Christmas

In these enlightened times we feast in all manner of ways on the 25th. But the traditional New Zealand Christmas dinner of a perfectly glazed ham, carrots, spuds and peas followed by a berry-packed and boozily indulgent trifle is still incredibly hard to beat. Sophie Gray aces a classic

This is the Christmas recipe our Taste writers have received the most compliments for over the years.

So easy, you'll have plenty of time to make more.

Not suitable to freeze or microwave. You could use double cream instead of mascarpone. Note

Suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave. Note

Not suitable to freeze or microwave. If cooking chicken the day before, reserve some of the cooking liquid to pour over the sliced chicken meat before refrigerating. Note

Sweet, crumbly and utterly indulgent, enjoy a piece of this beautiful chocolate shortbread with a cuppa for morning or afternoon tea. Or, make it for your loved ones - it's the perfect gift for Christmas or birthdays.

A sugar (candy) thermometer, from kitchenware stores, is essential for this recipe. Nougat can be made a week ahead. Store nougat in an airtight container between layers of baking paper in a cool, dry place. If the weather is humid, make close to serving. Not suitable to freeze or microwave. Note

Suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave. Note

These decadent bite sized cakes will leave an explosion of flavour in your mouth with every nibble. Perfect to serve at Christmas time, we've combined fragrant fruit mince pies with sweet, creamy melted chocolate.

You can whip up these mini fruit mince cupcakes in a flash with just 15 minutes baking time. They're a great addition to a festive spread at Christmas, and a welcome treat all year round!

Suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave. Note

Spreads tastes so much sweeter when you've made them yourself with less preservatives and more of the good stuff like quality rhubarb and strawberries.

Can be made four days ahead. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Not suitable to freeze or microwave. Note

Not suitable to freeze or microwave. You will need about 5 passionfruit for this recipe. Note

Our Christmas snowball cookies make an adorable homemade Christmas food gift, or a cute addition to your sweets spread come Christmas Day. Just don't throw them.

Marzipan is in the cake decorations aisle; check ingredients label for gluten. Note

Give this classic fruit pudding a try and fill your kitchen with the sweet smell of Christmas and family.

Sprinkled with a light dusting of icing sugar, these pretty biscuits add a celebratory note to your Christmas or birthday festivities. Use your favourite jam to fill.

To reheat: Boil for 1 hour in a greased pudding basin. Check label to make sure the custard is gluten free. Note

Run out of time to make a proper Christmas pudding? You can still have a tasty treat on your festive table with this last-minute recipe thanks to Julie Goodwin.

Un-iced cake suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave. Note

Just because you don't eat gluten doesn't mean you have to miss out on Christmas treats - try this delicious glace fruit cake.

White Christmas is becoming a classic Australian treat for the festive season. It's not particularly sophisticated, but the taste means it doesn't have to be.

This colourful loaf is stuffed full of bright and healthy Mediterranean vegetables and makes a delicious change from the usual sandwiches.

Some think the crackling is the best part of roast pork. Prepare it by rubbing pork skin with juice of 1/2 lemon and salt, then set it aside for 30 minutes to dry out. Place the skin on an oven tray and bake in a hot oven, 200°C, until the crackling is golden, crisp and […]

Look for the pink Australian Pork mark on products that contain only Australian pork. Store ham in a calico ham bag. Wash the bag in a solution of 2 cups water and 1 tablespoon white vinegar and wring out. Cover the cut ham with the reserved rind or baking paper. Place ham in bag and […]

Home made preserves are so very simple to make, and there's so much pleasure to be had from eating jam you made yourself.

Embrace tradition, don your apron and arm yourself with a sturdy wooden spoon. You simply must create this sensational steamed Christmas pudding for family and friends this festive season. They'll love you for it.

A specialty of Siena, Italy, this dense fruit and nut cake is also known as Siena cake. You need to start this recipe the day before. Panforte will keep for up to 2 months wrapped in baking paper, then foil, in an airtight container.

This celestial ham will be the winning centre-piece of your Christmas table. Sweetly spiced by the whole cloves. The deliciously sticky glaze contrasts beautifully with the salty meat.

Do you need something spectacular for your Christmas table? Look no further than this celebration Christmas cake. Sophisticated and elegant on the outside, it has the perfect balance of fruit and liqueur on the inside.

