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Four delicious recipes you can try this holiday season

I know the holiday season is here when I begin to see Christmas Pillsbury cookies at Fortinos. During my first year at McMaster University, my friends and I went through over a dozen boxes of Pillsbury cookies and it was always an intense battle to get our hands on them at the grocery store. I still remember the smell lingering in our communal kitchen all throughout December finals. 

I’ve never been much of a baker myself but during the pandemic I have been cooking and baking more fresh food. This year I’m especially looking forward to making winter holiday treats for my family and friends. I’ve gathered below a few beginner and budget-friendly recipes from friends and fellow Mac students.

The Recipe: London Slices

The Chef: Una Pasagic, a human behaviour student, shares her Bosnian family holiday recipe.

Ingredients:

Dough:

 Filling:

 *Allergy warning: walnuts

Directions:

Dough:

  1. Mix flour and baking powder in a large bowl.
  2.  In a separate bowl, whip butter and sugar together until slightly fluffy.
  3. Add the butter and sugar mixture to the large bowl with flour then combine the ingredients by hand.
  4. Add yolks and zest to the bowl then combine ingredients by hand.
  5. Set dough aside to make filling.

Filling :

  1. Whip egg whites and sugar until fluffy.
  2. Fold in 150 grams of walnuts.

Assembly:

  1. Spread the dough onto a large rectangular baking sheet pan. The dough should only cover the base and does not need to go up to the sides of the dish.
  2. Spread a layer of jam, enough to cover the surface of the dough.
  3. Add the layer of filling and top everything with 60 grams of walnuts.
  4. Bake at 375 ˚F for a maximum of 25 minutes.
  5. Let it set after removing it from the oven.
  6. Once set, cut into rectangular pieces and serve.

The Recipe: Vegan brownies

The Chef: Emma Sood, a student studying psychology, neuroscience and behaviour, shares her favourite vegan dessert recipe.

Ingredients:

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 ˚F.
  2. Line a muffin tin with a paper liner.
  3. Prepare flax eggs by mixing 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal and 3 tablespoons of water stirred to a smooth, gel-like consistency in a small bowl and let it rest for a couple of minutes.
  4. Melt vegan butter in a mixing bowl. After stir in flax eggs, brown sugar, vanilla extract, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder. Whisk to combine.
  5. Add all-purpose flour. You can fold in chocolate chips, nuts or fruits at this point. 
  6. Scoop the batter into the muffin tin until three-fourths full and bake on the middle rack for around 24 minutes. It could be a little less or more. Look to see if the brownies start to pull away from the sides of the tin.
  7. Remove from the oven and let the brownies rest for a couple of minutes. Enjoy!

The Recipe: Toblerone cookies

The Chef: Subin Park. This is a recipe I learned from a friend. You can never have too many chocolate chip cookies!

Ingredients:

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 300 ˚F
  2. Coarsely chop one chocolate bar into quarter-inch pieces (approximately 1/3 cup). Set the remaining chocolate bar aside.
  3. In a mid-sized mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat butter until smooth. Gradually beat in sugar until light and fluffy. 
  4. Beat in vanilla and salt.
  5. Using a wooden spoon, stir in one cup of flour until just mixed.
  6. Stir in remaining flour and chopped chocolate bar pieces until mixed.
  7. Scrape dough into an ungreased eight-inch square baking dish. Lightly flour fingers then pat mixture into an even thickness. 
  8. Use a fork to pierce the dough in one inch increments.
  9. Finally, chop the remaining chocolate bar and sprinkle over top of the dough.
  10. Bake on the lower rack at 300 ˚F until the edges are deep golden and the centre is pale golden for 35 to 40 minutes.
  11. Remove from the oven and immediately cut into 16 squares.
  12. Cool completely in the pan. Once cool, store in an airtight container in a cool place or refrigerator for up to two weeks.

You can find the written recipe and a bit more backstory behind it over on his blog. Our full interview with him also features insights into the food culture of Vietnam and his life in Hamilton.

https://www.facebook.com/TheMcMasterSilhouette/videos/10155755591735987/

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Nothing quite says summer like the gooey deliciousness of s’mores. But sadly, it isn’t possible to go camping every weekend for your favourite summer treat, and your neighbours will most likely call the fire department if you make a bonfire in your backyard.

So avoid the fire hazard and still get your favourite summer treat from the comfort of your own home! After all, what’s better than s’mores? Cookie s’mores!

