Merry Morning Panna Cotta
by Krisly Valge, Head of Marketing and Communications (EE)
My absolute favorite part of Christmas is the morning of 25 December. By then, you’ve successfully navigated the whirlwind of festivities: the cooking, the cleaning, the gifting, the wrapping, and yes – more cleaning. (Don’t get me wrong, I’m a total Christmas person!)
But there’s something magical about the calm that settles in on Christmas morning. The world feels still, and you can savor the simple joys: reheating those delicious mince pies from the day before, taking a long walk, and spending quality time with family. Oh, and let’s not forget indulging in as many Die Hard DVDs as your heart desires.
It’s the perfect moment of peace after all the holiday hustle. ✨✨✨
Panna cotta
Ingredients (for 6 people):
4.5 dl cream, 0.5 tsp vanilla sugar, 225 g white chocolate, 300 g Greek yoghurt, 3 tbsp lime juice, 3 sheets of gelatin.
– Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water until softened.
– Heat the cream and vanilla sugar over low heat until it reaches a boil.
– Add the chopped white chocolate to the hot cream and stir until the chocolate has completely melted. Remove the pot from the heat.
– Squeeze the excess water out of the gelatin sheets and stir them into the warm cream and chocolate mixture until the gelatin has completely dissolved.
– In a separate bowl, mix the Greek yoghurt with the lime juice. Slowly drizzle in the slightly cooled chocolate-cream mixture while stirring, and mix until smooth.
– Pour the mixture into suitable molds or a serving dish.
– Refrigerate overnight to set.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Festive Tomato Tart
by Ilze Augstkalne, Baltic Brand and Marketing Manager (LV)
My favourite Christmas tradition is, without a doubt, the Christmas tree itself. I adore everything about it—its appearance, its scent, and the countless ways to adorn it. For several years now, I’ve decorated my own tree exclusively with white ornaments, keeping it elegantly minimal. At my mother’s home, however, the tree is a vivid contrast—brimming with colourful, timeworn ornaments that hold their own unique charm and story. And I love that tree just as much. ✨✨✨
Tomato tart
Ingredients:
Base: 300 g puff pastry
Filling: 300 g full-fat cottage cheese (or ricotta), 3 eggs, 150 ml sweet cream, a couple of garlic cloves (finely chopped), 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, sea salt, pepper.
Topping: 5 tomatoes, sliced, sea salt, pepper, brown sugar, fresh basil leaves.
– Preheat the oven to 210°C.
– Grease a round baking dish (~23 cm in diameter) with butter and line it with the rolled-out puff pastry.
– In a bowl, whisk together the cottage cheese, eggs, and cream. Add salt, pepper, garlic and thyme.
– Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for about 25 minutes.
– Remove the pan from the oven and arrange the sliced tomatoes on top. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and brown sugar.
– Return the pan to the oven for an additional 5 minutes. Before serving, garnish with fresh basil leaves.
___________________________________________________________________________
White Christmas Poppy-Seed Cake
by Simona Liuimienė, Managing Associate (LT)
The highlight of my Christmas Eve is a family supper featuring twelve dishes. Some are long-held favorites—herring with carrots or fried fish—while others, like salmon tartar, are my modern adaptations. Cranberries and poppy seeds are must-haves on the menu, infusing a festive touch. After dinner, we settle around the Christmas tree for a warm, laughter-filled chat. ✨✨✨
Poppy-seed cake
Ingredients (for 6 people):
150 g poppy seeds, 4 pcs. eggs, 200 g sugar, 100 g breadcrumbs (ground), 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. vanilla sugar, 1 can. sweetened condensed milk, 2 handfuls of almond flakes.
– Pour boiling water over the poppy seeds and leave to soak overnight.
– Grind the soaked and drained poppy seeds in a meat grinder at least twice (I always skip this).
– Beat the egg yolks with sugar with an electric mixer until they turn white and then mix them into the poppy mixture.
