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CHRISTMAS BANANA BREAD COLLECTION

12/22/2022

Christmas Banana Bread Collection

My family loves Banana Bread Bites – perfect for both special days and everyday munching! With a super-moist texture, buttery banana flavor, and incredibly soft crumb, this is our family-favorite banana bread made extra special with flavorful extras baked up special for the Christmas holidays - all in a sweet little bite size! It's no secret that the Christmas Banana Bread Collection is a family favorite on one of our favorite days of the year!

From the time I was a little girl, my Mom would bake classic Banana Bread and special Cherry Chocolate Chip Banana Bread for Christmas morning, filled with chocolate chips, and red and green maraschino cherries. Fresh Banana Date Bread always made an appearance for my Gram as well! She also made a special "Christmas Cinnamon Bread" that was so special that she ONLY baked it for Christmas.

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CHRISTMAS MORNING BRUNCH FAVORITES

12/20/2022

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EGGS BENEDICT OVERNIGHT CASSEROLE

When Christmas morning rolls around, I'm always looking for something fast, easy and delicious that I can set out for Christmas Morning Brunch. It has to be something I can make ahead of time and it has to be something special for my family!

We are usually up VERY early in the morning, and it's wonderful to have something baking in the oven to serve with fresh juice or mimosas. Today I'm sharing some of our favorites - perfect for a lazy Christmas morning!

Eggs Benedict Overnight Casserole is the PERFECT brunch! An easy overnight casserole, filled with all of the wonderful things you love in Eggs Benedict - chewy English muffins, salty Canadian bacon or ham, rich eggs and cream, and drizzled with creamy and warm Hollandaise Sauce! If you're making breakfast for a bunch, this is so much easier than poaching eggs and making individual Eggs Benedict, and everyone loves it!

CHRISTMAS BANANA BREAD COLLECTION

We ALWAYS start with homemade Banana Bread, and I've found that Banana Bread Bites are the perfect size to serve to a crowd - and I love that I can bake and freeze them, ready to pull out and warm up early Christmas day. It just wouldn't be Christmas at our house without them!

HOLIDAY HAM & CHEESE QUICHE

This classic Ham & Cheese Quiche, with heavy cream, ham and cheese is a perfect choice for a quiet holiday morning. Of all the ham and cheese quiches I’ve tried over the years, this classic French version is my favorite and one of my “go-to” brunch dishes for holidays and special days. The recipe has been in our family for years, and everyone absolutely loves it! And I love that I can make this ahead of time and simply put it in the oven to reheat on Christmas morning!

GLAZED APPLES & CRANBERRIES

I'm going to let you in on a little holiday tradition - one that is always on our table for Christmas dinner, and usually the New Year too! Glazed Apples & Cranberries are perfect with your holiday ham or pork tenderloin, and always wonderful for a Christmas morning brunch! So quick and simple to make, when this is baking, the aroma wafting around the house is out-of-this-world! And the tender sweet apple slices? So good that everyone will be gobbling them up fast!

MAPLE BANANA & WALNUT COFFEECAKE

With a name like "Snowflakes & Coffeecakes", you probably have a pretty good idea where this idea came from! If ever there was perfection in a coffee cake, we have found it! A warm slice of Maple Banana & Walnut Coffee Cake is beyond words - tender and perfectly wonderful!

CINNAMON SWIRL BOURBON PECAN FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE

There are no words to describe how easy, delicious and utterly perfect this buttery cinnamon French toast casserole is! I love that you can make it a day ahead of time, and pop in the oven Christmas morning for a fast and delicious breakfast!

MAPLE CARAMEL PECAN SWEET ROLLS

I also love that Maple Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns can be started the night before you want to serve - the next morning, give them a little time to rise while everyone is waking up, bake for 25 minutes, and you'll be all set! These are really the stickiest and gooiest caramel rolls ever - perfect for a holiday morning!

HAM, EGG & CHEESE STRATA

Ham, Egg & Cheese Strata is an easy make-ahead breakfast casserole perfect for a holiday, a special breakfast, or just a lazy weekend brunch. Serve with some fresh fruit and pastries, with some coffee and mimosas, and you’ve got a party!

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GRINCH SUGAR COOKIES

12/19/2022

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Grinch Sugar Cookies

Word has it that these are the favorite Christmas cookies of the Grinch – and they do always disappear quickly from my Christmas cookie jar! Inspired by Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Grinch Sugar Cookies are big, thick and chewy, and perfectly delicious! With a swirl of silky green buttercream frosting and topped with fun Grinch holiday sprinkles, it’s easy to see why these are always a favorite at our house and in Whoville! I’m famous for my decorated sugar cookies, but sometimes you just want a holiday cookie that is fast, yummy, and warm from the oven!

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FAVORITE CHRISTMAS APPETIZER RECIPES

12/15/2022

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CHEESE & BACON CHRISTMAS TREE

If you're wondering what to make and serve for a holiday party this year, I'm sharing ten of my favorite Christmas Appetizer recipes today - each guaranteed to give you a WOW factor and have everyone begging for more - and your recipe!

Hope that you have fun with these family favorite Christmas appetizers - they are going to rock your world and your holiday parties!

