat content reduced too till only the spices and fruit was left.

For 60 tartlets mixture

Ingredients        quantity

local apples        1,000 gm

Mixed spice        10 gm

Cinnamon powder          5 gm

Brown sugar       175 gm

Oranges, zest and juice 45 gm

lemon, grated zest and juice      5 gm

Cranberries (frozen)       250 gm

Mix peel              275 gm

Brandy 200 ml

Pistachio, chopped          40 No

Sweet paste       400 gm

METHOD

• Peel, core and chop the apples.
• Cook them in a thick bottom pan with all the rest of the ingredients.
• Cool and reserve.
• line tart shells with sweet paste, fill the fruit mixture, bake at 180°C till golden brown.
• Serve warm.

By pastry Chef Rithvik Ananthraman, The Oberoi Patisserie& Delicatessen, The Oberoi, Gurgaon

Chocolate hazelnut praline

HISTORY: legend has it that praline was originally inspired in France by the cook of Marshal du Plessis-Praslin (1598–1675) and the word praline deriving from Praslin. The reason why it finds its way in to a Christmas meal is because it is a great dessert.

Ingredients        Quantity

Dark chocolate  50 gm

Cream   50 gm

Hazelnut paste  10 g m

Whipping cream               70 gm

Fresh strawberry             2 No

Chocolate (for garnish)

Whisky 7 ml

Method

• Boil cream in a dip pan and pour into dark chocolates. let it to be melt for two  minutes. Stir continuously by whisky, add hazelnut paste slowly into it.
• Add whipping cream into the mixture.
• Mix  whiskey and then fill in a pastry piping bag.
• Now take a martini glass and arrange fresh strawberry in the bottom.
• Pipe the praline mixture into a martini glasses one by one. Keep it in the refrigerator  for half an hour.
• Then serve cold and enjoy.

 By Executive Chef Gulshan Kumar at The Orchid Hotel, Balewadi

BAIlEYS TIRAMISU

HISTORY: It is said that tiramisu originated sometime in the 1960s in Italy at the restaurant  le Beccherie in Treviso and hence the name tiramisu which means ‘lift me up’. It finds its way on the menu as another pudding on the Christmas table.

Ingredients        QUANTITY

Whipped cream                30 gm

Mascarpone cheese       70 gm

Sugar     20 gm

Egg yolk                2 No

Baileys  30 ml

Coffee powder                 15 gm

Cats tongue cookies       2 No

Method

• In a bowl take whipped cream and mascarpone cheese and keep aside.
• Make a sabayon of sugar and egg yolk on a double boiler.
• Add sabayon and baileys to cream and cheese mixture.
• Arrange it on a glass with cats tongue on a side dipped in coffee syrup.
• Serve with cacao soil on top.

By Chef Amreesh Chandra, The leela Ambience Convention Hotel, Delhi