What Are Your Traditional Holiday Goodies?

Yeah, a little late. But don't we all have those things we wind up having year after year for the Christmas/Holidays/New Year Season? So what are your traditional treats?

Here are the ones I end up making every year:

G'ma Ellen's Fruitcake - Recipe likely came from England and got heavily modified during the Depression/WWII. My big contribution was to finally note how long it actually takes to bake them. It makes three loaves, I wind up "drunking" one with brandy and the other two in OJ (one "adult" and two "child"). Takes about a month to do it properly.

Spicy Ginger Snaps - I always make a double batch. The recipe uses both white pepper and cayenne as well as fresh ginger root and other, more traditional spices

Choc. Cinnamon Mint Cookies

Olive Nut Spread - My grandmother's recipe. We do a big snack table and play games for our family celebration on the second day. Crackers, cheese, three kinds of soup, lots of fresh veggies and dips and spreads feature prominently on the grazing table (along with the naughty stuff).

Roasted Garlic Hummus - Also a favorite on the grazing table. We like the homemade stuff more than the store bought kinds.

Real Cranberry Sauce - Nothing fancy, just the recipe on the whole cranberry bag, but it beats that jellied, can-shaped stuff.

I bake cookies at least once a month so it's not cookies.
I make nepolians. Puff pastry filled with royal cream and topped with chocolate ganach.
My auto correct changed ganach to galaxy in one sentence and in this sentence it changed to to Camacho. ???¿¿¿
It changed napolians to Brazilians and Napolitano. If I don't catch it I have some silly sentences out there.

reply to post by ketsuko


I always add cayenne pepper to cinnamon cookies. It makes them taste like red hots candies.

Golden creamed onions which is the regular recipe of pearl onions sugar butter water and cream. To make them golden I allow the water to completely boil away then the butter browns the onions slightly. When the color developes add the cream and instead of white creamed onions you get a lovely golden brown sauce that is sweet and creamy . Never any left overs of this dish.
1 pkg frozen pearl onions (this is easier than peeling fifty small onions)
3Tbs sugar
3Tbs butter
Water to barely cover onions.
Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and allow all of the water to evaporate. (About 20 minutes)
When water is gone watch carefully to avoid burning. Allow onions to brown slightly in the butter.
When a good color developes add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of heavy cream.

reply to post by AutumnWitch657


Yes, that's the effect the peppers have in these ginger snaps. They have a bit of a bite like there are some cinnamon red hots in them.

And I bake quite a few cookies for family events in all seasons. I am the family cookie master.

But it's the kind of cookies and season that make them special.

I'm more likely to make the oatmeal raison and the chocolate chip for other occasions and seasons. Ginger snaps and chocolate cinnamon are holiday affairs.

reply to post by ketsuko


I am the cookie master here LOL.
Chocolate chocolate chips with pecans.
Peanut butter cookies
Oatmeal with extra vanilla and butterscotch chips
Cherry thumb prints. So pretty in a Christmas buffet.
Molasses spice cookies.
Ok off to the kitchen. I love tasting the creamed butter and sugar before adding the egg. All my utensils are licked clean before they go into the sink.

reply to post by ketsuko


Oh oh for holidays try substituting dried cranberries for the raisins and add some orange juice and zest. It elevates the common oatmeal cookie to holiday status .

reply to post by ketsuko


Here in Southwest Colorado it's
Tamales
Recipe here
And of course Posole
Slow cooker how too here
Then we have your standard Empanadas...
There kind of a regional thing, a fruit or Meat turnover pastry

We still do the traditional turkey only we serve it with a side of
Chicharrones con Salsa Verde

On and the way you can tell if it's good Chile... is has to burn at both ends...winks

Traditional Holiday Goodies....Leftovers for a week is a tradition around here.

AutumnWitch657
reply to post by ketsuko

 

I always add cayenne pepper to cinnamon cookies. It makes them taste like red hots candies.

I have to try a little cayeenne pepper. Cinnamon and Cayenne both help with sugar utilization in the body. Interesting concept.

Cinnamon Sticky Buns and Chocolate Crinkles!

Turkey sandwiches on toast with Miracle Whip and Cranberry Sauce!

Followed by dieting the rest of the winter!

I don't have any regular food items I prepare for the holidays since there's no family, lots of dietary restrictions - and enjoying the holidays outside the home with friends always provides unexpected variety. However, here's my milk punch receipe:
1 part white creme de cacao
1 part EITHER brandy or whiskey (burbon, rye)
3 OR MORE parts whole milk *** more milk=weaker drink ***
Shake well with Ice. Serve with Nutmeg.

ganjoa

reply to post by rickymouse


Only a pinch. Too much and the cookies are ruined.

reply to post by signalfire


Oh no miracle whip? Hellmans mayonnaise or nothing but I will go out in the middle of the night to get mayo if we're out. My husband bought miracle whip once when we were first married. He never made that mistake again . A lady I worked with gave me her recipe for deviled eggs which required miracle whip. Of course I substituted hellmans. I brought the eggs to work for a pot luck party. The lady who gave me the recipe said these are so good . I didn't tell her I changed her recipe. I just said thank you.

reply to post by ganjoa


Change the liquor to vodka and that's a white Russian.

Chocolate rum balls. Though I didn't make them this year because I am having trouble with arthritis in my hands.

Lefse though we didn't have any this year. Our particular family variant would be Tynnlefse, which, when all rolled up, kind of tastes like a dense and slightly odd cinnamon roll. Some family members like it with just sugar and butter but I think that's kind of gross. Those same family members also like gjetost, which I'm certain is a culinary abomination; ergo, they clearly don't have proper functioning tastebuds...

AutumnWitch657
reply to post by signalfire

 

Oh no miracle whip? Hellmans mayonnaise or nothing but I will go out in the middle of the night to get mayo if we're out. My husband bought miracle whip once when we were first married. He never made that mistake again . A lady I worked with gave me her recipe for deviled eggs which required miracle whip. Of course I substituted hellmans. I brought the eggs to work for a pot luck party. The lady who gave me the recipe said these are so good . I didn't tell her I changed her recipe. I just said thank you.

edit on PMu31u12125212312013-12-26T14:12:38-06:00 by AutumnWitch657 because: (no reason given)

edit on PM0000003100000012125213312013-12-26T14:13:58-06:00 by AutumnWitch657 because: (no reason given)

Seconded. You gotta use Hellman's if you have to use mayonnaise. Nothing else will do.