I love Christmas time. There is something magical in the air and I always enjoy watching my children’s eyes light up when they come into the living room to see what Santa has brought them on Christmas morning. Plus, this time of year always brings up memories of my own childhood. One of my favorite memories is making goodies in the kitchen with my mom. Today, I want to share some of my favorite recipes that I used to make with my mom at Christmas time.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary 12 piece stainless steel mix and measure combo set so that I could facilitate this post. All opinions are 100% my own. This post may contain affiliate links.
I wish that I would have kept all of my mom’s recipes. I remember this recipe being super easy and when I went to search on Google. I remember that the recipe called for almonds and the white chocolate almond bark. You will need a large microwaveable bowl or you can melt the chocolate on the stove top on low. Just be careful chocolate burns very easily. As the chocolate is melting, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or wax paper for easy cleanup. Then scatter 3/4 to 1 cup of whole almonds onto the cookie sheet. Once the chocolate is melted, then carefully pour the chocolate over the almonds. Allow the chocolate to cool and then break into pieces.
Peanut Patties
This recipe was one that both my mom and grandmother used to make while I was growing up. I always looked forward to Christmas time so that I could eat these yummy treats. It has been so long since I have made any though. I found the exact recipe over at Dessert for Two. Head over there for the full recipe and directions for Peanut Patties.
Cinnamon Hard Candy
I remember learning how to make this candy as a teenager and it was one of my personal favorite things to make every Christmas while I was growing up. I used to give it away to friends and family too. For this recipe you will need the following ingredients: cinnamon extract (I used to have to buy it in the pharmacy because it is very potent and can be dangerous in the wrong hands), sugar, karo light corn syrup, red food coloring, confectioners sugar, and candy thermometer. In a 2 quart cooking pan, mix 2 cups of white sugar, 1 cup of water, and 3/4 cup of karo light corn syrup. Stir with a spoon and turn on the heat to medium high. Continue to cook the mixture without stirring; however, you need to keep a close eye on the temperature on the thermometer. As the temperature starts climbing, lower the heat and continue to cook until it reaches 300 degrees (hard crack). Be careful the temperature will climb fairly quickly once it is boiling. Remove from the candy from the heat and then add several drops of food coloring. Add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon extract. You can add more depending on how hot you want the candy to be. The cinnamon can burn you use extreme caution when pouring it into the candy mixture. Before the candy gets to the boiling point, go ahead and grease two cookie pans (use one large one) with butter and pour candy into cookie pan. You can cut the candy into strips but it isn’t necessary. The candy is fairly easy to break into pieces. Coat the candy pieces with confectioners sugar to keep them from sticking. However, this step isn’t necessary.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
We always made a batch several batches of homemade chocolate chip cookies. My mom used to send them to class parties, give them to friends, take them to work, and to our Christmas events at both grandparents house. You can go wrong with making chocolate chip cookies because they are one of the most popular cookies to eat. Plus, I heard Santa Clause loves them too. You can find my recipe here. I want to share one of my early Christmas presents with you. I needed some new mixing bowls, measuring cups, and measuring spoons so that I could continue baking and cooking up fun recipes in the kitchen with my kids. I did have a set of measuring cups and spoons but they are several years old or they are often dirty when I needed to use them. So when I got the opportunity to review a 12 piece stainless steel mix and measure combo set, I thought it would be the perfect addition to my kitchen since I am trying to make more homemade recipes for my family to eat.
This mix and measure set contains the most important gadgets you need for cooking and baking. It is made of durable stainless steel with an attractive look, and includes 3 conveniently sized bowls large (10 inch diameter x 5 inches high), medium (8.4 inches diameter x 4.5 inches high) and small (7 inches diameter x 3.5 inches high). Also includes 4 sizes measuring cups and spoons. You can purchase this 12 piece stainless steel mix and measure combo set on Amazon.
Divinity
This isn’t my favorite recipe but it is one that my grandmother always made while growing up. I know that it was popular Christmas recipe when I was growing up. You can find the recipe here.
Peanut Brittle
This is another recipe that I can remember both my mom and grandmother used to make for Christmas. I don’t really care for it but it is a popular Christmas treat. You can find the recipe here