– Then add the breadcrumbs, cinnamon and vanilla and mix everything well again.
– Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form and carefully fold them into the poppy seeds, adding them little by little.
– Grease a baking dish with butter and pour the poppy mixture into it. Smooth the surface, place in a 180 degree oven and bake for about 45-50 minutes.
– While the cake is baking, toast the almond flakes in a pan until they are lightly browned.
– Heat a jar of sweetened condensed milk in a small saucepan (about 1-1,5 hours).
– Poke the still warm cake with a wooden stick (the more poking the better) and gradually pour in the warm condensed milk so that it soaks into the cake.
– Sprinkle the almond flakes on top of the still warm condensed milk so that they stick. Leave the cake to cool and set.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Christmas Cheer Carrot Cake
by Marija Berdova, Senior Associate (LV)
For me, Christmas has always been associated with the smell of mulled wine and tangerines, curling up under a warm blanket to watch classic holiday comedies (my bucket list includes favourites like Love Actually and The Holiday), and, of course, enjoying delicious food. I am a real foodie and never miss the chance to explore new tastes and combinations – gelato with Gorgonzola cheese? Bring two, please! Lemon sauce spaghetti? I am in!
Cooking is one of my love languages, and I take great joy in pampering my beloved ones with some excellent homemade dishes. Since everybody knows that I am a sweet tooth – I especially enjoy making deserts and cakes. ✨✨✨
Carrot cake
Ingredients:
For dough: 160 ml olive oil (or any unflavoured vegetable oil), 250g brown cane sugar, 2-3 tbsp apple puree (add if you like sponge part of the cake to be extra moist), 200g wheat flour, 100g roasted pecans, 2 tbsp cinnamon, 1 tsp cardamom, 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg, 1/2 tsp ground cloves, 3 eggs (medium size), 3-4 carrots, freshly grated, 3 tsp baking powder, 1 orange zest, freshly grated.
For cream: 400 g cream cheese, 1 vanilla pod seeds, 120g icing sugar, 3 tbsp sour cream, 120g room temperature butter.
– Mix eggs sugar and oil; add flour with incorporated baking powder and spices
– Add apple puree and grated carrots; mix well until smooth
– Add grated orange zest and crushed roasted pecans
– Pour the dough into the baking dish and bake into 180 degree preheated oven for about 35 minutes
– When cake is ready – cool until (at least) room temperature; if you want to make a multiple-layers cake – carefully cut the sponge cake horizontally (after cooling)
– In the meantime, prepare the cream – beat the soften butter with icing sugar and vanilla seeds
– Gradually add cream cheese and sour cream
– Spread the cream on cake layers
– Decorate as you wish
– Let the cake rest in the refrigerator for at least few hours
– Put the cake on your Christmas table and expect praise from your guests! 🙃
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Persian Love Cake
by Triin Bärengrub, Assistant (EE)
My Christmas begins with the great adventure of finding the perfect Christmas tree. Once home (usually with some arguing over whether it’s straight), the scent of pine fills the house and sets the festive mood. Decorating the tree is a team effort… mostly. Everyone has an opinion, especially about the lights. It’s part decorating, part debating, but in the end, the tree always looks magical – despite a few wonky ornaments. The day wouldn’t be complete without cooking together – traditional dishes like potatoes, cabbage, pork roast, and blood sausage fill the air with comforting aromas. The best part? The togetherness. Everything – from picking the tree to sharing the meal – feels like a little celebration of us. It’s not perfect, but that’s what makes it ours and all of us, the grownups, the cats and the kids are happy.✨✨✨
Persian love cake
Ingredients:
For cake: 200 g unsalted butter, 150 g caster sugar, 4 medium eggs, 12 cardamom pods, 100 g plain flour, sifted, 275 g ground almonds, zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon, 1 tbsp rose water, 1 tsp bloomed saffron, 1 tsp baking powder, a pinch of fine sea salt
For the drizzle topping: 2 tbsp caster sugar, juice of ½ lemon, ½ tbsp rose water
