Guest Post: Christmas Recipes

Christmas season is the time for guest post, apparently! ^_^ I'm so pleased to bring you, this month of December, another guest post from my family! Another of my lovely younger sisters is going to share Christmas recipes today! (And she has beautiful pictures of them too! *smiles*)

Christmas Recipes

I'm here to bring you some scrumptious Christmas recipes! Many of these are things my family makes nearly every year, and some are more recent discoveries. ;) I hope you enjoy this, and maybe find a new recipe to make during this Christmas season!

Sugar Cookie Cutouts

INGREDIENTS:

(for cookies)

1 1\2 cups powdered sugar                      2 1\2 cups flour

1 cup butter                                                 1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla                                                1 tsp. baking powder

1\2 tsp. almond extract                            1 tsp. cream of tarter

1 egg

(for frosting)*

3 cups powdered sugar                            2 Tbsp. milk

1\3 cup butter                                         almond extract to taste (optional)

1 1\2 tsp. vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS:

Sift dry ingredients together. In separate bowl, cream butter and sugar. Then add next 3 ingredients. Combine wet and dry ingredients.

Refrigerate dough for 3 hours.

Roll out dough. You may need to flour your surface and rolling pin to keep dough from sticking. Cut out cookies with Christmas cookie cutters and place on cookie sheet.

Bake at 375 degrees for 7-8 minutes.

When cooled, decorate with frosting!

*note: you can add food coloring to your frosting, if you like it colored. Otherwise you can choose the "healthy" way. ;D

Sprinkles are also fun!

These cookies are basically tradition for us. We make them every year. :) It's always fun for the younger kids to cut out the shapes and decorate the cookie with frosting when they're cooked and cooled ... well, not just the younger kids. =D

Double-Dipped Ginger Snaps

INGREDIENTS:

(for cookies)

3\4 cups butter                                  2 tsp. baking soda

1 cup brown sugar                             1\4 tsp. salt

1 eggs                                                   1\2 tsp. cloves

1\4 cup molasses                               1 tsp. cinnamon

2 1\4 cups flour                                 1 tsp. ginger

(for dipping)*

1\4 cup shortening (or butter)

two 12 oz. pkg. vanilla milk chips

crushed candy canes

INSTRUCTIONS:

Cream butter, then add sugar and mix well. Add eggs and molasses and mix well. Then add dry ingredients and combine (you really have to work it in). Form into balls and roll in sugar. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

After cooled, dip one side of cookie in white chocolate, then in crushed candy canes.

*note: we used vanilla candy coating

This is also a recipe we like to do. They're so festive - so Christmas! =)

Chocolate Crinkles

INGREDIENTS:

1\2 cup vegetable oil                            2 tsp. vanilla

3\4 cup cocoa                                        2 cups flour

1\4 cup butter                                        2 tsp. baking powder

2 cups sugar                                           1\2 tsp. salt

4 eggs                                                      1 cup powdered sugar

INSTRUCTIONS:

Mix oil, cocoa, butter, and sugar (not powdered). Blend in 1 egg at a time. Add vanilla, then the rest of the ingredients except for powdered sugar. Chill several hours or overnight. Drop teaspoonfuls of dough into powdered sugar. Roll in sugar, then shape into balls. Place 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Don't over-bake!

This recipe isn't so Christmas - not as much as the previous ones. But it the powdered sugar on top looks kind of like snow, so it fits in nicely with the holiday. :) The dough is quite sticky, but very yummy - I just kept on picking at it. ;P

Chocolate Pistachio Thumbprints

INGREDIENTS:

(for cookies)

1\3 cup powdered sugar                     1 egg

1 C butter                                               2 C flour

1 t vanilla                                             1\2 cup miniature chocolate chips

3\4 tsp almond extract                      3\4- 1 1\4 cup nuts, finely chopped

1 package instant pistachio pudding mix

(for filling)

1 1\2 cups powdered sugar                                  1 tsp. vanilla

2 tbsp. butter                                                          1 to 3 tbsp. milk

(for glaze)

1\2 cup chocolate chips         

2 tsp. coconut oil

INSTRUCTIONS:

Beat first six ingredients (for cookies). Add flour and chocolate chips. Mix well. Shape into 1 inch balls, then roll in nuts. Using your thump, make an imprint in the middle.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely. Mix all filling ingredients. Drop a scant teaspoon into the middle of each cookie. Melt chocolate chips and oil, and drizzle over cookies. Let set until hard.

