Some of my best holiday memories involve being in the kitchen, from baking homemade apple pies with my Grandma to meticulously decorating sugar cookies for the man in the big red suit. Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve always loved to bake and experiment with different types of food and spices. That love and curiosity is something that has always stuck with me and I only hope that I’m able to pass it on to my little ones. We already spend so much of our time in the kitchen that I may have given us a head start!
With the holidays right around the corner, I teamed up with McCormick® to share two of our favorite family recipes for you to try this holiday season: Butterscotch Gingerbread Cookies and Orange-Spiced Apple Cider.
Get everything you need for these recipes here!
Get everything you need for these recipes here!
McCormick® is a brand I’ve grown up with and always reach for when creating classic homemade recipes. Before I got started, the kids and I stopped by our local Walmart to scoop up some McCormick® Cinnamon and McCormick® Whole Cloves spices.
They had an amazing McCormick® display right in the middle of the store which made it easy to grab what I needed, and it also made me even more excited for the upcoming holiday season! These two yummy spices are key ingredients in my recipes below. Okay, let’s get to it!
Butterscotch Gingerbread Cookies
If you like gingerbread cookies, you will love these! We took the original recipe from Scott’s Grandma, substituted a few ingredients for healthier options and sprinkled in some butterscotch chips. They are SO soft and the unexpected addition of butterscotch chips makes them really stand out!
Ingredients
– 3/4 cup unsalted butter
– 1 cup granulated sugar
– 1 egg plus 1 yolk
– 1/4 cup molasses
– 1 teaspoon baking soda
– 2 1/2 teaspoons McCormick® Ground Ginger
– 1 teaspoon McCormick® Cinnamon
– 1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Ground Cloves
– 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
– 1/3 cup additional sugar for rolling
– 1 cup butterscotch chips
Directions
– Preheat oven to 350º
– Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
– In a bowl in a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar together.
– Add in molasses and mix until incorporated.
– Beat in egg plus additional yolk, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves.
– Turn mixer to low add in flour until soft dough forms.
– Add in butterscotch chips and mix until incorporated.
– Roll dough into 2-inch balls,
– Roll balls in extra sugar and place on a baking sheet 2-3 inches apart.
– Bake 9-11 minutes until edges are golden.
– Cool on a baking sheet and then transfer to a wire wrack.
– Enjoy! You will want to eat them all.
Next up! Orange-Spiced Apple Cider.
Orange-Spiced Apple Cider
This drink is a favorite of mine and always my go-to for holiday parties. Not only is it delicious, but it will make your house smell amazing! The addition of orange juice and orange zest adds a nice flavor too! You can easily make it into a cocktail with the addition of rum, or you can leave it as-is for the whole family to enjoy!
Ingredients
– 1/2 gallon apple cider
– 1 cup fresh cranberries
– 2 McCormick® Cinnamon Sticks
– 1 teaspoon McCormick® Whole Cloves
– 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
– 1 tablespoon orange zest
– 1/4 cup spiced rum (optional)
Directions
– Place all ingredients (except rum) in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
– Let simmer on low for 10 minutes.
– Remove from heat and drain in a fine mesh colander so only the liquid is reserved.
– Stir in rum. Serve warm. Enjoy!
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Be sure to stop by your local Walmart to see the wide variety of McCormick® products perfect for all of your holiday creations! Thanks so much for reading!
This post is sponsored by McCormick® but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.
xx
Jen