This is delicious bread pudding Grandma use to make when I was a child using simple pantry ingredients we always had in the house.
Bread, milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, just to name a few ingredients went into this comfortubg dessert casserole dish.
She then made her special sauce with vanilla (or bourbon sauce for the adults) to pour over the top while still warm, our family favorite..
Grandma lived with us when I was a child and made this often since dad worked at a bakery back then and we always had so much leftover bread in the house, this was a staple dessert in our home.
Here is the jackpot of New Year's Eve party recipes right here and a one-stop appetizer shop!
There is something for everyone here, and these can be anywhere from making them the whole menu for your party or just a quick bite before dinner.
We have a great assortment of elegant appetizers for that special occasion and even perfect for a wedding cocktail party.
We make a huge assortment of finger foods for all our parties and holiday functions, they're always a big hit, and most of the hot orderves freeze well to make ahead of time.
The hot assortment of appetizers can be kept on a warming tray or reheated in an air fryer for that fresh just made taste!
If I happen to serve many cold appetizers, I generally place them over a bowl of ice to keep them safe and cold all night.
Just scroll through our delightful assortment and check out what your family will like and maybe you would even like My Best Potato Side Dishesor Holiday Special Sides dishes to go along with these yummy finger foods for a large gathering.
I know you're saying who has leftover prime rib right? Well, we have so much after the Christmas holiday we love to repurpose it like this recipe in a stir fry.
A whole new meal is created just by adding some of your leftover vegetables or chopping up a few fresh ones you love to create this healthy meal.
While shopping for prime rib I always pick up a bag of mixed julienned vegetables that have shredded cabbage, carrots, broccoli, and snow peas.
I have even used this recipe to make delicious air fried tacos, wraps, there are many ways to serve this filling.
Leftovers can get really boring if you don't come up with some clever ideas, like making my Leftover Prime Rib Pot Pie which is another family favorite!
Make sure you check out my suggestions for serving this delicious stir fry and you may also like my Bourbon Chicken Recipe.
Easy Cabbage Roll Soup is simple and deconstructed something like and this can be made on the stovetop, slow cooker or instant pot.
This one-pan meal takes on all the characteristics of stuffed cabbage rolls but so much easier and can be ready in an hour.
Perfect for any weekday meal and if you're a busy cook, just use the slow cooker adding the rice 30 minutes before it's completed.
We love this cabbage roll soup on a chilly day, and it really has all the same flavors as stuffing those cabbage rolls that take much more time to make and this is so simple.
Scroll down to the end to my printable instruction card for this delicious recipe.
Hummingbird Cake is a dense banana-pineapple spice cake that is popular in the Southern states and has a fabulous homemade cream cheese frosting through the layers.
The cake dates back to the late 70s was first submitted to Southern Living in 1978 by Mrs. L.H. Wiggins of Greensboro, North Carolina.
This cake became so popular it even won at a Kentucky State Fair in a baking competition.
This cake is sweet, moist and the nuts give it that crunchy roasted perfect bite.
This is one of my favorite recipes when I need to use up at least 4 bananas that are overripe, this is the perfect solution!
More often you will see this cake displayed with three layers of pillowy soft cream cheese frosting.
I take the easy way out and either pour the mixture into a 13 x 9 sheet cake pan or bundt to save time.
Either way, the flavors are a wonderful blend of spice, banana, and pineapple enjoyed by all.
If you want a more authentic recipe then try my original Torrone recipe which requires lots of time and a candy thermometer.
This easy fast candy is perfect for gift giving for anyone who loves nougat and with the wafer or rice paper on top keeps it fresh inside for the days to come. Check out my other gift ideas in mason jars here Mason Jar!
Here is an easy recipe for one of the best snacks any time of day called Hobo Snack Mix.
Just about anything can be used in this snack recipe leftover in the pantry of cereals and crackers and the best way to use it up.
This buttery snack is made in around 4 to 5 minutes in the microwave and totally addicting.
It is a little sweet and a little savory and sometimes even spicy depending on what you may want to add to it.
Once you grab a handful you just can't stop eating this.
Check out this simple coating and my several additions you can add to this recipe below.
This delicious irresistible snack is over 50 years old and we still make it often and it's perfect for parties and given as a gift when added to a Mason Jar!
Holiday projects are memories made and this Christmas Candy House will certainly give anyone that holiday spirit.
This is a fun tasty project I have been doing since I was 11 years old.
Back in the 1970s, I would save all my Halloween candy to make my candy house, and way back then, it was unwrapped toffee and tootsie rolls.
We usually made it different every year, and I will give you a list of suggestions on what to use that work perfectly waiting to eat this on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day if the kids let you wait that long.
As I got older I made them with my nieces and nephews, then my kids, and now my grandchildren.
