From bourbon turkey to gingerbread cupcakes: recipes for Christmas in July

Whether you're actually having a Christmas in July party or just looking for recipes to add a little joy to this wintery month, we have all the roasts, bakes, nibbles and cakes to do the job.

Gingerbread carrot cupcakes. Credit: Mary Makes It Easy / Geoff George

Christmas in July can be a great excuse to gather friends or family for a feast, or equally, to just embrace the idea of making some of the recipes you love that traditionally only appear around December 25. Or perhaps it's a chance to try some festive baking at a time when having the oven on is a welcome way to ward of the winter chill!

Whatever your aim, here are a brace of recipes for your mid-year festive cooking.

SMALL DELIGHTS

Spiced maple nuts and seeds

Credit: Brett Stevens

This recipe takes inspiration from cold winter nights in Sweden, where friends gather for drinks and warm spiced nuts by the fire. 

Milk chocolate honey truffles

Credit: Murdoch Books / Greg Elms

"Although the recipe yields forty truffles, don’t be surprised if they don’t last beyond one sitting. Truffles make excellent gifts too – if you can bear to part with them!" says Kirsten Tibballs of her recipe, shared from her book Chocolate.

GREAT BAKES

Sweet baked chestnut tortelli (pastries)

Credit: Hardie Grant Books / Lizzie Mayson

This wonderful recipe comes from the book Pasta Grannies: Comfort Cooking. Maria from Faenza in Emilia Romagna shared her Christmas special: tortelli filled with chestnut puree, chocolate and jam, baked, then dunked in sapa.

Quandong Christmas cake

Credit: Armelle Habib

"It’s super simple: you boil everything down, and the native ingredients add so much punch. This is the cake I make every year and people love it. It celebrates our Australian nuts, muntries, quandongs and spices such as pepperberries. It’s really got everything, and it’s the easiest Christmas cake you’re ever going to make," says Nornie Bero of her festive recipe.

Gingerbread carrot cupcakes

Credit: Geoff George / Mary Makes It Easy

"One of my all-time favourite holiday flavours is gingerbread. All those spices? That molasses? Mm! And while I’ve been known to make a gingerbread house or two in my time, let’s be honest, that gingerbread is mainly just a construction material. Instead of that cardboard vibe, these are like the best gingerbread house you’ve ever had, with a hint of sticky toffee pudding-meets-carrot cake, not to mention an amazing chocolate cream cheese buttercream," says Mary Berg of these lush cupcakes.

See her making them in season 3 episode 12 of Mary Makes It Easy, streaming now at SBS On Demand:

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Fruit mince tart with sage pastry

Fruit mince tart with sage pastry Credit: Alan Benson

Fruit mince pies are synonymous with the British festive celebrations and the introduction of sage, with its slightly bitter lemony nature, to the traditional pastry brings a new twist to this old favourite, says Anneka Manning of her recipe. (And if you're after the more traditional single-serve fruit mince pies, she's shared a recipe for those, too).

Fig cookies (cucidati)

Fig cookies (cucidati) Source: SBS / SBS Feast

The name means "little bracelets" and for many Italians, particularly Sicilians, it simply wouldn’t be Christmas without these semicircular fig-filled biscuits.

MAIN EVENTS AND GREAT SIDES

Apple bourbon turkey

Credit: Mary's Kitchen Crush

A bourbon, orange and maple flavoured butter truly lifts this bird, adding flavour and moisture.

Maple syrup and clove glazed ham

Credit: Ben Dearnley

A glazed ham is a marvellous centrepiece for a celebration, and you can make the glaze for this recipe up to 2 weeks ahead and refrigerate until needed.

Pumpkin, spinach and chickpea filo pie

Pumpkin, spinach and chickpea filo pie Credit: Donal's Cook, Eat, Burn!

Looking for a hearty vegetarian main? Donal Skehan's spiced pumpkin and chickpea pie, covered with golden flaky filo pastry, will do the job.

Super-crisp roasted potatoes

These crispy-edged roast spuds are a potato lover's dream. Credit: Norton

With a fluffy interior and super crisp exterior, these roast spuds are a potato-lovers dream and will add wow to any Christmas in July table.

Haloumi with roasted carrots and greens

Credit: Mary Makes It Easy

This pairs squeaky, salty, delicious haloumi with slow-roasted carrots and a lemon-yoghurt sauce to create a steal-the-show side dish.

AND OF COURSE, PUDDING

Christmas Day pudding

Christmas Day pudding Credit: China Squirrel

As the name suggests, you can make this pud on the day you need to serve it!

Christmas pudding

Source: SBS / SBS Food

If you have a little more time, this darker-style pudding is rich with spices, dried fruit, glace cherries, orange juice and grated apple.

Find more ideas in SBS Food's Christmas recipe collection.