Some say that Christmas is the season for giving, but in the Smith family, it’s also the season for eating. Every year, my family eats a great deal of food for our Christmas Day Brunch. We like to try out new recipes each year and of course, bring back the family favorites. In this article, I will let you in on the Smith family’s Christmas cookbook.
Chex Mix
If you come over to my house in December, chances are you will see someone snacking on some Chex Mix while football is on full blast. But this isn’t some store-bought Chex Mix we bought at Food Lion. No, it’s our homemade Chex Mix my mom makes every year! This Chex Mix is toasty, crunchy, and sure to itch all your savory cravings.
For our Chex Mix, we follow the “Original Chex Party Mix” which can be found on the Chex Mix website. My family has found that for the best taste, roast the cereal mixture in the oven at a low temperature (about 250) for about an hour. Feel free to customize the type of crackers and cereal to put in your Chex Mix. My family adds plain Cheerios and Cheeze-Its into our Chex Mix. You will want to occasionally mix your Chex Mix to prevent it from sticking to the pan. You will know your Chex Mix is done when it is golden brown and fragrant. However, do be warned this snack is addicting and will have you going into the pantry for handful after handful.
Ham and Cheese Sliders
Sticking with the easy-to-prepare ham and cheese sliders is a quick but delicious dish to impress all your friends at your next Christmas party. The ingredients you need for the sandwiches are deli ham, swiss cheese, and Hawaiian rolls. You’ll need butter, Dijon mustard, and sweet pickled relish for the sauce. This is optional but you can sprinkle some poppy seed on top for an extra nutty taste. The recipe we follow is from Damndelicous. The result is a buttery, cheesy delight with a slight crisp from the rolls. I can tell you I’ve eaten about six of these sandwiches in one sitting. This recipe is super versatile so you can change the type of meat and cheese to your liking.
Preacher Cookies
This cookie is one that I grew up with, and so did my mom. It goes by a couple of different names. I have heard them called No Bake Cookies, Cow Patties, or Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies. But my Gigi calls them Preacher Cookies. It might sound a little strange, but my Gigi says they are called that because you can whip them up last minute if you know the preacher is coming by.
Our recipe is in a white binder in my kitchen so I do not know where the original recipe came from. The cookies only need six ingredients; 2 cups of sugar, half a cup of milk, half a cup of butter, half a cup of cocoa powder, 2 cups of quick oats, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Now these cookies are a little weird sometimes, and they won’t dry so you end up with gooey globs of sugar, chocolate, and oat mess. So don’t be upset if you don’t get it right the first time.
Start by combining the sugar, milk, and butter in a pot and bringing it to a low boil. Next, add cocoa powder, oats, and vanilla extract and stir quickly. As soon as you take the mixture off the stove, it should start to dry. Pour about a tablespoon of the mixture onto a sheet lined with parchment paper, wait for it to dry, and enjoy!
Oreo Truffles (Oreo Balls)
Oreo truffles, or as my family calls them, Oreo balls, have a rich, crunchy chocolate shell with a fluffy cream cheese Oreo interior. When I bring these to Christmas parties, I usually don’t bring home any leftovers. You can’t go wrong with an Oreo dessert. For this recipe, you will need a pack of Oreos, a block of cream cheese (softened), vanilla extract, and either white chocolate or milk chocolate (or both).
Start by crushing up about 35 Oreos (I usually do this in a ziploc bag and with a rolling pin). If you wanted the Oreos to be more fine then you could use a food processor. In a bowl beat the cream cheese and vanilla extract till fluffy. Fold in the crushed-up Oreos till evenly distributed. Form the Oreo cream cheese mixture into balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the Oreo balls into the freeze for 30- 40 minutes until firm. While the Oreo balls are in the freezer, melt your choice of chocolate in the microwave and let it cool so it is easier to work with. After the Oreo balls are frozen, dunk one at a time into the chocolate mixture. Once all the balls are coated in chocolate, place them in the freezer to let the chocolate form a hard shell.
This dessert is easily decorated. You can drizzle a different type of chocolate onto the truffles, or to be more festive, you can sprinkle some crushed-up candy canes until the truffle while the chocolate is still melted.
Rolo Cookies
Rolo cookies are a rich chocolatey caramel delight. The chocolate cookie with a salty caramel candy inside is all you could ever want in a cookie. Ingredients you will need 1 cup of softened butter, 1 cup of granulated sugar (plus extra set aside to roll the dough in before baking), 1 cup of packed brown sugar, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 2 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder, and 48 Rollos, unwrapped. Beat butter with a hand mixer until fluffy, gradually add in the granulated sugar and brown sugar. Once combined add in one egg at a time and the vanilla extract. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. Gradually add the dry mixture to the butter mixture, and stir well. Chill the dough for about 30 minutes. While the dough is chilling preheat oven to 375 degrees. Press each Rollo into about 1 tablespoon of dough and coat in granulated sugar. Place the cookie dough about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes.
These cookies are my favorite to make during Christmas time. They are so sweet and chocolatey. I love to eat these with a glass of milk, or if I have a big sweet craving, I heat up the cookie and enjoy it with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Peanut Butter Blossoms
When I think of Christmas cookies Peanut Butter Blossoms are the first to come to mind. These cookies are nutty, chocolatey, and incredibly sweet and also a favorite of my Gigi. The recipe we follow is Sally’s Baking Addiction “Classic Peanut Butter Blossom.” For this cookie, you will need 1 ¼ of all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon of baking soda, ¼ teaspoon of salt, 1 stick of unsalted butter softened, ½ cup of brown sugar, ¼ cup of granulated sugar, 1 large egg, ¾ cup of creamy peanut butter, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 24 milk chocolate Hershey kisses. You will also need ½ cup of granulated sugar set aside for coating. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium-sized bowl and set aside. Beat together the butter, sugars, and vanilla in a large bowl. Once fully combined crack in the eggs and stir the peanut butter. Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients gradually until fully combined. Let the dough chill in the fridge for 30-40 minutes. While the dough is chilling, preaheat oven to 350 and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Once the dough is chilled roll it into 1 tablespoon-sized balls and coat in sugar. Bake the cookies for 11-13 minutes till the tops start to crack slightly. Once done remove the cookies from the oven and gently press in the Hershey Kisses.
These cookies are one of my favorites. You can’t go wrong with a good old-fashioned peanut butter and chocolate duo. If you leave these out for Santa along with a glass of eggnog, he will definitely be thankful.
Christmas time holds a special place in my heart. It is one of the reasons why I love to bake for my family and friends. The joy I feel when I see someone eat my desserts is unexplainable. The hours of cooking, baking, decorating, and eating are my favorite absolute part of Christmas.
