Prawn cocktails, in canapé form! These one-bite mini tacos are fantastic finger food, and you’ll love the nifty trick for making the miniature taco shells – just use an upside-down muffin tin!

 Prawn cocktail mini tacos

Though you’ll catch me eating the leftover prawn filling by the spoonful, the star of today’s recipe, is not the prawns, but rather, the mini taco shells. Firstly – adorable! Versatile!

Secondly – how they’re made. It’s so nifty – just wedge tortilla rounds into taco shapes using upside down muffin tin, then bake. They come out crispy and really, truly, actually look like taco shells!

They are the perfect size for one-bite finger food, and can be filled with anything chopped small enough to fit inside. Try this Jalapeño chicken filling, spicy salmon, Thai chicken salad or even old school taco beef.

In the spirit of summer here in Australia (and an attempt to be grown-up cocktail party canapé worthy), I’ve gone for prawn cocktail with a classic Marie Rose sauce. You just can’t go wrong with that combo!

Ingredients in prawn cocktail mini tacos

Here’s what you need to make the mini tacos and prawn cocktail filling.

1. for the mini taco shells

I recommend using corn rather than flour tortillas for the mini taco shells. They have more flavour, plus they bake up crispier and have better crispy staying power (an asset, once filled with the prawn cocktail filling). However, I’d use flour tortillas in a pinch if that’s all I could get.

2. marie rose sauce for the prawn filling

The ingredients here are the same as a classic prawn cocktail. The only thing we do differently is chop the prawns up into small pieces so they fit inside the mini taco shells.

3. the prawns

Use any prawns you want. I used tiger prawns, known for their bright orange colour! See more here for information about different Australian prawn varieties.

Buy the prawns pre-cooked, in the shell. Most Australian prawns are cooked soon after being caught, which locks in freshness and flavour. As long as they are fresh, the quality is excellent!

You can also buy them raw and boil yourself, or cook raw peeled prawns (directions in recipe notes).

I recommend avoiding the frozen pre-cooked prawns. I know they are better value, but they don’t taste much like prawns, and they are much drier and and firmer than fresh prawns.

How to make prawn cocktail mini tacos

The mini taco shells will stay crispy for 2 days – super handy for getting ahead!

1. How to make the mini taco shells

Use the off cuts to make little crispy tortilla shards to sprinkle on salads. Spray with oil, sprinkle with salt and bake until crispy, then use like croutons!

1. Cut rounds from the tortillas using a 6cm / 2.4″ cutter. I get 3 out of each tortilla. Start with one tortilla at a time, then stack when you’re a pro!

   If you don’t have a cutter, use a glass and small sharp knife.

2. Warm – Spread half the tortillas on a dinner plate and microwave for 30 seconds on high to make them pliable. We need to do this because corn tortillas are stiff when cold so they will break when bent into taco shapes.

3. Salt and spray – Spray the warm tortillas with oil and sprinkle with salt.

4. Wedge into taco shapes in an upside down muffin tin! Put them in salt side down. (There is no need to salt the upper side because it gets filled with the tasty prawn cocktail filling.

   Then repeat with remaining tortillas (if you work fast, you can warm and mould in one batch).

5. Bake – Spray the surface lightly with oil (helps them brown) then bake for 12 minutes at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan-forced) or until they are golden brown and crispy.

6. Cool in the muffin tin so they set and firmly hold their shape. Then they can be removed to use or stored in an airtight container for 2 days.

   Tip: If they soften slightly for whatever reason, just reheat in the oven on a baking tray. 5 minutes at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan) should do the trick!

2. MAKING THE PRAWN COCKTAIL FILLING

This is simply a classic prawn cocktail with the prawns chopped into smaller pieces so it fits in the mini taco shells.

1. Peel the prawns.

   (I freeze the head and shells until I have enough to make prawn stock. Crush for freezer space efficiency!)

2. Chop into small 5mm / 0.2″ cubes. For large prawns, I cut them in half horizontally, then lengthways, then I dice (demonstrated in video).

3. Mix the sauce in a bowl. This can be done ahead – even the day before.

4. Add prawns – Stir the prawns in the sauce.

   Don’t do this more than 30 minutes ahead of using because the salt in the sauce = sweats the prawns = thins the sauce = coats prawns less plus soaks the taco shells faster (neither of these things are good).

3. assembling & serving

1. Fill the mini tacos shells with the prawn cocktail filling. Do this just before serving so the shells don’t become soggy. Though, if you use corn tortillas, they will stay crisp once filled for a good 30 minutes!

2. Serve – Sprinkle with chives, then transfer to a platter and serve!

Tip – keeping mini tacos upright for serving!

I’ve learnt over the years from the pros that details matter. In this situation, the detail that I never thought of previously was how to stop these mini tacos from falling over and sliding all over the plate as you pass them around. And slide, they do!!

A neat trick I learnt from JB is to use dried black beans as a bed to keep them upright. Heavy and large enough not to stick to the tacos (like rice would), and I think the black colour looks great against the tacos!

Restaurants and caters would typically opt for rock salt as a more upscale option, but dried beans are cheaper and can be re-used which is why I go for that.

You don’t need to use a bed of any kind though. You can just lie the tacos down on their side or use the tacos to hold each other up. Though if you do the later, sternly tell your guests to take from the edge, not the middle, else you will risk a mini taco domino toppling situation!! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Prawn cocktail mini tacos (shrimp)

Recipe video above. Prawn cocktails, in canapé form! These one-bite mini tacos are fantastic finger food, and you’ll love the nifty trick for making the miniature taco shells – just use an upside-down muffin tin!

Fill with anything chopped small enough to fit – try Jalapeño chicken, spicy salmon, Thai chicken salad or even old school taco beef! In the spirit of summer here in Australia (and an attempt to be grown-up cocktail party canapé worthy), I've gone for prawn cocktail with a classic Marie Rose sauce.

Course Appetiser, Party Food

Cuisine Western

Keyword Appetizers, crispy rice finger food, Cucumber canape, mini tacos

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Cooling 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 7 minutes minutes

Servings 17 mini tacos

Calories 69cal

Author Nagi | RecipeTin Eats

Ingredients

Mini tacos:

• 6 corn tortillas ~13cm / 3" wide (Note 1 on flour tortillas)
• 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt (halve for table salt)
• Olive oil spray

Prawns:

• 220g/7 oz cooked prawns/shrimp, peeled (ie 500g/1 lb whole cooked in shell, then peel yourself, Note 2)

Prawn cocktail sauce:

• 4 tbsp mayonnaise , preferably whole egg, or Kewpie (Note 3)
• 1 tbsp ketchup (or Aussie tomato sauce)
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp horseradish cream , or better yet fresh horseradish (Note 4)
• 2 dashes of tabasco , for touch of spice (optional)
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper , for touch of spice (optional)
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder (or small garlic clove pressed using garlic crusher)
• 1 tbsp cornichons (or dill pickle), finely chopped

Garnish/serving:

• 1 tbsp chives , finely sliced (or parsley)
• Fancy options – salmon roe, caviar (not pictured)
• Dried black beans or rock salt , to keep upright when serving (optional, Note 5)

Instructions

Abbreviated recipe:

• Cut 17 x 6cm/2.4" rounds, microwave to soften, oil and salt, press into upside muffin tin. Bake 12 minutes, cool in tin. Fill!

FULL RECIPE:

Crispy mini taco shells:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan-forced). Get a standard 12 hole muffin tin.
• Cut circles from the tortillas using a 6cm / 2.4" cutter. (Note 6 on using offcuts)
• Warm – Spread half on a dinner plate and microwave for 30 seconds on high (makes them pliable). Spray the warm tortillas lightly with oil, sprinkle with half the salt.
• Wedge – Turn the muffin tin upside down. Wedge the tortillas salt side down between the muffin tin holes – they fold into taco shapes! Repeat with remaining rounds.
• Spray the surface of the tortillas lightly with oil (no salt).
• Bake for 12 minutes, or until quite golden and crispy. Cool in the muffin tin so they set. (Stays crisp 2 days!)

Prawn cocktail filling:

• Dice the prawns into small 5mm / 0.2" cubes (for large, cut in half horizontally, lengthwise then chop – see video).
• Mix the Marie Rose sauce in a bowl. Then stir the prawns through, just before assembling.

Assembling:

• Fill taco shells with prawn cocktail filling, sprinkle with chives. To keep them upright, place on a bed of rock salt or dried beans for serving.
• Pass around, bask in praise, be coy when people ask how you made those marvellous mini taco shells!

