Our Favourite Holiday Recipes

The holidays are just around the corner and with the Lucan Santa Claus Parade happening on Saturday (December 2, 2023) we wanted to share with you some of the Radcliffe Team's favourite Holiday Recipes! 

Can you guess which recipe belongs to which team member? Give it a try! 

Whipped Shortbread Cookies

Holiday Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients: 

1.5 cups BUTTER (room temperature, salted)

3/4 cup CONFECTIONERS' SUGAR

2 1/4 cups ALL PURPOSE FLOUR

3/4 cup CORNSTARCH

1/4 cup SPRINKLES (of your choice)

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl beat butter and confectioner's sugar for 3-4 minutes. Don't skimp on the beating time for light-textured cookies. You can add flavouring at this point (if adding) and give it a whirl too. 

2. Next, add sifted flour and cornstarch to the bowl and beat until combined. 

3. Scoop and roll into 36 equal-sized cookie balls. Place cookie dough balls on a pre-lined baking tray or on a large plate (coated with a little flour) to avoid the dough balls from sticking to the plate. Press their tops with a cornstarch/flour dipped fork and top with sprinkles. 

4. Now chill the dough balls for about 2 hours in the fridge or till they are very firm to touch. Pro Tip: To speed up this process, you may chill the dough balls in the freezer until firm. 

5. Let dough balls chill in the fridge/freezer until you preheat the oven. I usually bake 12 cookies on a tray at a time. 

6. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 300° F and bake cookies for 19-20 minutes. 

7. Allow to cool on the baking tray. 



Unbaked Chocolate Macaroons

Chocolate Macaroons

Ingredients:

2 cups White Sugar

6 tbsp Cocoa

1/2 cup Butter

1/2 cup Milk

1/2 TSP Vanilla Extract

1 cup Shredded Coconut

3 cups Instant Oats

Directions:

1. Mix the first 4 ingredients in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. 

2. Remove from heat, add Vanilla Extract, Coconut, and Oats. 

3. Drop mix by the tsp full onto wax paper & chill.

Makes approximately 4 1/2 dozen. Enjoy! 


Snowballs

Snowball dessert

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup Peanut Butter

2. 1/2 cup Icing Sugar

3. 1 cup Puffed Rice Dry Cereal

4. 1 1/2 TBSP Butter

5. 1/4 cup Icing Sugar

6. Water (enough to make the consistency you'd like from #5)

7. 1/4 cup Coconut

Directions:

Take the first 4 ingredients mix together and set aside. 

Take #5 & #6 and mix and set aside. 

Take the mixture of the first 4 ingredients and roll it into balls. 

Dip into the icing. 

Roll in Coconut. 

Enjoy! 



Hot Buttered Rum

Hot buttered Rum recipe

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup (1 stick) Unsalted Butter, (softened)

1 cup Dark Brown Sugar

1 TSP Ground Cinnamon

1/2 TSP Ground Nutmet

1/4 TSP Ground Cloves

1/8 TSP Salt

1 TSP Vanilla Extract

2 cups Hot Water

3/4 cup Dark Rum

1 TSP Vanilla Extract

Cinnamon sticks for garnish

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer or medium speed for about 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. 

2. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and vanilla extract to the bowl and mix until well combined. 

3. Transfer the spiced butter mixture to an airtight container and store in the fridge or freezer until ready to use. 

4. To make the hot buttered rum, add 2 TSP of the spiced butter mixture to a mug. 

5. Pour in 2 OZ of Dark Rum and top with 1 cup of hot water.

6. Stir until the spiced butter mixture is dissolved and the drink is smooth. 

7. Garnish with a cinnamon stick or whipped cream, if desired. 



Glazed Cranberry Lemon Loaf

Glazed Cranberry Lemon Muffins

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour (spooned and levelled)

1 TSP Baking Powder

1/2 TSP Fine Salt (reduce to 1/4 TSP if using salted butter) 

6 TBSP Unsalted Butter (room temperature)

1 cup White Granulated Sugar

1 TBSP Lemon Zest

2 large Eggs (1 at a time, room temperature)

1/2 cup Milk (whole milk 3% recommended)

1 cup Fresh Cranberries 

1/2 cup Icing Sugar

2-3 TBSP Lemon Juice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375° F (regular bake, not fan assisted). Grease an 8x4 or 4x10 loaf pan and line the bottom and long sides with a sheet of parchment paper that extends over the sides with a sheet of parchment paper that extends over the sides by an inch or so (for easy removal). Set aside. 

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside about 2 TSP of flour to dust the cranberries later. 

3. In a large bowl with an electric mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar at medium-low speed, until lightened in colour, about 1-2 minutes. Mix in the lemon zest. 

4. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the bowl as needed. 

5. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk, mixing until well combined. 

6. Toss the cranberries with the reserved 2 TSP of flour, then gently fold the cranberries into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Smooth top of batter. 

7. Bake in a preheated 325° F for 50-60 minutes, or until lightly golden in colour and a tester comes out clean.

8. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes, before lifting onto a wire rack using the parchment paper (allow to cool 10 minutes if not using parchment). Peel off parchment and allow to cool completely before drizzling the glaze over-top. 

9. To prepare the glaze, combine the icing sugar and lemon juice, adding enough lemon juice until you have a glaze that is just thin enough to pour off a spoon. Drizzle over cooled cake, then let stand 20-30 minutes to allow the glaze to set before slicing. 



Christmas Bark

Christmas Bark dessert

Ingredients:

12 oz. Semisweet Chocolate (chopped)

12 oz. White Chocolate (chopped)

1/2 TSP Peppermint Extract

8 Candy Canes (Crushed)

Directions:

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Fill the bottom of a large pot with 3" water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, then place a large heatproof bowl on top. Add semi-sweet chocolate and stir occasionally until the chocolate has melted. Stir in extract. Pour into the prepared baking sheet and spread into an even layer with an offset spatula. Refrigerate until set, about 20 minutes. 

2. Over the same pot of barely simmering water, place another large heatproof bowl. Add white chocolate and stir until melted. Pour over set semi-sweet chocolate then top immediately with candy canes. Refrigerate until set, about 20 minutes. 



Grilled Cheese

grilled cheese

Ingredients:

Buttered Bread

Cheese

Directions:

Place Cheese between 2 slices of buttered bread and then put into a pan over medium heat. 

Grill until the desired toastiness of bread and meltiness of cheese has been achieved.