When it comes to this chilli crab dish, the reward is worth the effort of getting to that sweet and tender meat, which is deliciously complimented by the spices and fresh coriander. For best results, serve with plenty of napkins and a crisp white wine.

There's no need to restrict baked ham to Christmas, this cherry-glazed baked ham makes a magnificent centrepiece for any party or celebration.

Once again we must thank the Italians. This time, it's for mustard fruits which provide a sweetness along with a uniquely spicy accent to any dish they are added to. Here, it's roasted pork.

Named after the Russian ballerina, the pavlova is a familiar and well loved Antipodean dessert. You can experiment with all kinds of fruit toppings, but berries and cream is always a winner.

We love this succulent lemon and garlic rack of pork. Score the fat on top diagonally before baking, and you'll be rewarded with an extra crispy crackling that is easy to snap into pieces and share.

Make your custard adults-only by giving it a kick with the liqueur of your choice. We've chosen orange flavoured liqueur for this recipe, but brandy, drambuie or even rum would work, too.

These almond honey nougats are beautiful to look at and delicious to eat. They make the perfect Christmas gift or after dinner sweet to enjoy with family and friends during the festive season.

These bite-sized chocolate apricot truffles are not quite as rich as their original cousin, but they are just as delicious. The fruity centre provides a lovely tart and chewy contrast to the firm sweet chocolate coating.

Nougat recipes often require candy thermometers and exact cooking temperatures; this cranberry and nut version is much simpler. It also has a pretty stained glass effect and makes a lovely gift.

You could use apricots as well or instead of either fruit for this divine peach and nectarine trifle. As a rule of thumb, just go with whatever is best in season.

Our pistachio bread, or biscotti, would make a thoughtful gift for friends or family. For a different spiced version, omit the cardamom and use ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg instead.

Impress your guests and feast on this succulent baked ham with redcurrant and balsamic glaze, from Christmas through to New Year. Store it in the fridge in a damp pillowcase while you work your way through it.

Stollen is a traditional German cake-like bread eaten at Christmastime, when it is called Winterbrot (winter bread). Packed with candied and dried fruit, we think it should be enjoyed all year 'round.

The pavlova was so named because it was thought to be as light as the famous dancer, Anna Pavlova. We love that this version reminds us of her brightly coloured ballet tutu. It's almost a shame to eat. Almost.

This delightful spiced ginger and orange biscotti gives a lovely Christmassy twist to this favourite Italian biscuit.

Parfait means 'perfect' in French and there's a lot about this chocolate, honey and red berry version that is perfect. For starters, it's easy to make and doesn't melt too quickly which means it's great for entertaining. It also looks amazing.

These brandied prunes combined with cream cheese and chocolate make for such a decadent and boozy mouthful you won't be able to stop at just one. Enjoy with family and friends, if you can bare to share.

Simple, herbed prawn skewers make a great starter for a dinner party, or share platter for a celebration or barbecue.

You could use any Christmas cookie cutter to make these biscuits, but angels and snowflakes work the best.

As an alternative to the Asian flavours used above, a glaze of orange, ginger and maple syrup also goes beautifully with this ham. Combine 1 cup maple syrup, 1 cup fresh orange juice, ⅓ cup orange marmalade, ¼ cup grated fresh ginger and 2 teaspoons finely grated orange rind in small saucepan; bring to the […]

Cinnamon, mixed spice and treacle combine together to give these cookies a rich, dark colour and flavour. Their crown of chopped walnuts make them the perfect treat for grownups.

Make your Christmas special with these delightful fruitcake cupcakes.

This boiled fruit cake is one of our favourites; it will cut and keep well and can be used for a wedding cake.

This gorgeous bird will take pride of place at your Christmas table this year. A delicious roasted almond stuffing, spiced cherries, and a smooth, savoury gravy complete this amazing turkey.

The beauty of this pavlova roll is that you can experiment will all sorts of fruit to fill the centre. We've used banana, kiwi and passionfruit here, but any soft fruit will do. The result is still amazing.

This slow-cooker chicken with leeks and artichokes is succulent and gorgeous served on a bed of mashed potatoes and drizzled with the cooking juices.