Notes

1. Tortillas – You’ll need more than 6 tortillas if yours are smaller or less if larger. Corn tortillas bake up crisper than flour ones, have better flavour and stay crisper for longer, but flour tortillas work too – no need to warm to make pliable & takes a few more minutes in the oven.

2. Prawns (shrimp) – Best to buy good whole prawns and peel yourself. Else, buy whole raw and boil, or pan fry – 250g/8oz raw peeled prawns, sprinkle lightly with salt then sear in a pan on medium high heat until just cooked, they will keep cooking as they rest. Cook time will vary with size: small – 1 minute each side, large – 2 minutes first side, 1 1/2 minutes second side.

I find frozen cooked peeled prawns rather flavourless. I’d use seafood sticks instead!

3. Whole egg mayonnaise – smoother, less sharp, not as sweet as regular mayo. Labelled as such on the jar – I like S&W and Hellmans. Else, Kewpie always works 🙂

4. Horseradish cream mainly adds tang here and tiny wasabi-like heat. Can be omitted, don’t sub with lemon juice (thins sauce).

5. Not essential to have a bed of something to keep them upright for serving, you can lie on side or arrange so they hold each other up. To re-use dried beans, rinse under hot water in colander, dry thoroughly tea towels, store in container indefinitely.

6. Cutting rounds – If you don’t have a round cutter, you can always trace around a glass using a small knife. Stack, to cut faster!

Use tortilla offcuts to make crispy tortilla shards for sprinkling on salads. Chop/cut into small random pieces, spray with oil, sprinkle with salt, bake 8 to 10 minutes until crispy. 

Making ahead – Mini taco shells will stay crispy for 2 days in an airtight container in the pantry (flour tortillas lose a bit of crispiness but still respectable, can re-crisp in oven for 5 minutes). For filling, prepare both sauce and prawns but don’t combine until <30 minutes before using (salt will extra juice from prawns which tins the sauce). Once filled, they will stay respectably crispy for 30 minutes, but I still scoff them down an hour later!

Nutrition per mini taco.

Nutrition

Serving: 36g | Calories: 69cal | Carbohydrates: 5.25g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4.6g | Saturated Fat: 0.9g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 183mg | Potassium: 47mg | Fiber: 1.1g | Sugar: 0.9g | Vitamin A: 300IU | Vitamin C: 2.5mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 0.2mg

More mini one-bite appetisers!

Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice (Nobu)

Spicy Little Muffin Tin Chicken Tostadas

Cucumber Canapés with Smoked Salmon Mousse

Mini Pizza Potato Skins

Smoked Salmon Appetizer Bites

Vegetarian Garlic Stuffed Mushrooms

Finger Food

Life of Dozer

Home video from last week. What a comeback from a year ago! Can you believe he’s almost 13?!

The post Prawn cocktail mini tacos appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Here’s a handy list of my Christmas recipes, organised by make-ahead and reheating suitability, and those best made fresh. Perfect for menu planning, especially alongside the new Christmas recipe index!

If you aren’t already glazing your ham the day before, you need to start doing it immediately. It will change your life!

I thrive on holiday menu planning. It’s like the Olympics of cooking – except less athleticism and more butter! The goal, as always, is a feast that wows but is mostly make-ahead so I’m not a stressed-out mess on the day.

For me, it’s a sport I enjoy – but then again, I know my recipes inside out, back to front, so I know what combination works from a practical perspective.

To save you the trouble of digging through my recipes, here’s my lineup of signature and reader favourite Christmas dishes, sorted by which can (or must!) be made the day before, how well dishes reheat, how much prep can be done ahead and identifying those dishes I really recommend making fresh on the day.

I hope you find it useful to help you plan your Christmas menu! – Nagi x

How I Christmas menu-plan

A very straight forward process !

1. Choose the non-negotiable dishes (usually mains, sometimes a special starter); then

2. Work everything else around it factoring in oven and fridge space, and how much time you actually want to spend in the kitchen on Christmas Day.

Here’s my order of priority: mains, dessert, starter, then lastly sides – not because they are an afterthought, but because there’s the most choices!

First up, mains! Here are my signatures, classics and reader favourites, organised by make-ahead ability.

1. Make the day before, reheats like freshly made

Centrepiece Christmas-worthy mains that truly reheat like freshly made are rare. Here are my gems – regulars when I entertain!

Make glazed ham the day before

The glaze rejuvenates perfectly, the ham stays juicy and only takes 30 minutes to reheat! (Note 1) Make-ahead any standard glazed ham, including my signature Maple and Brown Sugar Glazed Ham. Total game changer!

Reheating quality: 98%*

learn how to do this

Crispy crackling pork belly reheats perfectly

Insanely juicy pork belly with superior crackling, even when made the day before – how good is that? Thanks to the “self-confit” method I use, the meat stays tender, and the crackling remains ultra crispy overnight in the fridge!

Reheating quality: 100%

get the recipe

Lamb shoulder is the only roast I reheat

The one roast that reheats as perfectly as though freshly made? Slow-roasted lamb shoulder.

Try my classic 3 hour slow roasted shoulder or the deluxe 12 hour shoulder. For something more exotic, try the Masaaman or Middle Eastern Lamb Shoulder on p251 of Tonight! (Note 2)

Reheating quality (all): 100%

get my best recipe

Some helpful notes and TIPS

1. Lamb shoulders – Just leave these in the pan in which you cooked them. Fully cool loosely covered in foil, refrigerate overnight, reheat at 170°C/330°F (150°C fan) for 45 minutes or until the meat is warmed through to “fall apart” tender again. In the event of an emergency, microwave (nobody will know).

2. Slow-cooked-fall-apart meat dishes typically reheat 100% perfectly, in fact, stewy dishes (like Beef Stew, Guinness Stew, Bourguignon, Red Wine Beef Short Ribs) get even better overnight. They aren’t in my top 3 list only because they don’t have the same large-form-centrepiece-impact that I look for with holiday menus. But here are some of my personal favourites that would be ideal for smaller group Christmas dinners parties!

Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks in Red Wine Sauce

Braised Beef Short Ribs in Red Wine Sauce

Beef Bourguignon (Beef Burgundy)

Pot Roast

Chicken Fricassée (quick French chicken stew)

Stewy slow-cooked things

2. Best Christmassy chicken mains for reheating

Notice that none of the recipes in the “reheats 100% perfectly” category are chicken? That’s because chicken is a leaner cut which means it just doesn’t reheat as well as the above listed.

But chicken is always a favourite with groups, so I usually try to include one chicken dish. So here are my best Christmas-worthy chicken recipes that reheat best. No breast – too lean!

Sticky Christmas Glazed Chicken – best for reheating

Think – warm spiced sweet ham glaze, on chicken. It’s a winner – and check out that shiny glaze! Reheats best because the surface is sticky, not crispy.

Reheating quality: 90%

Get the recipe

Crispy Herb Baked Chicken with Gravy

This is a recipe I created for company-worthy roast chicken and gravy to feed lots of people (rather than roasting 5 whole chickens).

Reheating quality: 85%

Note: The skin is not as crispy as freshly made, but that gravy makes up for it!

Get the recipe

Herb & garlic buttered chicken marylands

Marylands are underrated! Juicy, flavorful, economical, and reheats very well. Roasted with herb and garlic butter, definitely company-worthy!

Reheating quality: 85%

Get the recipe

Note: I prefer not to reheat a whole roast chicken because the breast tends to be quite dry.

3. Largely prep day before, minimal effort on day-of

These are Christmas-day worthy mains where the prep can almost entirely be done the day before. Then on the day-of, the cook and assembly is low-effort. The reader favourite Christmas Baked Salmon tops the list, for impact vs effort, but the new Summer Side of Salmon is hot on its heels!

Christmas baked salmon

Still holds the title of my best accidental-creation! A honey butter glazed side of salmon slathered in a creamy dill sauce, topped with a colourful holiday “rubble” of nuts and dried fruit. Easy. Reader favourite!

Prep ahead: 85%
Effort on day: Low
Cook time on day: 25 minutes

Get the recipe

Summer side of salmon – the new one

Just look at it! Summer, festive, sweet-bit-spicy hot honey drizzled over a smoky spice rubbed salmon topped with mango avocado salsa. The flavour combination is stellar – and it’s easy to make.

This recipe is on page 262 of my new cookbook Tonight.

Prep ahead: 60%
Effort on day: Medium
Prep time on day: 20 minutes (salsa chopping)
Cook time on day: 20 minutes

p262 of TONIGHT

Garlic prawns

If there’s ever a day to indulge in big, plump, fresh-peel-yourself-raw-prawns and to cook it a garlic-butter-wine sauce, it is Christmas Day!

Get the garlic chopped and butter measured out the day before. Cooking on the day is fast!

