I’m Dreaming of White Christmas – a traditional Australian treat

I’m dreaming of White Christmas… just like the one I used to know.
Yes – I have misquoted the lyrics of the Irving Berlin song. I’m not dreaming of a White Christmas, I’ve been dreaming of the White Christmas.

It’s a treat known by Australian kids over the generations – after all, if we can’t have snow since our Christmas is in summer, we can certainly have something sweet.

White Christmas is one of the first things many children are invited by parents to make for Christmas. That’s because it’s so easy, a child can do it!

I haven’t made this dish in ages, but this year I’ve come over all nostalgic for some of the homegrown Christmas traditions under the Australian summer sun – and I’m thrilled to share this one with you.

By the way – near the bottom of the page, I’ll share with you how Aussies really make up for not having Christmas in winter, and I’ll detail how you can win an autographed copy of my romantic Victorian Christmas mystery, The Thief of Hearts, plus a set of bookmarks featuring my various titles. And after that, you’ll find the ongoing blog hop link list.

But first here’s the recipe.

White Christmas – the recipe

Ingredients

• 250g white cooking chocolate
• 250ml sweetened condensed milk
• 2 ½ cups Rice Bubbles
• 1 cup desiccated coconut (I like mine lightly toasted)
• 150g of mixed fruit (or substitute glace cherries and pistachios to the same weight)

Toasted desiccated coconut

Method

All the mixing for this uses a wooden spoon or spatula – or your bare (clean) hands!

Mix the dried ingredients together using a wooden spoon or spatula.

Melt the white chocolate using the double boiler technique and add the molten chocolate to the sweetened condensed milk. Then combine that with the dry ingredients.

Double boiler technique using a saucepan and a Pyrex jug

Adding chocolate

Mixing ingredients

You can spoon the mixture into patty cases or pour onto a lined slice tray. The latter option may need the use of your hands to flatten the mix.

Flattening the mix – I should have removed my rings!

Chef’s Privilege!

Refrigerate for at least 90 minutes. If you’ve used the slice tray, use a sharp knife to cut the White Christmas into slices.

Cutting

Serve

That’s it – enjoy! I hope your Christmas is filled with love, laughter, and joy.

If you can’t get enough of the season, then do subscribe to my reader magazine, Love’s Great Adventure, by clicking or tapping here.  The 2023 Christmas edition is out on 16 December where you’ll find more recipes, character interviews, fun and games, and story excerpts.

Christmas in July

The Australian way to make up for having Christmas during an often blazing hot summer is celebrate Christmas in July. That doesn’t mean cancelling Christmas in December, it just means having two bites of the Christmas cherry!

Restaurants in colder parts put on Christmas menus and some towns in the highlands where it really gets cold might celebrate the whole month of Christmas in July as a full town event.

One such place is Stanthorpe in Queensland, and my husband and I generally try to visit there each July. It’s a chance to ‘rug up’ in lovely winter clothing during the day that otherwise might only come out at night at home where our subtropical winters are mild.

July in Stanthorpe