Delicious Christmas recipes you can make with an airfryer

One of the most stressful parts of Christmas is being in charge the meal, am I right? So why not, make it a little easier and let your airfryer do all the heavy lifting.

Airfryers have been having a moment this year, with the appliance becoming a firm favourite in kitchens across Australia. The clever cooker uses hot air to cook food and reduces the use of oil to the least while keeping flavours and taste unaltered. Genius!

From canapes through to dessert, here’s three easy recipes to whip up your entire Christmas feast in an airfryer.

Caramelised onion star puff canapés

Preparation and cooking time: 40 mins
Makes: 14

2 sheets frozen puff pastry, partially thawed
1 tablespoon caramelised onion relish, plus extra 1 tablespoon
1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
salt and pepper, to season

SUGGESTED TOMATO TOPPING IDEAS

spreadable cream cheese
diced cherry tomatoes
basil leaves

SUGGESTED SALMON TOPPING IDEAS

spreadable cream cheese
torn sliced smoked salmon
very finely diced red onion
dill sprigs

Method:

1 Use a 7.5cm star cutter to cut out 14 stars from one sheet of pastry.

2 Spoon a small amount of relish into the centre of 7 stars. Place a second star on top.

3 Gently push each star stack into a Philips Baking Master Kit, silicone mould, then arrange in the Philips Essential XL Airfryer. Set temperature to 160C and time to 15 minutes. Press the dial in to begin cooking. Once cooked, set aside for 2 minutes then remove from moulds and set aside.

4 Repeat step 1, 2 and 3.

5 Spoon the extra relish into the centre of the cooked pastry stars. Sprinkle with herbs, sesame seeds and season with salt and pepper. Arrange in the Airfryer basket, in a single layer. Set temperature to 180C and time to 4 minutes. Press the dial in to begin cooking. Once cooked, set aside to cool completely.

6 Top with your choice of topping and serve.

Cherry and rosemary glazed ham

Preparation and cooking time: 35 mins
Serves: 6-8

½ cup cherry conserve
¼ cup brown sugar
2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 rosemary sprigs
1.2-1.5kg piece boneless smoked leg ham, twine and/or netting removed
rosemary, bay leaves and cherries, to garnish

Method:

1 Combine conserve, sugar, mustard and rosemary in a small saucepan.

2 Cook, stirring occasionally over high heat for 5 minutes until bubbly and slightly thickened. Carefully pour into a heatproof bowl. (You can make this the day before, cover it, and leave it at room temperature.)

3 Place ham on a piece of baking paper and brush with a little of the glaze. Carefully transfer ham to the basket of the Philips Essential XL Airfryer. Set temperature to 180C and time to 10 minutes. Press the start button to begin cooking. Baste with a little more glaze, and set the time for a further 10 minutes.

4 Transfer ham to a serving platter. Garnish with cherries, bay leaves and extra rosemary sprigs. Serve with remaining glaze on the side to add as desired.

Alternatively, you can pre-slice your ham and layer it in a baking tray that fits inside the Airfryer basket. Brush the ham generously with the glaze. Set the Airfryer temperature to 180C and time to 10 minutes. Brush with a little more glaze and cook for a further 5 minutes or until golden. Serve.

COOKS TIP

Don’t get carried away at the super market and buy a ham that’s bigger than your Airfryer basket! However, if you do discover that the ham you bought is too big, simply slice it to fit.

Christmas raspberry and mango baked cheesecake 

Preparation and cooking time: 1 hour plus cooling time
Serves: 12

540g store-bought square-shaped light fruit cake
1 tablespoon coconut flavoured white rum
2 x 250g blocks cream cheese, chopped, at room temperature
¾ cup icing sugar mixture
3 extra large eggs
½ cup frozen raspberries, thawed
200ml thick dollop cream
1 mango, flesh very thinly sliced into ribbons
125g punnet raspberries
mint leaves, to garnish

Method:

1 Grease the base and sides of the Philips XXL baking master kit accessory tray with spray oil. Line the base and 2 sides with a single piece of baking paper, ensuring paper doesn’t extend over the top of the tray.

2 Cut the cake into 1cm thick square slices. Place one whole square into the baking tray. Then cut remaining squares into smaller pieces to fill the remaining space in the tray. Drizzle with rum. Set aside remaining cake for another use.

3 Beat cream cheese in a large bowl using an electric hand beater until smooth. Add sugar, beat again until combined. Add eggs and beat until smooth.

4 Spoon cream cheese mixture over the top of the cake, and smooth surface.

5 Place raspberries in a bowl and squash and smoosh them until they become pulpy. Drizzle over the top of the cream cheese, then use a fork to swirl them through.

6 Set Airfryer temperature to 155C and time to 40 minutes. Press the start button to begin cooking. The cake should be slightly puffed, golden and still have a slight wobble in the centre. It will set firmly once cooled.

7 Allow to cool to room temperature then refrigerate until chilled – 2 hours or overnight.

8 Just before serving, top with cream, mango and fresh raspberries. Garnish with mint leaves and serve.

TOP TIP!

You could also make this cake in an 18cm square cake tin.

Philips Airfryer is the only airfryer with superior Rapid Air technology to fry your favorite foods with little or no added oil and up to 90% less fat.