Prep ahead: 85%
Effort on day: medium low
Cook time on day: 10 minutes

Get the recipe

Stuffed butternut pumpkin – still the best vegetarian main!

This magnificent vegetarian centrepiece is an invention of our very own Chef JB and is one of the signature dishes in my first cookbook Dinner. We love the commanding presence it has and how it’s trussed up and sliced like a roast!

Prep ahead: 85% (assemble the whole thing)
Effort on day: Low
Cook time on day: 40 minutes + 10 minutes resting

P. 285 of DInner

More Christmas-worthY salmon mains

If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that my readers love salmon for Christmas! So here are a few more Christmas-main-worthy salmon dishes that are high-prep, low effort on the day-of that are popular with readers, year after year:

Dill garlic butter whole baked fish

Every chef will tell you the best way to bake fish is to keep it whole. The flesh is juicier, you can use any fish, and it presents so beautifully! PS The dill butter is 👌🏻

Prep ahead: 80%
Effort on day: Low
Cook time on day: 20 minutes

get the recipe

Notes

• Effort level rating on day is subject to how well you have prepared ahead. Eg for the salmon, have it trimmed, cleaned, on the tray in the fridge, ready to slide straight into the oven. All toppings mixed and in separate containers (including parsley), ready to spread and use.

4. No-cook mains

The simple fact is that if you want something absolutely no-cook that is Christmas-worthy, you can’t do better than great seafood! We do seafood every year for Christmas. Here’s what we make:

Big bucket of prawns and dipping sauces

Is there anything more Aussie?? It’s really worth making your dipping sauce. It’s easy, and the flavour is nothing like what you get in jars. I promise!

Prep ahead: 100% (sauces)
Effort on day: Minuscule

PRAWN DIPPING SAUCES

What goes on our seafood platter (and what doesn’t)

The no cook has high appeal factor! For my family and I, the seafood platter is just as much about what we don’t spend money on as what we do. Good seafood is exxy!

Prep ahead: 98% (sauces)
Effort on day: Minuscule

OUR SEAFOOD PLATTER

5. Mains best-made fresh on the day

And thus we have made our way to the list of dishes that really are best made on the day! Whether it be because it’s an investment (like prime rib) or the protein in question just doesn’t hold up well to reheating (like lamb rack), these are all worth making an effort for, you just need to factor in the timing of making the sides.

Magnificent prime rib (standing rib roast)

The creme de la creme of all beef roasts! It really should be served freshly cooked to make the most of this pricey cut. It’s just not the same reheated.

Prep ahead: 20% (rub)
Effort on day: High
Cook time on day: 2 – 3 hours
Useful to know: Stays warm for 1 hour

get the recipe

Beef tenderloin with creamy mushroom sauce

Like prime rib, this premium cut of beef is best cooked and served fresh, to make the most of it. It’s faster to cook than prime rib though!

Prep ahead: 10%
Effort on day: High
Cook time on day: 1 hour

get the recipe

All turkey recipes are best made on the day!

Fact: turkey is lean. Which means it won’t reheat to centrepiece-worthy standards, no matter what recipe you use (brined, slow cooker, butter-slathered-and-muslin-cloth-wrapped).

So if you’re committed to turkey, I recommend committing to cooking on the day! The easiest and most foolproof is Slow Cooker Turkey Breast, the only way I cook whole turkey is dry brined, and the herb & garlic turkey breast is a personal favourite (I’m a sucker for garlic butter!).

Juicy Roast Turkey

Juicy Slow Cooker Turkey Breast

Roast Turkey Breast with Garlic Herb Butter

Garlic Herb Butter SLOW COOKER Turkey Breast

Turkey Recipes

Crackling non-belly pork roast is best made on the day

If you want to make pork with crackling the day before, it’s got to be belly (see above).

But if you want a larger format roast, use my pork roast crackling recipe. However, it’s best made on the day because the meat does lose juiciness.

Prep ahead: Overnight skin dry in fridge
Effort on day: High
Cook time on day: 3 1/2 hours
Useful to know: Stays warm for up to 1 hour

get the recipe

Lamb leg is best made fresh

All my lamb leg recipes are very common over the Christmas period – and I get it! We Aussies love lamb, and it has a commanding presence on the table. 🙂

However, fact is that lamb leg is lean which means it is not as juicy the next day. So if you want lamb leg, then I really recommend making it fresh (even the slow cooked fall-apart ones). If you want a roast lamb you can make today and that reheats 100% perfectly tomorrow, make lamb shoulder! (See section at top).

Here’s my selection of lamb leg recipes (PS slow cooker lamb leg works incredibly well, but it has to be a small-ish leg)

Roast Lamb Leg with Gravy

Greek Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb

Slow Cooker Roast Lamb Leg

Greek Butterflied Lamb Leg

Roast Lamb

My most company-worthy roast chicken….

…comes with a delicate herb infused creamy French sauce and it’s in my new cookbook Tonight p 249). All roast chickens are best made fresh as the meat loses juice overnight and the skin gets compromised.

Alternatives: My classic garlic-butter Roast Chicken, the popular Thai Red Curry Pot Roast Chicken (it is Amazing – caps intentional!).

Prep ahead: None
Effort on day: High
Cook time on day: 2 hours

p249 of tONIGHT

Lamb rack

This pricey, special, delicate cut is never the same once reheated. So make it fresh – it’s worth it!

Pictured – signature crumbed lamb rack (that crumb!). Easier – Rosemary Garlic Marinated Rack of Lamb.

Prep ahead: Low
Effort on day: High
Cook time on day: 2 hours

get the recipe

7. Are you game enough to tackle these whales?

Not gonna sugar coat it – even with maximum prepare ahead, both these demand attention and time, and they are both best served fresh. But – the gasps! The applause! Your epic Christmas main will be talked about in your circles for months!

1. The great Beef Wellington

Find the recipe on page 252 of Dinner and watch the recipe tutorial video here.

2. the french onion brie pie in “tonight”

This is the signature vegetarian main from my new cookbook Tonight. Layers of mushroom ragu, caramelised onion and potato gratin sandwich a whole wheel of brie that oozes out when the pie is cut. Oh, did I mention it’s enclosed in an incredible buttery brioche pastry?

Find the recipe on page 270 of my new cookbook Tonight.

Mains set, let’s talk dessert! I’m only covering meal desserts here, not cookies (Christmas Cookies, Gingerbread Men) and nibbly/gifty desserts (like Rocky Road, Christmas Caramel Popcorn)

1. Desserts that must be made ahead

Both Trifle and the no-bake Christmas Cheesecake need to be made the day before so they can set in the fridge overnight. The Christmas Cake, though it can be made an enjoyed on the day of baking, is even better the next day and beyond because the flavours keep developing.

No-bake Christmas Cheesecake Slab

The latest addition to my Christmas Desserts, designed for hot Aussie Christmases because it’s no bake, and it feeds a lot of people!

Needs to be made 12 hours+ prior to serving.
Also see all cheesecakes, baked and no-bake, all of which require 4 hours+ fridge time.

get the recipe

Classic Christmas cake

Though it can be enjoyed on the day it’s made, this lovely moist fruit cake is even better the next day and weeks after as the flavours have a chance to develop and meld.

Cook time: 3 1/2 hours
Also see: Mini Christmas Cakes (great gift!)

get the recipe

Christmas Trifle looks smashing!

The one thing that will elevate your Trifle from “ok” to PHENOMENAL is making jelly with real cranberry juice instead of using artificial flavoured jelly!

Trifle needs refrigeration time to set and can be assembled up to 2 days prior to serving.

Total fridge time: 8 hours minimum

get the recipe

2. Make-ahead then decorate on the day

Unlike the above, pavlova and meringue can be made and used on the day-of thought for convenience, I almost always make then the day before. ⚠️ Pavs and meringue don’t fare well in humidity and heat, they get sticky and soft (meringue is safer than pavs). So keep them in a cool dry place! (Tip: For the meringue, I make them the night before and let them cool overnight in the oven. It’s airtight and dry – perfect!)

My Pavlova collection

And the famous 1.6m / 5 foot long Never Ending Meringue Tart, named as such because you can make it as loooong as you want! Last weekend I made a 2.5 meter one – new PB!

Righto! Onto the starters. There are a good number that are mostly prepare-ahead or entirely make-ahead, reflecting my approach to menu setting (ie mains > dessert > starters > sides).

1. Make-ahead starters

Festive Italian Cheese log

Make it now and it keeps for days and days!

I love this for the festive look, that it tastes like an antipasto platter in dip form and it’s made for sharing with my favourite people. PS the secret ingredient is minced salami. 💯

Make ahead: 95%
Effort on day: Minimal

get the recipe

Oysters!

