HOLIDAY EATS & TREATS

Holiday Eats & Treats Pro Tip: Use our Recipe Planners and Organizers to nail these holiday recipes!

 

Holiday Sugar Cookies Recipe   

Our very own Happy Planner team member Madison is starting off our season of eats and treats with a traditional sugar cookie recipe!  

“Holiday cookies have been a big tradition in our family! Every Christmas Eve when we were younger we would make cookies, decorate them and get ready for Santa! We have carried on the tradition and use the time to spend quality time with the family. Now it reminds me of the fun of the Holiday spirit and something I look forward to every year!” 

Ingredients: 

Sugar Cookies: 

• 1  cup salted butter softened 
• 1  cup granulated sugar 
• 2 tsp vanilla extract  
• 2 large eggs room temperature 
• 2½ cups all-purpose flour 
• ¾ tsp baking powder 
• ½ tsp salt 

Sugar Cookie Frosting 

*if you need to cut down time - buy ready-to-go icing!  

• 4 cups powdered sugar sifted  
• 3-4 TBS milk room temperature 
• 2 ½ TBS light corn syrup 
• ½ tsp pure vanilla extract 
• Gel Food Coloring optional 

Directions:  

Make the sugar cookies: 

1. Add together butter and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer. Mix butter and sugar together on a moderately high speed until well blended, fluffy and pale yellow. 

2. Add vanilla and eggs and beat until combined.  

3. Add flour, baking powder and salt and beat until combined. 

4. Divide dough into two equal portions. 

5. Shape each piece of dough into a round, flat disc and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. 

6. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or overnight. 

7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

8. Line two to four large baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside. 

9. Remove one sugar cookie dough disc from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes to soften slightly. 

10. Place sugar cookie dough on a floured surface and roll out into even sizes.  

11. Use your favorite cookie cutter shapes and cut out the dough and place them 1” apart on the prepared cookie sheets. 

12. Repeat until all the dough is used. You can gather and re-roll the dough scraps two additional times (3 times total). 

13. Bake in the preheated oven for 9-10 minutes or until the cookies are puffed and set around the edges.  

* Be sure to let them sit on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes.  

Make the sugar cookie frosting: 

1. Combine all frosting ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. 

2. Start with 2 TBS milk and increase until your desired consistency is achieved. 

3. If using food coloring, separate frosting into smaller bowls and add food coloring to your liking. 

4. Place each color in a disposable piping bag fitted with your tip of choice. 

5. Once cookies are completely cooled, decorate cookies. 

6. Let decorated cookies sit at room temperature for at least 3 hours, or until the frosting is completely hardened. Chilling them in the refrigerator helps speed up the setting process. 

7. Store in an airtight container or on a plate wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature or in the refrigerator. 

 

Simple Is Key Turkey Recipe 

@amyplansthings shares a simple, easy, and quick turkey recipe that requires only 20 minutes of prep! Now that’s something to be grateful for. 

 

Ingredients:

• 12-20 pound turkey 
• 1 onion - peeled and quartered  
• 1 lemon, quartered  
• 1 apple, quartered  
• Herbs: Rosemary, Thyme, Sage  
• Herb butter  

• 1 cup of unsalted butter at room temp.  
• 1 tsp of salt 
• ½ tsp pepper 
• Fresh chopped herbs  
• 6-8 garlic gloves, minced  

Directions:  

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees  
• Make herb butter by combining ingredients - butter, salt, pepper, garlic, 1 tbsp rosemary, thyme and ½ tbsp of sage.  
• Remove neck and giblets, pat turkey dry with paper towels.  
• Season the cavity with salt and pepper, stuff with onion, lemon, apple, and leftover herbs.  
• Loosen the skin above the breasts and smooth butter underneath.  
• Tuck turkey wings underneath turkey and set on roasting rack in a roasting pan.  
• Brush remaining butter over outside of the turkey all over.  
• You will roast for 13-15 minutes per pound. Check that the internal temp of the turkey has reached 165 degrees.  
• Halfway through, check and cover the top of turkey once the breast meat is golden brown.  
• Let the turkey rest for 20 minutes before carving.  
• Make sure you save the drippings in the pan to make the gravy!  

