KITCHEN HACKS
Follow our tips for your merriest, thriftiest and most stress-free Christmas yet
1 ADD A SPARKLE TO YOUR DRINKS To make Prosecco ice cubes, fill an ice-cube tray with sliced strawberries, pour over bubbly and freeze until solid.
2 MAKE THE CRUNCHIEST CRACKLING Use a hairdryer on the pork rind to get it superdry before roasting.
3 Use waffle cones to create decorative edible Christmas trees.
4COOKIE CUTTERS Create cute pancake shapes for the masses on Chrissy morning.
5 USE UP A PANETT ONE Slice the sweet bread into wedges, lightly toast then serve with berries and a dusting of icing sugar.
6 MAKE CHOCOLATE CURLS FOR CAKES Run a potato peeler along the edge of a block of chilled chocolate to decorate desserts.
7p Sprinkle S pomegranate seeds over your salads, trifle and pavlova for a festive garnish.
8 EASY PEEL POTAT OES Boil unpeeled potatoes until tender then immediately transfer to ice water. The skins will easily come right off!
9 SAVE T IME + MESS Use a stylish baking dish designed to go straight from oven to table. Pyrex Inspiration Roasters, Myer, $29.95-$34.95.
10 BEER CAN CHOOK Prop up a whole chicken on a beer can to roast for extra moisture. This method also allows for even heating all the way around the bird.
11 QUICK HULL Push a straw through the bottom of a strawberry to quickly remove the leaves and stem.
12 CHILL WINE IN A FLASH Treat guests to chilled wine even when you haven’t got any in the fridge. Fill a jug with half ice and half water, then add a generous amount of salt to help the water reach a lower temperature. Submerge your bottle and wait a few minutes for it to cool down.
13 CUT CORN OVER A BUNDT PAN It’s easier to hold the corn and makes less of a mess!
14 PLACE CARD HOLDERS Turn candy canes into bright and festive name cards for Christmas dinner. Use a hot glue gun and ribbon to stick three candy canes together in a tripod.
16 SAVE YOUR TURKEY Prevent turkey from drying out during cooking by covering the breast with sliced bread. This evens out the cooking time. Use the bread for stuffing!
15 EASY CAKE LAYERS Use unwaxed, unflavoured dental floss to neatly cut a cake into layers. It usually works better than a knife!
17 USE GOOD-QUALITY COOKIES AND ICE-CREAM FOR YOUR DESSERTS For my Panna Cotta Tart, I crush shortbread fingers with toasted almonds to make a no-fuss crust, and for my Gingerbread Ice-cream Cake, I mix best-quality vanilla ice-cream with spices to form semi-scratch ice-cream layers.
18 ICE-CREAM SLICES Having trouble scooping out ice-cream from the container? Just cut through it with a knife instead to make portions for your guests.
19 SEAFOOD SAUCE If you’re presenting a seafood platter, make accompanying sauces from store-bought ingredients. My miso mayo cocktail sauce is based essentially on storebought miso and mayo. Likewise, my Chipotle Cocktail Sauce is based on store-bought tomato sauce and chilli sauce.
20 PRAWN STAR SECRETS For the seafood platter, consider purchasing poached prawns (instead of cooking them yourself). There are even some flavoured poached prawns – like lime-chilli and Bloody Mary – that are sold around Christmas time.
21 SAVE T IME ON DESSERT Use one of the delicious festive flavoured icecreams available for an easy treat. Our pick is Coles Ginger Bread Ice Cream, $4 scooped into cones and dipped in melted chocolate for a DIY choc-top!
22 MAKE YOUR STUFFING IN MUFFIN T INS It makes equal portions that are easy to serve with your roast turkey.
23 FIX LUMPY GRAVY Pop it in the blender or food processor and give it a quick whiz to break up chunks, then return to pan until ready to serve.
24 MELT CHOCOLATE IN A SQUEEZE BOTT LE It’s easier to use for decorating than the usual plastic snap-lock bag. Draw trees with melted chocolate on baking paper, allow to set then gently press against the sides of an iced cake.
25 EDIBLE CHRISTMAS T REES Cut pita bread into triangles, then push pretzel sticks into the “base” of the trees. Spread trees with avocado and decorate with sliced cherry tomatoes.