As simple as lemon wedges. Or make a bright green cucumber lime jalapeño granita – fanceee! Yet easy, and 100% perfect for hot Aussie Christmases.

Make ahead: 95%
Effort on day: Minimal

get the recipe

Prawns with homemade dipping sauces

I know it’s listed earlier but it has to be included in this section too! Choose from 5 difference sauces including classic Marie Rose and Cocktail Sauce. Make it today, serve it tomorrow.

Make ahead: 95%
Effort on day: Minimal

PRAWN DIPPING SAUCES

Why did we stop making prawn cocktails??

They’re classic! Peel the prawns the day before, make sauce, slice the lettuce. Easy assembling on the day.

Make ahead: 95%
Effort on day: Minimal

get the recipe

Hot dips are incredible

Think – oozy cheesy Hot Corn Dip, Cheese and Bacon Dip, Buffalo Chicken Dip and Spinach Artichoke Dip. Assemble today, bake tomorrow. Watch as everyone annihilates it!

PS Cold dips are awesome too and I have plenty of those. 🙂 You haven’t lived until you’ve had a homemade French Onion Dip!

Make ahead: 90%
Effort on day: Low

SEE ALL MY DIPS

Some notable mentions of some more low effort, make-ahead starters:

Cucumber Canapés with Smoked Salmon Mousse

3 Minute Melty Festive Brie (Baked Brie)

Homemade Gourmet Crackers

Cheese Truffles (Mini Cheese Balls)

2. Make-ahead show-off starter

Beetroot cured salmon has been my go-to starter that I make when I want to impress foodies, for wow-factor looks and that it’s “gourmet”. It’s made an appearance at multiple family Christmases!

This requires 2 days for curing, plus preferably an extra 12 – 24 hours to rest. I usually start this on the evening of 22 December, wash off the cure on Christmas Eve, rest overnight then serve on Christmas Day.

3. Always popular but needs to be made closer to serving

Now we’ve reached the type of starters that require more effort closer to serving time, but are always a massive hit! I’ll admit, assembling bite-sized snacks isn’t my favourite task…but I love eating them so much!

Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice

Shameless Nobu copycat. I love it. It’s expensive. So I created my own!

Start it the day before.
Effort on day: Medium high (but worth it).
Good to know: Made with raw tuna but I have a canned tuna option too and it’s really good!

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I love smoked salmon blini!

These mini pancakes are at their best made as close as possible to serving time (I target within 2 hours), though they are still within bounds of acceptable made up to 12 hours ahead. Because they’re so small, they lose freshness really quickly.

Prep time: 20 minutes + 1 h 40 min batter proving
Cook time: 20 minutes
Assembling: 15 minutes

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Ceviche

Probably my most-made raw fish dish. Excellent starter for sharing – scoop with corn chips. You can prep a few hours ahead, cutting the fish and avocado, but it must not be assembled until 5 minutes before you’re ready to serve.

Effort on day: Medium-low (it’s quick)
Good to know: Recipe includes a canapé version too.

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I know it seems like I treat sides as an afterthought. Sometimes I do, but also another reason I leave them to last is because there’s so many more options that are suitable for make-ahead.

So rather than listing all the dishes that are make-ahead friendly, I’m going to list personal and reader favourites, then cram in a few more “don’t miss these!”. I can’t resist.

1. Assemble ahead, bake on the day

Heads up – there is an excessive presence of carbs and cheese, and I make no apologies for it.

Make-ahead Mashed Potato Casserole

Game changer! Who wants to be man handling a giant pot of steaming boiled potatoes on Christmas Day??

Assemble today, bake tomorrow.

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Baked Mac and Cheese

I don’t care how hot it is on Christmas Day, this happens every year!

Assemble today, bake tomorrow
Lower carb version: Cauliflower Cheese

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Potato dauphinoise

Thin layers of soft fluffy potato with cream? Be still my beating heart.

Reheating quality: 99%
Dial up the wow factor: Brie Dauphinoise Potatoes
Cute version: Mini Potato Gratin Stacks

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My favourite sweet potato side dish is stuffed

Bacon, pecans, sage, butter. And I get one ALL to myself! Assemble today, bake tomorrow.

Good to know: I have a big casserole version too.

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Sausage herb stuffing with apple and pecans

Gone are the days of pale, pasty stuffings inside overcooked turkeys and chickens. Say hello to the Stuffing recipe of your dreams!

You should know: I have a cute muffin tin version too (my friends are obsessed with them!)

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See the Warm Christmas Sides recipe collection for more options – so many possibilities!

Rice sides reheat extremely well

Rice make excellent sides that can be made ahead then reheated on the day. I’m talking – minutes in the microwave. For Christmas Day, we can do better than plain rice. Here are some of my favourites!

Mushroom Rice

Rice Pilaf with Nuts and Dried Fruit

Hot buttered corn rice

Jewelled rice pilaf – for Easter!

Greek Lemon Rice

Mexican Red Rice

Garlic rice

Coconut Rice (fluffy, not gluey!)

Middle Eastern Spiced Lentil and Rice (Mejadra)

Rice Side Dishes

2. Show-off salad favourites

A special category of salads that call for a little more effort than your basic Garden Salad because it makes a statement on any table! All these are mostly prepare-ahead. Shake the dressing, prep all the salads things, nuts and other toppings in separate containers. Only leave the things that really are best done fresh, like slicing apples.

Here are my picks that have a high level of make-ahead elements:

See the Show-off Salads collection and Fresh Christmas Sides.

3. Aussie summer side staples

Here are some great staples for hot Aussie summer Christmas, all of which are perfect made today, served tomorrow – and the day after, and day after!

PS If you’ve never tried the Potato Salad before, that’s worth adding to your summer list. There’s a special trick, you see, that makes it the best I’ve ever had! (It’s not my recipe)

The Best Potato Salad

Macaroni Salad

Mexican Corn Salad

Pearl Couscous Salad

4. Big bowls of freshness is essential

No cheese, no candied nuts, no cured meats, no potato, no pasta, no dried fruit. Just a big bowl of freshness to balance out the richness on the table. Never underestimate the power of a big bowl of leafy greens!

Get ahead – Shake up your dressing in a jar and keep it in the fridge, ready to use on the day of.

My favourite Tomato Salad

Bitter Leaf and Orange Salad

Rocket Salad with Balsamic Dressing and Shaved Parmesan

Our Best NO MAYO Coleslaw

Fennel Salad

Cucumber Salad with Herb Garlic Vinaigrette

Corn Salad with Avocado

Christmas Sides: Light & Fresh

See all Light and Fresh Christmas Sides.

Fall back: Everyday salad dressing tossed with a big bowl of leafy greens. I use this a lot for spreads (sometimes I upgrade to French or Italian Dressing!).

5. Special sides – worth the effort to make fresh

If you are lucky enough to have two ovens, or you menu plan so ruthlessly that you can spare the oven time and effort, here are some special side dishes that are worth the effort.

Heads up: There’s a lot of potato. I threw in one green thing as a token (just being truthful).

Duck fat potatoes

The crispiest potatoes of your life!

Cook time: 50 minutes

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Fondant potatoes

Melt-in-your-mouth buttery incredibleness (is that a word??) Serve these with prime rib or steak with creamy mushroom sauce for a luxurious fine-dining meal at home.

Cook time: 50 minutes

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Brussels sprouts in carbonara sauce

Yes, you heard me right. Carbonara sauce!

Cook time: 1 hour

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Fondant sweet potatoes

The maple pecan butter sauce is everything!

Cook time: 1 hour

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Potato rosti

I mean, if there was ever a day for a giant crispy golden buttery potato pancake, it’d be Christmas. No?

Cook time: 25 minutes

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Woah!

This post is a LOT longer than I expected it to be! 😅 It also took a lot longer to write than I expected because I kept getting distracted, adding make-ahead and storage notes into recipes ask I went, as well as some last minute recipe testing. Hand on heart, we literally just made a crispy pork belly and prime rib just to test the make-ahead tips I’ve now added to these recipes.

It must seem strange to some people that I’d go to all that effort to make a slab of pork belly just so I can add a 20 word tip to the end of a recipe for how best to make ahead.

Speaking honestly? I do it for myself. Because it’s going to make my life easier, now that I know I can serve up pork belly at gatherings with perfect crackling and juicy flesh that I’ve made the day before.

So really, all this effort I go to is entirely selfish. 😂 Though it’s a bonus if you find it useful too!

