Sugar Cookies are the best to make for Christmas, you can have lots of fun with them making different shapes of cookies and then decorating them with your favorite icing.
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter or margarine (at room temperature)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
multicolored sugar sprinkles (optional) For icing:
2 1/2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 to 4 tablespoons cold water
assorted food colors.
Instructions Step 1:
Onto a piece of waxed paper, sift 2 1/2 cups of the flour, the baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on high, cream the butter and sugar until light yellow and fluffy.
Step 2:
Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla and lemon rind. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour mixture. Divide into three equal pieces, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until thoroughly chilled.
Step 3:
Preheat the oven to 350° butter three baking sheets. On a surface lightly floured with about 1/3 of the remaining 1/2 cup of flour, roll out 1 piece of dough, 1/4 inch thick, and cut into shapes with cookie cutters.
Step 4:
With a spatula, transfer to the baking sheets, sprinkle with the sugar if you wish, and bake for 8 minutes or just until edge starts to brown. Let cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool. Repeat with the remaining dough. Decorate as desired using the icing. Store in an airtight container, but do not freeze frosted cookies.
Step 5: Making the Icing
In a small bowl, stir the sugar with the vanilla, then add enough water to make a stiff icing. Divide into small cups and color as you wish. When the cookies are cold, pipe out designs, such as smiling faces, zigzags, bow ties for men and aprons for women. If using different colors of icing, let one color dry before piping the next.
Recipe for Real Eggnog
A Holiday Classic Drink... !!! My kids LOVE IT!
Ingredients
12 eggs separated
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups bourbon
1/2 cup brandy
6 cups milk
ground nutmeg
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
1. In large bowl with mixer at low speed, beat egg yolks with sugar. At high speed, beat until thick and lemon colored, about 15 minutes, frequently scraping bowl.
2. Beat in bourbon and brandy, one tablespoon at a time to prevent curdling. Cover and chill.
3. About 20 minutes before serving, in chilled 5-6 qt. punch bowl, stir yolk mixture, milk and 1 1/4 teaspoons nutmeg.
4. In large bowl with mixer at high speed, beat egg whites until soft peaks form.
5. In small bowl, using same beaters, beat cream until stiff peaks form.
6. With wire whisk, gently fold egg whites and cream into yolk mixture until just blended and serve.
Recipe for Christmas Quesadillas. Here is an idea of fast and easy apetizer for your Christmas Party. Warm tortilla triangles filled with melted cheese and sweet peppers make tasty bites. Assemble them early on the day of your party, and then bake just before serving.
Ingredients
1 tbls. vegetable oil
1 large onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tbls. chopped fresh cilantro leaves
12 (6 to 7 inch diameter) flour tortillas
6 ounces Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno chiles, shredded (1 1/2 cups)
cilantro leaves and l hot red pepper for garnish
Instructions
In nonstick 10-inch skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. Add onion and peppers and cook, stirring often, 15 minutes or until golden and tender. Add garlic, cumin, and salt, and cook 5 minutes longer, stirring often. Remove skillet from heat; stir in cilantro.
Place 6 tortillas on work surface. Spread pepper mixture on tortillas;, sprinkle with cheese. Top with remaining tortillas to make 6 quesadillas. Cover and refrigerate assembled quesadillas up to 6 hours before serving.
To complete, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place quesadillas on 2 large cookie sheets and bake 8 minutes or until lightly browned on both sides, turning quesadillas over once. Remove quesadillas to cutting board; cut each into 8 wedges. Top each wedge with a cilantro leaf for decoration.
Every body stops
and stares at me
These two teeth are
gone as you can see
I don't know just who
to blame for this catastrophe!
But my one wish on Christmas Eve
is as plain as it can be!
All I want for Christmas
is my two front teeth,
my two front teeth,
see my two front teeth!
Gee, if I could only
have my two front teeth,
then I could be with you
"Merry Christmas."
It seems so long since I could say,
"Sister Susie sitting on a thistle!"
Gosh oh gee, how happy I'd be,
if I could only whistle (thhhh)
All I want for Christmas
is my two front teeth,
my two front teeth,
see my two front teeth.
Gee, if I could only
have my two front teeth,
then I could wish you
"Merry Christmas!"
Deck the Halls
Deck the halls with bought of holly,
Fa la la la la la, la la la la.
Tis the season to by jolly,
Fa la la la la la, la la la la.
