We already had a brief discussion about the worst holiday foods and responses included canned cranberry sauce and fruitcake. But it's no fun to dwell on the negatives when you're supposed to be celebrating and spending time with your family, so why not think about the best holiday treats instead? What are those foods that you look forward to all year?
When it comes to store bought treats, peppermint bark and chocolate covered graham crackers always seem to be readily available, but the best holiday foods come from home. Here are some suggestions from around the blogosphere for holiday favorites that should make your menu this year:
- Jelly donuts, a.k.a. sufganiyah, are a standard for Hanukkah celebrations
- I'm partial to oven baked latkes myself, but purists will want theirs fried in oil.
- You can make homemade peppermint bark and use it (or store bought) to make Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies
- Fudge is an easy to make homemade candy that looks great out on the dessert table.
- Gingerbread fans can choose from regular gingerbread, chocolate gingerbread, gingerbread men or spicy ginger cookies.
- Eggnog takes many forms, as well. It can be a drink, pancakes or even cheesecake.
- The Bûche de Noël, simply known as a "yule log," is a classic, chocolatey Christmas dessert that consists of a rolled, filled cake that is covered with a chocolate frosting and shaped to look like a log.
- Last but not least, we have the crowd-pleasing homemade marshmallows. Don't forget to serve them with hot chocolate!















12-20-2006 @7:25PM Kate said... I look forward to my mother's recipe for Waldorf Salad, which is really the bastard cousin of the real thing, and very trashy, but it isn't the holidays without it. One thing which takes it over the top is the primary ingredients, below, because they are pretty much in equal portions -- apples to celery to walnuts to marshmallows.
Chopped Apples
Chopped Walnuts
Chopped Celery
Mini Marshmallows
Raisins
Toss to combine, stir in roughly half a container of creamy style coolwhip, a cup or more of mayo, and the grated rind of one orange, and toss to coat. Chill thoroughly and serve.
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12-20-2006 @7:52PM Janis said... peanut butter "Buckeye's"
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12-20-2006 @9:53PM CookingChat said... A good Irish coffee--coffee, Jamieson's whiskey and some whipped cream on top, warms us before going back out into the cold at the end of Christmas Day.
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12-21-2006 @8:01AM Jon said... It is precisely such drink will warm...
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12-21-2006 @10:50PM Jennifer said... It's not Christmas without Stollen! Perhaps it's only for nostalgic descendents of German diaspora, but Stollen makes a great holiday.
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12-23-2006 @7:49AM Jade Walker said... In my family, we always eat "Cherries Jubilee" over the holidays. Simply mix together a large can of fruit cocktail (drained), a small can of condensed milk, a can of fresh or cubed (drained) pineapple, a can of cherry pie filling and a small tub of Cool Whip (defrosted) in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 6 hours. Stir and eat. Delightful.
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12-25-2006 @12:14AM Leslie said... It wouldn't be Christmas without my Mother's homemade pumpkin bread and peanut brittle............I can hear the peanuts popping now........
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12-25-2006 @3:13AM amber said... this year we made yummy caramel apples with these tiny green apples and coated them with red and green sprinkles, and then stuck the skewers into a basket with styrofoam along with a bunch of fruit (all on skewers) it was really lovely...it was an interesting + edible alternative to a bouqet of flowers...yum!
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