 

What you’ll need:

8-inch baking pan

½ cup butter

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

¾ cup graham cracker crumbs

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

¾ cup chocolate chips

1 cup of marshmallow crème

 

Directions:

1) Preheat your oven to 350° and grease your baking pan.

2) Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until the mixture is light and fluffy. Then add the egg and vanilla to the mixture and beat together. Stir in flour with graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt into the butter mixture.

3) Split the dough in half, pressing half of the dough into the greased pan.

4) Spread marshmallow crème on top of the dough and scatter the chocolate chips on top of the marshmallow crème and dough.

5) Scatter bits of the remaining hald of the dough over the chocolate chips and carefully press into an even layer.

6) Bake your cookie s’mores for 30 – 35 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely on a rack and cut into bars (makes 16 bars).

 

And don’t forget to be creative with this recipe! Instead of buying graham cracker crumbs you can just as easily buy graham crackers to smash to make the crumbs! Same goes with the chocolate chips and marshmallow crème. Instead of chocolate chips try peanut butter chips, mint chips, or whatever your favourite chocolate bar is (Note: the bigger the chocolate bar the longer the baking time, only by a few minutes). Instead of marshmallow crème, buy marshmallow’s (any flavour) and melt them yourself (please don’t microwave the marshmallows, things will get messy fast!)

Natalie Timperio

Senior InsideOut Editor

Double chocolate, fudge layered, candy coated, cream cheesed iced, sprinkles-on-top. While these frills may apply to many desserts, this recipe is anything but. No fancy ingredients, no complicated directions. It’s an old time favourite, a timeless classic, a ‘brings me back to my childhood days’ kind of treat.

They’re crispy without too much of a crunch and have just the right amount of sweetness without making your stomach ache afterwards. They’re not costly nor will they eat up much of your time to bake – though you’ll probably be eating them most of the time.

This dish is none other than the chocolate chip cookie. And it’s something that most of us all know and love. I find its best enjoyed when secretly stolen from your mother’s bear-shaped cookie jar (at least, that’s how I remember the cookie jar).

The homemade chocolate chip cookie is not to be underestimated. Chips Ahoy! or PC’s Decadent Chocolate Chip Cookies just can’t compete, so don’t even try telling friends and family that you’ve baked those wannabes from scratch.

People recognize a homemade chocolate chip cookie when they eat one, so flouring your apron, buttering your nose or “accidently” burning your hand in the oven won’t fool them.

I don’t promise this to be the healthiest of dessert choices, but I promise it to be one that can help to put a smile on your pissed-off partner’s face, make your friends (momentarily) forget that you stabbed them in the back, or perhaps dissuade your professor from giving you a failing grade. (Disclaimer: bribery is strictly prohibited at McMaster University and can result in serious consequences – but if you’re really in the shitter, then what do you have to lose?)

These chocolate chip cookies can be consumed with anything, be it milk (plain or chocolate), tea, coffee and, to hell with it, even alcohol (Bailey’s is best).

Seal a few in a Ziploc bag and bring them to class; peers will gaze at you with envy or possibly even murderous hatred (because yes, these chocolate chip cookies are really that good). putting meaning back into the phrase “to die for.”

If you don’t buy it then I dare you try it. This chocolate chip cookie recipe will have you shouting to the high heavens in sincerest thanks for bestowing you with such awesome ingredients to make thy chocolate chip cookie.

Yes, it may cause fits of delirium and inexplicable happiness, but of course, no less is to be expected from this chocolate chip cookie recipe. So tie on that apron, pull out the oven mitts and get on that baker’s hat, if you have one. It’s time to do some baking.

 

Ingredients

1 cup All-purpose Flour

1/2 tsp Baking Soda 

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 cup Sugar

1/2 cup Brown Sugar (firmly packed)

1/2 cup Shortening

1 tsp Vanilla 

1 Egg

1 cup Chocolate chips

1/2 cup Nuts (optional) 

 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. 

2. Sift the all-purpose flour, baking soda and salt onto wax paper.

3. Mix the sugar, brown sugar, shortening and vanilla well in a bowl.

4. Beat in the egg.

5. Mix in dry ingredients.

6. Stir in the chocolate chips (and the nuts, if using).

7. Drop the mixture by tsp onto a greased baking sheet.

8. Bake 8-10 minutes.

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