Orthodox Christmas baking. Christmas table traditions

We will need:

• goose - 3.5-4 kg
• onions - 2 pcs.
• carrots - 1 pc.
• aromatic apples - 2-3 pcs.
• cumin - 1 tsp.
• salt and ground pepper - to taste
• strong aromatic alcohol (brandy, rum, cognac) - 1 glass
• flour - 2 tbsp. l.
• pepper - to taste

How to cook:

• It is better to soak the goose in strong salted water in the evening - this way it will be softer. We cut off excess fat from the carcass (from the neck and tail), cut off the last phalanx of the wings, and gut it. Wash and dry.
• For the filling, coarsely chop 1 onion and apples, add cumin, mix.
• Rub the carcass on all sides with salt and ground pepper (salt is not needed if you pre-soaked the goose). Using wooden skewers or toothpicks, close the goose's throat with skin. Stuff the goose with apples and onions with cumin and sew up the hole (skewers or toothpicks will do). We tie the legs with non-synthetic thread.
• Using a skewer or other sharp object, we make punctures in the skin of the carcass so that the fat can be better rendered out of it. Place the goose with apples in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for 50-70 minutes. The goose should lie on its chest, back up.
• After the specified time, carefully turn the carcass over and fry the same amount, periodically pouring the rendered fat over the goose. Next, we bring it to readiness (when the meat is pierced, the juice from the carcass should flow clear) depending on the oven and the size of the bird.
• While the goose with apples is cooking, you can make the sauce. First the broth. Place the cut wings, giblets, trimmed fat, spices, chopped carrots and a second onion fried in a dry frying pan into the pan. Fill with water, bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes.
• Mix approximately 10 tablespoons of goose fat, rendered during the roasting of the bird, with a couple of tablespoons of flour, put on fire, add a glass of alcohol, salt, a couple of ladles of goose broth and cook together, stirring until the sauce thickens.
• Let the finished bird stand for 10-15 minutes, covering it with foil to make it juicier. Serve with sauce, and the filling can be used as a side dish.

2. Baked pork ham in marinade

We will need:

• pork ham – 2.5 kg
• salt - 1 tbsp. l.
• ground black pepper - 1 tsp.
• oregano - 1 tsp.
• lime - 2 pcs.
• garlic - 5 teeth.
• table vinegar 9% - 0.25 l (1 glass)
• water - 0.25 l (1 glass)

How to cook:

• Preparing the pork ham. We rinse it under running water, place it in a deep bowl, into which we pour 1 glass of ordinary water and 1 glass of 9% table vinegar. It is important that the ham is covered on all sides with the resulting solution. After 30 minutes, take the meat out of the bowl, rinse it under running water and put it back.
• Prepare the marinade. In a bowl, mix salt, ground black pepper (preferably fresh), oregano (the spice is needed more for aroma than taste). Grind the garlic cloves into a bowl and squeeze out the juice of 2 limes (they can be replaced with lemons). Thoroughly mix all the ingredients of the marinade until smooth.
• Marinate the ham. We take the meat out of the bowl onto a cutting board, make frequent punctures in the ham with a knife from 5 to 6 centimeters deep (5-7 punctures on each side are enough). Place the ham back into the bowl and rub with marinade. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place the meat in the refrigerator for 8–12 hours.
• We bake the ham. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Transfer the pork to a deep non-stick baking dish and pour in the resulting marinade. Seal the top of the pan with foil. Bake the ham for 4 hours. After 4 hours, remove the pan from the oven, remove the foil and brown the meat until golden brown for another 20–25 minutes.
• We serve the dish. Pork ham in marinade is served hot or chilled as the main meat dish. A low-fat side dish (boiled rice or vegetables) goes well with this pork. The juice from the bottom of the pan can be used as a sauce.

