Nothing says it’s the holiday season better than the food. Whether it’s an old family recipe for cookies, pie, green bean casserole or whatever, it wouldn’t be the holiday season without it. Below are some of our readers’ favorite holiday recipes.
Bourbon Balls
Submitted by Anthony Corona
As the holidays approach I wanted to share an easy and fun dessert that is a favorite of mine. I am known for my balls, whether they be bourbon, rum or meat. These fun bite-sized delights are versatile and very portable after the initial 24-hour refrigerated period.
I have suggested a few toppings and presentation ideas below, but the possibilities are endless, so use some imagination and have fun creating.
Ingredients:
4 cups finely crushed vanilla wafers (A 12-oz. box is about 2 1/2 half cups after crushing)
1 cup chopped nuts or rainbow sprinkles (optional)
1/2 cup Karo syrup (the clear white kind)
1/2 cup good bourbon, rum, or whiskey (fruit juice can be substituted for a non-alcoholic recipe)
2 tablespoons Nestle sweet dry cocoa
1 tablespoon strong coffee
Note: You will need a small dish or bowl of confectioner’s sugar to coat hands and as a potential coating. Other coatings can be: shaved coconut, crushed Oreos, ice cream sprinkles, Magic Shell, chopped nuts, crushed candy bars; the possibilities are endless.
Crush wafers in food processor or Ziploc bag and use rolling pin. (Add in crushed nuts or sprinkles if a crunchier texture is desired.)
Mix in the Karo syrup and the bourbon. Then add the cocoa and coffee, and stir until thoroughly blended.
Begin to roll the balls. Coat your hands with the confectioner’s sugar; the batter is rather sticky. Roll small- to medium-sized balls, coffee scoop sized. Form balls and roll them in chopped nuts or other coating. I usually make some with nuts and some with sprinkles or mini chocolate chips, Oreo and coconut shavings for variety.
Refrigerate until serving. These can last up to a month in the refrigerator in a plastic covered bowl or pan.
These make fabulous host gifts if presented in candy or bonbon cups on a cake stand or platter with a variety of coatings. These will be the hit of your holiday dessert table.
Personalizing for your hostess is always a big hit as well. I usually make some with fruit juice for the kids and mark them with rainbow sprinkles.
Corn Casserole
Submitted by Scott Thornhill
Ingredients:
1 can cream-style corn
1 can whole corn, undrained
1 box Jiffy Corn Muffin mix
8 oz. sour cream
1 stick butter or margarine, melted
2 eggs, slightly beaten
Mix all together, pour into 13” x 9” pan, and bake at 350°F for 45 to 55 minutes (325° if using a glass pan).
You can add sugar to taste, as well as cayenne pepper. If you have a big crowd coming, double the recipe.
Ginger Chewies
Submitted by Nancy Becker
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cloves
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), at room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup molasses
About 1/4 cup granulated sugar
Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Heat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves into a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and brown sugar until smoothly blended, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. Add the egg and molasses; mix until blended and an even light brown color, about 1 minute. On low speed, add the flour mixture, mixing just to incorporate it.
Spread the granulated sugar on a large piece of wax paper or parchment paper. Roll 1/4 cup of dough between the palms of your hands into a 2-inch ball, roll the ball in the sugar, and place on one of the prepared baking sheets. Continue making cookies, spacing them 2 inches apart.
Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until the tops feel firm but they are still soft in the center and there are several large cracks on top, about 14 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then use a wide metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. I like them chewy, so I only bake them for about 6 or 7 minutes.
Italian Christmas Cookies
From BettyCrocker.com
Ingredients:
Cookies:
2 1/2 cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/3 cup whole milk ricotta cheese (from 15-ounce container)
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Frosting:
2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice
Betty Crocker™ gel food colors, as desired
Betty Crocker™ candy sprinkles, as desired
Heat oven to 350°F. In small bowl, stir flour, baking powder and salt.
In large bowl, beat sugar, softened butter, ricotta cheese and lemon peel with electric mixer on medium speed about 1 minute or until fluffy; scrape side of bowl. Beat in eggs, one at a time, just until smooth. Stir in vanilla. On low speed, beat flour mixture into sugar mixture until well blended. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.
Using floured fingers, shape dough into 54 (1-inch) balls; place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until set but not brown. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
In small bowl, beat powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons lemon juice with spoon until smooth and spreadable. If frosting is too stiff to spread, add additional lemon juice, 1 teaspoon at a time. Tint with food color. Using knife, spread 1/2 teaspoon frosting on each cooled cookie; immediately top with sprinkles. Let stand about 30 minutes or until frosting is set. Store covered in airtight container at room temperature.
