Five of our Favorite Holiday Recipes

Old Fashioned Stovetop Hot Chocolate

This classic treat is sure to be a crowd pleaser for kids of all ages. Whether you are coming in from playing in the snow or looking for a simple way to make your gathering more festive, this stovetop hot chocolate will fill your cups with cheer.

What you’ll need:

• 4 Cups milk: Any milk of your choice will work
• ¼ Cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ Granulated sugar: (Add to taste) 
• 1 Milk chocolate bar: Melt in a chocolate bar for extra rich flavor 
• Pinch of salt: This enhances the chocolate flavor and balances out the sweetness of the recipe. 
• Dash of vanilla extract: Optional but recommended. Adds extra flavor! 
• Garnish: Top your hot chocolate with whipped cream, marshmallows, or a peppermint stick to finish

Directions:

This hot chocolate will be ready in less than 10 minutes! 

Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. In a small bowl, combine the cocoa powered, sugar and salt.  Start by pouring 1 cup of milk into the saucepan and adding the dry ingredients.  Whisk until smooth. Add the rest of the milk, stirring for 2 minutes.  (Make sure it does not come to a boil.) Remove hot chocolate from heat and add half of the chocolate bar.  Once blended, add remaining chocolate bar to taste.  Add vanilla and garnish as desired! (Serves 4-6)

Sweet Potato Casserole

We like this recipe all year long, but something about serving it during the holidays makes it extra special. Whether you are making this for your family or bringing it to a potluck, this dish will leave everyone wishing for more.

What you’ll need:

Sweet potatoes:

• 4 cups peeled, cubed sweet potatoes
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• ½ cup white sugar
• ½ cup milk
• 4 tablespoons butter, softened
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt

Pecan Topping:

• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F
2. Prepare sweet potatoes: Put sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Cook over medium-high heat until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
3. Mash drained sweet potatoes with a fork. Add eggs; mix until well combined. Add sugar, milk, butter, vanilla, and salt; mix until smooth. Transfer to a 9×13-inch baking dish.
4. Make topping: Mix brown sugar and flour together in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter until mixture is coarse and looks like peas; don’t overmix. Stir in pecans. Sprinkle topping over sweet potato mixture.
5. Bake in the preheated oven until topping is lightly browned, about 30 minutes. (Serves 8-10)

Classic Pecan Pie

Nothing quite hits the spot like a perfectly cooked pecan pie.  This quick and tasty dessert will leave all your guests feeling merry and bright.  For extra (sleigh)bells and whistles, serve with vanilla ice cream.

What you’ll need:

• 1 cup light or dark corn syrup
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1–1/2 cups (6 ounces) coarsely chopped, toasted pecans
• 1 (9-inch) unbaked frozen deep-dish pie crust

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine corn syrup, eggs, sugar, butter, and vanilla. Stir in pecans. Pour the mixture into pie crust. Bake on center rack of oven for 60 to 70 minutes. Cool for at least 2 hours on wire rack before serving. (Serves 8-10)

Honey- Glazed Ham on the Grill

Are you looking for a way to escape all the hustle and bustle inside? Look no further than this grilled Honey-Glazed Ham. This dish will be the star of your feast and give you some holly-jolly time outside of the kitchen.

What you’ll need:

For the Dry Rub:

• 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 Tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the Glaze:

• 1 stick salted butter
• 4 Tablespoons chopped thyme leaves (fresh)
• 1 Cup honey
• 1/3 Cup apple cider vinegar

Directions:

Trim the ham of any excess fat, leaving only 1/4-inch of fat on the ham. With a sharp knife, score the fat on the top of the ham. Place the ham on a large, rimmed baking sheet.

Combine the brown sugar, salt, black pepper, cumin, ginger, mustard powder, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside 1 tablespoon of the dry rub mixture for the glaze. Season the ham with the remaining dry rub.  Cover the ham with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours or overnight.

Heat your grill to medium to medium-low heat (300°F) Place the baking sheet with the ham on the grill grates, with the ham flat side down. Cover the grill and let the ham cook for 2 hours. Heat the butter, thyme, honey, vinegar, and reserved dry rub together in a medium saucepan until the butter melts. Stir together until smooth. Brush the ham with the glaze, cover with grill lid, and grill for 30 minutes more, basting the ham every 10 minutes with the glaze. Remove to a platter, let rest for 30 minutes, then carve and serve. (Serves 10-12)

Cookies for Santa

These cookies are sure to keep you on the nice list! Enjoy these simple sugar cookies on their own or decorate with your favorite icing. Don’t forget the glass of milk for St. Nick!

What you’ll need:

• 1 Cup granulated sugar
• 1 Cup unsalted butter softened (room temperature)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 ½ Cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Combine flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl and set aside.
2. Place butter and sugar in a bowl and mix with a hand mixer (or stand mixer) on medium speed until fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
3. Add egg and vanilla. Mix until well combined and smooth.
4. Add the flour mixture, a little bit at a time, with the mixer on low until the flour is incorporated. Continue mixing until the dough holds together, up to 5 minutes.
5. Divide the dough in half and form each half into a 5-inch disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill the dough for 2 hours or overnight.
6. Preheat oven to 375°F. While the oven is preheating, remove the dough from the fridge (if it has been in the fridge overnight, it may need to sit out 15 minutes before rolling).
7. Sprinkle the surface with a light dusting of powdered sugar or flour to keep the dough from sticking. With a rolling pin, roll the dough to ¼” thickness and cut shapes with cookie cutters.
8. Place the sugar cookies 1-inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes or just until cookies begin to brown on the edges.
9. Cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheet, transfer to a cooling rack, and cool completely before decorating.
10. Once cooled, sprinkle with decorative sugar or decorate with icing! (Optional) (Makes 2 dozen cookies)