We will need:

• wheat flour - 400 g
• milk - 250 ml
• margarine - 100 g
• dry yeast - 2 tsp.
• chicken egg - 2 pcs.
• sugar - 1 tbsp. l.
• onions - 2 pcs.
• fish fillet - 400 g
• rice - 100 g
• parsley - 1 bunch

How to cook:

• Heat the milk slightly, dissolve sugar and yeast in it, add a few tablespoons of flour, mix well and put the dough in a warm place for about half an hour.
• Sift the remaining flour, add softened margarine, eggs (leave the yolk of one egg for greasing the kulebyaki) and the suitable dough, knead the dough and put it back in a warm place.
• Boil the fish (until half cooked) with the addition of spices and salt, cut into small pieces.
• Boil rice in fish broth. Cut the onion into half rings and fry in vegetable oil. Wash the parsley, pat dry with a napkin and finely chop. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
• Roll out the dough into one large layer and carefully place it on a baking sheet. Place a layer of rice in the middle of the kulebyaki, a layer of onion on it, then parsley, put fish on top, add a couple of spoons of broth.
• Bring the edges of the dough together and seal the seam well. Brush the kulebyaka with yolk, slightly diluted with water, apply any pattern from the dough if desired, and let stand for a while. Bake in a well-heated oven.

Banitsa is a famous pie that is baked for Christmas in Bulgaria. It comes with a variety of fillings - meat, spinach, fruit. But the most popular, perhaps, is feta cheese. Banitsa is baked from stretch dough, and it is not difficult to prepare. But if you don’t have time, you can take ready-made yeast-free puff pastry - it will turn out great.

We will need:
For the test:

• flour - 300-400 g
• egg - 1 pc.
• vegetable oil - 1/2 tbsp. l.
• vinegar - 1 tsp.
• salt - 1/2 tsp.
• or instead - a package of ready-made puff pastry

For filling:

• feta cheese - 250 g
• leeks - 4 pcs.
• paprika - a pinch
• eggs - 3 pcs.
• sour cream (or better strained yogurt) - 100 g

How to cook:

• Pour the flour into a deep bowl, make a funnel-shaped hole in it, pour in an egg beaten with a small amount of water, 4 tbsp. l. vegetable oil, vinegar and salt.
• Knead the dough of medium hardness, gradually adding water, place it on a floured table and knead for another 10 minutes. Set it to rest for an hour.
• Prepare the filling. Grind the cheese in a blender, fry the onion until lightly browned. Beat the eggs until foamy, add sour cream (or yogurt) and combine everything. Add paprika.
• Form several balls from the finished dough and roll them into thin flat cakes. (If you use ready-made dough, you need to defrost it and roll out each sheet separately). Place the filling, roll into tubes, forming a snail, and place on a baking sheet.
• Bake in a very hot oven until browned - 30-40 minutes at 200 degrees. Then remove, sprinkle with water, cover with a towel and let stand for half an hour.

We will need:
For the test:

• 1 kg flour
• 200 g sugar
• 250 g honey
• 200 g butter
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 tsp. soda
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ginger
• 1/4 tsp. carnations
• 1/4 tsp. cardamom
• 1/4 tsp. allspice

For the white glaze:

• 180 g powdered sugar
• 2 drops lemon juice
• 1 egg white.

How to cook:
Dough:

• Mix the spices in a mortar.
• Separately combine flour and soda.
• Mix the remaining ingredients and spices in a separate bowl.
• Add flour and soda and knead the dough well.
• The dough should be firm and elastic. Form it into a ball and place it in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. While the dough is in the refrigerator, choose a house template.
• Take the dough out of the refrigerator and let it warm up.
• Knead the dough again and roll it out on parchment paper to a thickness of 0.5 cm.
• We lay out the stencil of parts on the dough and cut out parts of the future house.
• Bake at 170-180 degrees for about 10-12 minutes until light golden brown.

Protein glaze:

• Protein with lemon juice beat until soft foam, gradually adding powdered sugar.
• When the mass becomes thick, add a little more powdered sugar, each time thoroughly rubbing with a spoon until smooth.
• The glaze should be shiny and thick enough to leave a heaped trail when you lift the whisk. If we want to make colored paintings, we can add a couple of drops of colored food coloring. After cooking, cover the glaze tightly with cling film and let sit for 30 minutes.