For the icing: 200 g icing sugar, juice of ½ lemon, 2 tsp cold water
To decorate: 2 tsp sliced pistachios, 2 tsp dried rose petals (optional)
– Pre-heat the oven to 160°C
– Grease a 22cm cake tin (one with a removable base) and line it with baking parchment
– In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together; when the mixture is thoroughly combined, beat in the eggs
– Place the cardamom pods in a mortar and work with a pestle to get the seeds out of the pods; discard the pods and grind the seeds to a fine powder; add them to the cake mixture, along with the flour, ground almonds, lemon zest and juice, rose water, saffron, baking powder and salt, mix well
– Pour the mixture into the cake tin and bake in the oven for 45 minutes
– To check if it is ready, stick a fork in the middle of the cake – it should come out dry
– Towards the end of the cooking time, make your drizzle topping – place the caster sugar, lemon juice and rose water in a small pan over a low heat and heat until the sugar melts
– Remove the cake from the oven and place it on a wire rack
– Poke holes all over the top of the warm cake and drizzle over the syrup
– When the cake is completely cool, make the icing by combining the icing sugar, lemon juice and a few teaspoons of water until you have a smooth, thick icing; spoon the icing over the cake and finish with a sprinkling of sliced pistachios and, if you like, rose petals
– If it is not devoured in one sitting, the cake will keep well for a couple of days, covered in foil
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Orange Glow Cake
by Eglė Kaminskienė, Senior Associate (LT)
For me, the magic of Christmas lies in the anticipation. December evenings are for decorating the house, wrapping presents, and finding thoughtful gifts for family and friends. The warm glow of fairy lights and the excitement of choosing recipes for festive meals make the lead-up to Christmas my favourite time of the year.✨✨✨
Orange cake
Ingredients:
For cake: 150 g unsalted butter, soft, 100 g granulated sugar, 70 g honey, 3 tbsp sour cream, 3 tbsp olive (or any other kind) oil, 3 tbsp poppy seeds, 3 eggs, 200 g all-purpose flour, 2 tsp of baking powder, 100 ml freshly squeezed orange juice, zest of two oranges, finely grated
For syrup: 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp vanilla paste (or few drops vanilla extract), 150 ml orange juice
– Preheat the oven to 185 °C
– Beat butter and sugar until creamy
– Add the eggs, one at a time, to the butter mixture and beat until the mixture is smooth
– In a separate small bowl, mix all the dry ingredients
– Add all the wet ingredients to the egg whisk and stir; add the dry ingredients to the whole mixture and stir again until smooth
– Pour the batter into the bundt tin and bake the cake for 40 to 50 minutes; if you insert a toothpick and it comes out clear the cake is done
– For the syrup: put all the ingredients in a small pot and heat over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved; pour the syrup over the baked cake (while the cake is still in the tin); when the cake has cooled completely, remove it from the baking tin
– Decorated it with candied oranges and edible glitter
– Enjoy! 😊
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Holly Jolly Champignons in Beer Batter
by Krista Helmūte, Associate (LV)
I always celebrate Christmas with my extended family. While the location of our celebrations may change, the company never does. On Christmas morning, my dad and I head to the forest to pick out the Christmas tree, which we decorate later in the day. Cooking is a big part of our celebration, and my specialty is champignons in beer batter. Half of them never make it to the table because my brothers and dad can’t resist sneaking bites.
After a long dinner, it’s time for presents – but only if you recite a poem or sing a song first! One tradition that has been a constant since my childhood is my dad singing ‘Silent Night.’
We usually end the evening with some good-natured family drama over the board game “Katana”. ✨✨✨
Champignons in beer batter
Ingredients:
Champignons (approx. 5 pieces per person), 0.5 l lager beer (in Latvia, Bauskas gaišais, Užavas or Tērvetes alus are tried and tested for this recipe), flour, 2-3 eggs, salt & pepper, Mediterranean seasoning (optional), sunflower oil.