Holiday Almond Cheese Log
Submitted by Jo Lynn Bailey-Page
Ingredients:
1 3-oz. package cream cheese
½ pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup shelled almonds, very finely chopped or ground
1 whole pimiento, minced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon grated onion
Dash cayenne pepper
For garnish:
Paprika
Finely chopped almonds
Combine first four ingredients in stand mixer or large bowl. Mix well. Add remaining ingredients; beat until well-blended. Shape into two rolls about 7” long. Roll one in paprika, the other in chopped almonds. Wrap in waxed paper and chill. Serve with crackers.
Old-Fashioned Pecan Pie
Submitted by Kelly Gasque
Ingredients:
1 disk pie dough
3/4 stick unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
2 cups pecan halves (1/2 pound)
Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream (for serving; optional)
Preheat oven to 350°F with a baking sheet on middle rack.
Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 12-inch round and fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim edge, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Fold overhang under and lightly press against rim of pie plate, then crimp decoratively. Lightly prick bottom all over with a fork. Chill until firm, at least 30 minutes (or freeze 10 minutes).
Meanwhile, melt butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar, whisking until smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in corn syrup, vanilla, orange zest, and salt. Lightly beat eggs in a medium bowl, then whisk in corn syrup mixture.
Put pecans in pie shell and pour corn syrup mixture evenly over them. Bake on hot baking sheet until filling is set, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Cool completely.
Peppermint Meltaways
Submitted by Sharon Lovering
The first time I made these cookies, I lived in a small apartment. I didn’t realize there was enough peppermint in it to clog the sensor in my smoke detector – until it started chirping in the middle of the night. If you live in a small place, open a window when you turn on the oven for pre-heating (after making the cookie dough and letting it chill).
Ingredients:
Cookie
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
Glaze
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
Red or green food coloring, if desired
Candy canes or hard peppermint candy, crushed
Combine 1 cup butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add flour and cornstarch; beat at low speed until well mixed. Cover; refrigerate 30-60 minutes or until firm.
Heat oven to 350°F.
Shape rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 12-15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool 5-10 minutes on cookie sheets; carefully remove to cooling rack. Cool completely.
Combine 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract, 2-3 drops of food coloring (if desired) and enough milk for desired glazing consistency in small bowl. Drizzle over cooled cookies. Immediately sprinkle with crushed candy. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.
Soft Sour Cream Sugar Cookies
From Recipe by Alexandra
Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks or 230g) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup (240g) sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups (480g) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Stir in the sour cream and vanilla extract until the mixture is well combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until a soft dough forms. Be careful not to overmix.
Divide the dough into two equal portions and shape each into a disk. Wrap the dough disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour or until firm.
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175° C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out one portion of the chilled dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes and place them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving some space between each cookie.
Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden.
Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Repeat the rolling and cutting process with the remaining dough.
Once the cookies are completely cooled, you can decorate them with frosting, sprinkles, or enjoy them as is.
Domino Sugar Buttercream Frosting
1 cup (2 sticks) Unsalted butter, softened
4 1/2 cups Domino® Powdered Sugar
3 tablespoons Whole milk
1 1/2 tablespoons Pure Vanilla Extract
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer at medium speed, beat butter until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes.
Reduce to low speed and add powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. When all ingredients are combined, increase the speed to medium and beat for 1 to 2 more minutes, until creamy. If desired, add more milk until frosting is spreading consistency.
(Editor’s Note: You’ll need to double this recipe to decorate one batch of the Soft Sour Cream Sugar Cookies, above.)
Turtle Cheesecake Dip
Submitted by Nancy Christine Feela
Prep 15 min. Total 1 hour 15 min. (including refrigerating)
Makes 26 servings, 2 Tbsp. each
Ingredients:
30 Kraft caramels
2 1/4 cups (about 3/4 of 8 oz. tub) thawed Cool Whip, divided
2 oz. Baker’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate, chopped
2 packages (8 oz. each) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups chopped Planters pecans
Microwave caramels and 1/2 cup Cool Whip in medium microwavable bowl on high 1 minute 40 seconds, stirring after 1 minute. Stir until caramels are completely melted and sauce is well blended. Cool 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, microwave chocolate and 3/4 cup of the remaining Cool Whip in small microwavable bowl for 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds. Stir until chocolate is completely melted and sauce is well blended.
Beat cream cheese in separate medium bowl with mixer until creamy. Add 2/3 cup caramel sauce; beat until blended. Gently stir in remaining 1 cup Cool Whip. Spread cream cheese mixture onto serving plate; drizzle with chocolate sauce and remaining caramel sauce. Sprinkle with nuts. Refrigerate 1 hour. Serve with pretzel twists.