We will need:

• honey - 3 tbsp. l.
• sugar - 2 tbsp. l.
• ginger and cinnamon - 2 tsp each.
• ground nutmeg and coriander - a pinch each
• soda - 1 tsp.
• butter - 70 g
• egg - 1 pc.
• flour - 1.5 cups.

For the glaze:

• powdered sugar - 180 g
• protein - 1 pc.

How to cook:

• Place honey, sugar and all the spices on the bottom of the pan. Stir and melt over low heat, stirring until bubbles form.
• After boiling, add soda to make the mixture rise, add butter and stir until it is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and cool.
• Add the egg and stir well. Add flour and knead the dough. Let him rest for 10-15 minutes.
• Roll out the dough, cut out shapes and place on a baking sheet with parchment. Bake gingerbread cookies for 10-13 minutes at a temperature of 180-190 degrees.
• Making the glaze. Mix the powdered sugar and egg whites in a deep bowl and beat with a mixer until soft and fluffy. Pour the resulting mass into a pastry bag or disposable plastic bag and color the finished gingerbread cookies. If you are afraid of eating raw eggs, you can put the gingerbread cookies back in the hot oven for a couple more minutes so that the glaze warms up.

Mulled wine is a real symbol of Christmas holidays all over the world. It warms perfectly and with its aroma alone creates a unique holiday atmosphere.

We will need:

• dry red wine - 1 bottle.
• orange juice - 0.5 l (preferably freshly squeezed)
• orange – 1 pc.
• cinnamon - 2 sticks
• brown sugar - 120 g

How to cook:

• Mix orange juice and wine in a saucepan, add sugar and cinnamon sticks, which can be broken into 2 parts.
• We cut the zest from the orange and cut it into strips, divide the orange into slices.
• We put both the zest and the orange in a saucepan and heat the drink over low heat for 10–15 minutes (do not bring the wine to a boil!), then strain and pour into suitable glasses. If you don’t have special glasses for mulled wine, it’s better to use simple tall mugs.

We will need:

• water - 1 l
• honey - 150 g
• cloves - 5 g
• cinnamon - 5 g
• ginger root - 30–40 g
• orange - 2 pcs.
• sea ​​buckthorn - 80 g

How to cook:

• Boil sea buckthorn in boiling water for 15 minutes. As soon as foam appears, remove the pan from the stove. Strain the broth thoroughly and wait until it cools down a little.
• Boil water in a separate saucepan. Add honey and stir until completely dissolved. Add pre-finely chopped ginger to the pan. We also send cloves, cinnamon and oranges cut into slices there. Boil everything for 10 minutes.
• Leave the drink for 30 minutes to cool. Then we strain it. Add sea buckthorn decoction to the almost finished sbiten. Mix everything thoroughly.

We will need:

• cranberry juice - 250 ml
• orange juice - 250 ml
• water - 75 ml
• ground ginger - 1 tsp.
• ground cinnamon - 1 tsp.
• ground nutmeg - 1/4 tsp.
• sugar - to taste
• citrus slices for serving

Preparation:

• Combine cranberry and orange juices in a saucepan. Add water, sugar and spices. Stir and heat, without bringing to a boil, for 5–10 minutes. The sugar should completely dissolve.
• Remove the pan from the stove. Pour into a warmed punch jug. Decorate with lemon and orange slices. The punch is served hot.

3 years ago

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Christmas is considered one of the greatest Orthodox holidays throughout the world. In Russia, Christmas is celebrated on January 7, this day ends the forty-day fast. The day before, on Christmas Eve, it is customary for the whole family to gather around a table set with twelve Lenten dishes. This meal is called a rich supper; every dish on the Christmas table has a sacred meaning. So, traditions of the Christmas table.

Traditional dishes for Christmas

Christmas Eve

The festive family dinner on January 6 includes 12 Lenten dishes - the same number of apostles who took part in the Last Supper. On Christmas Eve, it is customary to prepare dishes from vegetables and fruits to bring good luck and prosperity into the house for the whole year.