I hope you found today’s post useful to help you plan your Christmas menu! – Nagi x

Life of Dozer

Quite a number of the above make-ahead dishes were included on the menu of a Christmas party I “catered”* for 30 people last weekend. So as one might expect, Dozer was in fine form. Here he is, baby-sitting the ham (yes, I made it the day before):

Then supervising the carving of it:

Keeping a watchful eye as canapés were passed around, in case any fell on the ground…

Though confusingly (for him), nobody gave him any samples from their plate!!

In case you are wondering why I put “catered” in inverted commas, it’s because I don’t do catering except for once every year for my mother’s annual Christmas Party. It’s for her social group, SATG, which stands for “Saturday Afternoon Tennis Group”, and it took place last weekend.

They don’t play tennis, not on Saturday afternoons or any other day. They did, once upon a time, when they were more nimble.

These days they play golf (9 holes only), follow by wine and cheese (always). It is not unusual for people to skip the golf and just join for the latter.

It’s the only event I “cater” each year, only because when my mother asks, everybody knows she’s not really asking.

In case you are wondering, here’s the menu. Most of the dishes will look familiar!

The post 2024 Ultimate Christmas menu planning guide appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

This no bake Christmas cheesecake is designed for sizzling Aussie summers – no sweating over a hot oven! Designed to serve a crowd, it’s the easiest cheesecake recipe I know yet it still captures all the hallmarks of a beautiful classic baked cheesecake.

Decorate with whipped cream, berries and rosemary sprigs for an effortless, pretty festive look.

A Christmas dessert for hot summer days

This Christmas dessert is made especially with fellow Aussies in mind. While half the world is enjoying the magic of snowy Christmases, here in Australia, we’re soaking up the blazing summer sun!

So although there will always be a place in my heart for the great Aussie Pav and classic Christmas cake, anything that doesn’t require an oven gets an extra big thumbs-up from me. Introducing – my brand-new Christmas cheesecake that does not require use of the oven at all!

I love that it looks so festive yet there’s no fiddling with fondant or hunting down Christmas cake toppers. It’s just berries, orange slices, rosemary and a dusting of icing sugar!

About this Christmas Cheesecake

This is officially the easiest cheesecake recipe I know. It’s easier and faster than baked cheesecakes because there’s no baking, cooling or stressing about a cracked surface.

And it’s easier than my round no-bake cheesecake because this slab form has no biscuit sides (which can be fiddly), just the base!

Yet , this slab-form festive Christmas cheesecake captures all the light-but-creamy, indulgent charm of a beautiful classic baked cheesecake. It’s not too sweet as I’m very particular about sweetness level in cakes. I describe it as French / Japanese patisserie level sweet, which is less sweet than typical Western desserts.

It’s in a large rectangle shape “slab form” and thinner than regular round cheesecakes because it’s designed to serve a large number of people – 18 to 24 people. It’s also ideal for gatherings where there’s plenty of food because the serving portion can be smaller than cutting wedges of tall round cheesecakes.

And have I mentioned the Biscoff biscuit base?? Love the Christmasy flavour!

Ingredients

This no bake Christmas cheesecake is based on the classic no-bake cheesecake I published earlier this year – pop over to read glowing reviews! Here’s what you need:

Biscoff biscuit base (or not!)

I use Biscoff for the base because it’s having a moment (so you get street cred, especially with the under 25 crowd), it has built-in holiday flavours (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg – that sort of thing) and I like the rich golden colour. However, you can use any plain biscuits you want – see below for suggestions.

• Biscoff – This is spiced biscuit from Belgium has been around “forever” in Europe but really gained popularity in recent years thanks to social media. It’s a lovely spiced cookie, and ideal for this particular recipe because of the holiday spicing, but I really don’t know why people lose their minds over it. (Speaking frankly, as a thoroughly un-hip foodie!).

  It’s also a little dearer than other plain biscuits. Don’t fret if you can’t find it or prefer a more economical option, noting that you need to buy 2 packets as the recipe calls for 300g/10oz and each packet is 250g/8.8oz. (I did try with just one packet but the base was too thin and lacked structure).

  Other biscuit options – you can use any plain biscuits you want. Marie Crackers (common cheesecake base here in Australia), digestives, graham crackers (US). You can also add a touch of extra spices for holiday flavour if you want (nutmeg, ginger, all spice), see recipe notes for amounts.

  Avoid biscuits/cookies coated with chocolate, or sandwiched with filling (like Oreos) because it may affect how well this no-bake base sets.

• Butter – This is what holds the cheesecake base together because it solidifies when the cheesecake is refrigerated.

• Sugar – Just a smidge, for a boost of sweetness in the base. It is, after all, the holidays! 🙂

• Cinnamon – For an extra touch of holiday flavour.

The no-bake cheesecake filling

Alarmed because you spotted gelatine? Don’t be! See below for why.

• Cream cheese – I always use Philadelphia but if you’ve had success with another brand, feel free to use that. 

  Softened to room temperature – Take it out of the fridge at least 1 hour prior so the cream cheese is softened, not fridge-cold-hard. We want to be able to beat it so it’s quite soft, smooth and fluffy so the whipped cream mixes effortlessly into it without knocking out the air (which means a lovely light aerated cheesecake filling = win!). It’s also important to ensure the gelatine mixes in smoothly. Nobody wants little bits of gelatine in their cheesecake! 😱

  Blocks not tubs – This recipe calls for cream cheese blocks which are firmer than cream cheese in tubs which are softer as they are designed for spreading. If you can only get tubs, you just need to use a little more gelatine. See notes in the recipe card for quantity.

• Gelatine – This is essential for a no-bake cheesecake that rivals the texture of a beautiful classic baked cheesecake (which has egg in the filling, that’s what sets it), one that is light-yet-creamy yet set enough to cut slices. Without gelatine, you need more cream cheese so the cheesecake sets enough to cut, which means it’s heavier and denser. See FAQ below for some background on versions I tried.

  Gelatine is cheap, easy to use, and sold at regular grocery stores. I prefer to use powder rather than gelatine leaves when I can because it’s more accessible and (important to me) the strength is relatively universal around the world. The same cannot be said for gelatine leaves. 🙂

  Find gelatine powder in the baking aisle in small tubs (pictured above) or packets of small sachets (open and measure using a teaspoon).

• Water – This is to “bloom” the gelatine (explained in the step photos below). I use the bare minimum for the amount of gelatine I use – just 3 tablespoons – so we don’t dilute flavour.

• Whipping cream – Whipped cream helps create a lovely light textured filling by aerating the cream cheese. You can use thickened / heavy cream, or regular cream. Just make sure it can be whipped because not all cream is made for whipping (for example, pouring cream, dolloping cream). The label should say if it can be whipped.

  Couple more cream rules:
  1. No low fat! Now is not the time! It will compromise the texture.
  2. Fridge cold! The cream needs to be fridge cold else it will not whip properly.

• Sugar – Best to use caster sugar (superfine sugar) which are finer grains than regular sugar (granulated sugar) so we can be confident it will dissolve. It’s especially important because this is a no-bake recipe so we don’t have heat on our side here to melt the sugar. If you only have regular sugar, that’s ok. Just beat the cream cheese for a little longer than per the recipe and rub the mixture between your fingers to ensure there’s no sugar grains left.

• Vanilla – Please use vanilla extract which is real flavour extracted from vanilla beans (hence the name!) rather than vanilla essence which is imitation. It’s especially important for no-bake recipes because the vanilla flavour is “raw” and doesn’t have the benefit of baking in the oven to bring out the flavour.

• Lemon juice – Just a touch, to bring a smidge of tang to the filling. It’s not a deal breaker if you don’t have it, just leave it out.

• Salt – Standard baking practice these days to bring out the flavours in sweet baked goods. We use just a tiny amount so it doesn’t make it salty by any stretch of the imagination.

Decorations

For a Christmas look, I smothered the cheesecake with a fairly generous amount of whipped cream then decorated it with berries and rosemary dusted with icing sugar.

I also tucked in some orange slices to add a nice splash of bright orange and break up the busy mass of berries. I think it works quite well!

Other decorating ideas – The rectangle cheesecake surface is literally like a blank canvas, ready for you to work your magic! Here are a few more decorating ideas:

• Aussie summer Pavlova style! I see passionfruit, mango slices, strawberries and blueberries with little mint leaves for a splash of colour. Gorgeous!

• Fruit compote and sauces (also see Mango Cheesecake, Strawberry and Blueberry Cheesecake, and Blueberry Cheesecake Bars);

• Sauce – Serve with a chocolate or salted caramel sauce, though when I make chocolate or caramel cheesecakes I like to get those flavours inside the cheesecake too by swirling them in (I also usually add a hidden layer inside, for extra impact). They will be coming onto my website eventually! 🙂

• Sprinkle of nuts and/or chocolate shavings – Think, macadamia and white chocolate, peanuts and dark chocolate, pecans and chocolate, pistachios or almonds. Lovely addition of texture!

