Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Five Crazy Things: Holiday Treats

Barbara: We’ve talked junk food and comfort food on our lists here, but holiday goodies are unto themselves, aren’t they? What are your favourite holiday sweets? (I should add that I mean any holiday treats, especially if you don't celebrate Christmas.)
1. Chocolate Rice Krispie squares.
2. Buttery shortbread.
3. Apricot squares.
4. Crackle.
5. Chocolate-caramel covered apples.

Deb: My friend Sandy is the super best baker ever! I get some of her frozen cookies every year and bake them! So...
1. Sandy’s Chocolate shortbread, almond wafers, gingerbread cutouts, buttery shortbread.
2. Chocolate/caramel apples by Treemendous Apples. We get them every year as favours for our guests when we entertain.
3. Rum and Eggnog with fresh grated nutmeg on top.
4. My friend Kathy’s snowball cookies.
5. My friend Carolyn’s cookies!!!

59 comments:

  1. My two favorites for the holiday are sugar cookies and fudge all made by my neighbors. Delicious.

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    1. Isn't it nice when neighbours pitch in? Do you have a favourite treat from a Jewish holiday?

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  2. 1. My aunt Karen make these most awesome snacks. They are pretzle rods dipped in milk chocolate, then drizzled with melted butterscotch and rolled in peanut crumbles. So Yummy :)
    2. Candy. XMas time is the only time my Mom has candy bowls on the living room tables and things so i is a nice little treat.
    3. Home-made ginger snap cookies made by Gram.
    4.Ginger Bread houses!...Okay so I don't actually eat this since we leave them out on display for like two months but it is still a treat :)
    5.......I can't think of a fifth right now......Maybe later

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    1. loved making the gingerbread houses with the girls when they were little. And we do have a major gingerbread house treat for the blog coming up!

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  3. By far mying are.
    1.potateo candy,( i wait for it all year)
    2.peanut butter balls ( which i just got done making)
    3.church windows,(i love the marshllows in them)
    4. peppermint stick.

    5.anything with cinnamon

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    1. Mmmm. I've never heard of your #1 -- any recipes for that I can look up?

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    2. Potateo candy you can look up, just type potateo candy.

      Its simple to make. Just take a potateo,wash it , take off peeling,cut into.chunks,put in boliling water till potateos feel mushy, take out then put in mixer along with powered surger and tsp of flower,keep adding powered surger untile you can take ut and roll it in ur hands. After that take out and put dough on cookie sheet and roll it out with rolling pin until dough is spreas out evenly. (dont spread dough to thin). Then take your faviort kind of peanut butter and spread it on there and roll up in a log shape and put in refridgrator

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    3. Hope you like it, its ny own little recipe

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    4. Oh wow, never heard of these, but they do sound delish! Thanks for sharing.

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    5. We call them "stained glass window" cookies, but they're YUMMY regardless of what you call them. :)

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  4. 1 & 2. Gingerbread, both cake and cookies
    3. Shortbread
    4. Cinnamon sugared nut
    5. Baklava (It's not exclusively a Christmas thing, but I love it so much I had to include it.

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    Replies
    1. And I just added "any holidays" because that's what I'd intended, but didn't actually communicate!

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  5. I love hearing what people in other countries eat at the holidays. I've always wanted to spend a christmas in North America with snow and eggnog! I've never tried it and it sounds a bit weird but id love to give it a go by a roaring fire singing xmas carols.
    I think I like baking all the traditional xmas foods more than actually eating them! Love making fruit cake, fruit mince pies, shortbread, and gingerbread houses. Its so hot in December that I make them all but balance them out on xmas day by serving them with a heap of homemade icecreams and fruit platters to cool everyone down. My 3 year old is especially enjoying making the icecreams with me this year, between the two of us I think we've eaten more than we've put away in the freezer...


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    1. Homemade ice creams, oh wow!! That would be right up there for me :) And I too love to read how people from all over celebrate through food.