The main dishes of the table on the Holy Evening before Christmas are: Kutya and Uzvar .

Kutie called porridge, cooked from whole grains, with the addition of honey, crushed nuts, raisins, and crushed poppy seeds. Christmas kutia can be made from wheat, barley, rice or pearl barley. It is with the tasting of kutya that the Christmas Eve meal begins.

Each component of kutya has a symbolic meaning. Grain is a symbol of renewal of life, honey symbolizes health and well-being in the home, poppy and nuts symbolize prosperity and success in business. According to folk traditions, tasty and “rich” kutia ensures a good harvest and becomes a talisman for the family home throughout the year.

Traditional drink on Christmas Eve - uzvar This is the name for compote made from a mixture of dried fruits - apples, cherries, pears, plums and others. It is customary to add honey, dried rose hips or rowan berries, and aromatic herbs (mint, lemon balm, rose petals) to the Christmas dinner. This drink is rich in vitamins and minerals, has tonic properties and strengthens the immune system.

The first course on Holy Evening is Lenten borscht or thick soup with millet and fresh or sauerkraut. In different regions, boiled beans, dried mushrooms or abalone (dough products with a lean filling, similar to small dumplings) are added to lean borscht.

On Christmas Eve, cabbage, mushrooms, stewed cabbage, lean or mushrooms, or millet porridge, or with fruit fillings are served as a mandatory dish on the table. A mandatory attribute of Christmas dinner is boiled peas, beans or broad beans with fried onions in vegetable oil. Also served on the table are fried fish and homemade pickles - sauerkraut, pickled tomatoes and cucumbers, peppers, pickled apples.

Dinner on Christmas Eve begins after the first star appears in the sky - until this time, only children were allowed to eat. After the prayer, all participants try kutya, then borscht and other hot dishes are served. The meal traditionally lasts 3-4 hours; this evening carolers go from house to house, sing songs and wish the owners well-being. They are presented with sweets and pastries and invited to the table. In many families, on the evening of Christmas Eve, children bring kutya to their godparents or grandparents.

What to cook for Christmas

The fast ends on January 7th , meat and poultry dishes appear on the table - boiled pork, goose or duck with apples, and more. The Christmas menu also included dairy dishes - porridge with milk - or milk noodles.

Table setting for Christmas

In the process of preparing for the Christmas holidays, it is important not only to prepare treats, but also to pay attention to table setting. Most often in decor there is a combination of white with red or green.

Lay out an elegant tablecloth with a pattern and complement the decoration of the festive table with paper or textile napkins in a contrasting color.

For decorative elements, you can use figured candles and figurines of angels.

A traditional decoration for the festive Christmas table is the didukh - a talisman woven from ears of corn or straw.

Multi-colored garlands and an elegantly decorated Christmas tree will help create a festive atmosphere in the room.

Treats prepared with love and a beautiful setting of the Christmas table are the key to a rich harvest, prosperity and well-being in the home. May 2017 bring health, love and prosperity to every home!

On my website you will find recipes for treating friends and family at Christmas. Share your family's traditional Christmas treats in the comments.

2017, . All rights reserved.

It is impossible to imagine the winter holidays without sweets and baked goods.

Cookies and cupcakes can be treated to children and adults, packaged in a beautiful jar and sent to your favorite aunt as a delicious Christmas souvenir, or served with coffee or tea during guests' visits during the Christmas holidays.

European Christmas sweets, as a rule, have a tart and piquant taste. They contain high-calorie ingredients: honey, nuts, jam, dried fruits, cream, chocolate; a lot of spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, saffron, ginger, citrus zest. Sometimes alcohol is added, and it all goes well together.

Italian Christmas pastries

Panettone is an Italian traditional Christmas pastry. This is a rich pastry to which raisins and a variety of dried fruits, candied lemon and orange peel, chocolate or almond nougat have been heartily added. Beautifully packaged Panettone is given as a nice souvenir at Christmas.

