Holiday Recipes

It’s that time of year when we pull out our favorite recipes for the holidays.  

Growing up, chocolate fudge made by my godmother Aunt Betty was a special treat as were the anise cookies dropped off by Aunt Esther.   ABC cookies or ‘Aunt Beth’s Cookies’ were a favorite sugar cookie that we decorated with cousins.   

While in college I’ll never forget my sorority sister Sue bringing back her bucket of Greek Kourabiedes or Walnut Sugar Cookies. I still make these most holidays.  Yet they never taste as good as Sue’s mom’s. 

As a Valparaiso University “Guildie” I’d make dozens of cookies each December.   The Guild Chapter gathered on a Saturday morning at a church and packed dozens and dozens of cookies in boxes.  They were weighed and labeled and sold as a fundraiser for Valparaiso University.   Those cookies were special, but the memories of packing the cookies with friends is the memory I treasure. 

As I grew and married, the two holiday recipes that became our family favorites are peanut brittle and chocolate covered peanut butter balls.  

A recipe that has become a tradition for Choice Connections is “Sweet Spiced Nuts”. For a dozen years now I’ve been making Sweet Spiced Nuts to deliver to clients and friends and partners.     Many have asked for the recipe so if you’d like to try this easy quick recipe here it is:

Sweet Spiced Nuts

1 ½ cups nuts (pecans, cashews, almonds or an assortment of your choice)

½ cup brown sugar

½ teaspoon of cinnamon

½ teaspoon of salt   

¼ teaspoon of allspice

1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

Mix sugar with spices, add 1 ½ Tablespoon of water and microwave for 1 to 1 ½ minutes.  Add nuts and microwave another 3 minutes.    Pour on buttered cookie sheet to cool.   Enjoy!