– Mix the eggs and beer (it is important that both ingredients are at room temperature)
– Add the flour, salt and pepper and the Mediterranean seasoning (optional); the consistency of the mixture should be like thick pancake batter
– Heat the oil in a saucepan until it is not too hot, so that the champignons also cook when frying
– Dip the champignons in the batter and fry until golden brown
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Beef Cheeks with Red Cabbage and Mashed Potatoes
by Ott Aava, Managing Associate (EE)
Beef cheeks with red cabbage is a recipe I have turned to around Christmas for years. It’s become a tradition to invite a friend over in late November or early December, before the holiday rush, to share good food, great drinks, and quality time together. ✨✨✨
Beef cheeks
Ingredients:
4 beef cheeks, 1 onion, 1 carrot, 2 celery stalks, 4 garlic cloves, 2 cups red wine, 2 cups beef stock, 2 table spoons tomato paste, 1 bay leave, 8 springs of fresh thyme, salt and pepper, a bit balsamic vinegar.
– Clean and sear beef cheeks; put aside
– Cut and fry onion, celery and carrot (10 min), then add garlic and cook another 2 minutes
– Add tomato paste and cook another 1-2 min
– Add wine and scrape browned bits
– Add stock and beef cheeks, cook until boiling
– Transfer to preheated oven and cook for 6-8 hour at 135 without fan.
Sauce
Remove beef cheeks and boil on the cooktop until thickened (may use flour), add salt, pepper and brown sugar (optional) to tase.
Red cabbage
Ingredients:
1 medium red cabbage, 1 apple or pear, 1 onion, olive oil, 1-2 teaspoons of fresh ginger, brown sugar (5 tble spoons or to tase), a bit apple sider vinegar, 1/2 cup of dark beer, apple juice to cover the bot, 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves.
– Thinly slice the red cabbage and onion
– Peel, core and dice the apple
– Grate fresh ginger
– Heat olive oil in a pot
– Add onion and cook until softened
– Stir in ginger and cook 2 minutes
– Add cabbage and apple and cook 5 minutes
– Add sugar and rest of the ingredients
– Reduce the heat and let it simmer gently about 45-60 minutes, stir sparingly
– Taste and adjust seasoning as needed
– Its ready when liquid is boiled away
Mashed potatoes
– As usual 🙂
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Signature Chocolate Chip Cookies
by Skaistė Sventickaitė, Legal Secretary (LT)
For me, the perfect Christmas is all about spending time with family. Every year, we gather in my grandparents’ village, where the peaceful surroundings and festive spirit make the season feel truly magical. It’s a time for sharing stories, laughing together, and enjoying comforting meals that bring us closer. ✨✨✨
Chocolate chip cookies
Ingredients:
About 400 g all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt, 226 g unsalted butter (softened), 232 g granulated sugar, 213 g light brown sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract, about 400 g semi-sweet chocolate chips or semi sweet chocolate.
– Mix dry ingredients: in a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside
– Cream butter and sugars: in a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to cream the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes)
– Add eggs and vanilla: beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract; scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is incorporated
– Combine wet and dry ingredients: gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined; avoid overmixing!
– Add chocolate chips: fold in the chocolate chips (or chop down the chocolate)
– Scoop and bake: scoop the dough (about 1-2 tablespoons per cookie) and place on the prepared baking sheets; put about 5-6 rolls on the sheet, avoid overcrowding
– Preheat your oven to 190°C; line baking sheets with parchment paper
– Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers look slightly underbaked
– Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely
Tips for Success:
– Chill the dough for 30 minutes if you want a thicker cookie; that way it will not melt so fast
– For gooey cookies, slightly underbake (so bake for about 7-8 mins) and let them finish setting on the tray
– Use high-quality chocolate chips for the best flavor
– Enjoy these delightful cookies with a glass of cold milk or a cozy cup of cocoa
