Christmastime comes with many opportunities to share delicious goodies, whether you give homemade treats as gifts, take them to Christmas parties, or just make them together with your family, we all have certain foods that are essential to our celebrations.
Here are some of the best, in my own humble, yet accurate, opinion:
Sausage Balls
These deserve a place at the top of the list, because they are delicious and underappreciated throughout the rest of the year, even though there's nothing inherently Christmasy about them. I really should start making them year-round. They're also very versatile, they can be a party food, an easy addition to your Christmas morning breakfast, or both.
(As a bonus, the recipe is also really easy to remember, just think 321: 3 Cups Bisquick, 2 cups of shredded cheddar, 1lb of sausage.)
Oyster Crackers
Imagine the oyster crackers in this picture are deliciously seasoned and toasty. Maybe people eat oyster crackers at other times of the year, but in my family, they're strictly Christmas food. They also make a great road trip snack for your holiday travels.
Tamales
This one goes out to all of you Texans and Mexicans. Tamales are a great Christmas Eve tradition that I have not yet worked up the courage to adopt, but both savory and sweet tamales are a delicious Christmas treat.
Martha Washington Balls
I'm not sure if this is a family recipe, a regional thing, or if Martha Washington had anything to do with them at all. There's probably a great story there, but all I know is that these are quite possibly the best Christmas candy out there. The recipe my family uses calls for literal paraffin wax in the chocolate coating and I must say, wax is delicious. And you really can't go wrong with sugar, pecans and chocolate.
Church Windows
It's not Christmas in my house until you've eaten a stained glass window made out of marshmallows. This is an easier candy that kids can help with and the finished product is cute and delicious. Once again, you can't go wrong with sugar (or marshmallows)chocolate, and pecans. It's a winning combination in any form.
Cookies in a tin
Typically I don't go for prepackaged cookies, but if they come in a cute little Christmas tin, they really level up. Bonus points if they're the Danish butter cookies with sugar on top. Gingersnaps are also acceptable.
Popcorn in a tin
Once again, prepackaged popcorn is kind of meh, until you put it in a tin. Then it's adorably festive and extra delicious. The caramel coating also helps, making it an acceptable offering for a Christmas party food or hostess gift.
"Trash"
I'm not sure if anyone other than my family calls it this, but my grandfather makes a mean batch of 'trash' for Christmas Eve. It's basically a Chex mix, made with toasted, seasoned Chex cereal and nuts. It's surprisingly delicious for a food named after garbage.
Sugar Cookie Dough
Ok, so maybe don't bring this to a Christmas party, but Pillsbury cookie dough is one of the best parts of Christmas time. The cookies aren't even very good once they're baked, but the dough is uniquely wonderful and deserves a place on this list.
Homemade Sugar Cookies
If you're actually planning to eat the cookies, homemade is infinitely better. Plus the act of decorating cookies is essential to the Christmas experience, whether you choose to make them with premade dough or the superior homemade version.
Bonus: Christmas Punch
I'm not sure if drinks should be included (that could be a whole other list) but I will throw in Christmas punch as a bonus. With the amount of sugar found in this beverage, it definitely counts as a treat. The correct recipe includes red Kool-Aid, pineapple juice, and Sprite.
Whatever treats you choose to indulge in, I hope you all have a Merry Christmas with all your favorite party foods on the buffet.
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