• Pretty spring garden – Edible flowers, petals and leaves (dried or fresh), pistachios, gold leaf! I have visions I hope to make a reality one day. 🙂

How to make this Slab No Bake Cheesecake

This slab form cheesecake is easier than my classic round no bake cheesecake which has a biscuit wall. Although not technically difficult, biscuit walls can be a bit fiddly if you’re a first timer.

The one important step to remember is to line the pan with plenty of paper overhang so you can easily lift the cheesecake out of the pan once it is set.

1. biscoff crust

If you don’t have a food processor, just put the biscuits in a ziplock bag and bash with a rolling pin or meat mallet (it’s very satisfying). Because of the volume we are using, you might find it easier to do this in two batches.

1. Prepare pan – Lightly grease a 23 x 33cm / 9 x 13″ rectangle pan with butter or a plain oil spray (I use canola), just enough for paper to stick. I emphasise LIGHTLY because if you use too much butter, it acts as a glue once refrigerated so you have to wait until the butter softens before removing the cheesecake (Yes I know this from personal experience 😁)

   Then line the pan with baking paper (parchment paper) with LOTS of overhang on the long side, to make it easy to lift the cheesecake out at the end. It’s ok if you don’t get 100% coverage on the base (like mine, because standard baking paper is a little shorter than my pan).

2. Blitz – Break the Biscoff biscuits up roughly by hand and blitz until they become fine crumbs, about 10 to 15 seconds on high, depending on how powerful your food processor is. Add the butter, cinnamon, sugar and salt, then blitz again until it becomes wet sand.

   CHECK for clumping ability! The mixture should press together well when pinched between fingers. This is important to check because structural integrity of the base is key to ensure your cheesecake holds together when you lift it out of the pan!

   ⚠️ Not pressing together? Just add a little extra melted butter. You might have this problem if you used a lower fat biscuit than Biscoff, or if they were a bit stale.

5. Pour the crumbs into the prepared pan.

6. Press it in firmly. The firmer you press it in, the more stable your base will be. Then refrigerate until required.

Note: The idea here with this no-bake biscuit base is that the melted butter solidifies and this is what holds the biscuits crumbs together.

2. BLOOM THE GELATINE

There is no need to fear gelatine! It’s simple to use if you just follow the steps I’ve provided. There’s a reason for every direction!

1. Bloom gelatine – Put the water in a small bowl then sprinkle the gelatine across the surface. Mix with a small whisk (or spoon) – it will become like lumpy jelly. Then leave it for 5 minutes. This is called “blooming” the gelatine, and it makes gelatine powder dissolve so it can be stirring into liquids to make them set.

   ⚠️ Don’t dump the gelatine in one place and don’t pour water into the gelatine. This can cause the gelatine to turn into a big lump immediately.

2. Rubbery! The gelatine should solidify into a firm rubber. If it doesn’t, then your gelatine is dead – time to get another!

3. Gently re-melt – Microwave for 15 seconds on high to melt it then mix until lump free.⚠️ Do not let it boil as it can destroy the setting abilities of gelatine.

4. Cool for 5 minutes while you make the filling. The melted gelatine will be whipped into the filling.

   ⚠️ Make sure the gelatine does not have a skin on the surface or sides when you pour it in as this will not mix into the cheesecake filling properly. If it does, re-heat for 5 seconds in the microwave.

   ⚠️ Do not pour hot gelatine into cream or anything that it could melt or deflate. Cool it first but make sure it’s still in liquid form. It’s ok to use slightly warmer than room temperature.

3. MAKE FILLING

I prefer using a handheld electric beater to make the filling as you can move it around the bowl rather than stopping and scraping down the sides like you’d need to do with a stand mixer. You also only need to use one attachment (the whisks). If you use a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment to whip the cream, then the paddle attachment for the cream cheese step (stand mixer whisk may aerate it too much because it’s more powerful = large unsightly bubbles + risk of collapse mid-setting).

1. Whip cream – Put the cream in a bowl and whip it on high for 2 minutes or until stiff peaks form. We’re not looking for silky soft whipped cream, we want full on stiff whipped cream, as this makes our cheesecake beautiful light and fluffy.

2. Beat cream cheese – Put the cream cheese and sugar in a separate bowl and using the same whisk (no need to clean it), beat for 1 minute on high just until it’s softly smooth. Then add the vanilla, lemon, salt and melted cooled gelatine, then beat it in just until dispersed.⚠️ Don’t beat excessively because it can cause unsightly large air bubbles in the filling (not the end of the world though, I’m just fussy!). 

3. Fold in whipped cream – Using a rubber spatula, fold through about 1/4 of the cream into the cream cheese filling. This lightens up the cream cheese mixture a bit before adding the rest of the cream, so less air is knocked out of the cream.Once the initial cream is mostly mixed through, gently mix through the remaining cream. Don’t stir vigorously as you will knock air out of the whipped cream which will make the cheesecake filling denser than we are aiming for! 

4. Pour the mixture into the prepared crust. 

5. Smooth – Gently spread the filling across the base and smooth the surface.

6. Set – Cover the pan with a large cutting tray, baking tray or foil (not cling wrap, it might sag and touch the surface). Refrigerate for at least 12 hours until the filling is set.

4. REMOVING FROM THE PAN AND DECORATING

1. Remove cheesecake from pan – Use the paper overhang to lift the cheesecake out of the pan and transfer it to your serving platter. Then slide the paper out from underneath.

   Tips/notes:
   – Sagging base: Don’t fret if your base sags a little bit when you lift it out, it still holds together. You’ll see in the recipe video mine is not 100% stiff and straight, and it’s totally ok.
   – Stuck! It you were a little too enthusiastic greasing your pan with butter and your cheesecake is stuck, just wet a tea towel with hot water and put the pan on it to accelerate softening the butter without having to leave the cheesecake out for too long (blazing hot Aussie summers are not a friend of cheesecake). It should only take a minute or two.

2. Decorate as you please! Here’s what I did for a Christmas Cheesecake look. First, spread generously with whipped cream.

3. Pile on berries (I used cherries, raspberries, small strawberries), tuck in orange slices (to break up the visual mass of berries), poke some rosemary sprigs in.

4. Dust with icing sugar / confectionary sugar. This always makes things look so pretty!

Assemble ahead with stabilised whipped cream!

There you go! My brand new Christmas dessert for 2024 built with practicality in mind.

Speaking of which, I have a gold tip for making this ahead! Because even though it’s easy to write the instruction to decorate the cheesecake just prior to serving, the reality is that nobody wants to leave the party to go and whip cream, spread it on the cheesecake, decorate and dust…

But whipped cream, being the delicate thing that it is, starts to deflate within a few hours. But not if you stabilise the whipped cream! You just need to add a little gelatine when you whip the cream, and this will stabilise it enough so it stays fluffy for a couple of days, like it was freshly whipped. It doesn’t alter the texture or taste of the whipped cream, and nobody except you (and anyone you decide to disclose your secret to) will know.

See the recipe notes for how to make the stabilised whipped cream. It’s a game changer for cream decorated cakes – so handy! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Easy Christmas Cheesecake Slab – no bake!

Recipe video above. Based on my classic no-bake cheesecake, this Christmas cheesecake is designed for sizzling Aussie summers because there's no need to turn on the oven, it's no bake! Excellent one to feed lots of people, this captures the light yet lusciously creamy qualities of a classic baked cheesecake, but it's considerably easier to make.

New to gelatine powder? Don't worry! It's affordable, easy to find, easy to use and gives the cheesecake a superior texture that’s smooth and stable, unlike denser or sloppy versions made without it. See FAQ above for rantings!

Decorate with whipped cream, berries and rosemary sprigs for a festive look that's effortless to do.

This will serve 24 people as a smaller dessert (ideal after a big meal) or 18 generous pieces.

