Bring the world to your Christmas table. These delicious festive recipes from around the globe include traditional bakes, biscuits, main dishes, sides and drinks.
Christmas Jansson’s temptation
Brontë Aurell shares her recipe for Jansson’s temptation (Jansson’s frestelse), a classic Swedish potato dish traditionally made with cream and ansjovis (cured sprats). The perfect festive side dish.
INGREDIENTS
1kg potatoes (ideally desiree, but maris piper work well too)
75gr unsalted butter
2 large onions, halved and sliced
125gr tin ansjovis (or 2 tins if you like a stronger flavour) – see Tips and Know-how
300ml whole milk
300ml double cream
50gr dried breadcrumbs
METHOD
Heat the oven to 160°C fan/gas 4. Peel the potatoes, cut into batons roughly the size of chips and put them in the ovenproof dish (don’t soak them in water as this will remove the starch, which helps to bind the dish together). Put the dish of raw potatoes in the oven for 15 minutes to pre-cook a little.
Meanwhile, melt 50g of the butter in a saucepan and add the sliced onions. Cook over a low-medium heat until very soft and translucent, but without colour (about 15 minutes).
Gently mix the onions into the par-cooked potatoes, trying not to break up any of the batons. Set aside half the veg mixture in a bowl, then scatter half the ansjovis into the ovenproof dish. Add a good splash of the pickle juice from the tin, too. Mix the milk and cream, then pour half of it into the dish. Season well with salt and pepper.
Repeat the layers with the remaining potatoes/onions and ansjovis, then pour over enough of the cream mixture to just cover the potato mixture (reserve any leftover cream). Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs, then dot the remaining butter over the top. Season again with salt and pepper.
Put the dish in the oven, reduce the heat to 140°C fan/ gas 3, then bake for 30 40 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through. Depending on the type of potatoes you use, you may want to pour in any remaining cream halfway through cooking; the end result should be super creamy, so you’re not aiming for something dry. You can also give it a final blast under the grill to brown the top if needed.
Bicerin (Italian coffee and chocolate drink)
Bicerin is a hot drink from Turin, Italy. A layer of espresso is topped with a layer of melted chocolate followed by a layer of whipped cream. Heaven!INGREDIENTS
150gr dark chocolate (70%), chopped
75gr whole milk
Few drops hazelnut extract (optional)
200gr double cream
50gr sugar
6 double shots espresso to serve
Cocoa powder to dust
METHOD
Melt the chocolate and milk together until your mixture is smooth and fully combined, then add the hazelnut extract (if using). Whip the double cream and sugar together until it forms soft peaks (that flop over when you take the beaters out).
Pour a double shot of espresso into a glass. Hold a spoon upside-down over the top, then very slowly pour the chocolate over the spoon so it settles in a layer above the coffee. Top this with the whipped cream, then finish with a little cocoa powder. Repeat with the remaining espresso to make 6 in total.
Cozonac (Romanian Christmas and Easter bread
Cozonac is a traditional Romanian sweet bread, served at both Easter and Christmas. “Cozonac can be served on Christmas morning or for dessert at the end of the feast with black coffee”.
INGREDIENTS
600gr strong white bread flour
14gr fast-action dried yeast
200ml whole milk, warmed
5 medium free-range eggs
150gr golden caster sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
150gr soured cream, at room temperature
Finely grated zest 1 large orange
80g unsalted butter, melted
Sunflower oil to grease
FOR FILLING
150gr walnuts
150gr sultanas
1 tbsp whole milk
1 tbsp orange blossom water
75gr caster sugar
METHOD
Combine the flour and yeast in a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the warmed milk, then mix well. In a separate bowl, crack in 2 of the eggs, then add the yolks of 2 more, reserving the whites (which will be used in the filling). Add the sugar and vanilla extract to the eggs, then beat until foamy. Mix in the soured cream and orange zest. Use a wooden spoon or mixer to incorporate the egg mixture into the flour mixture. Beat (on a medium speed) for 5-8 minutes until thick strands of dough begin to separate. Start adding the butter, 1 tbsp at a time, beating well after each addition. At this stage you can change to a dough hook or knead by hand until the dough is smooth and coming away from the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a bowl greased with sunflower oil, then cover and leave to rise for in a warm place for 1½ hours.
Meanwhile, make the filling by whizzing the walnuts and sultanas together in a food processor. Add the milk and orange blossom water, then mix well. In a separate bowl, beat the reserved egg whites with the 75g sugar to stiff peaks, then combine with the walnut mixture. Set aside.
Grease and line the loaf tins with sunflower oil and baking paper. Turn out the dough onto a lightly oiled work surface, shape it into a log and divide into 4 equal parts. Gently stretch and roll one part into a rectangle the length of the tin and double its width. Spread with a quarter of the filling mixture, then roll it up into a long log. Repeat with the second piece of dough, then twist these together, tucking in the ends if necessary. Put the dough in the tin. Repeat with the other pieces of dough and put these in the second tin. Cover and leave to prove for 30 minutes in a warm place.
Heat the oven to 160°C fan/gas 4. Beat the remaining egg and brush the loaves with it. Bake the breads on the lower shelf of the oven for 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 140°C fan/gas 3 and bake for a further 30 minutes until a skewer pushed in comes out clean. Cover the tops with foil if they turn too dark. Leave to cool in the tin, covered with a cloth, for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely, still covered with a cloth.
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