Easy holiday baking recipes

Sugar cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup of shortening
• 1 cup of white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/4 tsp salt

Steps

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
• Mix ingredients in order
• Roll out on a floured surface, cut into shapes with cookie cutters
• Bake for 10 minutes (or until golden brown)

 

Sweet potato pie

Ingredients (Pie)

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 can (5 oz) evaporated milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes
• 1 unbaked pastry shell (9 inches)

Ingredients (Glaze)

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 1/4 tsp flour
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• 2 tbsp evaporated milk
• 1/4 cup pecan halves

Steps

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
• Combine sugar, flour, milk, egg and vanilla in a bowl
• Stir in potatoes
• Pour into pastry shell
• To make the glaze, combine all ingredients except pecans
• Drizzle glaze over pie mixture and decorate with pecans
• Cover pastry edges with foil and bake for 45 minutes
• Remove foil and bake for 15 more minutes

Recipe sourced from Taste of Home.

 

Rugelach

Ingredients (Dough)

• 2 sticks unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 8 oz cream cheese (room temperature)
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/8 tsp salt  
• 2 1/4 cups flour

Ingredients (Filling)

• 3/4 cup apricot jam
• 1/2 cup ground walnuts
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Steps

• To make the dough, cream the butter and cream cheese together
• Add sugar and vanilla
• Add flour, gradually
• On a floured surface, divide dough into three equal parts
• Wrap dough sections in plastic wrap and store in fridge for at least two hours
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
• In a bowl, mix dry ingredients for filling
• Roll out the balls of dough one at a time into flat discs
• Spread 3 tbsp of jam on dough and sprinkle 1/3 of filling onto the jam
• Cut dough with a pizza cutter into 12 equal triangles, and roll each one into a croissant shape
• Repeat with other two dough balls
• Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until slightly brown

Recipe sourced from You Can Live Rich on Less.

 

Fudge

Ingredients

• 1 pkg (225 g) of semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 can (300 ml) of sweetened condensed milk

Steps

• Line a square pan (8x8) with foil and spray with cooking spray
• Melt chocolate in a double boiler
• Stir in milk
• Pour into pan (add sprinkles if you want!) and chill in fridge for 1 hour

Recipe sourced from Kraft Canada.

 

Chocolate bark with candy cane

Ingredients

• 12 oz of dark baking chocolate
• 12 oz of white baking chocolate
• 8 peppermint candy canes

Steps

• Line a cookie sheet with foil
• Melt dark chocolate in a double boiler
• Pour dark chocolate into pan, threading it evenly
• Store in the fridge until firm
• Crush up the candy canes (tip: put them in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to gently crush them with no mess!)
• Melt white chocolate in a double boiler
• Stir in 3/4 of the crushed candy canes
• Spread white chocolate on top of  dark chocolate
• Sprinkle rest of candy canes on top
• Refrigerate for 30 minutes, then break into smaller pieces

What’s your favourite holiday treat? Let us know in the comments!