Course Sweet

Cuisine Western

Keyword Cheesecake recipe, christmas cheesecake, No bake cheesecake

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Fridge setting 12 hours hours

Servings 18 – 24 people

Calories 288cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Biscuit crust:

• 300g/10 oz Biscoff (38 pieces) or other plain biscuit/cookies 1 1/2 cups crumbs) (Note 1)
• 120g (8 tbsp) unsalted butter , melted
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder (optional, recommended)
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• Pinch of salt

No-bake cheesecake filling:

• 3 1/2 tsp (13.5 g) gelatin powder , unflavoured (Note 2)
• 3 tbsp cold tap water
• 1 1/2 cups thickened or heavy cream , or any whipping cream, FRIDGE COLD (Note 3)
• 750g/ 24 oz cream cheese block (3 blocks, , well softened at room temperature – don't use tub (Note 4)
• 1 1/4 cups caster sugar / superfine sugar (Note 5)
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp lemon juice (not critical, can do without)

Whipped cream (Chantilly cream)

• 2 cups thickened or heavy cream , or any whipping cream, FRIDGE COLD (Note 3)
• 3 tbsp caster sugar / superfine sugar (or double quantity of icing sugar, sifted)
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Christmas decoration

• Strawberries (halve or quarter larger ones, mine were small)
• Berries – I used blackberries and raspberries
• Cherries
• Rosemary sprigs
• 6 orange slices , cut into half moons
• Icing sugar / confectionary sugar , for dusting

Cups – Metric

Instructions

ABBREVIATED RECIPE:

• Blitz crumb. Press into 33 x 23 cm / 9 x 13" lined pan with paper overhang (important). Bloom gelatine in the water, re-melt. Whip cream. In separate bowl whip cream cheese + sugar, then vanilla, lemon, salt and gelatine. Fold in 1/4 cream, then remaining cream. Fill pan, fridge 12 hours, decorate!

FULL RECIPE:

Line pan with overhang:

• Line – Grease a 23 x 33 cm / 9 x 13" can VERY lightly with butter or spray with a plain oil (I use canola). Line with parchment/baking paper with lots of overhang on the long side to lift the cheesecake out once set (see photos).

Biscuit crust:

• Blitz – Break up biscuits roughly by hand and place in a food processor. Blitz until it becomes fine crumbs (~30 seconds).
• Add butter – Add the butter, cinnamon and salt. Blitz until it resembles wet sand (~ 10 second). It should stay together when pinched between your fingers.
• Press – Pour into the prepared pan. Spread then use your hand or something flat to press it in firmly (firmer = more stable base). Refrigerate until required.

Gelatine (Note 2):

• Bloom gelatine – Put the water in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatine across the surface (don't dump it in one place. Whisk until dissolved then set aside for 3 minute or until it firms up like rubber.
• Melt – Microwave for 15 seconds on high or until it melts (do not let it boil). Cool for 5 minutes while you make the filling (make sure it's still liquid when you use it, if there's a skin on surface or walls, warm for 5 seconds to liquify).

No-bake cheesecake filling:

• Whip cream – Put the cream in a bowl and whip it with an electric beater on high for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes until firm peaks form (ie not softly whipped, we want good aeration!).
• Whip cream cheese – Put the cream cheese and sugar in a separate large bowl. Using the same beater (no need to clean), beat on high for 1 1/2 minutes just until it's soft and smooth. Add the vanilla, lemon and melted gelatine, then beat for 10 seconds on high to mix it through thoroughly. Don't beat excessively as we don't want too many air bubbles in the cheesecake (unsightly).
• Fold – Add about 1/4 of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Gently fold through using a rubber spatula or large spoon (don't mix aggressively, you'll knock all the air out of the cream!). Then fold in the rest of the cream.
• Refrigerate – Pour into the pan and smooth the surface. Refrigerate for 12 hours+ to set.

Decorating:

• Remove – Use the paper overhang to lift the cheesecake out of the pan and transfer it onto a serving platter. Then slide the paper out from underneath. Refrigerate until ready to decorate.
• Whip cream – Put the ingredients in a bowl and whip on high for 2 to 3 minutes until softly whipped. (Use an electric beater or stand mixer fitted with a whisk. Also, see Note 6 for stabilising to assemble ahead).
• Decorate – Spread the cream in big swirls across the surface of the cake. Pile on the berries and cherries, tuck in the orange slices and rosemary. Dust with icing sugar then cut into slices and serve!

Notes

1. Biscoff base – You’ll need to get 2 standard Biscoff packets (250g / 8.8oz each, 32 biscuits in each), and to use 1 full packet plus 6 extra biscuits (this is 300g/10 oz).

Substitute with any other plain sweet biscuits (ie no chocolate coating or filling like Oreos), like Marie crackers, digestives, graham crackers. If the biscuit you use doesn’t hold together when pinched after mixing in the butter, just add a bit of extra butter until it does (some types are a little drier).

For holiday spice flavour (built into Biscoff), add 1/8 tsp each nutmeg, all spice and ginger powder (or an extra 1/2 tsp cinnamon).

Packet crumbs (eg Graham Cracker Crumbs) – 2 1/2 cups crumbs = 300g / 10 oz

2. Gelatine – Sold in small containers or little sachets in the baking aisle. See in post for gelatine using tips. Needs to be liquid when used so re-melt again if needed, but make sure it’s not hot!

Other recipes that use gelatine: Mango Cheesecake, Trifle, Nutella cheesecake, Mirror glaze.

3. Cream – Make sure the one you get can be whipped! Not all cream is made for whipping. Label will say if it can be whipped. Also ensure you use the cream straight out of the fridge, cold, so it whips properly. Warm cream will not whip.

4. Cream cheese blocks are firmer than tubs (softer, for spreading). If you can only get the tubs, it’s fine, but increase the gelatine to 4 tsp.

Ensure the cream cheese is well softened at room temperature so it is easy to whip until smooth and for the gelatine to mix through – nobody wants lumps of gelatine in their cheesecake!

5. Sugar – If you only have regular white sugar / granulated sugar, beat the cream cheese + sugar for longer or until there’s no sugar grains (rub between fingers). Filling might have some air bubbles but that’s a minor sacrifice for no sugar grit!

Sweetness note – This cheesecake is not overly sweet, it is French patisserie/Japanese cakes level sweet. If you want American-level-sweet, increase the sugar to 1 3/4 cups.

6. Stabilised whipped cream – To assemble the day before or 3+ hours ahead, it’s best to stabilise the whipped cream (else it deflates/weeps).

Method: Sprinkle 2 tsp gelatine across surface of 2 tbsp water then follow the same steps in this recipe to bloom, re-melt then cool. While cream per recipe, adding the gelatine halfway through whipping. Spread on cake, refrigerate until serving, cream will be like freshly whipped for 2 – 3 days.

Alternatively, you can use my mascarpone method (recipe here) but it’s richer than I’d opt for this recipe, plus you need to go out and get mascarpone (whereas we already have gelatine!).

Storage – Keep it in the fridge and serve cool or cold. Cream is best spread as close to serving as you can as it will deflate a bit after a few hours, though if you beat it a little stiffer it holds better or you can stabilise it (see note 6 above). Cheesecake base is at its best 12 – 36 hours after putting it in the fridge, then softens a little bit (not very noticeable) on days 3 and 4, then a bit more at the 4 day mark (but not anything people complain about). Cheesecake filling keeps the shorter of the cream shelf life, or 7 days (though cream does deflate). 

Not suitable for freezing (filling gets sloppy).

Nutrition per serving assuming 18 servings, excluding cream (I cannot be responsible for how much cream you smother on top!). Lower than I expected! It’s practically diet food! 😉

Nutrition

Calories: 288cal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 360mg | Potassium: 158mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 500IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 163mg | Iron: 1mg

My signature Christmas desserts

Christmas Cake – moist, easy fruit cake

Pavlova!!

Christmas Trifle!

Pavlova Christmas Tree

Never Ending Meringue Tart

Mini Pavlovas

No Bake Mango Cheesecake

Mini Cheesecakes

Christmas Desserts

Life of Dozer

After Dozer’s fertiliser munching emergency-vet-run earlier this week, happy to report he seems fine. Here he is, looking contrite and apologetic for all the worry and hassle he caused. (You need to look closely to catch the apology in his eyes. You might need to blow up the photos. Dozer also thanks everybody for their concern and well wishes.)

The post Easy Christmas Cheesecake Slab – no bake! appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

This is a combination of three simple things that come together into a devilishly delicious dish: maple roast carrots with a subtle hit of spice, crispy seasoned chickpeas and a cooling, creamy garlic yogurt sauce. Substantial, impressive side or meat-free meal!

Spicy maple roast carrots with crispy chickpeas and yogurt sauce

I love dishes like this. Take nice-but-nothing-spectacular things. In today’s case, spicy maple roasted carrots (3 ingredients), crispy chickpeas (crack a can) and a yogurt sauce.

Individually – fine.

Together – INCREDIBLE!

The thing here that makes this so special is the contrast of flavours and textures. Sweet and spicy from the carrots. Crunchy and savoury from the chickpeas. Creamy and cooling from the lemony garlic yogurt sauce.

It is so, so, SO very good!

