# Maltese Christmas Food: Sweets and a Menu to Share Source: https://www.malteserecipes.com/collections/maltese-christmas-food/ Plan a Maltese-inspired Christmas table with treacle rings, a no-bake chocolate log, and suggested soups, mains, and sides from our recipe collection. A Christmas meal does not need a fixed sequence of Maltese dishes to feel considered. Start with the people at the table, the oven space available, and one sweet you particularly want to make. The savoury dishes below are suggestions from this site's recipes, not a claim that every Maltese family serves the same Christmas lunch. Qagħaq tal-Għasel has a documented Christmas association in [Visit Gozo's account of local delicacies](https://visitgozo.com/experience/local-delicacies/). Our recipe uses treacle or dark molasses despite the English name 'honey rings'. The [Christmas log](/recipes/tronchetto-tal-milied/) is a separate no-bake biscuit-and-chocolate recipe; it is not a rolled sponge cake. ## Two ways to plan the meal For an oven-centred lunch, choose Timpana and Kapunata, followed by a thin slice of chocolate log. Make the log according to its chilling instructions so it does not compete with the pie for your attention. For a meal built around the hob, choose Bragioli with roast potatoes and finish with treacle rings. A small bowl of Brodu is an optional first course. These combinations are planning examples: there is no need to cook all the dishes in the collection. ## Work backwards from serving List which dishes need the oven, which need a burner, and which need chilling. Two bakes with different temperatures are not automatically suitable for cooking together. Read the individual make-ahead and storage notes before preparing fillings or assembling pies in advance. Check nuts, dairy, eggs, wheat, and optional alcohol with guests before shopping. Scale portions with the whole menu in mind: a rich pie after a starter generally needs a smaller serving than the same pie eaten alone. For more everyday main-course choices, see [Maltese Sunday lunch](/collections/maltese-sunday-lunch/). For other biscuits and pastries, use [desserts and sweets](/collections/maltese-desserts-and-sweets/). This is a selection of recipes available here, not an exhaustive catalogue of Maltese Christmas food. ## Christmas sweets Qagħaq tal-Għasel needs a cooked treacle filling and shaped pastry rings. The Christmas log uses biscuits, chocolate, and nuts and sets without baking. Choose the rings for a pastry project or the log when you want a dessert that leaves the oven free. - [Qagħaq tal-Għasel (Maltese Honey Rings)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/qaghaq-tal-ghasel/): Traditional Maltese honey rings filled with treacle, citrus, spices, and semolina. A fragrant festive sweet with a rich, sticky centre. - [Tronchetto tal-Milied (Maltese Christmas Log)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/tronchetto-tal-milied/): A no-bake Maltese Christmas log made with crushed biscuits, nuts, chocolate, condensed milk, and candied fruit. ## A suggested starter These are menu options for your gathering, not dishes reserved for Christmas. A small serving of beef broth leaves room for a substantial main. Bigilla can instead start a shared bread table, especially when you prefer a relaxed meal without a separate soup course. - [Brodu (Maltese Beef and Vegetable Broth)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/brodu/): Malta's comforting winter soup - a clear, rich meat broth simmered with seasonal vegetables. Simple, nourishing, and traditionally served on cold days. - [Bigilla (Traditional Maltese Bean Dip)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/bigilla/): Make Bigilla with dried broad beans, garlic, olive oil, lemon, and parsley, with tips for a rustic texture and serving it with Maltese bread. - [Ħobż Malti (Maltese Bread)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/hobz-malti/): Traditional Maltese crusty bread with a dark crisp crust and soft open crumb. Essential for soups, dips, and ħobż biż-żejt. ## Choose one main and a side Timpana is a filling macaroni pie and may only need vegetables alongside it. Bragioli gives you a stovetop main, leaving the oven available for potatoes. Ricotta pie is another option for guests who do not want a meat filling. Check cheese and pastry ingredients against individual dietary needs. - [Timpana (Maltese Baked Macaroni Pie)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/timpana/): A classic Maltese baked macaroni pie with rich meat sauce, eggs, and cheese wrapped in golden pastry. A true Sunday and festa favourite. - [Bragioli (Maltese Beef Olives)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/bragioli/): Tender beef rolls stuffed with savory pork filling, eggs, and slow-cooked in rich tomato sauce. - [Torta tal-Irkotta (Maltese Ricotta Pie)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/torta-tal-irkotta/): A traditional Maltese savoury ricotta pie with eggs, parsley, and cheese in golden shortcrust pastry. Simple, comforting, and excellent warm or cold. - [Patata l-Forn (Maltese Roast Potatoes)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/patata-l-forn/): Maltese oven-roasted potatoes with onion, garlic, stock, fennel seed, and olive oil. Golden on top, tender underneath, and full of Sunday lunch flavour. - [Kapunata (Maltese Vegetable Stew)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/kapunata/): A vibrant Mediterranean vegetable stew with aubergines, peppers, tomatoes, capers, and olives. ## Coffee and a small extra sweet Spiced coffee and almond macaroons are optional additions rather than another full dessert course. If you already have treacle rings or chocolate log, small portions let guests try a second flavour without needing a large platter. - [Kafè Malti (Maltese Spiced Coffee)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/maltese-coffee/): Strong, dark coffee gently spiced with cloves and citrus. A Mediterranean blend of Italian espresso culture and North African spice traditions. - [Biskuttini tal-Lewż (Maltese Almond Macaroons)](https://www.malteserecipes.com/recipes/biskuttini-tal-lewz/): Traditional Maltese almond macaroons with a crisp outside and chewy centre. Simple, fragrant, and often served for celebrations.