CARAMELIZED ONION GRUYERE CRANBERRY & RASPBERRY TARTLETS

JUMBO SHRIMP with TEQUILA LIME COCKTAIL SAUCE

CAPRESE APPETIZER WREATH

CHRISTMAS CHARCUTERIE BOARD

BACON GORGONZOLA POMEGRANATE CHEESE BALL

WINTER HOLIDAY CHARCUTERIE BOARD

TERIYAKI MEATBALLS

CHARCUTERIE CHALET

CRANBERRY RASPBERRY BAKED BRIE IN PUFF PASTRY WITH SPICED PECANS

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CHERRY CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA BREAD

12/15/2022

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Cherry Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

From the time I was a little girl, my Mom would bake her special Cherry Chocolate Chip Banana Bread for Christmas morning, filled with chocolate chips, and red and green maraschino cherries. To keep that memory alive, every Christmas I bake Cherry Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bites – a family favorite that is perfect for both special days and everyday munching! With a super-moist texture, buttery banana flavor, an incredibly soft crumb, and stuffed with chocolate and cherry bits, this is one of our favorite things to munch on Christmas morning! This same recipe also makes perfect Cherry Chocolate Chip Banana Bread and Cherry Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Muffins.

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ELF HOLIDAY SUGAR COOKIES

12/1/2022

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CHRISTMAS ELVES LOVE TO BAKE HOLIDAY DONUTS!

Every December, Christmas elves start getting excited to bake and share their favorite holiday treats! Today our elves are going to share their very best recipes, tips and tricks for the most delicious and fun holiday sugar cookies ever! The secret to baking cookies for your Elf on the Shelf is the BEST Vanilla Sugar Cookie recipe, frosted and decorated with an Easy Royal Icing. Simple designs and some creative staging are simply the best Christmas fun!

Hope you are inspired and enjoy their adventures and fun this holiday season!

CHRISTMAS ELVES BAKING HOLIDAY SUGAR COOKIES

Our Christmas elves have been getting into all kinds of mischief - and we're loving it! We discovered that they LOVE baking and decorating Vanilla Sugar cookies as much as our little ones do!

WHAT IS THE ELVES' SECRET FOR PERFECT SUGAR COOKIES?

To ensure the wonderfully soft sugar cookies of your dreams, you want to roll the dough about ¼-inch thick. This may seem too thick when you are rolling and cutting, but it’s absolutely key if you want perfect sugar cookies for munching and decorating!

If you’ve found your cut-out sugar cookies lose their shape in the past, it could have been due to a few factors (too much butter in the recipe, dough too warm, dough not rolled thick enough, etc.), but I can tell you that this recipe yields absolutely beautiful edges that do not spread if you take care to roll to the appropriate thickness (if rolled too thin then they can spread) and chill the cut-out dough before baking.

CHRISTMAS ELVES LOVE HOLIDAY PIE!

ELF TIPS & TRICKS FOR THE BEST HOLIDAY SUGAR COOKIES:

Baking sheets: I use my favorite USA Pan Bakeware half sheet pans, which are aluminized steel, warp resistant and nonstick. I always line with parchment paper, not a silicone baking mat (which I find causes more spread).
Marble pastry board: This isn’t necessary, but if you have one, it’s great for keeping sugar cookie dough and pie crust cold!
Rolling pin: A simple wooden one is all you need, but my favorite is my Joseph Joseph Wooden Rolling Pin with adjustable rollers.
Flavors: I adore the pure vanilla flavor, but some people like a little bit of almond – I would recommend starting with ¼ teaspoon of almond extract in addition to the vanilla. For other fun-flavored sugar cookies, you can also replace the vanilla with your favorite extract or emulsion to the cookie dough if you’d like!
Cookie cutters: You can use absolutely any, so pick your favorites! I have a mixture of plastic and metal and they all work amazingly well with this recipe. It holds its shape for intricate designs, as well. I always dip mine in flour before cutting for a nice, clean release.
Scaling: You can double (or more!) this recipe without issue.
Buttercream Frosting: If you want to do a simple frosting (with or without sprinkles!), then I recommend my favorite Vanilla Buttercream Frosting. For little ones that love to help decorate cookies, Buttercream Frosting is definitely the way to go!
Royal Icing: To do more detailed decorating, I prefer to use Royal Icing.
Storage: The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Make-Ahead: While I love that you can whip up these cookies immediately, you can mix together the dough, divide in half and form into disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. You can also freeze the dough (place the wrapped disk in a ziploc freezer bag) for up to 1 month; thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then bring it to almost room temperature, roll out, and proceed with the recipe.
Freezing: These cookies freeze exceptionally well! You can freeze them plain or decorated; if decorated, let the icing set before freezing. Store in an airtight container or ziplock freezer bag with parchment paper between the layers. The cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months.

CHRISTMAS ELVES LOVE TO BAKE & HAVE FUN AT THE PIZZA SHOPPE!

CHRISTMAS ELVES LOVE BACKYARD BONFIRES AND HAVING S'MORE FUN!

CHRISTMAS ELVES SHARE THEIR TIPS & TRICKS FOR DECORATING WITH ROYAL ICING:

Consistency: There are three primary consistencies for Royal Icing – Outline, Flood, and Detail.
Coloring: There is no shortcut to great Royal Icing colors! Start with a great royal icing recipe, and use quality gel food coloring to get the best results. I recommend and use AmeriColor gel food coloring. Start with a few drops and add more food coloring only as necessary. Note that the colors will darken as they sit.
Decorating with Dark Colors: For deep or dark colors, you will use more food coloring, and for deepest black, red and green colors, for best results I make the royal icing and color the day before I’ll be decorating. It takes time and patience for the colors to fully develop.
Color Bleeding: To prevent colors from bleeding into one another, start by coloring your base recipe of Royal Icing with White food coloring. Sounds crazy, but it helps!
Take your Time: Allow each layer of icing to dry completely before adding the next layer.