Droolworthy X'mas recipes just for you

These colourful recipes are sure to tempt everyone! Happy cooking...

Photograph: Courtesy Cafe Mangii

Winter's here and so are strawberries and cold smoked meats.

Read on to learn how you can make your celebrations merrier with these two Christmas special recipes from Cafe Mangii.

Chocolate Strawberries

Ingredients

• 500 gm fresh strawberries
• 100 gm Callebaut chocolate (dark)
• 100 gm Callebaut chocolate (milk)
• 30 gm Callebaut chocolate (white)
• 1 sheet butter paper

Method

• Wash the strawberries thoroughly keeping their leaves and stem intact. Drain excess water and pat dry.
• Put the dark and milk chocolate into separate heat-proof medium bowls.
• Fill medium saucepans with a couple inches of water and bring it to a simmer over medium heat.
• Turn off the heat. Set the bowls of chocolate over the water to melt. Stir until smooth.
• Once the chocolates melt, remove the bowls.
• Line a sheet pan with parchment or waxed paper.
• Alternatively, melt the chocolate in a glass dish in the microwave on high power for 60 seconds.
• Remove, stir and microwave for 10 seconds more until the chocolate has melted. Allow the chocolate to cool slightly to thicken. 
• Holding the strawberries by their stem, dip the bottom half of each strawberry into the melted chocolate.
• Twist the strawberry so that the chocolate forms a 'tail' at the end.
• Set the strawberries on the parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining strawberries.
• Once the chocolate has chilled use white chocolate to garnish.

Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Bruschetta

Photograph: Courtesy Cafe Mangii

Ingredients

• 300 gm smoked salmon
• 1 French baguette
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 20 gm fresh thyme
• 500 gm cream cheese
• 2 lemon
• 100 ml orange juice
• 1 Malta orange
• 20 gm dill leaf
• 20 gm fresh parsley
• Salt
• Pepper

Method

• Cut the French baguette into 1/2 inch thick rounds.
• Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle fresh chopped thyme, and bake in the oven till nice and brown.
• Remove skin of the Malta orange and julienne the peel.
• Remove the juice from the Malta orange and add it to the orange juice.
• Heat a pan and reduce the juice mixture till it becomes thick.
• Add the juice mixture and julienned orange peel into a bowl.
• Add in the cream cheese and mix it well, adjust the seasoning and store in the fridge.
• Chop the dill and parsley fine. Add salt, pepper, olive oil and the juice of one lemon to the mixture.
• Adjust the seasoning as per your taste. Marinate the smoked salmon with the herb mixture for two hours.
• On a baked piece of bread, generously spread the cream cheese mixture. Take 70 gm of the smoked salmon mixture and place it on top of the cheese.

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