Winter is a wonderful time of year, the fire’s burning, the Christmas tree will be going up soon, some of you may already have it up, shops are having a sale, towns are having their Christmas lights switched on and Christmas markets are popping up all over the place, yes, we’re now in the countdown to Christmas. Have you put your Christmas music on yet? Don’t forget to dig out your Christmas jumper for that office party and start your shopping early to avoid the Christmas rush.
It's a busy time of the year with Christmas shopping, work parties, large family gatherings and quiet catch ups with friends. You my find yourself being called into work more often to cover shifts and be careful of that pesky cold.
Whether you are having a quiet holiday at home with your significant other or surrounding yourself with friends, siblings, aunts and uncles, Masters of Mystery have got some great Christmas themed Murder Mysteries available to bring something extra special to your holiday season. You can see some our games in our blog “Best Christmas Murder Mystery Games” and below we’ve compiled a list of great Festive Foods and Winter Warmers that you can prepare and serve at your own Christmas Gathering.
Seasonal Starters and Sides
Cranberry and Brie Bites are a cute Christmassy appetiser made with a few basic ingredients and are simple to prepare in 20 minutes (cook time 1hr)
Ingredients: 1 sheet puff pastry, from 1 (17 oz.) box, Nonstick cooking spray, 4 oz. brie cheese, 1/2 c. cranberry sauce, homemade or canned, 3 tbsp. raw shelled pistachios, chopped, Flaky sea salt and ground black pepper, optional. Recipe for Cranberry and Brie Bites
Honey-Glazed Carrots and Parsnips is a great side to any holiday main dish. Prep time 20 minutes, Cook time 40 minutes.
Ingredients: 1/4 c. olive oil, 2 lb. carrots, peeled and cut into sticks (about 1/2 inch thick), 2 lb. parsnips, peeled and cut into sticks (about 1/2 inch thick), 2 tsp. kosher salt, Black pepper, to taste, 2 tbsp. salted butter, 1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme, plus more for topping, 3 tbsp. honey. Recipe for Honey-Glazed Carrots and Parsnips
Cranberry and orange roasted Brussels sprouts are part of most roast dinners. Whether you love them or hate them we expect to see them as part of a Christmas meal. How can you make them more tasty? Roast them with Cranberry and orange maybe?
Ingredients: 1.5 pounds Brussels sprouts, Juice of 1 large orange, 2 teaspoons orange zest, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons honey, Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, 1/2 cup dried cranberries. Recipe for Cranberry and orange roasted brussels sprouts.
Pigs in blankets are an extremely popular sight on a Christmas table. Sausages wrapped in pastry is great but what about sausages wrapped in bacon? Not only are they delicious but they’re also quick to make, with a prep time of just 10 minutes and a cook time of 35 minutes and 2 ingredients: smoked streaky bacon and chipolatas sausages. Recipe for Pigs in blankets
Herbed Stuffing, no Christmas dinner would be complete without it. So, lets look at how to create a simple herb stuffing.
Ingredients: 1 loaf country-style bread (about 1 lb.), cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces, 3 tbsp. olive oil, 2 medium onions, chopped, 2 large carrots, cut into 1⁄4-inch pieces, 2 stalks celery, cut into 1⁄4-inch pieces, 3 c. lower-sodium chicken broth, 1 c. fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, 2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, 2 large eggs, beaten, salt, pepper. Recipe for Easy Herbed Stuffing
Magical Mains
The centre piece for most Christmas dinners is some form of roast whether you want chicken, beef or the traditional turkey there are plenty of options to choose from.
Peppercorn Beef Tenderloin is a peppery, mouth watering steak that will stir the senses of any meat lover.
Ingredients: 2 tbsp. pink peppercorns, 1 tbsp. green peppercorns, 1 tbsp. black peppercorns, 3 sprigs rosemary, 2 tsp. honey, salt, 1 4-lb beef tenderloin, trimmed and tied with butcher’s twine. Recipe for Peppercorn Beef Tenderloin
Thyme-Roasted Turkey and Gravy is popular for thanksgiving dinners and also Christmas dinners. Turkey first started appearing on tables in the 1850s.
Ingredients: 12- to 14-lb turkey (thawed if frozen), 4 small onions, quartered, 1/2 bunch, fresh thyme, plus more for serving, 3 tbsp. softened butter or olive oil, salt, pepper, 2 large carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces, 2 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch pieces. For the gravy: Roasting pan from roasted turkey and its contents (turkey removed), dry white wine or hard cider, low-sodium chicken broth, unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, 4 sprigs fresh thyme, salt, pepper. Recipe for Thyme-Roasted Turkey and gravy
Quick roast chicken and vegetables is a cheaper alternative to the traditional Christmas turkey.