Panettone is sliced ​​and served with coffee or semi-sweet wine. Italians love to combine the taste of this dessert with Mascarpone and almond or vanilla liqueur. After the Christmas holidays are over, leftover Panettone can be used to make a delicious pudding with a scoop of ice cream. Baked in the shape of a star, Panettone, the Italians call Pandoro.

On the Italian Christmas table, favorites are Panforte, Polendina and Amaretti cookies. Polendina is a pie made from chestnut flour and served with Ricotta cheese.

Panforte is a pastry made with almonds, dried fruits, spices and nuts. Amaretti is a cookie made from meringue with almonds. The cookies can be crushed, then they will make a delicious seasoning for puddings or any other desserts.

French Christmas desserts

Bûche de Noël, translated as “Christmas log”. To traditional French pastries. Bûche comes in different varieties, with chocolate, cream or coffee filling. Bûche with a cup of aromatic coffee is a typical picture of Christmas morning in Paris.

Sweet Christmas for the Germans

Well, who doesn’t know the famous pastries from Germany? Of course it is Stollen. It is decorated with powdered sugar and filled with lemon zest, candied fruit and marzipan. Stolen cake is the favorite dessert of all Germans on Christmas Eve.

Baked and Lebkuchen– gingerbread with powdered sugar or chocolate. They have different shapes and sizes.

Cinnamon stars Zimtsterne- These are traditional German Christmas cookies. This Christmas treat will put you in a festive mood. The cookies bake very quickly and the texture is pleasant, so nutty, very tasty. It is decorated with powdered sugar and goes great with tea or coffee, or with a glass of hot mulled wine.

Christmas baked goods from Britain

Christmas will only begin in the United Kingdom when the housewife takes the Christmas Pudding out of the oven. The pudding recipe includes nuts, fruit, spices, cane sugar and a small amount of brandy or wine. Pudding is served hot with gravy or cream immediately after the Christmas meal, but some people like it cold with tea or coffee.

Also at English Christmas it is customary to beautifully package jams and cookies, which are so nice to receive as a gift.

Christmas baking in Russia

January 6, Christmas Eve in Russia, is called Christmas Eve or Kolyada. Christmas Eve is traditionally a family dinner for Christians. Carols, these are not only Christmas songs, but this is also the name of the treat baked for this day to gift all carolers. This is a very ancient pastry in the Novgorod region they are called presnushki, and in Karelia - wickets.

Presnushki (wickets) are prepared from unleavened rye dough, only from flour and water, and the filling can be anything that nature feeds a person: blueberries, mushrooms, blueberries, strawberries. Mashed potatoes and various cereals are also suitable for filling. Kalitki are served with cabbage soup, borscht, soup, as well as tea and kvass.

New Year is always associated with sweets and the smell of baking. We've put together a small selection of Christmas baked goods that are easy to make at home.

Cupcake with dates, cherries and butter cream

from Craft Kitchen chef Alexander Borzenko

Ingredients:

Butter - 205 g
Sugar - 400 g
Chicken eggs - 3 pcs.
Premium flour - 265 g
Baking powder - 10 g
Vanilla sugar - 10 g
Orange zest - 10 g

Dried cherries - 150 g

Dried dates - 150 g

Water - 400 ml

Fresh orange - 200 ml

Ground cinnamon for soaking - to taste

Mini meringue for decoration - to taste

Ingredients for cream:

Cream cheese - 300 g

Powdered sugar - 50 g

Orange zest - 5 g

Vanilla flavor - 3 g

Cooking method:

Beat butter and 200 grams of sugar until smooth.
Add chicken eggs to the mixture one at a time, mix well.
Add flour, baking powder, vanilla sugar, orange zest.
Mix well.
Add dates and dried cherries (reserve a few cherries for garnish).
Grease a baking pan with oil and pour the resulting dough into it, smoothing it out.
Bake in the oven at 180 degrees for 45–50 minutes.
Beat all the ingredients for the cream well with a mixer.
Prepare the syrup for impregnation: pour water, fresh orange juice into a saucepan, add 200 grams of sugar and cinnamon. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes, cool and strain.
Cool the finished cake and pour the resulting mixture evenly over it. Leave for 2 hours.
When serving, place a spoonful of the resulting cream on each piece of cake, sprinkle with dried cherries and mini meringues.