Don we now our gay apparel,
Fa la la, la la la, la la la.
Troll the ancient Yuletide carol,
Fa la la la la la, la la la la.
See the blazing Yule before us,
Fa la la la la la, la la la la.
Strike the harp and join the Chorus.
Fa la la la la la, la la la la.
Follow me in merry measure,
Fa la la, la la la, la la la.
While I tell of Yuletide treasure,
Fa la la la la la, la la la la.
Fast away the old year passes,
Fa la la la la la, la la la la.
Hail the new, ye lads and lasses,
Fa la la, la la la, la la la.
Sing we joyous, all together,
Fa la la la la la, la la la la.
Heedless of the wind and weather,
Fa la la la la la, la la la la.
Rudolph the Red-Noised Reindeer
You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen,
Comet and Cupid and Donder and Blitzen.,
But do you recall
The most famous reindeer of all?
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Had a very shiny nose,
And if you ever saw it,
You could even say it glows.
All of the other reindeer
Used to laugh and call him names;
They never let poor Rudolph
Join in any reindeer games.
Then one foggy Christmas Eve,
Santa came to say:
Rudolph with your nose so bright,
Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"
Then how the reindeer loved him
As they shouted out with glee,
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,
You'll go down in history."
Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer
Grandma got run over by a reindeer
Walking home from our house Christmas eve.
You can say there's no such thing as Santa,
But as for me and Grandpa, we believe.
She'd been drinkin' too much egg nog,
And we'd begged her not to go.
But she'd left her medication,
So she stumbled out the door into the snow.
When they found her Christmas mornin',
At the scene of the attack.
There were hoof prints on her forehead,
And incriminatin' Claus marks on her back.
Grandma go run over by a reindeer,
Walkin' home from our house Christmas eve.
You can say there's no such thing as Santa,
But as for me and Grandpa, we believe.
Now were all so proud of Grandpa,
He's been takin' this so well.
See him in there watchin' football,
Drinkin' beer and playin' cards with cousin Belle.
It's not Christmas without Grandma.
All the family's dressed in black.
And we just can't help but wonder:
Should we open up her gifts or send them back?
Grandma got run over by a reindeer,
Walkin' home from our house Christmas eve.
You can say there's no such thing as Santa,
But as for me and Grandpa, we believe.
Now the goose is on the table
And the pudding made of pig.
And a blue and silver candle,
That would just have matched the hair in Grandma's wig.
I've warned all my friends and neighbours.
Better watch out for yourselves."
They should never give a license,
To a man who drives a sleigh and plays with elves.
Grandma got run over by a reindeer,
Walkin' home from our house, Christmas eve.
You can say there's no such thing as Santa,
But as for me and Grandpa, we believe.
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus
Underneath the mistletoe last night
She didn't see me creep
down the stairs to have a peep;
She thought that I was tucked
up in my bedroom fast asleep
Then I saw Mommy tickle Santa Claus
Underneath his beard so snowy white;
Oh what a laugh it would have been
If Daddy had only seen
Mommy kissing Santa Claus last night
Here Comes Santa Claus
Here comes Santa Claus!
Here comes Santa Claus!
Right down Santa Claus Lane!
Vixen and Blitzen and all his reindeer
are pulling on the reins.
Bells are ringing, children singing;
All is merry and bright.
Hang your stockings and say your prayers,
'Cause Santa Claus comes tonight.
Here comes Santa Claus!
Here comes Santa Claus!
Right down Santa Claus Lane!
He's got a bag that is filled with toys
for the boys and girls again.
Hear those sleigh bells jingle jangle,
What a beautiful sight.
Jump in bed, cover up your head,
'Cause Santa Claus comes tonight.
The Most Famous Christmas Tree in the World is in New York City! On Christmas Eve, 1931, in the midst of the Great Depression, when construction workers at the yet to be built Rockefeller Center Site, decorated a 20 ft. tree with tin cans and scrap paper.
Now, Eighty years later, and 54 ft. taller than that first tree, the Rockefeller Center Tree stands still and will stay lit until January 6, 2012.
If you haven´t had a chance to Travel to New York City during Christmas time, this is something you want to do sometime. This tree is simply gorgeous and you can definitely feel the Christmas Spirit all around New York.
The Tree lightning ceremony is really grand and some famous artist gather together for this special ocassion. Here I bring you some pictures of this gorgeous tree.
