What special food do you only (have time to) make at Christmas?

[Mintjulia]

In our house, it's a home made Yule log - all that trying to roll up the sponge in a teatowel without breaking it , and coffee & hazelnut macaroons.

And bread sauce.

Cinnamon buns, cranberry sauce, mince pies. We bailed out on bread sauce a few years ago when we realised no one actually liked it.

Christmas cake and pudding but made ahead. Mince pies made and in freezer. Stollen. Cranberry and bread sauce in the freezer already.
Then canapés for drink’s parties.
A raised pie.
Gluten free stuff for Grandma - rice crusted quiche etc
A salmon en croute for 27th.
Far more time cooking with others rather than throwing supper together.

Only at Christmas time do I have the patience to finely shred red cabbage and finely chop an apple for braised red cabbage, even though I love it and would happily eat it all year round.
It’s also one of the only times that I attempt to make my own Yorkshire’s. Normally Betty helps me. Likewise for gravy and Bisto.

I only ever cook a big ham at Christmas. The DCs love it and beg me to make it at other times of the year, but it’s just wrong if it’s not Christmas!

Also, sausage rolls. Always make some on Christmas Eve, never at any other time of the year.

Homemade gravy, I only ever bother at Christmas. Even though it tastes miles better than powder stuff.

I've refused to make mince pies until December. Mr Tesco has been supplying them for the past month (this is this first Xmas in 5 years pre made mince pies are available-couldnt get them where we used to live).

Fruit cake (well, apart from Easter).

Everything else I'll make most o the year if asked although I'm never making a hot cross bun again whilst I continue to live in the uk

Homemade stuffing and pigs in blankets.

Oh, I only make stuffing at Xmas too. Paxo the rest of the year.

Bread sauce
Forcemeat stuffing
'Proper' gravy

I have a huge list!

Christmas dinner stuff obvs. Cake and pudding.

Then Boxing Day will do massive ham with Jansson's Temptation. Undere no circumstances am I slicing all those potatoes at any other time.

Then at New Year I'll do some sort of holiday-inspired thing based on Christmas/New Year Foods of wherever we went on holiday that year.

Except this year. We went to Germany and I am not doing carp. Did that one year and it was awful. Will be pretending we went somewhere with nicer food.

Trifle. It's one of my favourites, but I only ever make it at Christmas.
Brandy snaps.

All the other standard Christmas things already mentioned.

Ooh, trifle. I don’t think ds has ever seen a proper home made trifle,

For Boxing Day maybe.

Christmas pudding, cake, mince pies, sausage rolls(made today). Everything else already made. DD makes the log, and DS is doing the turkey. DDil will do Swedish Christmas Eve smorgasbord with Janssens Temptation. Mulled wine. A!though DDIL will serve Swedish Glogg.

Brandy butter, I just don't eat it any other time of year.

What is Jansson's Temptation?

Ham balls, fancy cheesy potatoes, macadamia nut pie, peppermint bark white chocolate cheesecake, almond pound cake.

I make homemade sugar cookies with intricate royal icing at Christmas. Just do not have the time or energy any other time of year!
Pecan pie cheesecake bars - these are bloody delicious so if I make them often I’ll eat them often.
Plum pudding
My own stuffing (make it ahead and freeze)
Homemade croissants or puff pastry for wellington.

Cranberry and white chocolate flapjack, too sweet/rich for everyday flapjack.
Fruit cake (still haven’t done mine for this year as haven’t had the three hours to spend with the oven on!)

Gingerbread, roast parsnips, homemade ice cream.

Dauphonoise potatoes, creamed parsnips

Cherries in marzipan dipped in chocolate, mince pies, cheese straws.

My mother's elaborate stuffing recipe which calls for over an hour preparing sage, parsley, and the dreaded, fingertip-shredding thyme.

I made stuffing today but substituted dried herbs. It still tasted great. But Christmas just won't be Christmas without presents bloody freshly picked herbs.

(Disclaimer - I have to make a bloody mountain of the stuff, to feed literally dozens. If it was portions for 6 for one day it wouldn't be so bad. But the horror of doing it for so many once a year puts me off.)

My mouth is watering

Proper trifle, Christmas Cake, Mince pies - including nutty ones, brandy ones and marzipan ones

all so much better home made - but only because it's only available once a year

Christmas dinner is the only time I prepare more than 1 potato dish for a single meal.
Real gravy - made it last week and it's in the freezer.
Only ever make cranberry sauce on Christmas Eve. Left overs are frozen in ice cubes to enjoy with brie or pate later.
Sausage meat stuffing. I should make it more often. I would have it instead of the turkey!