12 Days of Christmas Treats

More  Christmas Trivia:

1.  Most of Santa’s reindeer have male-sounding names, such as Blitzer, Comet, and Cupid. However, male reindeers shed their antlers around Christmas, so the reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh are likely not male, but female or castrati. (So basically… women do all the work and the man gets the credit? Interesting.)
2. Mistletoe (Viscum album) is from the Anglo-Saxon word misteltan, which means “little dung twig” because the plant spreads though bird droppings. (Remind me never to kiss anyone under a mistletoe. Reading this makes me feel like it would be a bad omen or something.)
3. According to data analyzed from Facebook posts, two weeks before Christmas is one of the two most popular times for couples to break up. However, Christmas Day is the least favorite day for breakups. (Well that’s…depressing. If you break up with someone that close to Christmas, then-unless it’s under extreme circumstances- then I’m sorry, but you’re just a jerk.)

Source

It’s Christmas time…so you gotta have snowball cookies. They’re a must. These were some of the first cookies that my mom would make for us at Christmas time when I was little and they’re still a favorite for us. The cookies themselves aren’t that sweet; it’s the powdered sugar that they’re rolled in after baking that gives them their sweetness. My mom used to fold finely chopped walnuts in the batter, but my sister Jas isn’t fond of nuts, so I left them out this time.

 These cookies are extremely light and tender- as in melt in your mouth tender. And they’re good. Really, really good. We’ve always called these snowball cookies in my house, but I’ve heard people give them other names too: Mexican Wedding Cookies, Russian Teacakes, Polvorones. Call em whatever you like, just make em.

Okay, so am I the only one in love accappella groups? When I was in undergrad, there were several accappella groups on campus that were really very good. It takes a really talented singer to be able to sing and harmonize without the aid of music and when you take ten singers like that and put them together, it just sounds so beautiful. I first discovered Straight with No Chaser through my Christmas Pandora music station. Several of their songs were featured and I got hooked on their sound really quick. This album is fantastic, and although it’s a new favorite, I’m sure it will become a regular on my Christmas playlist from here on out

Favorite Tracks: “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing/Angels We Have Heard on High”, “Indiana Christmas”, “Auld Lang Syne”, “This Christmas”

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Snowball Cookies

Recipe Courtesy of Land O’ Lakes

CLICK HERE FOR PRINTABLE VERSION

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups finely chopped pecans (optional)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Powdered sugar for rolling

Directions

1. Heat oven to 325°.

2. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

3. Add flour, about 1 cup at a time, scraping sides of bowl in between additions until well mixed. Add vanilla extract.

4. Wrap cookie dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or at least for an hour.

5. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Place 1 inch apart onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake 18-25 minutes, or until lightly browned.

6. Cool 5 minutes; roll in powdered sugar while still warm and again when cooled.

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• Snowballs (confectionsandcookiesblog.wordpress.com)
• Ma Savage’s Christmas Snowballs (slog.thestranger.com)
• Snowball cookies (homestylecookingrecipes.com)
• Cookie Progress (partifleur.wordpress.com)