Aussie yuletide meals tend to be more on the refreshing side, that’s why for fans of festive wintry meals, Christmas comes twice a year. We have you covered for jolly July recipes.

Spiced glazed ham

Serves 8, can be halved

• 5kg unsmoked, pre-soaked gammon joint (ideally with bone in)
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 8 fat cloves garlic, peeled
• 30g ginger, peeled
• 2 tsp cumin powder
• 1 Bay leaf
• 2 tsp wine vinegar
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 black cardamom pods (optional)

For the spiced glaze

• 100g jaggery or light muscovado sugar
• 1/2 tsp roast and ground cumin seeds
• 1 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 2 tsp ginger paste
• 2 small cloves garlic, crushed
• 4 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2-3 tsp Worcestershire sauce or until you have a thickish paste
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• Handful of flaked almonds (optional), toasted

Blend together the garlic, ginger, vinegar, and powdered spices until smooth.

Place the gammon in a pot large enough to hold it comfortably. Add the spice blend, onion, bay leaf and black cardamom pods if using. Add enough water to cover the joint. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer gently for 20 minutes per 500g depending on your joint. In this case cook for 3 hours 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 68°C. Spoon off any scum that forms and top up with water as necessary.

Meanwhile, stir together the ingredient for the glaze. It should be thick enough to hold its form but easily spreadable.

Lift out of the water and leave to cool for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 220°C. Slice the skin but not the fat off the joint using a sharp knife. Place in your roasting tin, add about 1/2 of the liquor in the bottom of the pan (you can use the rest in a curry, to cook rice in or in a soup).

Brush the glaze over the top and place in the oven. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until beautiful and golden, basting every now and again with the pan juices. and baste again with the glaze every 8-10 minutes or so.

Sprinkle over the almonds and serve.

Mince tart hand pies

Makes 12

Boozy fruit mince (makes 2 cups)

• 2/3 cup (150g) dried figs, sliced
• 3/4 cup (130g) raisins
• 1 cup (140g) dried cranberries
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest
• 1 tsp grated orange zest
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 3 cups (750ml) brandy

Combine all the ingredients in a large, sterilised jar. Shake well and leave in a cool, dark place, turning the jar upside down every day or two, for 2 days or up to 2 months.

• 1 egg
• 2 Tbsp pure cream
• 1/4 cup (55g) caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Sweet sour cream pastry

• 2 cups (300g) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1/4 cup (55g) caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 2/3 cup (160g) sour cream
• 1 cup (250g) chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes

For the pastry, put the flour, sugar, and salt in a pile on your work surface, swirl them together and make a well in the centre. Put the sour cream and butter in the well and use the heels of your hands to bring everything together, smooshing and pushing until you have a rough dough (or combine everything in a food processor and blitz until the same thing happens). Gently bring the dough together into a disc, divide it in half and shape each portion into a disc. Wrap each disc and pop it into the fridge for 30 minutes.

Roll out one of the pastry discs on a lightly floured surface until 3mm thick. Using a biscuit cutter or a glass, cut the pastry into 5cm rounds. Place a heaped tablespoon of the fruit mince in the middle of a pastry round and then press another pastry round on top. Use the tines of a fork to gently press down around the edge of the pastry to seal the pie. Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper and repeat with the remaining pastry and fruit mince.

Place the pies in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 days. (You can also freeze the pies at this point and cook them straight from frozen.)

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Whisk the egg and cream in one bowl and whisk the sugar and cinnamon in another bowl.

Brush the egg wash over the pies and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the top. Bake for 20 minutes or until the pies are golden. Serve the warm pies with a dollop of cream or ice cream.

Get the latest Canberra news, sport, entertainment, lifestyle, competitions and more delivered straight to your inbox with the Canberra Daily Daily Newsletter. Sign up here.