Christmas is the most stressful holiday of the year. First, there’s the Christmas wish list headache of what presents to get for your friends and family. Thankfully, that can be resolved with this gift guide. What comes second is the nerve-racking moment when you have friends and family at the Christmas table tasting what you’ve served them and how the dish would turn out. If you’re an anxious cook like me, check out these easy Christmas food recipes that will beat the Christmas anxiety and the outcome will amaze your guests, leaving them wanting more.

1. Cheese Stars

Source: bbcgoodfood.com

20 servings, 10-12 mins

Ingredients:

320g pastry puff
A mugful of grated cheddar and parmesan
Flour, for dusting
2 tbsp of milk
Poppy seeds, oregano & sesame seeds for toppings (optional)

Instructions

1. Spread out the pastry sheets and sprinkle cheese over half of the sheet.
2. Fold the pastry in half to seal the cheese in.
3.  Dust your work surface with flour and put your pastry sheet on it. Roll it out with a rolling pin until it is doubled in size.
4. Heat oven to 200C/ 180C fan/ gas 6 and line the baking sheets with baking parchment.
5. Use a star-shaped cookie cutter to cut the pastry and put them on the prepared baking sheet.
6. Brush the sheets with milk and sprinkle the desired toppings, if using.
7. Bake in oven for 10-12 minutes or until risen and golden.

2. Marshmallow Snowman on a Stick

Source: makelifelovely.com

Ingredients

Large marshmallows
Lollipop sticks, striped straws or wooden skewers
Sprinkles (Black/Orange)
Chocolate candy ( York peppermint patties and Rolos)

Instructions

1. Poke the straw/skewers through two large marshmallows for the body and head.
2. Use the black sprinkles for the eyes and mouth and orange sprinkles for the carrot noses. Stick them in carefully until there is only a tiny dot exposed.
3. Use Rolos and York chocolates for the hats. The toothpicks work well to hold the hat pieces into the marshmallow head.

3.  Roast Turkey with Garlic, Sage and Lemon

Source: realsimple.com

6-8 servings, cook time :4 hours

Ingredients

1 turkey, giblets removed
1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley
kitchen string (optional)
4 small carrots
2 stalks celery, cut into 3-inch long strips
2 medium yellow onions, cut into wedges
7 tbsp olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh sage
1 lemon, zest grated and juice squeezed

Instructions

1. Pre-heat over to 425F
2. Dry the turkey by patting it with paper towels. Place the wings underneath the body and place 1/2 bunch of parsley in the cavity.
3. Roast carrots, celery and onions in a metal roasting pan. Transfer the turkey to a wire rack and place it on top of the vegetables.
4. Chop the remaining 1/2 bunch of parsley finely and combine with garlic, fresh lemon juice, 1 tbsp olive oil in a small bowl. Stuff the herb mixture under the skin.
5. Drizzle the skin with the remaining tbsp of olive oil and spread evenly. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Roast turkey until browned for 30 to 45 minutes.
7. Add the broth to the pan and cover the turkey loosely with foil. Reduce the oven temperature to 350F and roast about 2 hours. Let the turkey rest for atleast 30 minutes before carving. Reserve pan drippings and vegetables for gravy.

4. Beetroot, mushroom and avocado salad

Source: goodhousekeeping.com

4 servings

Ingredients

4 medium portobello mushroom caps
1/4c. lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil
1 small shallot, finely chopped
5oz. baby kale
8oz. precooked beets, chopped
2 ripe avocados, thinly sliced
2 sheets matzo, crushed into bite-size pieces

Instructions

1. Brush the portobello mushroom caps with oil and sprinkle with salt before roasting at 450F for 20 minutes or until tender.
2. Once the mushrooms are tender, cut into thin slices.
3. Whisk lemon juice, olive oil, shallots and season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss in the baby kale and beets.
4. Divide among serving plates and top with avocados, matzo and portobellos. Serve the remaining dressing on the side.

5. Butter Pecan Cookies

Source: delish.com 

Ingredients

For the cookies

1 cup of butter, softened
1 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 large eggs
2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 c. chopped pecans

For the maple buttercream

1 stick butter
1 1/2 cup. powdered sugar
2 tbsp. maple syrup
2 tbsp. heavy cream
Chopped pecans, for decorating

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350C.
2.  Beat butter and sugar until smooth in a large bowl using a hand mixer.
3.  Beat in vanilla and eggs until combined and add in flour, baking soda and salt mixture until combined. Fold in the chopped pecans.
4. Scoop the mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet using a tablespoon and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden. Leave it to cool.
5. To make the frosting, beat butter in a large bowl using hand mixer until the consistency is smooth and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and beat until combined, then add maple syrup and heavy cream and beat until creamy.
6. Frost cookies and garnish with chopped pecans.

6. Peppermint Kiss Oreo Balls

Source: thefirstyearblog.com

Serving: 2 dozen, Total time : 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

1. 1 regular package oreos, about 36 cookies
2. 1 package regular cream cheese, 8 oz, softened
3. 2 tbsp International Delight Peppermint Mocha creamer Peppermint kisses
4. Chocolate and/or vanilla almond bark for dipping the oreo balls
5. crushed candy canes

Instructions

1. Put the oreos in the food processor and process until you have fine oreo crumbs.
2. Add cream cheese and International Delight creamer to the food processor and mix until blended.
3. Line a baking tray and place small scoops of oreo balls using a cookie scoop. Place peppermint inside each ball and roll it into a ball. Freeze the oreo balls for 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, place candy canes in a ziploc bag and crush them into small pieces by using a rolling pin. Set aside.
5.  Melt chocolate bark in a small pot over low heat on a stove. Stir occasionally to make sure it is completely melted.
6. Remove the oreo balls from the freezer and dip the oreo balls in the pot of melted chocolate. To remove the oreo ball, use a fork to lift it out of the chocolate. Let each ball sit for about 1 minute before sprinkling crushed candy cane on top ( so that the candy cane doesn’t fall off the oreo ball because the chocolate is too hot).
7. Allow them to harden at room temperature. Store in the fridge.