The holiday season is knocking at our doors, the snow is falling, and it’s time to light a fire upon the fireplace and settle down with some tasty treats. But WAIT, what treats are the best for this time of year, and what drinks should I pair with my wonderland of snacks? Today, we are going to discuss some of the best drinks and treats for the holiday season.
For our first treat, we will be talking about Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies! Their classic red velvet taste, soft and slightly chewy, is sure to make everyone ask for seconds. The average time to make these cookies is about an hour for 24 cookies!
RECIPE:
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 (15.25-oz.) box red velvet cake mix
- 3/4 cup white chocolate chips (from 1 [11 1/2-oz.] pkg.
- Step 1:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk together oil, salt, and eggs in a medium bowl until well combined, about 1 minute. Add cake mix, stirring until fully combined, about 2 minutes.
Step 2:
Fold in white chocolate chips. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Step 3:
Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Portion out 24 heaping tablespoons of dough and roll them in your hands to form round balls. Place each ball about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet (Cookies will spread out considerably, so it’s important to leave plenty of space).
Step 4:
Bake in preheated oven just until edges begin to brown slightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cookies cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes.
Step 5: - Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 10 minutes.
Coming up next with a classic, we have Peppermint Bark. This tasty treat is a no-bake, crunchy, chocolate, sweet, and salty delicacy. The time it will take to make this treat is roughly 1 hour and 35 minutes to make 24 servings of pepperminty goodness!
RECIPE:
Ingredients
- 50 saltine crackers (from 1 [16-oz.] pkg.)
- 2 (11-oz.) pkg. white chocolate chips (about 3 1/3 cups)
- 2 (10-oz.) pkg. 65% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips (about 3 1/3 cups)
- 12 peppermint candy canes or 30 hard peppermint candies
- 3/4 tsp. peppermint extract
- Flaky sea salt
- Directions
- Step 1:
-
- Line a 13- x 18-inch rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Arrange crackers in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet without overlapping; cut crackers to fit into any gaps as needed. Place white chocolate chips in a medium-size heatproof bowl; place bittersweet chocolate chips in a separate medium-size heatproof bowl. Place candy canes in a large heavy-duty ziplock plastic bag; seal the bag, and use a rolling pin or meat mallet to crush candy into small pieces. Set aside.
- Step 2:
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- Fill a medium saucepan with water to a depth of 1 inch. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat; reduce the heat to low so the water is barely simmering. Place a bowl of white chocolate chips over a saucepan, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until chips are melted and smooth, about 8 minutes. Remove bowl from heat; stir in peppermint extract.
- Step 3:
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- Pour melted white chocolate evenly over crackers. Using the back of a spoon, spread in an even layer. Gently tap the baking sheet on the countertop to even out the surface. Chill until starting to set, about 10 minutes.
- Step 4:
-
- Place a bowl of bittersweet chocolate chips over simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until chips are melted and smooth, about 5 minutes.
- Step 5:
-
- Remove bowl from heat; pour melted bittersweet chocolate over hardened white chocolate layer, spreading evenly. Gently tap the baking sheet on the countertop to even out the surface. Let stand 5 minutes. Sprinkle with crushed candy and sea salt.
- Step 6:
- Chill, uncovered, until completely firm, at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. Break bark into large (about 3-inch) pieces. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 1 week.
Lastly, for our treats, we end it off with a classic gingerbread man, from the fiery to the sweet, these crunchy, delicious cookies pack a punch and sure are to be a favorite around the holiday season. These cookies have an approximate cook time of 5 hours and 10 minutes to make 24 cookies.
RECIPE:
- 3 cups (about 12 3/4 oz.) all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
- 1 Tbsp. ground ginger
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp. ground allspice
- 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 10 Tbsp. (5 oz.) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/2 cup dark molasses
- 1 Tbsp. whole milk
- 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
ICING
- 3 cups (about 12 oz.) unsifted powdered sugar
- 4 1/2 tsp. meringue powder
- 1/8 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
- 4 to 6 Tbsp. tap water, divided
- Prepare the Cookie Dough: Whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cloves, and allspice in a large bowl until combined.
- Beat sugar and butter with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high, and beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Beat in egg yolk, molasses, milk, and vanilla on low speed just until combined, about 30 seconds, stopping to scrape sides of bowl as needed. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture, beating on low speed just until combined, about 1 minute.
- Divide the Cookie Dough in half; shape each half into a disk (about 1 inch thick), and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 3 large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place Cookie Dough on a floured surface, and lightly dust Cookie Dough with additional flour. Roll 1 disk to about 1/8-inch thickness. Using a (4 1/2- x 3 3/4-inch) gingerbread person cookie cutter, cut 12 cookies, rerolling scraps as needed.
- Place cookies, 1 inch apart, on prepared baking sheets (about 9 cookies per baking sheet). Refrigerate cookies, uncovered, until firm, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, repeat the procedure with the remaining Cookie Dough.
- Bake cookies, 1 baking sheet at a time, in preheated oven (3 batches total) until cookies are puffed and set, 8 to 10 minutes per batch. Cool cookies on baking sheets for 2 minutes. Remove cookies from baking sheets, and transfer to a wire rack; cool completely, about 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the Icing: Beat powdered sugar, meringue powder, and salt with a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Add vanilla and 4 tablespoons of the tap water; beat on medium speed until thickened, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of tap water, 1 teaspoon at a time, to adjust consistency, if needed.
- Transfer the Icing to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Decorate cookies as desired. Let cookies stand at room temperature, uncovered, until icing has hardened, 1 to 2 hours. Store cookies in an airtight container up to 5 days.
To kick off our holiday drink section, we are starting with the Ultimate Holiday Mocktail. This drink is sure to please everyone at the holiday party; it’s the perfect balance between fruity, sparkly, and fiery.
RECIPE:
-
- 2 cups freshly-squeezed blood orange juice (That’s about 3-4 large blood oranges)
- 1 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice
- 1 grapefruit, freshly-squeezed
- 1 lemon, freshly-squeezed
- ½ cup Agave
- In a pitcher, put together the blood orange juice, orange juice, grapefruit juice, lemon juice, Agave, and cinnamon, stirring everything together until combined.
- Assemble the mocktails: For each drink, fill an 8-ounce glass halfway with crushed ice. Add ½ cup of the mocktail mixture and garnish with sliced fruit and a rosemary sprig. Top with ginger beer or some kind of frizzy drink until the glass is filled.
Adding a great treat to your hot cocoa bar, we have Candy Cane Christmas, a perfect blend of peppermint and creamy deliciousness, comparable to eggnog with a hint of peppermint.
RECIPE:
- Step 1: To prepare the martini glass rims, lightly coat the rim of your martini cup with simple syrup on a plate
- Step 2: On another plate, place the crushed candy canes. Then rim the glasses by dipping the glasses that have been coated in simple syrup into the candy canes
- Step 3: To make the drink, simply stir together 1 C half and half, 12 oz. cream soda, 4 tsp. simple syrup, and 2-4 drops of peppermint oil in a small pitcher
- Step 4: Pour the mixed drink into the candy can rimmed martini glasses
In the end, these treats are a great way to unwind, relax, and enjoy some sweet moments with those around you. These treats are sure to put a smile on your and those around you’s faces.
