December takes me back to my good old childhood days when I’d wake up to the smell of freshly baked Christmas cookies. My mom was an amazing cook and an even better baker. Thankfully, I inherited some of her culinary skills. Nasir disagrees but we are not going to count the opinion of a man who thinks blue cheese is disgusting. Other than the usual Christmas cookies and cakes, I love making other delectable treats that will last long after the Christmas lights have been taken down. Here are my three favourite Homemade Christmas snacks!
Homemade Christmas Granola
As delicious as Christmas treats are, they are also quite unhealthy. So why not try a healthier option that’s just as delicious and not so taxing on your hips? This festive granola screams Christmas and can be enjoyed long after Christmas is over!
Ingredients for the Granola
- 5 cup oats
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds
- A cup of sliced almonds
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 ½ cup dried raisins
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup cacao nibs
- 4 tbsp coconut oil
- 3 tbsp honey
- Half a teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ ground cloves
- 2 tbsp orange zest
Granola recipe
- Start by preheating the oven to 165oC.
- Put the pumpkin seeds, oats, almonds, walnuts, raisins, spices, and orange zest in a bowl and mix it well.
- Melt the coconut oil in a bowl and mix honey with it.
- Drizzle the coconut oil-honey mixture into the bowl and toss well.
- Line a baking tray with a baking paper.
- Lay the wet mixture on the tray.
- Bake it for about 25-30 minute or until the ingredients are toasted.
- Let the mixture cool down.
- Add the cacao nibs and cranberries to the mixture and transfer it into an airtight container.
You can eat the granola by itself or use it as toppings for oatmeal, smoothies, and yoghurt.
Savoury crackers/biscuits
I’m all for delicious Christmas cookies, but I like my share of spice too. These savoury crackers will give your sweet tooth a break and goes perfectly with tea or a cheese spread. Also, it’s unlike the regular Homemade Christmas snacks.
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour (Whole wheat or a mix of whole wheat and white flour)
- 2 tsp fresh chopped rosemary leaves
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- ⅓ tsp paprika powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Cracked pepper
- 6 tsp water
Recipe for Savoury crackers
- Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl first. Toss it till all the ingredients are combined well.
- Add the olive oil and 4 tsp of water to the mixture and mix.
- Ensure the dough is of the right consistency, if it is too dry, add more water.
- Roll the dough out on a surface dusted with flour.
- Sprinkle cracked pepper on the rolled out dough.
- Cut out the crackers in the shape of your choice and place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- Make small holes in each cracker using a toothpick or fork.
- Preheat the oven to 375oC.
- Bake the cookies for 15 minutes or until they are done.
- Transfer them into an airtight container once they have cooled down.
Chocolate clusters
It can’t be a Christmas snack if there is no chocolate involved. This chocolate cluster recipe is for everyone who loves chocolate and nuts. I add a special ingredient to my version of Chocolate recipe, read on to find out what it is!
Chocolate cluster Ingredients
- 1 large cup of chopped dark chocolate
- 2 cups whole almonds
- 1 tsp sea salt
- Sugar as required
Chocolate cluster recipe
- Toast the almonds. Depending on what’s convenient for you, you can either do this in the oven or on a pan on the stove.
- Melt the chopped chocolate on a double boiler. Ensure the melted chocolate is smooth and has no lumps whatsoever.
- Add the almonds to the melted chocolate and mix well till all the nuts are coated well.
- Line a tray with baking sheet and drop spoonsful of the chocolate-coated almonds on the tray. You can decide the number of almonds you’d want in each cluster.
- Sprinkle the sea salt and sugar on the chocolate-coated almonds and allow the chocolate to solidify.
- You can store this in the refrigerator for 4-5 weeks.
What are your favourite Homemade Christmas snacks? Do you prefer sweets or go for the savoury stuff? Let us know in the comments below!
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