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  6. Oh this one could be looong, I'm well known for my Christmas baking and a sweets tin is my go to hostess, friend, office, neighbors gift. I made 3 batches of cookies yesterday and today I'm baking 90 shortbread cookies for my daughters school.
    1. Ginger snaps
    2. Sugar cookies
    3. Stainglass cookies
    4. Sucre a la creme
    5. Lebkuchen bars (a traditional german honey cake)
    6. peanut brittle
    7. Linzer cookies
    8. Shortbread
    9. Gingerbread
    10. Buche De Noel (yule log)
    11. Chestnut Macaroons
    12. Rum balls
    13. Peppermint spirals
    14. My once a year creme-brule french toast Christmas morning special
    I should really stop now, but the top five are my favorites!

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    1. Oh, my, my stomach is officially growling. Chestnut macaroons I haven't had in yeeeeeaaaaars.

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    2. Linzer cookies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I approve.

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  7. First off....I'm gonna need a list of EVERYTHING you just mentioned here....ALL OF YOU....

    ALRIGHTIE....BIG INDIAN WORDS COMING UP! So for a better understanding I'll post the link to the pictures recipes of the items with them..Also because I cant really explain the DIVINITY AND deliciousness of them! (Barb, remember? I promised you some recipes..:P)

    Ohh and any sweets I like should be without raisins and nuts and stuff. Well, maybe I cant endure them...but NO CARDAMOM! I HATE CARDAMOM!

    1. My absolute favourite are "BESAN LADOOS". Its a Diwali delicacy.
    http://www.tarladalal.com/Besan-Laddu-2034r

    2. And...I also loooove "RASGULLAS"....Ohh..I'd die for them!
    http://www.tarladalal.com/Rasgulla-2005r

    3. Ohhh and I love "BASUNDI".
    http://www.tarladalal.com/Basundi-(-Gujarati-Recipe)-633r

    4. OMG my all time favourite "KAJU KATLI" or "KAJU BARFI".
    http://www.tarladalal.com/Kaju-Barfi-1526r

    5. This one...I willl NEVER EVER EVER SAY NO to eating this one.... "PURANPOLI" Awww its heavenly...when its warm and served with homemade butter or milk!
    http://www.tarladalal.com/Puran-Poli-(-Gujarati-Recipe)-637r


    Ok...I cant think of anymore...my mind is busy contemplating these...But if you want anymore sweets or recipes... You know where to find me.

    Oh...and P.S. You girls (Or anyone in the Toronto...area) wont have a problem... I'll be in GTA next year soo.. If you want any of these. I'll get them for you from India ;)

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    1. Oh, great list! I was hoping you'd have some interesting delights to add here. This will do very nicely, thank you :)

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    2. Anytime! Ive got more if you want...just lemme know! :D xo

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    3. Nuts are a requirement in a lot of my recipes. I LOVE nuts!

      Shalaka, if the Toronto area is anything like Boston, there are Indian grocery stores popping up all over the place! I just can't always read the writing on the packages. A friend of mine told me not all of the spices convert from English to Indian.

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    4. OH! My friend made this potato "casserole." It only had a few ingredients. There was a root vegetable involved (I think) and little black peppercorn-type things. Does this sound at ALL familiar???

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  8. 1. Fudge!!!
    2. Eggnog - straight, no additions.

    ummm, who needs more? Chocolate and Eggnog!

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  9. Chocolate caramel turtles...my best friend and her grandma make them! aahh!!! they're so good.

    Peppermint mochas- gotta love them! And I'm not picky where they're from either.

    Chocolate mint candy canes. :}

    Candy cane Hershey kisses.

    Pumpkin pie!!!!!!!

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  10. Christmas:
    1. Eggnog (plain, not spiked)
    2. Divinity
    3. Those round chocolate balls you pound against the table and they break into slices. The original orange flavored kind is fine, but I really, really like the raspberry flavored kind best.
    4. Chocolate covered marshmallow Santas
    5. Pumpking Pike: It's a handed down recipe in my best friend's family. It's hard to describe, but it's a very thick, rich, sweet, crumbly cake made with pumpkin pie filling. Even better w/whipped cream on top.

