Christmas Sweets, Quotes & Gifts

Christmas Sweets, Quotes & Gifts contains recipes for a variety of sweet treats I have been making around the holidays for decades. Every family has their favorite Christmas cookie, and ours has two, the recipes for which are shared here.

Christmas Sweets, Quotes & Gifts

Also enjoy a few holiday themed quotes to pin and gifts to consider giving or for yourself.

Pink & Pretty Dreamy Gifts

This will make any bicycle happier.

Reminiscent of French Country

Crème Brûlée French Toast

This is a relatively new dish to my brunch repertoire, and it is so easy and delicious! I bake bread weekly and use it for this recipe, but you can use French bread or your favorite from a bakery.

1 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. corn syrup
1 8-9″ round loaf of country style bread
5 eggs
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups half and half
1 tsp. vanilla

In a small heavy saucepan, melt butter with brown sugar and corn syrup over a moderate heat, stirring until smooth, and pour into a 9×13 inch baking dish. Cut six 1″ slices from the center portion of the bread and trim the crusts. Arrange slices in one layer in the baking dish, squeezing them slightly to fit.

In a bowl, whisk together eggs, half and half, vanilla, and salt until combined well. Pour over bread. Chill covered, from 8 hours to one day.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bring bread to room temperature. Bake, uncovered, in center of oven until puffed and edges are pale golden, about 40 minutes.

French Country Lovelies

Simple Lovely Punch

This is basically a strawberry float. It’s a punch I grew up with and is like our family faux eggnog since we like drinking sugar more than eggs. You can certainly add rum or Chambord to this should you like your floats boozy.

1/2 gallon really good vanilla ice cream

2 cups strawberries (halved) frozen (or a package of frozen)

3 Tbsp. sugar

1 2-liter bottle ginger ale

In a punch bowl or large mixing bowl, add ice cream then strawberries. Sprinkle on sugar. Add ginger ale to cover, combine gingerly, then top off with ginger ale as needed.

French Farmhouse Love

French Cottage Fans

Hello Lovely Special K Bars

These are from my childhood in the 70s and every holiday since then since they are a family tradition. Other recipes call for a 2:1 ratio of butterscotch to chocolate, but mine are heavier on the chocolate, and dark delivers a completely different result than milk chocolate.

1 cup sugar

1 cup corn syrup

1 1/2 cups smooth peanut butter

6 cups Special K cereal

11 oz. package butterscotch chips (I like Hershey’s)

11 oz. package dark chocolate chips (I like Hershey’s)

Lightly grease a cookie sheet or half sheet pan (I use one that is 10.5″ x 15.5″) or spray with nonstick spray. Place cereal in a very large mixing bowl. Bring sugar and syrup to a boil, then remove from heat. Add peanut butter and stir to completely melt and combine. Pour mixture over cereal in bowl and delicately fold together with silicone spatula. Pour into prepared pan and press lightly with wet hands to form an even thickness. Melt the butterscotch and chocolate chips together (I use microwave), then pour over pan. Let cool completely, then cut into small squares. These freeze wonderfully – I cut them first then freeze small quantities.

For Creative Types

Tufted & Pretty

Always in Season

Swedish Christmas Cookies (aka Luke’s Christmas Love Cookies)

If you have been reading this blog for a length of time, then you know about my cookies. I have baked them with my sons their entire lives. It’s just not Christmas without them. Winning a contest for them at Country Home was a game changer for me and inspired me to put myself out there creatively online.

Prep: 50 minutes – Chill: 2 hours – Bake: 7 minutes/batch –  Preheat oven: 375°

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cream of tartar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. almond extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 7-oz. jar marshmallow cream

3/4 cup butter, cut up and softened

3/4 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Colored sprinkles

1. In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer on medium to high speed, beat 1 cup butter for 30 seconds. Add 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and almond extract. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour. Divide in half. Cover and chill for 2 to 3 hours or until easy to handle.

2. On a lightly floured surface roll half of dough at a time until slightly less than 1/4 inch thick. Cut dough using a 2 1/2-inch star-shape cutter. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

3. Bake in 375° oven 7 to 8 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Transfer to wire racks; cool.

4. In large mixing bowl beat marshmallow cream, gradually adding 3/4 cup softened butter. Beat in 3/4 teaspoon vanilla and 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Spread or pipe atop cookies. Sprinkle with colored sprinkles. Makes 6 1/2 dozen cookies.

TO STORE : Store in a single layer in refrigerator until frosting sets, about 1 hour. Store in a single layer in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze uniced cookies.

Per cookie: 73 cal., 4 g fat (3 g sat. fat), 14 mg chol., 49 mg sodium, 8 g carbo., 0 g dietary fiber, 1 g protein.

How about an imperfectly clunky Adele cover I did in my former studio on our family piano (you’ll have to unmute the audio)?

Thanks for reading and for always making my day with your comments! Do visit more holiday themed posts for inspiration and cheer.

I independently selected products in this post—if you buy from one of my links, I may earn a commission.

Peace to you right where you are.

-michele

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