5 Christmas Cooking Recipes

It's always nice to have a variety of Christmas recipes on hand, so here are 5 Christmas cooking recipes. Serving the same dish year in and year out can be tiresome. And sometimes, there are more than one Christmas dinners to prepare for.

1. Duck Breasts with Raspberry Sauce

• 4 duck breast halves
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 4 teaspoons Demerara sugar
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1/4 cup creme de cassis liqueur
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 4 ounces raspberries

1. Preheat oven on broiler setting.
2. Using fork, score duck breasts.
3. In a large skillet, fry duck breasts on medium high heat, skin down, until skin browns and fat runs out (about ten minutes).
4. Allow breasts to rest on baking sheet.
5. In a bowl, mix sea salt, cinnamon and Demerara sugar and sprinkle mixture on the skin of the breasts.
6. Pour most of the fat out of the pan.
7. Mix together red wine, cassis and cornstarch and pour mixture into pan and simmer until thickened.
8. Add raspberries and simmer for another minute.
9. Broil breasts skin side up, about one minute and serve with sauce.

2. Cranberry Hootycreeks

Note: This is meant to give as a gift. Alternatively, simply follow the cooking instructions to make this for yourself.

• 5/8 cups. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Preparations:

1. Layer ingredients in a 1 liter jar (Except the last three), in the order listed.
2. Attach a card that reads the following directions.

Cooking steps:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease cookie sheet.
3. In medium bowl, beat together 1/2 cup softened butter, 1 egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla until fluffy.
4. Add entire jar of ingredients, and mix until well blended.
5. Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet and bake for eight to ten minutes.

3. Whole Wheat Ginger Snaps

• 1 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup molasses
• 4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
• 1 cup white sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease cookie sheets.
3. In large bowl, cream together butter and 1 1/2 cups of white sugar until smooth.
4. Mix in eggs and then molasses.
5. Combine whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and allspice.
6. Stir dry ingredients into molasses until well blended.
7. Roll dough into balls and dip into remaining sugar.
8. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheets and bake for ten to fifteen minutes.

4. Easy Green Bean Casserole

• 1/3 stick butter
• 1/2 cup diced onions
• 1/2 sliced mushrooms
• 2 cups sliced green beans
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 (2.8 oz.) can French-fried onion rings
• 1 cup grated Cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large skillet, melt the butter and saute the onions and mushrooms.
3. Boil the green beans in chicken broth for ten minutes and drain.
4. Add green beans, mushroom soup and onion rings to the onion mixture and mix well.
5. Pour into a greased 1 1/2 quart baking dish and bake for twenty minutes.
6. Sprinkle Cheddar cheese on top of casserole and bake for an additional ten minutes.

5. Holly Jolly Dip

• 1 whole roasted red pepper (From a jar)
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 small clove of garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

1. Combine all ingredients in food processor and pulse for about ten seconds.
2. Scrape down the sides and continue pulsing until all ingredients are combined (About one minute)
3. Serve with bread, fresh veggies or crackers.