    But, I also have to give a nod to Hanukkah: latke with applesauce! Yum!

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    1. .......all of that WITH TORY BELLECI! ;)

      (Nathan in my case...No I wont share him with Karen!)

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    2. My godmother used to make divinity. She's gone now, and I'll never eat it again. NOTHING would be able to top hers.

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    3. I've never had Divinity. Curiosity piqued. I used to covet those orange-chocolate balls.

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    4. Divinity is a candy that literally melts in your mouth. Sweet creamy goodness. Like meringue's fabulously decadent, over the top cousin. I don't know about elsewhere in the country, but it is a Christmas tradition in much of the South.

      Example:
      http://www.savannahcandy.com/product/Classic-Southern-Divinity-Candy/

      Oh my gosh, the church I grew up in? My friend Marti's mom made the best homemade divinity! I miss it every December! lol

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    5. OK, that's it, Barbara. You have GOT to come spend a week with me. You poor, culinarily deprived woman! You need to experience divinity, cheese straws, black eyed peas, fried okra, fried peach pies, and so much more Southern goodness! We will COOK and EAT!

      Never had divinity... *shaking my head* That's just sad. Bless your heart.

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    6. Oh my! (waves fan delicately in front of fluttering eyelids)

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    7. *rolls eyes* lol Didn't you learn anything?!?

      For those who haven't seen it:
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUFL2GT1-2g

      Anyone one of these women could be from the town my parents live in. I could've gone to college with any one of these women.

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  11. 1. Mushroom "Nappies" - little mushroom omelettes in bread crusts - amazing.
    2. Eggnog, with milk, rum optional
    3. Cheese and pâté plate for Christmas lunch
    4. Hot cross buns and bacon for Easter breakfast
    5. Brandy butter (icing, really) on top of mincemeat tarts or Christmas pudding.

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    1. Mmm, the nappies sound delish (although isn't that slang for diapers in the UK?)

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    2. I was thinking the same thing, Barbara!

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    3. They look a little like full diapers, so I think the name was meant to be a joke.

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  12. 1. Mince pies
    2. After Eights
    3. Turtles
    4. Sausage rolls
    5. Spiked eggnog

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  13. 1. Growing up every Christmas Eve my mom made M&M cookies, I did the same with my kids will have to start again with Ella next year.
    2. Egg Nog (non spiked) sorry gals
    3. Reeses Peanut Butter Trees
    4. Fudge (chocolate/peanut butter)
    5. Well anything chocolate I guess.

    I just had a cool thought. Would it be fun if we could all meet somewhere and bring our five favorites and get to try each of them? Yes I'm a dreamer

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    1. Next time I'm in your area, we'll meet up and have a food fest before an improv show. :)

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    2. You have a deal Dawn I'm so excited now. Two more days of classes and finals and I get a break I so desperately need :( Thank you for the support as always! I thought about sleeping all day tomorrow haha

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  14. 1. Harvest Tea loaf. It's pumpkin bread with some added spices and chocolate chips. The best part is the drizzle over it. It involves cloves and nutmeg, smells which SCREAM "HOLIDAY!" to me.
    Here's the recipe link (might have to cut and paste): http://www.grandmaskitchen.com/recipes/old-fashioned-breads/harvest-tea-loaf

    2. Chex mix Muddy Buddies. My ex's aunt made (makes?) it every year. SO addictive!!
    http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/chex-muddy-buddies/92e4756c-abc1-452a-9b2c-dd124d858050

    3. My daughter's grandma makes pizzelle, and has now taught my daughter to make them. That's the ONLY way I like the flavor of anisette, and the bakery version has NOTHING on the homemade kind.

    4. Graham cracker Praline bars. PURE sugar plus pecans = ADDICTIVE II.
    http://southernfood.about.com/od/pralines/r/bl30321r.htm

    5. A woman I used to work with would make kielbasa in some sort of raisin type sauce and it was yummy. None of the recipes I found sound exactly right.

