Christmas and the kitchen bring us all together – with Christmas food being the one thing that we all look forward to over the festive period. It’s warm, indulgent, conjures fond memories, and gives us a wonderful reason to sit down together and share our favourite family food traditions.

This year we wanted to inspire a closer more connected Christmas - the Christmas we’ve all been longing for.

Designed to be relaxed and easy to share over conversation, we partnered with Siemens to create and share a range of simple yet sumptuous bite-size Christmas dishes that are quick and easy to make thanks to a host of time saving Siemens appliance features. Meaning that the cook spends more time with their guests than being away in the kitchen.

All recipes and appliances by Siemens Home Uk.

Beautifully styled by The Design Buzz, with flowers by Blume Studio and drinks by The Cocktail Service. Photography Beth Crockatt. Videography Paul Hines.

Perfectly melted chocolate
With highly controllable induction hob

When it comes to how most of us think about melting chocolate, this usually involves painstakingly heating it in a bowl over a pan with rather variable results! However with the Siemens range of induction hobs, they directly heat any iron based pan through a magnetic field, rather than transferring heat into the surrounding air. This is much more efficient than traditional hobs and is far more controllable too – with 9 levels and half levels too. It’s quick to take the heat up and down, which means that it’s safe to melt chocolate delicately and directly on the hob at a low heat (rather than in a bowl from above) and avoids sticking too. Additionally, self-venting models have no need for a hood, which are perfect for islands or peninsulas. 

Try it with our mint chocolate raspberry tarts

Makes: 24 mini tarts | Cooking Function: 4D hotAir 180C for 12-15 minutes
Preparation time: 30 minutes (plus 30 minutes chill time)

Ingredients:
1 pack of sweet shortcrust pastry
1 punnet of fresh raspberries
1tbsp fresh mint chopped
1tbsp caster sugar

Chocolate Ganache:
250ml double cream
200g 70% solids dark chocolate
30g unsalted butter

Method:
Roll pastry out thinly and line mini-tartlet tins. Screw up a small ball of foil and place in each tart to prevent pastry rising (or use baking beans).
Bake in pre-heated oven for 12-15 mins until pale golden colour.
Wash raspberries and drain well. Save a whole raspberry for each tart. Place the rest in a bowl with sugar and mint and stand for 30 minutes. Mash with a fork or blitz in food processor lightly.
Melt together chocolate butter and cream over a low heat or over a Bain Marie. Leave to cool slightly.
Cover the base of each tart with minted raspberry mixture, fill up with chocolate ganache and top with a whole raspberry. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Tip: An easy cheat is to buy ready-made tartlet cases and just make the filling,

*Allergens highlighted in bold 

The easiest, most tender asparagus
In a full steam oven

Steaming vegetables is widely associated with health benefits, namely to retain vitamins and minerals. Making it easier to do so is a huge benefit to a busy cook too. With an integrated water tank, the Siemens studioLine oven with fullSteam helps to make steaming part of daily life. Fill the water tank and select the STEAM SETTING and time control your asparagus to the perfect tenderness for you. Once done and you’ve emptied the water tank, the automatic drying function takes over from here!

Try it with our Steamed Asparagus   

Makes:  6-12 portions | Cooking Function: fullSteam 100C
Cooking time: 6-8 minutes | Preparation time: 2 minutes    

Ingredients:
300g asparagus
1 jar hollandaise sauce

Method:
Preheat the oven to full steam.
Place the asparagus on a perforated gastro steam tray.
Once the oven is preheated, cook the asparagus for 6-8 minutes.
Serve with hollandaise sauce and Parma ham

*Allergens highlighted in bold

Cook both sweet and savoury at once
With 4D hot air oven

Christmas is such a busy time in the kitchen, and being able to cook as much as possible together is a huge advantage. The Siemens Studio Line oven takes four tray loads at once. And with its 4D hotAir fan, it sucks in and refreshes the circulation of air within the oven meaning that you can cook both sweet and savoury bites at once without any transference of tastes or smells.

Try it with our mushroom or almond and cranberry bruschettas

Serves: 6-8 | Cooking Function: 180C cooked on 4D HotAir with Pulse (NO D) steam for 18-20 minutes
Preparation time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
4 Part bake baguettes
30g soft butter or spread
140g cheddar cheese, grated

Mushroom topping:
150g tub of mushroom pate
Or (110g-170g assorted chopped mushrooms lightly fried in 30g butter)
110g cream cheese
garlic (optional)

Almond and Cranberry:
110g cream cheese
55g fresh or dried cranberries
55g flaked almonds
15g butter

Method:
Mix together the mushroom topping ingredients and spread.
Microwave the cranberries and almonds with butter for 3-4 minutes until lightly browned, cool and mix with cream cheese.
Slice the bread into 1cm slices and butter the underside.
Lay onto wire rack over universal pan. Top with choice of topping and a final sprinkle of grated cheese.
Cook for 18-20 minutes until cheese melted and golden.

Allergens highlighted in bold.

Sweet Mince pies with no blind bake
With easy pizza function

No one likes a soggy bottom, especially when it comes to a sweet mince pie. With a specialised PIZZA SETTING, the Siemens studioLine oven cooks with 4D hotAir with an additional heat source from the bottom of the oven. This helps to crisp the pie all round with no need to blind bake the pastry cases first, making the whole process much quicker and easier. Tip: place your tray of pies on the bottom shelf which is closest to the extra bottom heat.

Try it with our Puff Pastry Mince Pies

Makes: 24 | Cooking Function: Pizza Setting 190C for 18 minutes | Preparation time: 10 minutes 

Ingredients:

1 x pack ready rolled puff pastry
Jar of Luxury Mincemeat
Jar of Orange Curd
25g icing sugar for dusting
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Method:
Grease a 24 hole mini muffin tin with butter. Preheat the oven to Pizza Setting 190C.
Unroll the puff pastry and cut out 6cm rounds using a fluted pastry cutter.
Place each into greased tin then cover the base of the pastry with a spoonful of orange curd.
Spoon on the mincemeat to just under the top of the pastry case. Pastry Trimmings may be used on top.
Bake on Pizza Setting 190C for 18 minutes.
Mix the icing sugar and cinnamon and dust the tops of the mince pies before serving.

*Allergens highlighted in bold

Read part 2 - for more festive foodinspiration which is a breeze to make and a joy to share.