Ingredients: 2.4kg whole chicken, 1kg carrots, trimmed and halved lengthways, 750g parsnips, peeled and quartered lengthways (see tip below), ½ orange, 50g unsalted butter, softened, 600g brussels sprouts, halved, 1 tsp honey. Recipe for Quick Roast Chicken
Vegetarian alternatives to Christmas Dinner.
Vegetarian Wellington: a meat-free wellington with beetroot, mushroom and butternut squash wrapped in pastry. Prep time 1hr, cook time 1hr 20mins. Recipe for Vegetarian Wellington.
Nut Roast: a popular meat-free alternative, vegetarian loaf with lentils, chestnut mushrooms and cheese. Prep time 30 minutes, Cook time 1hr and 5 minutes. Recipe for Nut Roast
Perfect Puddings
Gingerbread, whether you want to make simple gingerbread cookies or a gingerbread house a staple for any Christmas party is gingerbread. But how to make gingerbread?
Ingredients: 100g salted butter, 3 tbsp golden syrup, 100g dark muscovado sugar, ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda, 1 tbsp ground ginger, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 225g plain flour, 50g icing sugar. Here is a great recipe for gingerbread cookies that is simple and ways to make. Prep time 20 minutes, bake time 15 minutes.
Fruitcake is a dense and sweet dessert cake that is typically made with candied or dried fruits, nuts, and spices. It can be quite challenging to make but it’s a cake that will keep for a few weeks so you can make it a week or two before Christmas and not be stressing about it on Christmas day. Recipe for fruitcake
Chocolate and peppermint cookies are quick and tasty with just 15-minute prep time and 10 minutes bake time.
Ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa, unsalted butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, peppermint extract, chocolate chips, peppermint crunch pieces, crushed candies for dipping cookies. Recipe for chocolate and peppermint cookies.
Mince pies are a Christmas delight, they are usually soft, crumbly and tasty fruity bites. Prep time 45 minutes and a cook time of 15 minutes.
Ingredients: 1 large jar mincemeat, satsumas, apple, lemon, icing sugar. For the pastry: plain flour unsalted butter, caster sugar, egg. Recipe for mince pies
Delightful Drinks
Eggnog is the traditional drink we expect to see at Christmas, it’s simple and contains just 5 ingredients. Prep time: 10 minutes.
Ingredients: caster sugar, egg yolks, vanilla essence, condensed milk, brandy. Recipe for Eggnog.
Mulled wine is a warm winter drink that can be substituted with non-alcoholic options if you wanted. It’s quick to make with a prep time of 5 minutes and cook time of 15 minutes.
Ingredients: bottle red wine (alcoholic or non-alcoholic), cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves, lemon zest, caster sugar. Recipe for mulled wine.
Cranberry Martini is a boozy, wintry drink for you to serve to your guests at your Christmas or new years eve party. You can buy the syrup to mix it or make your own.
Ingredients: 3 oz. unsweetened cranberry juice,1 oz. ginger simple syrup,1 1/2 oz. vodka, 1 oz. dry (white) vermouth, 1/2 oz. lime juice, Fresh or frozen cranberries, to garnish, Lime twist, to garnish
Syrup: 1 c. water, 1 c. granulated sugar, 1/2 c. thinly sliced peeled ginger. Recipe for Cranberry martini
Pomegranate Margarita is great for winter, margarita’s a re great any time of year but for winter especially.
Ingredients: 1/4 c. salt, 1/2 c. pomegranate juice, plus more for dipping the rim, 3 oz. silver tequila (Blanco), 1 oz. triple sec, 1 oz. lime juice, 1/2 oz. maple syrup, Ice, Lime slices and pomegranate seeds, to garnish. Recipe for Pomegranate Margarita
Caramel-Swirl Hot Chocolate is a lovely and tasty winter warmer, great for cozy nights by the fire while watching a Christmas movie.
Ingredients: water, milk chocolate, chopped, chilled whipping cream, powdered sugar, caramel sauce
Prep: First simmer the water in a pan and dissolve the chocolate in it, mix in 1/4 cup of cream. Then whip 1 cup cream and powdered sugar in a bowl until whipped into a swirl, add some caramel sauce, do not over mix. Divide hot chocolate into mugs and add whipped cream and drizzle caramel over it.
We hope you have fun planning your Christmas murder mystery part and we hope we’ve given you some good ideas and useful recipes to help you with your Christmas meal plans. It’s a stressful time of the year, but it’s also a wonderful time of the year. So don’t let it get you down and enjoy your winter season.