These sweet baked acorn squash are the perfect side dish with any meat and so simple to make with just 3 ingredients!
The buttery filled cavity is so delicious and you can also add some other suggestions below to change them up, we love them with diced apples, raisins, and nuts!
Perfect for a side dish, drenched in a buttery cinnamon sugar sauce.
Acorn squash is in abundance all winter long, so if you haven't tried this sweet squash you're in for a real sweet treat!
This Pumpkin Pistachio Biscotti is a welcome addition to our holiday cookie tray, it's perfect bursting with fall flavors.
I still love the traditional Anisette Biscotti but these are a wonderful change to any recipe collection.
These cookies bring the spirit of Christmas with the spices, pumpkin and wonderful fall chill in the air while baking!
These biscotti are a must on our holiday baking list they are the comfort of old-fashioned years past.
Grandma made all kinds of biscotti and flavors but this one was a family favorite to look forward to especially with hot espresso and a little anisette in it to warm us up.
Scroll down to my printable recipe cared for these delicious Pumpkin Pistachio Biscotti.
Caprese Salad is the best using Whole Milk Mozzarella, Cheese, and fresh tomatoes.
The Authentic style is tomatoes, fresh buffalo milk mozzarella, and fresh Italian basil leaves drizzled with either a balsamic reduction or aged balsamic vinegar.
The salad has been adapted through the years by adding olives, and other ingredients including a Panzanella Salad Caprese style with garlic coated bread cubes.
This is always one of our favorites to make during the Christmas Holiday Season, we get creative and make slices of cheese and tomato into wreaths and candy cane shapes.
This tomato salad makes a great lunch, side dish with any meal.
Scroll down to my printable recipe card for complete instructions.
Italian Fried Calamari (aka calamad in our Italian home or calamari fritti) is one of our favorite family appetizers traditionally made every Christmas Eve as part of the 7 Fishes.
Fried calamari is in the squid family of seafood and can be found fresh or frozen.
As a little girl, I would watch my mom every year clean and cut up the squid for the holiday and usually prepare it stuffed simmered in tomato sauce which is another delicious recipe you may try called Stuffed Calamari.
Later on, in years we adapted the tradition with both an appetizer made with crunchy coating calamari which is this one fried and the stuffed version.
Everyone loves this in our family dipped in a hot marinara sauce sprinkled with grated cheese and hot pepper flakes.
Fried calamari is a relatively recent addition to the American menu and only rose to prominence on American menus in the late 1970s.
For this delicious printable recipe scroll down to the bottom of this post.
Holiday Reindeer Christmas cupcakes are a must-make during the season.
The kids love them, young at heart, and they are so darn easy to make and fun too!
What's not to love, starting out with a cake mix but with added ingredients becomes a semi-homemade mayonnaise cake recipe included below in the printable recipe card.
Then using store-bought cookies and frosting with an artistic charm that everyone loves, you're on your way to Reindeer Christmas cupcake fun.
The office will love them, great to bring to a holiday party or just a fun project for the kids.
These even look fantastic on the Holiday table for a festive Christmas centerpiece since they are so cute and they taste so darn delicious.
Take a quick look at these printable easy instructions on the recipe card below and have some holiday cheer and fun with the family!
The cupcakes in the bottom right are decorated with colorful m & m's and tinted green slivered almonds.
Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer
Well, Rudolph can be really easy to make like these chocolate frosted cupcakes, a cherry nose and broken antler pretzel ears.
The kids had such a blast with these and made everyone one these with google eyes just by piping a little white frosting with a dot of black in the center.
This was a great family fun experience anyone can do and get you in the holiday spirit.
You really can use just about anything to decorate these with, to make all kinds of different faces on your reindeer.
Ingredients You Will Need
cupcakes baked
frosting chocolate and vanilla
vanilla wafers
maraschino cherries or red hots cinnamon candy
marshmallow for eye or candy eyes already made or use piping frosting
As you can see to make these reindeer cupcakes, they are simple to follow.
Just look at the photos and how easy they are, each of them is a little different.
Whether you use the cookies, frost them with simple decorating ideas you can transform them and adapt them any way you want.
Try using colorful candies of any kind and have fun with this as a family traditional projects with the kids.
Fun to make and fun to eat!
