It’s officially holiday season! Christmas music is already playing in stores, Thanksgiving recipes are taking the internet by storm, and New Years fireworks are getting put on display. Like many, this is the time of year when I love to cook and bake. Not only does my kitchen smell amazing, but my holiday spirit increases with every ingredient I add into the mix.
After spending a questionable amount of time on the internet, I officially have my holiday recipes lined up! Personally, I celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years, so here are my cooking plans for this holiday season.
1. Biscoff Banana pudding
Credit: teak & thyme on YouTube
First up, we have a yummy Southern classic with a twist. Instead of the usual Nilla vanilla wafers, it’s replaced with the even more delicious Biscoff cookies. This is going to be my Thanksgiving recipe! Not the most traditional meal for this holiday, but I love banana pudding and I think this is a recipe a lot of people would enjoy.
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups of cold milk, 1 can of sweetened condensed milk, 1 package of instant vanilla pudding mix, 2 cups of whipping cream, 36 biscoff cookies, and 4 large ripe bananas (If you want measurements in grams, you can tale a look at the linked video’s description.)
Instructions:
- Thoroughly mix the cold milk, condensed milk, and vanilla pudding mix in a (preferably medium) bowl. Once the pudding mix has fully dissolved, you can put the bowl in the fridge and start working on your whipped cream!
- In another bowl, pour your whipping cream mix it with an electric hand mixer until there are firm peaks. After this process is done, you can grab your pudding mix from the fridge and mix it with the whipped cream by folding them over each other. After this, you’ve officially created your pudding!
- Aside, cut up the bananas into thick coins. When you’re done cutting them up, grab a 9×13″ dish tray and use a spatula to spread half of the pudding. When you’re done, add about a quarter of the banana coins on top of the pudding layer, then crumble around 18 Biscoff cookies and add that on top of the banana layer.
- When you’re all done adding the crumbled Biscoff cookies, you can get started on the next pudding layer. Basically, just repeat the process, but try to make the top layer of banana and Biscoff cookies look cute!
2. Cake pops
Credit: Preppy Kitchen on YouTube
Next, we have another fairly easy recipe for Christmas. This recipe can make 38 cake pops, so if you’re planning to feed a bigger gathering, you can repeat the recipe as many times as you need.
Ingredients: 1 box vanilla or chocolate cake mix, 1 cup water, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 3 large eggs, 1 cup of buttercream frosting, 12 ounces of white (red or green also optional) candy melts, and Christmas-themed sprinkles. Tools: Scooper and lollipop sticks.
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13” pan. Mix the cake mix with water, oil, and eggs and bake as directed on the box. After baking, let it cool completely, then line a small pan with parchment.
- After the pan cake has cooled down, crumble the cake in a bowl. Mix in the frosting until the texture is crumbly like wet sand. After you’re done, roll the mix into 1-inch balls and place them on the lined tray. Let the cake balls chill for 4 hours in the fridge or 30 minutes in the freezer.
- While that’s chilling, melt the candy melts (if coating is too thick, thin it with small amounts of vegetable oil). After you’re done melting and the cake balls have chilled for enough time, you can work with a few cake balls at a time while keeping the rest cold. First, dip the tip of a lollipop stick in melted coating and insert it halfway into each ball. After that, dip each ball fully in the coating, tap off the excess, and add the Christmas sprinkles.
- (If you’re feeling extra, you can get other Christmas colored candy melts and use a spoon to add thin Christmas lines on the cake pop after the initial cake ball coating has cooled.)
- When you’re all done, make sure to stand the pops upright and let them set for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
3. new years Charcuterie Board
I got into making charcuterie boards for a bit during the summer, so I thought I would bring back the hobby for the end of the year. Charcuterie boards are all up to personal taste, so the recipe I provide can just serve as an inspiration for yours if you have different preferences!
Ingredients: Prosciutto, salami, soppressata, brie, aged cheddar, gouda, soft goat cheese, assorted crackers, sliced baguette, fresh grapes, apple slices, raspberries, mixed nuts (almonds, pistachios, walnuts), honey, and chocolate pieces (dark chocolate works best). Also needed: A board of course.
Basic instructions:
- Try to start with the cheeses. You can place the brie wheel on one end of the board, slice the cheddar or gouda into thin rectangles, and crumble or slice the goat cheese. Make sure to spread them out in different corners.
- Then it’s time to add the meats. Fold salami into small rounds (like little flowers) and cluster them. You can drape prosciutto in loose ribbons for a natural look and add any additional meats in small piles around the cheeses. If you’re feeling extra fancy, you can try the salami “meat flower” trick I usually do.
- “Meat flower” trick: Grab a clean small wine glass and fold salami slices around the rim, overlapping each slice halfway. Just keep adding layers (usually 3–4 layers to build petals). Flip the glass over onto the board and gently lift the glass off and the layered salami will stay shaped like a flower.
- After the meats, it’s time for the fruits. Add the grapes on the opposite side of the brie, then fill small gaps with apple slices, berries, or any other desired fruit. You can continue to spread out the crackers and bread around the edges or next to the cheeses.
- Lastly, fill small empty spaces with nuts chocolates and put the honey (or jam) in tiny bowls. You can also drizzle honey lightly over the goat cheese if you like.
That wraps up my recipes for this holiday season! I tried to keep them simple, delicious, and able to feed a lot of people, so hopefully you’ll give them a try. Thanks for reading, and happy holidays to those who celebrate!