Ooh, I love these! They are simply delicious, with the pistachio cookie, dollop of frosting in the middle, and drizzle of chocolate. :) These are something we've made more than one Christmas season as well.

(And can I say I love how my picture of them turned out? FOOD PICTURES<3)

Pretzel Hugs

INGREDIENTS:

square pretzels

white chocolate and peppermint candy kisses (a.k.a. hugs)

M&M's

INSTRUCTIONS:

Place pretzels on a cookie sheet and put a candy kiss on each one. Put in the oven at 200 degrees for 4 minutes. Upon removing from oven, press an m&m onto the candy kisses. Let cool and enjoy! :)

We made these with friends the other day; they are a perfect treat for the little kids to make. :) Oh, and they're yummy too. ;)

Chocolate Chip Gingerbread Greek Yogurt Pancakes

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups plain greek yogurt                              4 tsp ground ginger

4 cups rolled oats                                            4 ripe banana

4 tsp. baking powder                                      4 tbsp. molasses

4-8 tsp. cinnamon                                           8 eggs*

INSTRUCTIONS:

Blend ingredients in blender, in order listed, until batter is smooth. Let sit for a few minutes. Pour on greased skillet, sprinkle with a few chocolate chips, and cook.  **

source of recipe: www.runningwithspoons.com

*note: original recipe calls for egg whites, but we just do whole eggs. :)

** This recipe feeds a big family - you may have to half it or something if you have less people to feed. ;)

This is a DELICIOUS pancake recipe, and one to definitely have for breakfast during Christmas season (since it's gingerbread pancakes). We do eat it during any season, though, usually without chocolate chips. But the chips, and a dollop of whipped cream make these special during a special season. ;)

No-Bake Coconut Balls

INGREDIENTS:

1 3\4 cup coconut                                            1\2 tsp. vanilla

3 tsp. coconut oil                                              1\8 tsp. salt

3 tbsp. maple syrup                                            dark chocolate (for dipping)

2 tbsp. unsweetened coconut milk        more shredded coconut (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Blend 1 cup of coconut with oil to make butter. Combine with the rest of the ingredients, then add remaining coconut. Dip in melted dark chocolate and roll in coconut.

This is a great option for a Christmas treat for those who don't want all the sugar! And they're really good, believe me! :)

Pistachio Almond Biscotti

INGREDIENTS:

(for biscotti)

1 cup butter                                         1 tbsp. baking powder

2 cups sugar                                        2 cups flour

4 eggs                                                   1 1\2 cup whole almonds

1 box pistachio pudding                   1 1\2 cup shelled pistachios

2 tsp. salt

(for glaze)

1 cup powdered sugar                             2-3 tsp. water

1 tsp. almond extract

INSTRUCTIONS:

Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in next three ingredients until fluffy. Sift next three ingredients together and add to wet mixture. Fold in nuts last.

Put parchment paper on a cookie sheet; shape dough into logs 3 in. by 3 in.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes, then slice the "log" into 1 inch slices with a sharp knife. Cool for 1\2 hour.

Turn oven down to 325 degrees. Lay the cut side of biscotti on baking sheet, then bake 8 minutes. Turn each biscotti over and bake for 8 more minutes.

Biscotti should be dry, but not very browned. When cooled, glaze, and enjoy!

I've always enjoyed this biscotti! So good! :) (no picture because we haven't made these recently.)

Do you have a Christmas recipe that you make every year?