One of the best things about the holidays is that you can feel free to make and eat as many indulgent treats as you might like. There’s nothing to stop you, and no one will try to pressure you out of it – it’s the holidays!
My family and I love to bake over the holidays, and we’ve made a quick list of a few of our favorites here. Take a look through, and try one out soon!
Santa Cookies
You’re almost certainly aware of the tradition of leaving cookies and a glass of milk out for Santa. The idea of this is that it helps kids to build up some excitement on Christmas eve, in preparation for the next day – not that they need any help. If you’d love to help your kids build up excitement throughout the whole day, you could spend some time with them making cookies. Cookies are a tried and tested thing that you can quickly whip up with the help of some little ones, and they’ll go down a treat too.
Mix in whatever things you love the most, though you certainly can’t go wrong with a classic chocolate chip! If you’d really like to lean into the name ‘Santa cookies,’ you can feel free to decorate a cookie to your heart’s content. We would suggest, though, that you bake the cookies for a little longer if you’re planning on decorating them: firm cookies will hold icing a little better.
Cinnamon Rolls
Cinnamon is everywhere around Christmas time, and we completely get that. Cinnamon and cloves feel like they’re the taste of the season – they’re wonderful spices that we certainly adore seeing nearly everywhere. Even when you grab a coffee first thing in the morning, there’s a fighting chance that you’ll bump into some cinnamon!
If you’d like to bring some cinnamon magic into your home, then we cannot recommend cinnamon rolls enough. They’re a simple dish, and you can easily whip them up at home with ingredients that you probably already have!
A simple yeasted dough can be made with five cups of flour, a sachet of instant yeast, a teaspoon of salt, and 450ml of water. Mix and knead that dough, then let it proof for an hour. Afterward, roll it out to about two centimeters’ thickness. Rub that over with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar before rolling the sheet into a long long. Cut the rolls to about one and a half inches of thickness, and then place them into a deep baking dish – the kind of thing you’d use for lasagna. Bake them in the oven at 180˚C for twenty-five minutes, and you’ll be all set for delicious rolls!
Mince Pies
Mince pies are a British holiday staple that people often can’t go without. They’re an acquired taste, but it’s hard to say no to another one once you have acquired the taste.
Essentially, they’re small pies about the size of the palm of your hand. They are similar to the Jamaican beef patty. They have a shortcrust pastry case, and they’re filled with ‘mincemeat.’ While this might sound like minced beef or pork, it’s actually not – it’s berries and citrus peel that have been soaked in brandy and sugar syrup.
There are plenty of recipes online, and we’re sure that once you’ve made them, you won’t be able to go back – we’d recommend giving them a go this holiday season!
Gingerbread People
Gingerbread is another wonderful thing that you see everywhere at Christmastime. It’s warming, sweet, and utterly decadent, leading to a tasty treat that’s perfect for when the snow’s falling outside.
Of course, little gingerbread people are the classic shape to opt for, although there are no rules – you can feel free to make whatever shapes you might like! We’d recommend really going crazy and going to a baking supply store to get some cookie cutters in absurd forms. The great thing about gingerbread is that it’s easy to make, plus it’s easy to decorate afterward. With a bit of glacé icing and a lot of patience, you and your kids could decorate a small army of gingerbread people in no time at all!
Making and eating your own wonderful sweet treats over the holidays is a beautiful thing to do. It allows you to make your own indulgent delights to eat by the fire, and, in turn, it allows you to bond with your kids. Baking is a great family activity, and we’re sure that it would work wonders for you and yours.
