Category Archives: Festive Food

Mesmerizing Cookie Creations

Tomorrow night Santa will be making his grand trip around the world and eating cookies that folks leave out for him. Since we elves adore sweet treats as well, Mrs. Claus always bakes us extra cookies to enjoy on Christmas Eve. In honour of tomorrow’s cookie extravaganza, I pulled together some cookie decorating videos that are truly fascinating. The amount of effort put into each cookie is astonishing, and watching these videos is actually kind of relaxing. Check ’em out below!

What cookies do you like to eat during the holidays? Let me know in the comments below!

Becky

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Category: Festive Food

Imbibe Some Christmas Cheer at a Miracle Pop-Up

With only 7 days left until Christmas, hopefully you are just about done with your shopping, wrapping, and baking. If so, take time this week to go on a date night with your sweetie or plan a night out with pals to have drinks at one of the Miracle locations. Miracle is a holiday cocktail bar pop-up that is only open from Black Friday until Christmas Eve, and they are currently in 50 locations across the United States, Canada, Brazil, Panama, France, Greece, and China.

While many restaurants and bars may put up a tree or a bit of holiday decorations during December, Miracle pop-ups are covered with Christmas cheer from top to bottom and wall to wall. The ceiling is dripping with lights, the tables are covered with wrapping paper, and there is Christmas decor galore. I even read about one location that has a gingerbread house photo booth! The decorations are retro and kitschy, bringing forth feelings of cozy nostalgia.

Miracle does offer some snacks and small plates, such as charcuterie and cheese, manchego stuffed dates, spinach salad, Chex mix, cookies, and lamb meatballs. However, with merry names and holiday flavours, the real star of the show are the cocktails. Here are just a few drinks that caught my eye:

  • Snowball Old Fashioned – gingerbread bourbon, wormwood bitters, lemon zest
  • You’ll Shoot Your Rye Out [Ha! Get it?] – pumpkin spiced rye whiskey, Budweiser-marshmallow syrup, egg
  • Fa La La La La, La La La La – gin, aquavit, hazelnut liqueur, cardamom, vanilla, lemon, egg white, club soda
  • Jingle Ball Nog – cognac, amontillado sherry, peanut butter, almond milk, pandan, cream, nougat syrup, egg, nutmeg

Best of all, many drinks are served in rather fun holiday glasses or mugs!

As I mentioned, there are fifty Miracle locations spread all over the globe. Keep reading to see if there is one of these fun holiday cocktail pop-ups in your city!

Christmas Book + Dessert Pairing Guide

Note from Becky: Shari’s Berries emailed us a link to their fun infographic and provided the blog post below. We were not compensated for this; I just thought the infographic would be interesting to you, our readers.

It’s the holiday season, and Christmas traditions are in full swing—from singing carols to decorating the tree. Another holiday favourite for many is reading Christmas books and enjoying baked goods. So why not combine the two? That’s why Shari’s Berries has paired 12 timeless holiday reads with 12 delicious winter sweets. Whether you enjoy a classic Nutcracker novel with a sugar plum pie or travel to the North Pole with The Polar Express and white chocolate peppermint fudge, these book and dessert pairings are the ultimate holiday treat!
Christmas Book + Dessert Pairing Guide

Click on the image for a closer look! Infographic via Shari’s Berries

Fruitcake: The Most Revered and Reviled Holiday Treat

Love it or hate it, fruitcake is a holiday staple. I’m not one for the overly dense, mass-produced fruitcakes with the waxy neon red and green “fruit” inside, but I do enjoy a nice homemade fruitcake that contains real dried fruit. Mrs. Claus has few recipes in her Cookbook, such as Applesauce Fruitcake, Old Fashioned Light Fruitcake, and Mini Christmas Puddings. For more information about this famous [or perhaps infamous] holiday treat, along with some fruitcake fun facts, check out the infographic below!
Lemonly Fruitcake Infographic

Click on the image for a closer look! Infographic via Lemonly

Pair Your Christmas Cookies with the Perfect Wine

Surely you all can name your favorite cookie as well as your favorite drink, but have you ever thought of serving a perfectly paired wine with those baked treats? Let this infographic be your guide, and the next time you’re wondering what beverage will complement your freshly baked snickerdoodles, you’ll know that Sauvignon Blanc is just what the sommelier ordered. Take a closer look at the image below to discover more choice combinations.
Pair your Christmas Cookies with the Perfect Wine

Click on the image for a closer look! Infographic via VinePair

What cookies will you be making this Christmas? Sugar cookies? Shortbread? Gingerbread? Something else? Let me know in the comments below!

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