I also think you’ll appreciate the convenience of the making process. Both the carrots and chickpeas cook in the oven at the same time, taking around 30 minutes for the carrots to become caramelised and tender, and the chickpeas crispy and clattering across the tray.

You do big swirly smears of the yogurt sauce on a platter, pile the glistening carrots on top and shower with the crunchy chickpeas, stand back and you immediately know you’ve just made something moreishly delicious!

How much do you wish that spoon was heading towards your mouth right now??

Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make these loaded spicy maple roast carrots. Actually not that much! I’ve just broken it up into groups for ease of reading.

Carrot options

I like the visuals of dutch carrots but you can use ordinary carrots instead. Just cut them in quarters or half lengthwise so they are around the same width as dutch carrots.

Spicy maple sauce for roasting

Just sriracha (for spiciness and vinegar) and maple syrup. You can use honey instead, though I really love the flavour maple brings to this dish.

Crispy roasted chickpeas

Just a can of chickpeas and a simple seasoning adds great crunch and extra fun to this dish! It also adds starch which turns it into meal-territory.

lemon garlic yogurt sauce

Here’s what you need for the yogurt sauce. This is a simple, powerhouse sauce that’s incredibly versatile that I use frequently, from Chicken Shawarma wraps to draping over roasted pumpkin, koftas to lamb borek. Use a good Greek or Greek-style yogurt if you can, else any plain yogurt (not sweetened or flavoured).

How to make it

Toss and roast. That’s really all it takes! The chickpeas and spicy maple roast carrots will both take around 30 minutes in the oven so we can do them both at the same time.

1. Dry roast plain chickpeas – Drain the chickpeas, spread them out on a tray then roast for 10 minutes. After many years of baking chickpeas, I can definitely say this makes oven baked chickpeas crispier than if you air dry or dry them with tea towels, not to mention faster and more convenient!

2. Season – Then toss the chickpeas with the oil, salt, pepper and seasonings. I just do this on the tray – if you’d got a rubber spatula, you can scrape-and-toss pretty effectively just straight on the tray.

3. Roast – Then roast the chickpeas for a further 20 to 25 minutes until they are crispy. You’ll know just by shaking the tray when they’re ready as they will clatter noisily around on the tray.

4. Toss the carrots in the sriracha, maple syrup, salt, pepper and oil.

5. Roast 30 minutes – Spread on the tray then bake for 30 minutes until the carrots are tender and they are a bit caramelised.

6. Yogurt sauce – Mix the ingredients until combined.

7. Extra sauce (optional) – I also like to mix up just a splash of plain maple and sriracha to pour over as extra sauce. Mainly for extra sauce, because the sauce used to roast the carrots is caramelised onto the carrots as we want, rather than remaining in a pool on the tray, and I like the fresh vinegary hit that the sriracha brings to the dish. But it’s optional!

8. Assemble – Then to assemble, spread the yogurt sauce on a plate. Pile on the carrots, including scraping out any juice left on the tray. Pour over the extra maple-sriracha sauce, then tumble over the chickpeas. Sprinkle with coriander (and pistachios as an optional extra, if using) then serve immediately!

How to serve these loaded spicy maple roast carrots

Think beyond the side dish!

1. As a meal – Hand on heart, what you see in the photos was my lunch then dinner (I was stuffing carrots in warmed pita breads)

2. Salad lunch spread* with friends – This clunky titled concept is something I like to especially do for lunch gatherings with friends. I put out a selection of what I call “substantial salads” (ie not just a bowl of leafy greens), crusty bread, and usually some crudités with hummus or feta dip. This dish is definitely going to make my next salad lunch spread!

   I like doing these salad spreads because it’s something different, people alway like a selection of dishes, I choose salads that can be prepared ahead and it’s usually an easy way to deal with the inevitable presence of someone gluten-free, vegetarian and/or “trying to be healthy”.

3. As a side dish. Yes, I had to list it! And definitely an occasion-worthy side dish.

There you go! I’d love to know what you think of this dish. I always get a touch nervous with recipes I just invent on a whim, usually when I get inspired when I see a particular ingredient on special (in this case, dutch carrots!). – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

Print

Spicy maple roast carrots with crispy chickpeas and yogurt sauce

Recipe video above. This is a combination of 3 simple things that are devilishly good together: slightly spicy caramelised maple roasted carrots, crispy seasoned chickpeas and a cooling, creamy yogurt sauce with a subtle hint of garlic. The chickpeas add terrific crunch and because they're a starch, you can easily serve this substantial side dish as a meal.

Both the carrots and chickpeas take around 30 minutes in the oven but you might need to add an extra 5 minutes or so depending on how long you take when you take the trays out to toss/season etc .

Course Side, vegetarian main

Cuisine MIddle eastern vibes, Western

Keyword carrot side dish, Roasted Carrots

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 5 as a side, 2 – 3 as a main

Calories 304cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Carrots (choose one):

• 16 Dutch carrots , scrubbed clean and tops trimmed (keep 2cm/1″ of tops for looks)
• 600 g/ 1.2 lb regular carrots (5 medium), peeled, cut into quarters (Note 1)

Spicy maple sauce (for carrots):

• 3 tbsp maple syrup (or 2 1/2 tbsp honey)
• 2 tbsp sriracha
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Crispy seasoned chickpeas:

• 400g/ 14 oz can chickpeas , drained but not dried
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Extra sauce (optional) – Note 2

• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 tbsp sriracha

Lemon garlic yogurt sauce:

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 tsp garlic , finely grated
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt

Garnishes:

• 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander/cilantro leaves (sub parsley)
• 3 tbsp toasted pistachios , finely chopped (Note 3)

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 200°C/425°F (180°C fan). Arrange the oven racks so they are 20 cm/8" apart (for air circulation).
• Chickpeas & carrots – Drain the chickpeas then spread on a tray (still wet). Toss the carrots with the Spicy Maple Sauce ingredients. Put both trays in the oven (carrots on the top shelf).
• Crispy chickpeas – Remove the oven dried chickpeas from the oven after 10 minutes (Note 4). Push them to one side of the tray, drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the chickpea spices, salt and pepper. Toss well using a rubber spatula, then return to the oven for a further 20 – 25 minutes until they're crispy (listen for the clatter when you shake the tray – or eat one! Note 4).
• Carrots 30 min – Roast the carrots for 30 minutes, tossing halfway, until they are tender and caramelised on the edges.
• Yogurt Sauce – Mix the ingredients in a bowl and set aside for at least 20 minutes to allow the flavours to develop.
• Extra sauce – Mix until combined.
• Assemble – Spread the yogurt sauce on a plate. Pile on the carrots, scraping out every drop of juices on the tray. Drizzle with extra sauce, if using. Sprinkle over chickpeas, then coriander and pistachios. EAT!

Notes

Spice note: Not that spicy, roasting takes the spicy edge of sriracha a bit. If you’re concerned, cut back then if you want more spiciness at the end, just add a bit more sriracha when making up the Extra Sauce.

1. Carrots – I use dutch for visual purposes and because when I made this for the photos, dutch carrots were on special. But regular carrots can be used in a pinch. Cut them vertically into dutch-carrot width long pieces (quarters for normal carrots, half for small ones)

2. Extra sauce – I like to add a touch of extra sauce at the end because all the sauce caramelises in the oven and coats the carrots (as intended). I also like the vinegary tang that the sriracha brings to the dish.

3. Pistachios – A late addition to this dish included in the video that just made it even better! For flavour and also looks good. But it’s optional. Toast over medium heat in a dry skillet (no oil) until there are small golden patches. Remove, cool, chop.

4. Roasted chickpeas should be crispy on the outside but still soft on the inside. The initial 10 minute dry roasting will make these oven chickpeas crispier than the usual technique of air or towel drying then roasting, but the fact is they will never be as crispy as deep frying (and that’s ok, our hips are happy with this) and they don’t stay crispy for longer than 2 hours UNLESS you roast them for 45 minutes until they are rock hard all the way through (these are a little too hard to eat, in my opinion)

Leftovers will keep pretty well for a day, bring to room temp them eat (it’s a bit messy to separate yogurt from carrots to heat the carrots). Otherwise keep the components separate and heat the carrots. Oven chickpeas don’t stay crispy for longer than a couple of hours.

Nutrition per serving, assuming 5 servings as a side.

Nutrition

Calories: 304cal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 632mg | Potassium: 683mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 20221IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 147mg | Iron: 2mg

Life of Dozer

Since Dozer and I started meeting readers in “real life”, he’s been blessed with adorable gifts from generous people. Here is a memorable one. It’s handmade. So touched a reader took the time to make this!! I just love it. 😇

The post Spicy maple roast carrots with crispy chickpeas and yogurt sauce appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.