The winter makes it almost impossible to lounge outside. Sure, the odd snowball fights and the novelty of the first snowfall of the season gives great joy, but apart from these things, you just want to curl up inside near the fireplace with a warm cup of chocolate when the temperature drops. Gatherings during the holidays almost always involves warm, hearty food with family and friends. Even with non-Christians, they are thankful for the occasion because Christmas gives them a chance to get a much-needed break from work to be with their loved ones.

In planning the menu for this year’s celebrations, it is good to always include foods that remind people of the joyous occasion. Maybe a nice roast turkey or a big hunk of ham, with side dishes and nice desserts. For a real feel for the occasion, eggnog is still optional but is very much recommended.

But as much as you want to prepare an elaborate feast, you only have the 25th off from work. For those juggling career and family, there is nothing more scarce than time. Therefore, you have to find recipes that are simple to make and yet are pleasing to the eyes and palate. Here are a few:

Cupcakes: These are ideal for this time of the year. All you need to do is make a simple cake batter from eggs, margarine, self-raising flour, sugar, a dash of vanilla essence, salt, oil, and maybe a little cocoa to give a chocolate flavor if desired. Once you have mixed the ingredients, pour the batter into little cake cases and bake in the oven for a few minutes. The main part of the fun is finding good cupcake frosting recipes that will make the cakes look as great as they taste. One seasonally appropriate idea is the snowman cupcake. Here, you can buy the original cupcake if you want, and then cover it in white icing. Decorate it with two white marshmallows on top of a pretzel stick to hold it down. The face can be made from two raisins and a glace cherry, with a candy hat and a fruit leather scarf.

Rum balls: These are also a good treat but are second only to cupcakes for Christmas. However, this is no reason to not serve them alongside the main attraction. Just take some crushed Marie biscuits and roll them with a sauce made from chocolate, sugar, and melted butter with a few drops of rum essence for a little added kick. The sauce will make the crumbs stick so that you end up with balls. Roll these in more sugar or grated coconuts.

Cheesecake: You don’t have to bake this one, so it’s going to be easy. Just take some cream cheese, butter, sugar, milk, and vanilla. You then alternately layer this mixture with crushed Graham crackers in a large baking dish. Keep on building your cheesecake up until the dish is filled. Refrigerate for a few hours until the whole thing is firm enough to remove from the mold in one piece. Set aside and top with blueberries or some chocolate fudge. Slice, serve, and enjoy!

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.