Rudolph Cupcakes
Yield: 24
Author: Claudia Lamascolo
prep time: 10 Mcook time: 35 Mtotal time: 45 M
Easy festive holiday Rudolph the Reindeer cupcakes. He had a very shiny nose and all the kids love them even if they say it glows! Make some fun time for the holidays with these delicious easy cupcake ideas!
ingredients:
1 bag of large pretzels (leave the whole or broken in half to make antlers)
1 large bottle of maraschino cherries cut in four pieces and blotted dry with paper towels for the nose or see other options below
1 bag of miniature marshmallows cut into pieces
mini chocolate chips for the pupils or see below for other options
white frosting and chocolate frosting
vanilla wafers mini or regular depending on the size of your cupcakes
a piping bag (if using to decorate) or use a zip lock bag
1 box of your favorite chocolate cake mix
Note: see photos to choose what you would like to decorate your reindeer with
Optional: use candy eyes already made, M and M's for the nose, red hot candy or maraschino cherries, or make out of tinted frosting
Cake:
1 chocolate or white cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup of water
instructions:
How to cook Rudolph Cupcakes
Pour the cake mix into a bowl and add the eggs, mayonnaise, and water.
Beat with an electric mixer until well blended around 3 minutes.
Pour into paper-lined cupcake tins. Bake until middles are set and a toothpick comes out clean. Around 20 minutes.
Cool Completely.
Frost with canned chocolate frosting and pick out a method to decorate them.
To Decorate:
Either top them with Peanut butter reindeer cookies (as shown in the photo above) or add vanilla wafers, red hots for the nose, pretzels, and cut marshmallows and mini chocolate chips for eyes.
You can also make cupcakes frosted:
Use broken pretzel pieces for antlers.
Mini marshmallows cut up for the background of the eyes or white frosting.
Add the cherry pieces for the nose.
Place 1/3 cup frosting in a zip lock bag snip off the end slightly.
Use to pipe eyes onto marshmallows.
These freeze well and can be made ahead of time for all your party and entertainment needs!
These are simple Spice Bars with just the right spice blended into a cake cut into perfect squares for a fall tasting comfort dessert.
The bars are super simple with common pantry ingredients and can be left plain, dusted with powdered sugar or spread with cream cheese frosting.
Spice bars are just packed with flavor using cinnamon allspice cloves and there are even some other additions you can stir in below so dont miss our suggestions.
These Irish Cream Truffles are a deliciously creamy chocolate confection and a perfect candy treat for the holiday plus they make great gifts.
Although I do make my own Copycat Irish Cream, you can use any flavored liquor with my several suggestions below.
The truffles are very smooth using heavy cream and good grade chocolate, everyone will think you purchased them in an expensive specialty candy shop.
Simple to make and they don't take much time or much cooking other than just using the microwave to melt the chocolate.
For gift-giving, store them in pretty festive tins, but they should only be left out up to 3 days unrefrigerated, these will stay fresh up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator so be sure to store them properly.
Just scroll down for these easy printable instructions.
Rice Krispie treats are so versatile to make into shapes and this wreath was the perfect idea for the kids to make it was so easy.
Using a springform pan and a glass, the treats cooled perfectly to look like a wreath and viola, we just have to give it some cherries for decoration.
We love to mold Rice Krispie treats into creative shapes and usually, we even make small little wreaths with the mixture during the holiday, this was so much easier all in one pan.
This makes such a perfect centerpiece on the Holiday tables with the pretty tinted green marshmallows.
If you need a fast and festive dessert to bring to a party, this is always loved by everyone.
Just scroll down for these easy printable instructions.
These Almond Paste Butter Crescent Cookies are buttery crunchy cookies and can be molded into any shape, we like the crescent but also shaping the dough into candy canes are perfect for the holiday.
The baked cookies are dipped into the fudgy chocolate on both ends then into nuts just makes them look so festive.
Using some simple pantry ingredients, these cookies are super easy to mold and bake and also freeze well if you make them ahead of time.
If you have a hard time finding almond paste, I make my own Almond Paste Recipe you can try.
Scroll down to print out this easy recipe along with some tips to get these beautiful holiday cookies on your trays.
This vintage recipe for Jam filled bow tie cookies are so delicate and delicious, this will be your go-to recipe for any cookie tray.
Just a warning, they smell so good baking you can hardly wait to eat them off the hot cookie sheet!
These buttery colorful gems are filled with a delicious filling from jams to nuts and fruits with my many suggestiosn below.
One of the unique characteristics of this cookie is how pretty they are to serve to look like a little bow for presents around the holiday especially filled with red jams.
They really look so cute on a cookie tray besides tasting delicious.
Growing up in an Italian household, you never knew what creative ideas would come out of the oven next and mom was always trying a new filling the dough is so versatile.
Scroll down to the bottom of this post for the printable recipe card.
These Italian Amaretto Butter Cookies are a basic butter cookie that melts in your mouth with the first bite.
The popular butterball cookie is perfect for the holiday and back in the 1960s were referred to as snowballs.
This easy recipe can be modified easily with flavoring and nuts of choice but always dusted at the end and rolled into a snowy powdered sugar.
