The Perfect Holiday Recipes

Have you ever needed the perfect Holiday Recipe and didn’t know what to make? A few Shoot Like A Girl Team Members have shared some of their favorites! We hope they fill your bellies and warm your toes this holiday season!

Crockpot Vanilla Latte

By TBuzz

4 cups milk of your choice

2 cups very strong brewed coffee

1/2 cup vanilla coffee syrup

Whipped cream for garnish (optional)

Add milk, coffee, and syrup to a crockpot that holds at least 2 quarts

Cook on high until mixture is heated through, but not boiling.

Put the crockpot on the warm or low setting for 2-3 hours snd stir occasionally.

Use a ladle to pour coffee into individual mugs and top with whipped cream, nutmeg and/or cinnamon (optional).

Makes six cups

Holiday Chocolate Mousse

By Lisa Causey

For as long as I can remember, my family has always sat down to Christmas Eve dinner together full of love and laughter and topped off by my Aunt Cathy’s special Peppermint Chocolate Mousse. As my cousins and I got older, it became a real treat when she passed the tradition on to us and allowed us to make this jolly dessert. It’s really fairly simple, but with a few extra touches can feel very fancy and festive!

She has a beautiful set of small Spode Christmas ramekins that she always uses, but I have mixed it up over the years and have used champagne flutes, small parfait bowls, or other festive small dishes I have found here and there.

We always start with a Chocolate Mousse Mix and follow the package instructions. As a finishing touch, you add in a few drops of peppermint extract to taste for that extra holiday flavor. Then comes the fun part… Dishing it up and getting super creative about presentation.

• You can make a batch of white chocolate mousse adding the peppermint extract to create different colored layers of white and dark chocolate.
• You can add food coloring to the white mousse for green or red variations.
• Make sure you have a batch of homemade whipped cream available for even more flair.
• Toppings are unlimited: chocolate shavings, broken candy cane, edible silver balls, red or green cookie sugar, fresh mint leaves, Christmas bark, chocolate dipped pretzels, etc.

Use what you’ve got! Be creative and think outside the box. This is a simple dessert that is a massive crowd pleaser and can be taken to so many different levels of presentation limited only by your imagination! This makes the perfect holiday recipe.

Raspberry Shortbread Bars

By Pilar Cobb

This recipe is one of my favorites during the holiday season.  It makes a big batch so that you can take it to a gathering, make a couple of batches and share it with the UPS person, mail delivery person, Fed Ex delivery guy, neighbors, friends & co-workers! A friend from church made up a little cookbook of her favorite recipes and this is one of them.  I have been using it now for about 25 years!

3 sticks butter                         1tsp salt

1 cup sugar                               1 (8-10oz) jar raspberry jam

1 egg                                           1/2 cup sliced almonds

4 cups flour

Cream softened butter and sugar.  Add egg.  Mix well.  Stir in flour and salt.  Spread 2/3 of dough in greased jelly roll pan.  Spread with raspberry jam. Take remaining dough and “make crumbs” with it and spread over the top of the jam.  If you are really creative you can make lattice with remaining dough.  Either roll into thin “pencils” with hands, or roll out dough on floured surface and cut into 1/2″ strips.  Lay on top of jam in lattice pattern (horizontally and then diagonally).  Don’t be a perfectionist – just patch breaks or gaps with small pieces of dough – it will melt together as it bakes.

Sprinkle with sliced almonds.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Cut into bars.  I usually cut 4 cuts on the short edge of pan and about 15 on long edge.  You can really cut them any size you would like – maybe the size of a brownie. (if that helps).

Frosted Orange 

By Pilar Cobb

Children love this!

1 6 oz can frozen orange juice concentrate

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup milk

1 cup water

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Pour all ingredients into a blender and fill remainder of blender with ice.

Blend until smooth

Yield – 4-5 cups

Instant Cocoa Mix

By Pilar Cobb

1 – 2 pound box Chocolate Flavored Milk drink mix

1 – 8 quart box instant dry milk

6 ounces non-dairy creamer (dry)

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Mix all ingredients.  Store in tightly covered jars or a sealed baggie in a holiday tin!

To serve: place 1/4 cup mix in a cup.  Add 1 cup boiling water and stir well.  Add marshmallows or whipped cream if desired.

Yield: 25 servings

The perfect holiday recipe to give to friends, neighbors, teachers, etc.  Enjoy!

Crock Pot Cider

By Pilar Cobb

1 gallon apple cider

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp allspice

6 sticks cinnamon

Pour all ingredients in a crock pot and heat for 1 hour on high.  Turn to low or warm

Crock pots vary in size. Make sure the gallon of cider will fit in yours!