Orange cake with spices and dried fruits

from the confectionery "Sugar"

Ingredients:

Flour - 310 g
Baking powder - 1/4 tsp.
Salt - 1/2 tsp.
Eggs - 4 pcs.
Sugar - 250 g
Vanilla essence - 1 tbsp. l.

Orange zest - 2 tbsp. l.

Cinnamon - 1 tsp.

Nutmeg - 1/3 tsp.

Orange juice - 135 ml

Milk - 135 ml

Butter - 140 g

Dried fruits to taste - 200 g

For the syrup:

Orange juice - 100 ml
Sugar - 100 g

Rum - 50 ml

Cooking method:

Preheat the oven to 175 degrees. Grease a cake pan with butter and sprinkle with flour. Chop the dried fruits (if necessary) and mix with two tablespoons of flour so that they do not settle in the cake. In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, spices, salt. Set aside.

Beat the eggs in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or by hand, such as a fork) until they are light yellow in color; No need to beat too much.

With the mixer running, slowly add all the sugar at low speed, then the vanilla essence, then the orange juice and zest. Carefully fold in dry ingredients.

In a small saucepan, heat the milk and butter until the butter has melted. Do not boil or beat the mixture.

Pour the milk mixture into the dough, stir. Then add dried fruits and mix gently. The dough will be quite liquid - don't be alarmed, that's how it should be.

Pour the dough into the mold and place in a preheated oven for 30–35 minutes. While the cake is baking, make a syrup from orange juice, sugar and rum: place all ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil and cook for 7-10 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven, let cool slightly and pour the syrup evenly over it. It is better to store the cake wrapped in parchment and foil.

Christmas cookies

from the pastry chef of the “Interesting Restaurant”

Ingredients:

Brown sugar - 100 g
Butter - 100 g
Honey - 3 tbsp. l.
Egg - 1 pc.
Ginger - 1 tsp.
Cinnamon - 1 tsp.

Zest of 1 lemon

Cardamom, nutmeg,

cloves - optional

Soda - 1/2 tsp.

Flour - 200–400 g (until the dough becomes dense)

Cooking method:

Mix all ingredients, knead the dough. Place in the refrigerator for 2–3 hours. Cut out cookies using cookie cutters and bake for 7 minutes at 175 degrees.

Mini profiteroles with custard

from the chef of 15/17 Bar & Grill Vladimir Bogozhavets

Ingredients:

dough (for 50 pcs.)

Milk, 3.2% - 350 ml
Butter - 130 g
Sugar - 6 g

Flour - 150 g

Egg - 5 pcs.

Cream:

Milk - 900 ml
Starch - 70 g
Yolk - 10 pcs.
Sugar - 200 g

Vanilla (sticks) - 1 pc.

Butter - 20 g

Cream 34% - 200 g

Cooking method:

For the test: Place milk, butter, sugar, salt in a container and bring to a boil. After boiling, without removing from heat, add flour, stirring thoroughly until smooth. Next: remove from heat, puree in a blender, add egg and cool. Using a pastry bag, make medium-sized balls and place on a baking sheet, bake at 180 degrees for 20 minutes.

Cream: To prepare the cream, take 300 milliliters of milk, add vanilla, sugar, butter and bring to a boil. At this time, mix 600 milliliters of milk, starch, and yolks until smooth. After this, combine the resulting mixtures and bring to a boil. Next, strain through a sieve and cool. After the mixture has cooled, add cream and beat in a blender. Add cream to the cooled profiteroles through the nozzle of a pastry bag. When serving, you can pour hot chocolate over the profiteroles.

Christmas cake with tangerines

from Teabakery confectionery

Ingredients:

Butter at room temperature - 150 g
Sugar - 125 g
Flour - 125 g
Baking powder - 1 tsp.

Eggs - 3 pcs.

Dried fruits - 125 g

Tangerines - 2–3 pcs.