It's the time to bake, sing carols and be jolly!

christmas treat

It’s that time of the year when the only resolution one makes is to be jolly! Yes, the much-awaited holiday season is here and people are in a mood to just celebrate with families and friends and gorge on great food, traditional delicacies, cakes and mouthwatering desserts.

With Christmas just around the corner, the City too has donned its festive hues and is all set to welcome the D-Day with cakes, chocolates, wines and some traditional fare. With Christmas parties to attend, host some of them too and exhange gifts with  friends and loved ones, there are plenty of reasons to just roll up your sleeves, don a chef’s cap, turn on some Christmas music and bake your favourite cakes.

Chef Rajiv Sinha, executive sous chef of The Claridges, shares his Christmas menu with Metrolife. “We have the traditional plum cake which has nuts and dry fruits in it. These dry fruits are soaked in alcohol which consists of red wine, brandy, rum and whisky for at least two months. Then we have the plum pudding with brandy sauce. Along with cakes we also have the classic stollen bread, Christmas cinnamon star cookies, gingerbread man cookies and the minced pie which has dry fruits stuffing and is served with tea or coffee.”

And there is no dearth of the Christmas confections as Chef Dheeraj Mathur from Radisson Blu, Paschim Vihar tells you.  “Along with the regular and traditional plum cakes and puddings, we have Yule log which is a kind of pastry, Cocoon bush, Strawberry pavlova which is a kind of Italian cheesecake with vanilla flavour and cream coated with melted chocolate.” Traditional food items are always a hit during festive seasons.

And Christmas is one such festival when a huge variety of sweet dishes and non-vegetarian items are prepared. Families and friends come together to celebrate the day with fun and frolic, singing carols, exchanging gifts and lighting a bonfire. Tarts, various drinks including the must have ginger ale, chocolates, donuts are other items which are the traditional fare in every Christian family.

Jameel Ahmed, executive pastry chef of Jaypee, Vasant Continental, says, “Our special cakes include dark grand cru cake which is made from dark chocolate. We also  have the cherry basket and fig cake. Other than these we also serve plum pudding cake.”
So, when it comes to sweet dishes – its a matter of more the merrier!