Easy Holiday Treats To Wow Your Friends

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Christmas is finally here and there are bound to be parties for you to attend. So don your ironic ugly sweaters and grab something delicious to offer up to the host. Oh, wait. What are you going to cook? You didn’t have anything in mind. Don’t worry, we have you covered. When you’re headed to those parties this week, make sure you have one of these dishes in hand.

A spiral cake is a delicious holiday treat that a lot of people tend to overlook but this recipe from Roxana’s Home Baking will change their minds. Here’s what you’ll need to create the vanilla roll cake:

• 2 eggs
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup (30 grams) sifted cake flour
• 3 tablespoons (30 grams) cornstarch
• 1/4 cup red & green Wilton batter bits or edible confetti
• 2 egg whites
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 3 cups (360 grams) powdered sugar
• 3-4 tbsp red & green sprinkles
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-3 teaspoons heavy cream
• 4 oz white chocolate
• red & green sprinkles

1. Crank the oven to 450F to get it ready and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
2. In a mixing bowl add 2 eggs, 3 egg yolks and ½ cup of sugar. Beat this mixture on medium to high speed for 5 minutes or until pale in color and thickened. Add the dash of vanilla extract and beat for a few extra seconds to mix it in.
3. Put the flour and cornstarch over the egg yolk mixture and using a spatula, gently fold it and the batter bits into the mixture.
4. Sift the flour and the cornstarch over the egg yolks mixture and with a spatula gently fold it in.
5. In a separate grease-free bowl, add 2 egg whites and a tablespoon of sugar and whip it with a whisk until firm peaks form.
6. With the spatula, fold the whipped egg whites into the egg yolks mixture.
7. Spread the cake batter evenly into the pan and bake for 6-7 minutes or until golden brown. It should spring back when touched.
8. As soon as you remove the cake from the oven sprinkle with powder sugar and then invert the cake onto a clean dish towel. Remove the parchment paper, sprinkle with more powder sugar, and roll up the cake with the towel. Place on a wire rack to cool
9. For the vanilla buttercream, add butter into a clean bowl and whip the butter for 2-3 minutes on medium to high speed. Lower the speed and slowly add in the sugar, adding in only about ½ a cup at a time.
10. When you’ve put all of the sugar into the mixture, increase the mixer speed and whip for about 2 more minutes.
11. Add a few drops of heavy cream to alter the consistency to your preferences. Using a spatula, fold in the sprinks.
12. Gently unroll the cake and spread buttercream evenly around it. Then, roll it back up and place it in the fridge for a couple of hours.
13. Serve your vanilla roll cake with melted white chocolate drizzled over it and sprinkles dashed on top.

Red velvet is never a bad choice but it’s an especially perfect choice during the holidays. The color is holiday appropriate and the taste is life altering. Check out this recipe from Dessert for Two to figure out what you’ll need:

• ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon flour
• 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup canola oil
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons buttermilk
• 1 egg white
• 1 teaspoon red food coloring
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ⅛ teaspoon white vinegar
• 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 12 oz. almond bark (or white chocolate), for coating

1. In a cupcake tin, place 4 cupcake liners on the outside edge.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder.
3. In another bowl, beat together the canola oil, sugar, buttermilk, egg white, red dye, vinegar, and vanilla using an electric mixer.
4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing all the while. Divide the batter between the four cupcake liners and bake at 350° for 20-22 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
5. When cool, crumble the cupcakes into crumbs. In a bowl, mix the softened cream cheese and powdered sugar. Add the crumbs and stir very well. Scoop a heaping tablespoon of the mixture into your hands and then roll into balls. Place the balls on a plate and refrigerate at least 4 hours.
6. To make the coating, chop the almond bark into 1" chunks and place in a bowl. Heat on medium power in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between until melted. Dip each ball into the coating quickly, using a fork to turn, then let them dry on a piece of wax paper. Can be made 3 days ahead of time and stored in the fridge.

Christmas parties might feel stressful but with treats like these, they won’t seem all that bad. The hosts will welcome you with open arms if you come bearing these delicious snacks.

Do you have a go-to treat at parties? Let us know on Facebook and Twitter.

Ho-Ho-How to Throw the Best Holiday Party

Image courtesy of Pixabay

With all of the holidays coming up, you might be considering hosting a party! It’s the perfect opportunity to invite your friends that you might not see during the holiday rush. Get them all together in our beautiful clubhouse to enjoy some cocktails before heading up to your apartment for the real party. Here are some tips for throwing the best holiday party.

Yum. You can’t have a holiday party without delicious finger foods. If you’re not feeling quite ready to be a full grown up yet, take it back to your roots with an adult spin on a kid classic: mac and cheese bites. Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 lb Macaroni
• 2 (8 oz) Packages of Sharp Cheddar Cheese Chunk
• 1 1/4 cup Milk
• 1/2 cup Flour
• 1/4 cup Butter
• 2 Eggs
• 3 cup Seasoned Bread Crumbs
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Vegetable Oil

1. Cook up the macaroni until it’s nice and tender then drain it and set it aside. While that’s boiling you can shred the cheese up and put that aside too. 
2. In a big pan, melt some butter over medium heat. Add in flour and mix it until it gets to be a light brown color. Add in 1 cup of milk and whisk that all up until it’s nice and thick.
3. Start adding in the cheese one handful at a time. Mix that up until the cheese is all melted and smooth.
4. Add in the macaroni and mix until the noodles are coated with the melted cheese. Add in some salt and pepper.
5. Refrigerate for about an hour or until they’re cold.
6. Line a baking sheet with wax/parchment paper and form the macaroni and cheese into small 1” balls to line up on the pan. Then, pop them in the freezer for an hour.
7. Beat eggs and ¼ cup of milk in a bowl and start dipping the mac and cheese balls into the mixture. After dipping in the egg mixture, coat them in bread crumbs. 
8. If you have a deep fryer, pop them in for about 3-4 minutes. If you don’t, fill a skillet about ½-¾ of an inch deep and heat over medium high heat for 3-4 minutes. Drain and you’re done!

For more amazing and delicious recipes, check out Thrifty Jinxy.

Signature Sips. If you want to make a party truly memorable, you might want to consider having a signature cocktail at the party. You’ll really impress guests if you can make it off the top of your head without looking at a recipe! We recommend a sparkling apple cider sangria; perfect for the holidays. Here’s what you’ll need to make it happen:

• 1 750 ml bottle (standard) champagne or Prosecco
• 2 1/2 cups apple cider
• 1 cup club soda
• 1/2 cup Disaronno
• 2 apples, sliced
• cinnamon sticks, for garnish

For the full concoction you can check out Pizzazzerie’s blog. A signature cocktail at a party will not only make the drink stand out in your guests minds but also the party as a whole. “Hey, remember that party we went to where they had that amazing apple cider sangria? That was a cool party!” Don’t you want people to have that reaction to your party? We thought so.

Snacks! Take the party to another level with a chocolate fondue station. Melt up some chocolate and lay out some delicious holiday favorites like marshmallows, candy canes, gingerbread men, shortbread cookies and pretzels. Your guests will eat it up, literally!


Do you have any tips and recipes for a holiday party? Let us know on Facebook and Twitter.