6 traditional British Christmas recipes

1. Roast turkey

Roast turkey is perhaps the food most synonymous with Christmas in the UK, despite turkeys not being native to the UK. The tradition spans hundreds of years, with British people enjoying this type of poultry since roughly the Middle Ages – although at that time, they were the reserve of the more affluent.

With turkeys arriving on UK soil in the 16th century from their home in Mexico, Henry VIII is believed to be the first monarch to enjoy this now-iconic element of a British Christmas dinner. Beef, venison and wild boar would have been found on a Tudor Christmas dinner table, as well as other small wild animals and birds. By Georgian times, the wealthier families were starting to tuck into a turkey dinner, and by Victorian times roast goose also made an appearance, which can still be found on more traditional Christmas dinner menus to this day. It wasn't until around the 20th century that turkeys became more affordable for the masses.

Due to turkeys' large size – partly due to selective breeding – they can be notoriously difficult to cook, with some families opting to take the pressure off by opting for a turkey crown instead. Perfect your Christmas turkey with our next level roast turkey, then try our twists on classic roast turkey for a break from tradition.

2. Pigs in blankets

Arguably, for some, the trimmings are the best part of a traditional British Christmas dinner. These include the usual brussels sprouts, roasted carrots, parsnips, cauliflower cheese and stuffing, with the shining star among them all being pigs in blankets.

Pigs in blankets are named so because they're made from sausages (pigs) wrapped in streaky bacon (blankets). This is different from the US version, which sees cocktail sausages wrapped in pastry. While we traditionally use chipolata sausages (their thinner size can be more easily wrapped in bacon), you can find many twists on pigs in blankets, including super-sized and veggie versions. Or, try devils on horseback – a festive canapé of stuffed dates wrapped in bacon.

Mini versions often find their way onto Christmas and New Year's Eve party platters, as they make an ideal festive canapé. Renowned British cookbook author and chef Delia Smith is credited for boosting their popularity in the 1990s, when she included the recipe in one of her cookbooks.

3. Christmas pudding

This Christmas favourite dates back to around the 14th century, albeit in a form that not many would recognise as our beloved Christmas pudding today.

Starting life as figgy pudding in the medieval period – a name you may recognise from the Christmas carol 'We Wish You a Merry Christmas' – it was made with dried fruit, spices and later, alcohol. The idea of a dessert didn't really exist during the Middle Ages, so it wasn't unusual to mix sweet with savoury. Often, meat stock was added and the pudding resembled a broth, so it was served at the start of the meal rather than the end.

It was the Victorians who invented 'Stir-Up Sunday' – the tradition of making your Christmas pudding on the last Sunday before Advent. All the family got involved, taking turns to stir clockwise from east to west to mark the journey of the three wise men, while making a wish to bring good luck for the year ahead. By this point, it more closely resembled the pudding we know and love today. Try our best Christmas pudding recipes as well as ideas for leftover Christmas pudding.

4. Mince pies

Similar to the early figgy pudding, mince pies used to be savoury, hence the 'mincemeat' filling. Although the filling is now a mixture of dried raisins, spices and sugar, when they first appeared around the Middle Ages, they were made with actual mince, dried fruit and a preserving liquid. The sugary ingredients were added to the meat as a means of preservation, similar to smoking or brining.

Early mince pies were rectangular, which came to represent the manger of baby Jesus – they'd often be topped with a depiction of the baby Jesus, too. It was believed that if you ate one mince pie for each of the 12 days of Christmas, you'd ensure good health and happiness for the year ahead.

It's not known exactly when mince pies made the switch from savoury to sweet, but by the 20th century, there wasn't a savoury mince pie in sight. If you want to give the 12 days of Christmas tradition a go, try our twists on mince pies for different variations to try each day, as well as some classic mince pie recipes.

5. Christmas cake

You might notice a theme emerging here, as this is the third mention for a spiced, fruited Christmas bake. In medieval times, the liberal use of spices was a means of showing your wealth to those around you, as these ingredients had to be imported from abroad and were therefore not widely available.

Due to being made with expensive ingredients, these bakes were traditionally the reserve of special celebrations, such as Christmas. Unlike Christmas pudding, Christmas cakes are a little less dense and baked in the oven, whereas a Christmas pudding is steamed – although the ingredients are otherwise very similar. It is believed that some of the leftover raw ingredients from making a Christmas pudding were turned into the cake with the help of flour and eggs.

Christmas cakes are best made ahead of the big day, as this allows the flavours to mature and develop. Many recipes recommend feeding the baked cake with a little brandy to keep it moist. Some Christmas cakes are covered with marzipan, but this isn't necessary – it was once a signal of wealth to be able to wrap your Christmas cake in marzipan, but now it's more a matter of personal preference. Try our classic Christmas cake and more Christmas cake recipes.

6. Yule log

The yule log predates many of the other recipes mentioned here, as it originates from pre-Christian civilisation, where it was an important part of the Pagan winter solstice celebrations across Europe. Before the edible version came to be, a real log was burned to mark the passing of the shortest day of the year on 21 December, and symbolise the return of the sun after the dark days of winter. It also served as a symbol for prosperity and good luck.

Christianity adopted the tradition 0f burning firewood over the 12 days of Christmas, with the light of the burning log representing Jesus. But, by about the 18th century, this tradition began to dwindle, perhaps due to impracticalities. By the 19th century, the bûche de noël appeared in France as a dessert made of chocolate sponge topped with chocolate ganache that was meant to resemble the bark.

This spread to the UK, and is now a popular dessert to enjoy during Christmas festivities. Why not make one of our twists on classic yule log for a fun baking project? Discover even more yule log recipes and tips for making a next level yule log.

Hungry for more?

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Which recipes remind you of Christmas? Let us know in the comments.