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    1. It seems I'm in the minority with the egg nog, because I do NOT like it. It's FAR too sweet for my taste. The sugar-free stuff? It's like sugar-free chocolate. Just don't bother. It's just not right.

      Does anyone else think the people who make chocolate Special K have never tasted real chocolate before? There's an older ad where the woman is passing up brownie batter in favor of her "chocolate fix." Yeah, right. Like that's ever gonna be the same. *eyeroll*

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    2. Maybe minority here, but probably not out in the greater world! Your #1 sounds so so heavenly. Bring that one to the party.

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    3. I put eggnog on my list, Dawn, but I have to water it down with skim milk to make it drinkable. It's much too sweet on its own.

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  15. 1. Candy canes. Any flavor, I love them all!
    2. Chocolate chip cookies. Yum.
    3. Hot chocolate with marshmellows...
    4. Chocolate covered anything!
    5. Did I mention anything chocolate yet?!

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    1. Yup. Chocolate anything, me too :)

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    2. I love hot chocolate with marshmallow fluff. It seals in the heat so it almost never cools down. :) But the fluff melts and it's SO creamy and YUM!!

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  16. 1 Painted shortbread ( I make it and it signals Christmas - like to look at it not eat it so much)
    2. Chicken bone candy (It's pink looks like a chicken bone and has chocolate inside
    3. Little peppermint meringues (again I make them with my god daughter and these I eat!)
    4. Laura Secord chocolates (corny but a tradition)
    5. Hot chocolate with whipped cream (real not out of a can - the hot chocolate and the whipped cream)

    Dorothy

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    1. I love marshmallow fluff in hot chocolate. Because of that, I don't remember ever having it with whipped cream.

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    2. Never tried marshmallow fluff in hot chocolate -- but I do have to say that real hot chocolate is sublime and also that it means Christmas to me. Forgot that one!

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  17. Too much to choose from - all so yummy!
    1. Hot chocolate with cinnamon, nutmeg, dash of peppermint schnapps, marshmallows and whipped cream
    2. Chocolate cranberry, almond fudge
    3. Christmas morning breakfast bake
    4. Baked Brie with Cranberries or Drunken Mushrooms
    5. Anything that I don't have to make!!! Delicious

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    1. "Anything that I don't have to make!" Yup, I hear ya :)

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  18. Souzan Rezai from Vancouver, BCDecember 13, 2012 at 2:35 PM

    I can barely type after reading these posts...

    1. Baked camembert with rosemary, garlic, and ginger honey
    2. Rosemary shortbread cookies (I have made them this year for the first time and may need to never make them again due to danger)
    3. Meghan's eggnog chocolate chip loaf. Meghan is my beautiful friend who makes me an eggnog loaf every year now because I tasted it once and said "I want this to be my wedding cake someday". When I lived in Tofino, she sent me some in a care package.
    4. Mashed Potatoes. I love mashed potatoes, but I think actually only ever make them for the big Christmas dinner, because making mashed potatoes for one person seems like the saddest thing, ever.
    5. Mulled wine. It's taken me a long time to finally find a recipe I like, but now I already feel panicked at the idea of only being able to drink it one season out of the year!

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    1. Oh, so many new ones for me. 1-3 are so inspiring, I'm tempted to ask for the recipes! Re the mashed, yes, couldn't agree more.

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  19. 1. Fudge. Just made some a week ago and it is so good. Will be making more later.
    2. Pie any pie. Well prefer one that I have made. Will be doing a ham pie and apple-pear-white chocolate pie tomorrow.
    3. Buns? Rolls? You know, the one that you eat warm with cold milk. Soooo good.
    4. Self made white (or any kind) bread. Same as above: warm bread and cold milk.
    5. Pancakes. With or without wheat or milk. Have done with soy and oat drinks, don't recommend rice drink. And jam on top. Store bought jam is okey, but if needed I can make the jam as well :)

    Not for holiday per se, but celebration of making things yourself.

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