Christmas in July is the perfect time to indulge in a holiday treat. Brighten up the gloomy days with a winter fest fit for kings. There’s no need to wait around for Santa Clause to deliver the goods when you can make the meal so easily. And forget the North Pole, everything you need for this Christmas in July can be found right in your neighborhood!

Tradition is important, and ours has always focused on gathering round the table. Whether it’s with friends, family, colleagues, or neighbors, Christmas in July is all about coming together, and what better way to do this than with food and wine! No Christmas dinner would be complete without the main event: the Christmas ham!

No need to be sheepish about cooking a ham, it’s really not as hard as it seems. Do you remember your parents soaking the ham in the tub overnight? We thought that was so silly as kids, but soaking and thawing the meat makes the biggest difference.

Ham Recipe 

Ingredients 

While the 5-6 kilo ham is soaking, you’ll have time to gather the following:

•  ¾ cup Dijon mustard
•  ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon rosemary
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 20 canned pineapple rings
•  ½ cup maraschino cherries

 Method

• Preheat the oven to 180.
• Combine the mustard, brown sugar, rosemary and thyme in a small bowl. Use the mixture to glaze the ham, then place in a large roasting pan. Add a layer of pineapple juice to the pan before popping into the oven and bake for 2 hours.
• To keep the ham succulent and merry, be sure to brush with a layer of pineapple juice every twenty minutes.
• After two hours, remove the ham from the oven and crank the temperature up to 200. Use toothpicks to attach the cherries and pineapple rings decoratively over the ham, and return the pan to the oven until the pineapple has turned a light golden brown.
• While the ham is cooling, take this opportunity to uncork a bottle of Pepperjack Shiraz, a velvety rich red, with notes of dark berries that will perfectly complement the ham.

To make this Christmas in July truly spectacular, we recommend pulling a dish of Potato Suzette from Santa’s bag to really wow your guests. Not only does this dish look stunning, but it’s creamy, cheesy goodness works so well with the sweet, savory ham and rich, tangy Shiraz.

Potato Suzette Recipe

 Ingredients

• 6 russet potatoes, skins on and washed
• 4 tbs butter
• 6 tbs heavy cream
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tbs grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180 and bake the potatoes for 50 minutes.
• Once baked, remove the potatoes from the oven and cut in half. Carefully scoop out pulp while keeping the skin in tact.
• Mash the baked potato with the butter, heavy cream, eggs, salt and pepper. Once thoroughly combined, scoop the mixture back into the potato skins, sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese, and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

This cold weather Christmas calls for hearty food, filling and delicious. To finish off the holiday feast, we recommend a gooey Chocolate Bread Pudding. Santa has a sweet tooth, and this will surely satisfy the jolly man, and will definitely put your guests in a Christmas food coma!

Chocolate Bread Pudding Recipe 

Ingredients

•  2 large whole eggs
• 3 egg yolks
• ¾ cup sugar
• 3 cups crème
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 ounces espresso, cooled
• 1 tbs vanilla extract
• 2 tbs unsalted butter, melted
• 1 large challah bread, cut into cubes
• 6 ounces of bittersweet chocolate

Method

• Blend the eggs and yolks on a low speed for 30 seconds, then slowly add the sugar, blending until combined. 
• Next blend in the crème, milk, espresso and vanilla, until all ingredients are evenly mixed.
• Butter a 9 by 13 inch metal pan with one tablespoon of butter and scatter the bread around the pan, creating an even layer. Sprinkle on the broken bittersweet chocolate pieces, and finally add the egg and crème mixture. Press the bread down with a spatula to ensure it is thoroughly coated and let sit for up to 2 hours. 
• Preheat the oven to 160 and bake the pudding for 45 minutes.
• Coat the top of the pudding with the melted butter and bake for an additional five minutes.
• Allow the pudding to rest before serving.

In case you aren’t totally feeling the Christmas in July spirit by now, we recommend finishing off this banquet with a Johnnie Walker Black. Warning: this meal is so good it might get you on the naughty list.

Merry Christmas in July from all your favourite elves at Cellarbrations!