The holiday season is all about friends, family and feasts! From Christmas cookies to scrumptious appetizers and luscious beverages, the holiday season is synonymous with extravagant indulgence. Treat your guests with delectable delights and enjoy a stress free holiday cheering up your spirit with hearty winter recipes.
Sorghum Glazed Sweet Potatoes
Caramelized, Sorghum-glazed sweet potatoes are one of the richly flavored dishes that is synonymous with holiday feasting. To cook this amazing dish, first toss sweet potato pieces with butter, salt and pepper and heat your oven to 350°F.
Bake for around 20 minutes to get brown roasted edges. Once out of the oven, glaze with the sorghum syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pecans. Bake for another 5 minutes or until fork tender to savor the delectable taste.
Candied Orange Peel
Some of your guests won’t be able to thank you enough for introducing them to the flavor of palatable orange peel candies dipped in relishing chocolate. Best of all? These tangy candies couldn’t be any more fun to make.
You just need to boil the orange peels for 15 minutes before candying them with sugar. Then, toss the pieces on a rimmed baking sheet full of sugar crystals before transferring them onto foil. Let candies dry for some time before allowing guests to indulge in this yummy treat.
Don’t forget to dip half of the orange peels in melted semi-sweet, dark, or white chocolate to enhance the taste.
Hot Chocolate
Aromatize your festive home with the freshly brewed hot chocolate. Make this classic beverage in no time and warm up your guests on the cold festive night. Add cocoa powder in the whole milk that is put to boil along with a lot of choco chips to give the hot beverage an extra creamy chocolaty flavor. Along with adding vanilla extract, put some sugar to taste.
Top with chopped chocolate or gooey marshmallows to treat your guests with a toasty drink.
Mini Pecan Pies
Want to entertain your guests with the authentic taste of pecan pies? Try mini pecan pies! To start off with the recipe, cut small circles out of the flat rolled dough using a 3-inch cookie cutter or glass. Place the dough pieces in the muffin pan.
Mix together 1/2 cup chopped pecans, 1/3 cup corn syrup, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 and 1/2 cup melted butter, 1 lightly beaten egg and 1/2 cup vanilla extract to make the filling. After evenly stuffing the filling in the pies, bake them at 350°F for about 25 minutes and you have small servings of the classic dessert for your guests to savor.
Roasted Squash with Goat Cheese & Poached Cranberries
Roasted squash served with the interesting combination of sweet honey and creamy goat cheese make for a great appetizer. Begin by preheating the oven to 425°F. Toss nicely chopped pieces of butternut squash on a baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tbsp. of olive oil. Season with salt, black pepper and garlic. Roast it for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
As the squash bakes, mix together 2 cups of fresh cranberries, 1/2 cup of pure maple syrup, 2 tablespoons of fresh orange juice and 2 tablespoons of chopped rosemary in a saucepan. Combine and simmer over medium heat for about 10 to 12 minutes. Pour the mixture over the roasted squash and finish it with pumpkin seeds and goat cheese to have a festive dish to compliment your cheery tablescape adorned with vivid table covers and chair covers.
Vegetarian Lasagna
While deciding on your Christmas menu, don’t forget the vegetarians on your list. Surprise them with a vegetarian lasagna loaded with healthy veggies, three different types of cheese, basil and red sauce.
Sauté peppers, broccoli, carrot, and mushrooms until nice and golden brown. Add spinach and red sauce, and let it simmer for some time. While that simmers, boil and drain lasagna noodles. Layer by layer, add the lasagna noodles in a baking dish and spread the vegetables sauteed in red sauce.
Top each layer with cheese, fresh basil, salt and other seasonings. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes and you have the scrumptious lasagna for your guests to enjoy.
Roasted Pear Salad
The tempting roasted pear salad can woo even the pickiest of eaters on your guest list. Serve the mellow pear slices, crispy greens, nuts and dried cranberries dressed with a touch of honey in an elegant serving set to match the cheery vibe of the holidays.
You can up the festive spirit by sprucing your outdoor setting with custom table covers and chair covers besides unsheathing the grill covers.
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