It’s the best time of the year again! For me, Christmas is a time to try lots of different recipes and push the boat out. Whether you are having family and friends over or simply want to have a special dinner before the big day, I think trying something new is great fun.

Chinese steamed buns are absolutely delicious and surprisingly easy to make. Also, the great thing is that you can fill them with anything you want, whether its slow cooked pork or beef, Chinese chicken or even tofu. I got the recipe for the buns from YouTube and it worked like a dream. It’s a great recipe to do on your day off during the holidays and it will definitely impress everyone around you!

It’s a very simple dough made with plain flour, yeast, baking powder, sugar, oil and water. Click the link above to see how it is made. The two raising agents make the dough really light and fluffy (again a technical term there). Once my dough was ready, I simply cut it into chunks, rolled them into round circles and folded them in half after brushing them with sesame oil. Then I steam cooked them. Easy!

I filled mine with shredded chicken and any veg I had in the fridge, but I am thinking of making them again next week for my family and will most likely fill them with slow cooked pork, hoisin sauce and crunchy veg. Top it off with some toasted sesame seeds and you have a delicious dinner! It’s so much fun to make at this festive time and makes those days waiting for Christmas a bit more exciting. It’s also a slightly lighter meal, which we can all do with this time of year!

What do you eat the days before or after Christmas? I would love to know what you like to eat this time of year. This is great fun and very satisfying, and after all, if you can’t splash out at Christmas time when can you?!

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