As finals season approaches and the holidays creep up on students at Erie High School, many look forward to the special traditions surrounding this time to bring them joy and happiness through this stressful season.
Traditions such as Christmas cookies and french toast in the mornings have been a thing in families and friendships for generations, each adding their own special twist to the holiday season.
Junior Maris DeMers’ family has a tradition of making Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies during their annual Christmas party. This tradition started when DeMers was much younger, and started as a way to get her whole family involved, “Everyone gets a special job to do while making cookies, mine has always been mixing the ingredients together.”
Holiday staple desserts such as cake, cookies, and hot cocoa have been around for decades, but adding a spin on the classic items helps keep the tradition alive in growing families, “In my family, we put pretzels, chocolate chips, and oreos in our cookies, but you can really do whatever your favorite snacks are,” explains DeMers.
But holiday recipes aren’t all sweets and confectioneries, some are just simple foods that have made it into being a tradition for families around the world. Junior Avery Rexroth’s family starts off Christmas day with a delicious breakfast made by her parents, “They always wake us up to french toast with berries in the kitchen before we start presents or looking through each other’s stockings.”
There’s always something special about spending time with family after a stressful finals season, and it just so happens to be that food brings everyone together. Below we have included recipes for the holiday foods, in case you want to try them out for yourself!
Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies: The DeMers Family
To start, preheat your oven to 375 degrees while you mix all of your wet ingredients in a large bowl. After everything is well incorporated, slowly fold in your dry ingredients little by little. Then, feel free to crush toppings into bite sized pieces and fold into your cookie dough. After you are satisfied with your dough, place onto a baking tray with a sheet of parchment on top in whatever size your heart desires, and bake for 9-15 minutes depending on the size of the cookies.
Fluffy French Toast: The Rexroth Family
First, butter both sides of the brioche bread and set to the side. Then, slowly mix the flour with the milk, and once fully incorporated add in all other ingredients. Then, dip buttered bread into the mixture on both sides, making sure they are coated evenly. After, cook french toast on a pan or griddle until golden brown on both sides. Serve on a plate with your choice of fruit and plenty of maple syrup!
