The holiday season is the perfect time to unleash your creativity by baking a festive treat, as many other wintertime activities are limited due to COVID-19. My family, along with many others, has developed an annual tradition to dedicate one day a year to baking Christmas treats. This year, we were able to go above and beyond due to the circumstances. 

I had each member of my family send me a recipe that they were interested in. I then went to the grocery store and purchased the appropriate ingredients. 

My brother opted for a recipe called “The Double Decker Confetti Brownies,” a combination of a blondie and a brownie mixed with mini M&Ms. My dad went for a recipe called “Colorful Caramel Bites,” which consisted of chewy oats, sticky caramel, and more M&M’s. My mom made her personal favorite that she bakes every year, “Peppermint Puffs.” These are basic peppermint cookies topped with melted white chocolate and crushed candy canes. I baked Butterscotch Fudge Rice Krispie Treats, which was a new recipe for me. Lastly, we also collectively made snickerdoodle cookies. 

My personal favorite treat this year was the caramel bites. Although they should be eaten in small portions, they were delicious and festive.

“My favorite cookies to bake during the holidays are either snickerdoodles or chocolate chip cookies. You can never go wrong with the classics,” said Maddie Molis, sophomore. 

My family was able to incorporate our favorite flavors into the treats this year, including caramel and peppermint. Although trying new recipes was exciting, one of my favorite parts of our baking day was eating the cookies we made, especially our “Peppermint Puffs” and snickerdoodles.

“My husband is Polish. Every year, we use his family’s recipe to make Kolaczki cookies. We have a little assembly line to speed up the process,” said Mrs. Lisa Sopiarz, family and consumer sciences teacher. “My husband makes the dough, while I roll it out and cut the cookies, and our daughters fill them. Our favorite fillings are apricot and raspberry.” 

Another tradition my family has kept up with this holiday season was decorating a gingerbread house. Although we use a store bought kit, the decorating process is always fun. 

“On Christmas Eve, my family always bakes and decorates Christmas cookies to put out for Santa,” said Sarah Jane Nicholson, junior.

Although the clean-up process after our baking day was immense, I considered it a success, and was very pleased with the final results! Even through this unprecedented year, it is comforting to see that family holiday baking traditions can continue.