Do you remember the Christmas holiday food you had when you were a child? What did your grandparents make that you absolutely adored? What family food traditions have you missed as an adult?
Well it’s time to have a retro Christmas recipe revival. Bring back those old favorites this year and relive the Christmas of your youth. Here are three ideas for some old holiday favorites.
Egg Nog
Did you know that egg nog may have originated in the middle ages? It’s been a holiday food tradition for quite some time. And while the convenience of buying it in a carton is nice, there’s nothing quite like homemade egg nog. It’s actually quite easy to make.
You’ll need:
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
1 pint whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
3 ounces bourbon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 egg whites
Beat the egg yolks until they lighten in color. Gradually add 1/3 cup sugar and continue to beat until it is completely dissolved. Add the milk, cream, bourbon and nutmeg and stir to combine.
Place the egg whites in a separate bowl and beat to soft peaks. With the mixer still running, gradually add the 1 tablespoon of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form like a meringue. Whisk the egg whites into the mixture. Chill and serve.
Gingerbread
Gingerbread is another old-fashioned holiday favorite. Depending on your preferences you can make gingerbread cookies, snaps, gingerbread bread or even a gingerbread house.
There are a number of recipes available. They range from quite basic to a quite elaborate. Find one that matches your taste and childhood memories. Did it have cream cheese? Bananas? Was your gingerbread dipped in chocolate? Experiment and enjoy gingerbread this holiday season.
Fruit Cake
Yes, that lovely cake that gets such a bad rap can actually be quite good. This is especially true when you make it from scratch. Fruitcake is a mixture of fruits and nuts. There’s usually only a small amount of batter, just enough to hold it all together.
However, traditional fruit cake isn’t for children. It’s usually soaked with alcoholic liquors, then stored in a tightly closed tin. If that sounds like a bit of old-fashioned fun, ask your grandmother for a recipe or take a look online. Like gingerbread there are hundreds of recipes available.
Other old-fashioned Christmas recipes might include:
- Hot cross buns
- Christmas pudding
- Mince pie
And of course ham, turkey, stuffing and the traditional holiday menu. Have fun this holiday and bring back some of the retro recipes you loved as a child. Who knows – you might just bring back an old family tradition.