They make the perfect addition to any cookie tray around the holiday season.
We love Christmas time for baking cookies and you may also like to try several other holiday cookies we love that add that spirit to the season of baking.
The additions and changes are pretty much endless when you get creative so don't miss my optional suggestions below
Scroll down to my printable recipe card for this melt in your mouth simple buttery cookie recipe.
The most wonderful time of the year, it really is especially to motivate baking cookies.
We just love the holiday season and usually start early, sometimes even as early as July, you heard of Christmas in July right?
Usually right after Thanksgiving or a few days before we start cookie baking day, and below you will find all are must-makes every year.
They all freeze great and I do have to keep an eye on them or they will all vanish before the holiday comes these cookies are all family favorites.
We have all the popular cookie jar cookies and some a little fancier, everyone has a different favorite cookie they enjoy and we usually make them all.
There are 24 kinds of cookies to choose from here for you today to choose from and if you don't see one you like check out my 25 Holiday Cookie Recipes.
It's like having your own cookie cookbook right here and that's why we call it our One Stop Cookie Shop!
Every year our family gets together to bake cookies.
My family in Utica, New York calls it their cookie bake day, and every year they set one day aside to make them all.
Here in Florida where I live sometimes, we have cookie exchanges but most of the time I usually pace myself for a whole month baking one at a time.
If you really get stuck for gift giving try my filled Mason Jars that have dried soups and other fun ideas to give to hard to buy folks.
If you don't see your favorite cookie chances are you will find it by searching my blog on here in the top right corner.
Enjoy! Happy baking and have a delicious holiday baking season there is something for everyone here do not miss my tips on mailing cookies, freezing cookies, and storing them!
Stuffed Artichokes were always a favorite at any holiday meal.
Mom always made these for Thanksgiving or Easter if they looked good in the supermarket.
If the artichokes weren't very fresh she would skip the fresh ones and use canned and make Baked Artichokes.
Since artichokes are one of my favorite side dishes I also enjoy them all summer long with my Artichoke Stuffed on the Grill recipe.
If you haven't tried making stuffed artichokes they really are addicting and everyone loves eating this flower trying to get to the tastiest part, the heart inside.
The heart is soft and after removing the top part of the leaves, delicious delicate soft vegetables bursting with garlic and laced with breadcrumbs.
Scroll down for the recipe and see the easy instructions on how to clean, eat, cook, and buy perfect artichokes.
Honey Glazed Spiral Cut Ham is the most delicious almost candy-coated sweetness to complement this meat, it's over the top delicious and addicting.
We usually just made ham on Easter then everyone loved this recipe so much it was another addition to Thanksgiving and sometimes Christmas Day.
With these delicious ingredients, it was no surprise, this ham was super delicious, melted in our mouth, juicy, tender, and sweet, a great addition to my recipe collection.
Mom always made ham this way but using seven up instead of pineapple juice, and loaded it with maraschino cherries (which you can still decorate the ham with).
I really loved this recipe and wanted to share it with everyone. It is super easy and the ingredients compliment the ham perfectly.
Once you try this simple glaze for your ham you'll be hooked like the rest of us, it's so darn delicious and don't miss our Holiday Side Dishes and 30 Appetizer Ideas!
The recipe is printable on the recipe card below and if you bring this to a family gathering, print off multiple copies of this recipe, everyone will ask you for it.
This is a fun project for Thanksgiving making Pilgrim Hats out of store-bought ingredients and super easy for the kids to make. They also make a great holiday centerpiece for the table.
Ingredients
Here's what you need to get:
1 bag of unwrapped miniature ( not mini's)peanut butter cups around 18 in a package
1 package fudge striped cookies
canned frosting or use homemade frosting
food coloring red, yellow to make orange
wax paper to set them on
Note: candies for the hats and colored sugars are optional, you can make them with frosting and pipe them on with frosting and a pastry bag filled with a round tip.
Instructions
Unwrap the candy.
Place the cookies flat side up.
Place a dab of frosting in the middle of the candy then place the peanut butter cup on top of the cookie.
Pipe yellow frosting around the rim of the hat and decorate with a little orange rectangle or use colorful candies for the middles in any color.
Frosting:
2 to 3 cups powdered sugar
water
shortening like Crisco
food coloring red and yellow
In a small bowl add about 2 cups of powdered sugar.
Use a few yellow food coloring drops.
A few teaspoons of water and 1 tablespoon Crisco. Mix until smooth and still thick.
Add more powdered sugar if it's runny.
Needs to be thick and hold the hat on top of the cookies.
In another bowl make the same recipe above.
For the orange mix 1 drop of red with 3 drops yellow.
Follow the same procedure.
Place inside a lunch size plastic baggie cut the end off where it points.
