Everyone gets their sweet tooth back at Christmas. With so many festive desserts and drinks, somebody is bound to like something. If you are having people over, or if someone is having you over, try one of these recipes out. You might just have a new tradition on your hands!
Spiced Apple Cider
This is a delicious way to warm up your day or evening.
Ingredients:
- 6 cups apple cider
- 1/4 cup real maple syrup
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 6 whole cloves
- 6 whole allspice berries
- 1 orange peel, cut into strips
- 1 lemon peel, cut into strips
Directions:
- Pour the apple cider and maple syrup into a large stainless steel saucepan.
- Place the cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice berries, orange peel, and lemon peel in the center of a washed square of cheesecloth; fold up the sides of the cheesecloth to enclose the bundle, then tie it up with a length of kitchen string. Drop the spice bundle into the cider mixture.
- Place the saucepan over moderate heat for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the cider is very hot, but not boiling.
- Remove the cider from the heat. Discard the spice bundle. Ladle the cider into big cups or mugs, adding a fresh cinnamon stick to each serving, if desired.
Eggnog
Thick and delicious, you can add bourbon to this traditional Christmas drink.
Ingredients:
- 6 eggs
- 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 quart milk
- 1/3 pint heavy whipping cream
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
- 1 pinch salt
Directions:
- Beat eggs; mix in condensed milk, vanilla, quart of milk, and salt.
- Beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Fold in to egg and milk mixture and sprinkle with nutmeg. Serve chilled.
Chocolate Mint Candy Cookies
Scrumptious little cookies with a mint swirl on top.
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup butter
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 2 eggs
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 (4.5 ounce) packages chocolate covered thin mints
Directions:
- In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the sugar, butter, and water, stirring occasionally until melted. Remove from heat. Stir in the chocolate chips until melted and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
- Pour the chocolate mixture into a large bowl, and beat in the eggs, one at a time. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir into the chocolate mixture. Cover and refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. Roll cookie dough into walnut-sized balls and place 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Be careful not to over bake. When cookies come out of the oven, press one mint wafer into the top of each cookie and let sit for 1 minute. When the mint has softened, swirl with the back of a spoon or toothpick to make a pattern with the green filling of the mint wafer. For smaller cookies, break mints in half.
Whipping Cream Pound Cake
A sweet, dense cake that works as well in the morning as it does for dessert.
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups white sugar
- 1 cup butter
- 7 eggs
- 6 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan. Set aside.
- Cream together the sugar and butter until light.
- Continue beating and add 7 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg. In a separate bowl, mix together flour and cornstarch.
- Beat half of the flour mixture into the egg and sugar mixture. Beat in 1/2 cup whipping cream, and then beat in the remainder of the flour mixture.
- Finish by beating in 1/2 cup more of whipping cream and vanilla.
- Pour into prepared pan and bake for about 60 to 75 minutes. Cool on rack for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a serving plate.
Christmas Candy Canes
This one's a bit more difficult, but very rewarding.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon peppermint oil
- 1/2 cup water
- 3/4 cup light corn syrup
- 3/4 teaspoon red food coloring
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Directions:
- Combine the sugar, water, syrup, and cream of tartar and heat until the sugar dissolves.
- Divide mixture into two saucepans. Boil, but don't stir, until each batch reaches 280 degrees F.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon peppermint flavoring to each batch. Add the red coloring to one.
- Pour both mixtures on an oiled enamel or marble table, or cookie sheet, to cool.
- Like taffy, stretch and pull to form into ropes of red and white. Twist the two colored ropes together, and form them into a cane shape. On an oiled surface, allow them to cool and harden.