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(Editor's Note: Newsroom Nosh is a column created by the Sun-Gazette newsroom staff from family or personal recipes.)
Christmas isn't the same without my two older cousins, Chelsea and Jaime. They are truly lights in my life and I love spending time with them. Jaime, the oldest out of all of us, is definitely the family's baker and she loves to make holiday bark. Chelsea, the middle cousin, loves a good cocktail. Below are two of their recipes that they make around the holidays. Enjoy!
Holiday Bark
Saltine crackers
2 sticks of butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 bag chocolate chips
Preheat the oven on low, 350 degrees Fahrenheit tops.
Grab a flat cookie sheet and lay saltine crackers on top. Make sure the crackers are flat.
Take the two sticks of butter and melt them down with one cup of brown sugar. Bring this to a boil until you see it thicken slightly and take off the heat.
Immediately pour over crackers. Spread evenly with a spatula.
Top with a bag of chocolate chips.
Then, place the sheet in the oven for about 15 minutes for the crackers to toast and the chocolate to completely melt. Keep an eye on this.
Once done, spread melted chocolate over the top and let cool.
Take the cooled tray and then put it in the fridge or freezer overnight for them to harden.
Then you should be able to crack or cut the bark into smaller pieces and it's ready for you to eat.
Peppermint Champagne
1 bottle of champagne
6 oz. peppermint schnapps
Crushed candy canes
Melted chocolate
First, grab a pitcher or glass or something to hold your drink in. Fill that vessel with ice and add your champagne and peppermint schnapps.
Get your drinking glass and crushed candy canes ready. You'll want to pre-crush these candy canes and put them in a flat dish so you can roll the rim of your glass in them.
Then you'll want to grab a bowl to melt chocolate. You can use the chocolate melt wafers or chocolate chips, anything you'd like. You can melt your chocolate in 15 second increments in the microwave or using the double boiler method, whichever is easiest for you.
Take your drinking glass and coat the rim in the melted chocolate and then directly into the crushed candy canes.
Then, pour the drink into the glass and enjoy.
-Mallorie McIlwain,
mmcilwain@sungazette.com
Cranberry Jello Salad is a holiday dish that is sweet, crunchy and is a great staple for a holiday meal. This version of the dish has been passed down by my great-grandmother, Mildred. This timeless recipe is a favorite at family gatherings and holiday parties.
Cranberry
Jello Salad
2 packets of raspberry jello (or one large package)
1 can cranberry sauce (with whole cranberries)
1 small can crushed pineapple
1 cup walnuts
1 cup celery
Use 2 cups of boiling water in the jello. Dissolve the jello and add the cranberry sauce. Dissolve it and add 1 cup cold water. Then stir in the remaining ingredients and place in the refrigerator.
When the jello is set and the dish is cool it is ready to serve. Serve with a meal or as dessert. Enjoy!
This is the perfect beverage for Christmas Eve night. When everyone is settling down after dinner, hanging up stockings or playing games with family. Its spices will fill the house with the comforting scent of Christmas. This is the version my mom makes, which my siblings and I remind her to make every year.
Sheila's Wassail
6 cups cider
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon rind
1 can (2 1/2 cups) pineapple juice
First add cider and cinnamon and let boil, simmer for 5 minutes, add the rest and let simmer.
-Bethany Barrett,
bbarrett@sungazette.com