Very Merry Christmas Cookbooks
When we think about the holiday season, visions of sugarplums dance in our heads. One of the best features of Christmas is all the decadent foods, desserts, and festive drinks. Christmas is notorious for overindulging on… well, everything. It’s traditional to enjoy gingerbread, shortbread, cranberry sauce, fruitcake, baked glazed ham or turkey, dressing, eggnog, hot buttered rum, candy canes, chocolates, Christmas pudding, peppermint bark, a yule log and the mouth-watering list goes on and on.
While we always want to include our favorite dishes, it’s exciting to try some new recipes to add a fresh holiday vibe to the table. So whether it’s dusting off grandma’s old recipe book or perusing some new Christmas Cookbooks, unique and untried flavors add to the ambiance and merriment of the moment. I found three new holiday-inspired recipe books that will tickle our tastebuds during the holidays.
Kim-Joy was a finalist in the Great British Bake-Off a few years ago and she’s gone on to create two cookbooks. Her most recent release is Christmas with Kim-Joy, and it’s bursting with fun ideas and festive flavors. The content is divided into Cookies, Cakes, Macarons & Meringues, Breads, and Little Treats.
If you’ve had a chance to watch the GBB, you might recall that Kim-Joy was very creative and artistic and had a passion for detail. Her recipes were intricately decorated with the greatest care and finesse. This cookbook is no different. All her recipes are not only delicious, they are beautifully adorned with frostings, glazes, and adorable designs. Each recipe is a super cute work of art and most feature a full-color photo. But all have easy to read and step-by-step instructions. Alternative ingredients are offered on some of the recipes and there are several vegan options as well. She offers lots of tips, techniques, useful ideas, and positive insights.
Some of the recipes you can try are Shortbread, Ginger Cookies, Matcha Bamboo Swiss Roll with Festive Pandas, Owl Apple Pies, Irish Cream Snowmen Choux, Reindeer Bakewell Tarts, Semlor Polar Bear Buns, and many more.
Joy to the World recipe book features 24 yummy festive recipes from around the globe. The book is divided into the four Sundays of Advent, so you’ll get a diverse selection of recipes. Each country has its own traditional recipes they feast on during the holiday season and now we will have the opportunity to make and introduce them to our family and friends. Each recipe has a full-color photo, instructions and shares its country of origin.
Some of the recipes you can treat yourself to are Dream Cookies from Sweden, Spicy Chocolate Basler Brunsli Cookies from Switzerland, Porter Biscuits from Ireland, Cinnamon Macaroons from France, Kolachki from Russia, Tuscan Christmas Slices from Italy, Nut Cresents from Hungary and many more. It wondeful to embrace the holiday flavors from around the world.
Christmas is not only the most wonderful time of the year, it’s a social holiday. People want to gather and connect. And what better way to celebrate the holidays than by toasting to the future with your favorite spirit or cocktail. This book is filled with classic holiday drinks, scrumptious concoctions, and striking flavors. The recipes are divided into five sections.
- Tis the Season Cocktails
- Festive Champagne Sippers
- Warm & Toasty Toddies
- Holiday Party Punches
- Zero-Proof Libation
The onset of the books shares what bar equipment and ingredients you will need to stock up on and successfully create the included drinks. These include essentials, extras, liquors, garnishes, syrups, and more. Learn how to rim a glass, mix, shake, garnish… and repeat. Each recipe has a full-color photo, ingredients, and how-to instructions.
So stoke the fire, put on some warm holiday music, relax and sip on a tasty cocktail. Some of the included drinks are Figgy Pudding, Mistletoe Kiss, Apple Pie, Flickering Lights, The Snowball, Hot Mint Chocolate, Glogg, Gingersnap Punch and lots more. You’ll have lots of drink ideas for your holiday get-togethers and you’ll look like a pro. Cheers! All of these festive books will make perfect stocking stuffers this year!
Disclaimer: I received complimentary products to facilitate a review. All opinions are my own, yours may differ.