7 Unique Christmas Recipes that Would Wow Your Guests
Cooking up Unique Christmas recipes would not only spice up your holiday night but will also impress your loved ones! Below are 7 Unique Christmas Recipes that will take your lovely festivities to the next level!
1. Ponche Navideno (Mexico)
Ponche Navideno is a Mexican hot beverage that tastes fruity and absolutely delicious! And although it is not a food item you can eat, I promise that this drink will definitely add some pizzaz to your holiday spread! I’ve even known people who said that it is their favorite thing they have crafted for Christmas Eve. They legitimately preferred this over roasted Turkey and other classic dishes!
There are different ways this warming drink is made. And there is one version that the Mexican side of my family makes. My grandma boils gallons of water in a large pot, adds chopped guayaba, sugarcane, tamarind, and cinnamon sticks. She lets the ingredients boil with the water so all the flavors of each fruit and spice infuse. And that’s it! A delightful fruit punch is ready to be served!
Every time I visit my family in Mexico, I always look forward to sitting back and cleanse my spirit with one of my favorite drinks ever! And you will too once you give this Unique Christmas Recipe a try!
2. Salame Di Cioccolato (Italy)
The title of this unique Christmas recipe translates to “Salami Made from chocolate.” And no! And in a sense, it is a salami made from chocolate! And to clarify things, there is no meat involved in this recipe.
This Italian delicacy is actually a mix of bittersweet dark chocolate, pistachios, almonds, and a little bit of rum liqueur to spice things up a little. This combo makes for one of the dreamiest desserts you would ever try! And it is actually very simple! All you have to do is combine the ingredients (add butter, crushed cookies, and eggs as well) to form a dough. Roll out the dough and shape it into a log. And with the log, you can slice it like deli meat and the result is a product that really looks like Genoa Salame Slices!
Different people from around the world have been raving about this unique Christmas recipe! It is also a perfect recipe for people who don’t have time to make the 100th dish for the night. There is no cooking or baking involved. Just some quick combination of ingredients and voila! Salame Di Cioccolato is born!
3. Malva Pudding (South Africa)
Malva is a South African dessert that is super moist and decadent and will please guests with its ooey-gooey personality! If you are a fan of bread puddings, then this unique Christmas recipe will take things to the next level!
Now this pudding is a lot like regular bread pudding but with some fruity flavors and spice added to it. The recipe calls for the usual eggs, milk, baking soda, flour, and vinegar. But what makes this unique is the apricot jam and orange zest added to the mix. Mixing all of these and baking them in the oven calls for a familiar yet unique bread pudding that will give you a taste of what South Africans enjoy during the holidays.
I have personally tried this at an international exhibition. I was blown away by the incredible flavor and how sticky and gooey it was. My heart has definitely stuck to it.
4. Embutido (Philippines)
Okay enough with the desserts and drinks! Want a main protein dish that is filling, delicious, and crazy? This Filipino-style meatloaf will give you all of the above and more!
Let’s get to what is inside this meatloaf; because there is a lot to unpack here! The meat base is made of ground pork and you stuff it with a Vienna sausage, hard-boiled egg, sweet pickle relish, red and green bell peppers, and the most unusual ingredient: raisins. I actually like the fact there is an ingredient like raisins added because it will add a hint of sweetness to a loaf that already has a ton of salty elements to it.
Keep in mind that there are also different variations of this unique Christmas recipe, so there is no complete right or wrong way of doing this. The ingredients I listed for this article came from a family recipe from someone I know! The person even told me that there are mass markets that produced canned versions of Embutido that are slightly different from their familial recipe!
5. Cabbage Pie (Russia)
Another great main dish to add is the Russian Cabbage Pie. This unique Christmas recipe is widely enjoyed throughout Russia during the winter months when temperatures drop to all-time lows. I even heard that this recipe was developed during the hardships when commodities were scarce and locals of the area had to use what they had available.
This is actually a very simple recipe. The pie has a nice and flaky crust to it like a pastry. The filling has cabbage, hard-boiled eggs, onions, salt, and butter. All ingredients are very easy to find and were some of the foods the Russians were able to use during the hard winter months.
This is the perfect recipe for someone who wants to make something simple. Especially when they are overwhelmed by all the other things they had to cook. This will pair perfectly with Christmas Roasts, mashed potatoes, or anything else to be honest. Cabbage Pies can be friends with anyone!
6. British Christmas Pudding (UK)
No holiday is ever complete without the infamous fruit cake that people either love or hate! In this recipe, you can make something similar, but with a British twist!
This unique Christmas recipe is a dark, sticky, and wet sponge with candied fruit peel, lemon zest, apple, brandy, and spices. The sponge itself is actually steamed rather than baked, and the reason why it’s done like that is to keep this cake as moist as possible.
Even if you don’t like the American version of the fruitcake, I believe that the United Kingdom’s version will definitely give you an experience that is different from the other. In a positive way!
7. Shrimp Christmas Tree (Back in Time)
That’s it! That is all you needed to hear! A Christmas tree made of shrimp! Remember back in the day where put all the food they ate in Jell-O? This simple recipe looks like a walk in the park compared to the other curious dishes made during those times.
I saved the easiest recipe for last. All you have to do is attach some shrimp into a mini Christmas tree like an ornament and have this gorgeous thing on display. I do have to say that assembly of the pine tree structure is the hardest part, and there are multiple ways to do that! Parsley or cilantro can be used as the leaves of the pines, and the olives will finish that ornamental look!
Overall you got a gorgeous centerpiece that will definitely get your guests’ attention with its tall personality!