Make this delicious Italian specialty your new Christmas staple.

hints Combining fruit and meat in a recipe confirms the adage that opposites attract. What might seem the unlikeliest of relationships can, with an innovate cook serving as matchmaker, become a marriage made in culinary heaven. These two recipes both call for fig as the featured fruit, yet melon, mandarin, peach or even pomegranate could […]

Serve thick wedges of this traditional pudding with custard or cream.

The cake and ice- cream cones can be prepared one day before the party. The frosting is best spread over the cake about an hour before serving. The frosting will lose its gloss after an hour or so. Note

The acids in the citrus marinade slightly cook the very thinly sliced raw seafood. Use the freshest, sashimi quality fish you can find. We've used salmon here, snapper also makes a lovely ceviche.

For bold icing colours, we used powdered food colourings, available from cake decorating shops and some health food stores. Mixing the powder with a small amount of hot water, before stirring into the icing, gives a better result; liquid colourings can be used for pale colours. Note

Plump with fruit, this traditional cake is wonderful served with a pot of hot tea.

Buy 200g (6½ ounces) muscatels for these cakes, use one-third in the cake mixture and the rest for decorating. Note

These elegant desserts are perfect for the silly season.

This apple and red capsicum chutney takes a little while to make but it's easy as pie and mostly a hands-off operation. Enjoy with cold meats and cheese.

Drambuie is a whisky-based liqueur infused with honey, spices and herbs. Soaking the fruit in the liqueur adds depth and richness to these divine cakes.

The melding of these ingredients yields a sticky ginger caramel flavour that really transforms the ham to golden perfection.

Give nana's plain bread and butter pudding a European flavour with this Italian version. Panettone is a yeasted cake that is the speciality of Milan and is traditionally served at Christmas. It is however available most of the year round.

Draped in melted chocolate and frozen, this incredible mixed fruit ice-cream pudding is perfect for a summer Christmas.

If you've never cooked a roast turkey before, or are just after a simple fool-proof recipe, then you're in the right place. Follow the instructions, and you'll have a perfectly cooked bird. Check the size of your oven and make sure you choose one that will fit!

This marshmallow-textured pavlova is cooked directly on the platter it's served on, which eliminates the risk of breaking the fragile meringue when transferring it. Simply make sure the platter is plain, sturdy and ovenproof.

With a cloud-like, marshmallowy centre, this pavlova is the stuff dreams are made of. Serve with lashings of whipped cream, and fresh berries.

Add the peppermint essence to suit your taste. Start with what we have recommended and add more until you achieve a nice balance between the chocolate and the mint. Note

The turkey buffé, or breast, is perfect if you don't require the entire bird to feed the hoards on Christmas day. The special stuffing and paprika rub add a touch of festive cheer.

For a milder version, replace goat’s cheese with ricotta cheese. Note

If you don't have any skewers handy, you could use rosemary sprigs instead, they'll infuse the fish with a lovely flavour. Soak them well first, to prevent burning. For the fish, we've used blue-eye but any white fish will do.

Drizzled with orange syrup and topped with Greek yoghurt and fresh grapes, this cake is both delicious and stunning.

This is a traditional cake from north-eastern France; you find similar cakes in Germany, Austria and eastern Europe (the names vary slightly: Kugelhopf, Gugelhupf ). You will need an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook for this recipe as the dough is too soft to knead by hand.

This roast is delicious accompanied with gravy and vegetables or salad of your choice. The chorizo seasoning can be prepared and served separately as a side dish, rather than as a stuffing, if desired.

If you're not a fan of coriander, try thai basil; it has a strong basil flavour and is an almost indispensible ingredient in Thai cooking. It is also said to bring good fortune.

The addition of the cream cheese gives this luscious cake an especially moist, rich quality.

The trick to making a good pavlova is to ensure that the sugar is dissolved, otherwise it will weep. To check, rub a little meringue mixture between your fingers, it should feel smooth, not gritty, otherwise continue whisking. Note

Oranges, orange liqueur and Christmas cake form the basis of this incredibly quick and simple ice-cream terrine.

This Alsatian Christmas bundt is fluffy, buttery and completely delicious with its spiced walnut filling.

Try this sticky Italian christmas classic with a chocolate and orange twist.