I realize I may be getting ahead of myself on this. It's like Christmas carols. They start so early in the year that you wish they would go away by the time Christmas comes.
But the thing is, we start our Christmas festivities early in our family. And part of my tradition is to make a different holiday-type food every weekend for several weeks leading up to Christmas. The purpose is to really smell up my house and make it feel Christmas-y. In the past, some of the favorites have been pumpkin bars, apple cider, apple pie, gingerbread, and things like that.
But I want to try some new stuff. Does anyone have any recipes that make good holiday food, that are known for smelling things up?
Foods you have burnt need not apply.
Posted by Christy (Member # 4397) on :
You can make a great peanut brittle in the microwave. Add peanuts and corn syrup to a bowl and microwave about five minutes, or until the syrup is a light brown. Pour on top of a greased cookie sheet, let cool and the fun part is cracking it.
Disclaimer -- I have burnt this, but it was still good.
Fudge! Use the recipe on back of the marshmallow fluff.
Chocolate dipped pretzels -- melting chocolate and pretzel sticks. Sprinkles are fun, too.
Applesauce is fun to make, too.
Hm...I'll have to go to my recipes for the more aromatic ones. I tend to make a lot with apples and pumpkin this time of year.
Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :
Oh, I don't have a microwave. Guess I should have mentioned that. Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
Wassail really smells up the house but I find it revolting to drink.
It is cider with an orange peel in it and some whole cloves and cinnamon stick. You heat it gently.
Last year I made a hat out of gingerbread polygons- pentagons and hexagons in a soccerball type hemisphere. The shapes had candy windows. For the family wacky hat contest, I actually put some Christmas lights on the inside. I amaze myself.
Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :
Yeah, wassail is pretty nasty.
Oh, do you make your own gingerbread? I'm constantly looking for a really good gingerbread recipes with just a little stiffness.
[ September 11, 2004, 11:58 AM: Message edited by: PSI Teleport ]
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
You don't NEED a microwave for any of these things. You just need more time. Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :
Well, let me say it this way:
I am not a natural cook. I can barely create edible things when I have an exact recipe. So if it's a recipe for a microwave, I need to have some modified instructions for stove-top. I'm not kidding, I really have no intuition with cooking.
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
Y'all have the wrong waissal recipe.
1 quart apple juice 2 cups orange juice 1 cup pineapple juice 1 cup lemon juice 1 Tb sugar 4 cinnamon sticks small handful of cloves
Boil, then turn down to low and serve all day.
Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :
I thought Wassail pretty much had to have sherry and ale.
Posted by Christy (Member # 4397) on :
Applesauce -- chop up 6 Gala apples (or your variety of choice) add 1/4 cup brown sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon (or I like to use apple pie spice, which includes nutmeg and ginger). Simmer in a saucepot on medium heat for an hour. I like to run half my mix through the food processor, then, but this isn't necessary.
Baked apples -- we also slice and peel the apples or add a few pecans and cranberries to the halved apples.
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
PSI - maybe this is Mormon wassail.
*considers* I don't think so, though - it comes from the non-Mormon and culinarily-gifted half of the family.
It really is yummy. It's especially good if you have half left over and then put it in the refrigerator and heat it up as you want it. For some reason, it's even better that way - the juices blend together more and it's richer without being disgustingly sweet.
Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :
That's good. Does it smell up the kitchen? it probably does. I'm all about non-alcoholic stuff, anyway.
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
yes, it makes the kitchen smell citrussy and cinammony.
Posted by digging_holes (Member # 6237) on :
Mmmm, cinammony...
Posted by MaydayDesiax (Member # 5012) on :
My mother makes three things around Christmas that if they're not made, I'm heartbroken:
Peanut Butter Fudge No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies Pumpkin Bread
I'll ask her for the recipies.
::now hungry::
Posted by Little_Doctor (Member # 6635) on :
Bake Cookies! That always gets me thinking of Christmas. Santa really enjoys those cookies too!
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