For us in the land down under, we are starting to think about our Christmas preparations.

My cousin in Barcelona tells me that they don’t think about Christmas until after “Tots Sants”  and La Castanyada when panellets and chestnuts are food of the day.   I am sure for some of you, Halloween and Thanksgiving  preparations are priority.

I  enjoy reading about the various  connections between food and traditions and particularly about northern hemisphere countries and the influence that the seasons have on food customs. Here in Australia, pumpkin is mainly used for three purposes roasted, mashed or in scones  and chestnuts are found in a tin in the Asian food section of the supermarket.

For us, Christmas is the season for  mangoes and lychees, prawns and bbqs, watermelon and pineapple.  But each year while we struggle with the humidity of the season and try to shy away from the tradition of a hot meal on the day, we fall back into the traditions bequeathed to us by our parents and grandparents and we sit down to a table full of hot food in the sweltering heat.

When each year I try to reduce our Christmas menu, one son will say, but we HAVE to have lasagne.  Another son will say, but we HAVE to have cigrons. And another son will say, but we HAVE to have a nut encrusted baked ham.  And then there is at least one son (I have four) who says, we HAVE to make Bumble Bees… we always make Bumble Bees or Rocky Road or Rum Balls.

So here is my version of White Chocolate Rocky Road with a touch of Christmas colour.

White Chocolate Rocky Road

20 g  Marshmallows chopped

100 g  Turkish Delight chopped

25 g   Pistachios

400 g White Chocolate

25  g Macadamia nuts, chopped

25 g  Craisins or Glace Cherries, chopped

1/4 cup shredded coconut

(Make sure all ingredients are gluten free)