Gravy Recipe:  

Ingredients:  

• Drippings from roasted turkey 
• ½ cup of flour  
• 4 cups of chicken broth  
• Salt and pepper to taste 

Pour the drippings into a bowl and let cool. Skim off the fast that separates. Take 1 cup of drippings to a pan and add the ½ cup of flour and whisk. Add the 4 cups of broth and 1 cup of drippings. Cook (whisking consistently) for 5-8 minutes until it thickens.  

 

Cranberry Brie Bites  

@knit.plan.jess uses her Happy Planner recipe organizer to create this delectable Thanksgiving Holiday dessert!   

Ingredients:  

• ½ cup of chopped pecans  
• 8 oz wheel of brie  
• ½ cup whole cranberry sauce  
• 8 oz tube of crescent dough  
• Rosemary sprigs  
• Flour for surface  
• Cooking Spray  

Directions:  

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a mini muffin tin  
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out crescent dough. Pinch together at seams. Cut into 24 squares. Put the squares into the muffin tin slots.  
• Cut the brie wheel into 24 small pieces and place into the crescent dough. Top with a spoonful of the cranberry sauce, chopped pecans, and sprig of rosemary.  
• Bake in oven at 375 for about 15 minutes - you want the crescent pastry to be golden! 

  

Loaded Sweet Potato Casserole 

sweetandsavorymeals.com 

@kenyadoll_plans shows us a new twist on an old family favorite with this sweet potato side dish! 

 

Ingredients:

For the Potatoes: 

3 lbs sweet potatoes peeled and diced 

1/2 cup brown sugar 

1 cup pecans chopped and toasted 

2 large eggs lighly beaten 

1/2 cup milk room temperature 

1/4 cup unsalted butter melted 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

1 teaspoon nutmeg 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

Cinnamon Filling: 

6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened 

1 tablespoon cinnamon 

1 cup all-purpose flour 

1 cup packed brown sugar 

Pecan Topping: 

1 cup pecans toasted and chopped 

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 

2 tablespoons brown sugar 

1/4 cup unsalted butter melted 

1 1/2 cup mini marshmallows 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Butter or spray with baking spray a 9x13-inch casserole or baking dish. Set aside. 

Add 2 cups of pecans to a baking sheet and roast for a few minutes. Watch closely to not burn them. Remove from oven, cool, and roughly chop. 

Cook the Potatoes: 

Peel, cube, and wash sweet potatoes. Add the cubed potatoes to a Dutch oven or large saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil for about 15 minutes, when pierced with a fork, the potatoes should be tender. 

Drain cooked sweet potatoes, mash, and set aside to cool off a bit. 

Cinnamon Filling: 

While the potatoes are cooking, in a small bowl, using a fork mix together the softened butter, flour, sugar, and cinnamon until soft crumbs form. Set aside. 

Pecan Topping: 

Combine all the ingredients from the "Pecan Topping" section except marshmallows. Stir and set aside. 

Sweet Potato Layer: 

Combined the slightly cooled mashed potatoes with the ingredients from the "For the Potatoes" section: brown sugar, melted butter, 1 cup chopped pecans, lightly beaten eggs, milk, salt, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir to combine until smooth. 

Assembling the Casserole: 

Add half of the mashed sweet potato mix to the prepared pan, distribute evenly and smooth the top with a spatula. 

Sprinkle half of the Cinnamon Filling mixture on top of the mashed potatoes. 

Add the remaining sweet mashed potato filling, distribute evenly and smooth the top with a spatula. 

Sprinkle the Pecan Filling mixture on top of the mashed potatoes. 

Sprinkle the mini marshmallows if using them. 

Sprinkle the remaining Cinnamon Filling mixture on top. 

Bake: 

Bake for 30 minutes, until the filling is hot and the topping has browned. 

If the marshmallow starts to brown too quickly, spray some foil with baking spray and cover the casserole, greased side down, careful to not touch the toppings. 

Serve warm. 

 

Recipes are a personal and heart warming way to celebrate the holidays. We hope you’ll share yours with us this season. If you have a family favorite, let us know on socials @the_happy_planner!  

Happy Holidays!