26 BOXING DAY SWAPS Sick of ham in the days after Christmas? See if a friend has excess of another delicious treat and swap it over!
27 LUXE COOKIES Press the base of a decorative glass into cookie dough to imprint elegant patterns into their surfaces.
28 STOCK TO THE RESCUE To rescue overcooked turkey, put the carved meat in a baking dish, cover with stock and bake in the oven en for 10 minutes to add back the moisture. .
29 VEGO MOVES Not sure what to serve vegetarian guests for a main? Fill large mushrooms with our cranberry and pistachio stuffing (p49), sprinkle with fetta and bake until golden.
30 EASY BREEZY CLEAN-UP Large disposable foil trays are a dream for cleaning up after roasting Christmas meats. If you need extra sturdiness for heavy meats, simply sit the disposable tray on an oven tray.
31 SCRUMPT IOUS SCENT S Want to make the house smell deliciously festive on Christmas morning? Make your shortbread cookies the day before and leave the dough cut-outs unbaked in the fridge. Simply bake on Christmas morning and you’ll have a beautiful-smelling house!
32 FOOD WITH FLAIR Use ready-to-fill pastry in festive shapes to bring easy style to your canapes. Woolworths, $4.
33 If your gravy is too salty, add a squeeze of lemon juice to balance the flavours.
34 SAVE YOUR SALAD Create more space in the fridge by transferring leftover salads into large snap-lock bags for lunch the next day.
35 MINTY FINISH Top chocolate ice-creams and cakes with crushed candy canes for a minty and crunchy delight.
36 SANTA’S POPCORN Make a sweet and salty treat by mixing popcorn with melted white chocolate, crushed candy canes and red and green M&M’S.
37 ST RESS LESS CHEAT Allow yourself a Christmas Day cooking shortcut by using a quality storebought ham glaze. Woolworths, $4.
38 SHOW-STOPPING CENTREPIECE Make an impressive ice platter for your seafood by cutting and arranging watercress, mint, dill, cucumber, sliced limes and lemons in a large baking tray. Half fill with water and place in the freezer. Once frozen, repeat layers, filling water up to rim of tray. Freeze overnight. Before serving, turn over and rub with a tea towel soaked in hot water until ice comes free. Top with fresh seafood.
39 HANDY MINT HINT If your hands need a freshen up after chopping too many onions for Christmas dinner, simply rub some mint leaves between them and they’ll be fresh again.
40 Keep guests’ wine glasses easily identifiable by writing their names on gift tags and attaching them to the glass stem with a piece of string.
41 HATS OFF Make a fun table setting with green and red serviettes folded into elf hats.
42 CITRUS CHEER Thinly slice lemons and lime and freeze, then add to sparkling water and cocktails.
43 TWICE AS NICE Spice up plain vanilla ice-cream by mixing through leftover crumbled mince pies.
44 IN THE BAG Store your Christmas ham in a calico ham bag. Wash the bag in a solution of 2 cups water and 1 tbsp white vinegar and wring out. Cover the cut ham with the reserved rind or baking paper. Place ham in bag and keep in the coldest part of the fridge for up to three weeks. Rinse the bag in the solution every 2-3 days (and change the paper if you’re using it) to help keep the ham moist and fresh.
45 No steel wool to scrub those dirty pans? Simply scrunch up some aluminium foil!
46 FRIDGE FRESH Wrap dry, unwashed leafy greens in paper towel and place in a plastic bag. Any extra moisture will be absorbed. Remember to leave space between items in the fridge to allow airflow and keep food nice and chilled.
47 FLAWLESS FONDANT For perfect fruitcake icing, roll out fondant to even thickness, brush cake with warm marmalade, cover with fondant icing and gently rub with cornflour-dusted hands.
48 THE PERFECT TEMP Invest in a digital meat thermometer to save any stress about knowing whether your roast is done, underdone or overdone!
49 TURN YOUR CHEESE BOARD INT O A CHEESE T REE Looking for festive AND delicious decorations? Arrange your cheese and fruit into a Christmas tree-shaped platter!
50 CHRISTMAS CUPCAKES For a fast and super-cute treat, buy mini muffins and pipe tinted green buttercream on top, sprinkle with cachous and voila! Mini edible Christmas trees!