Having this be our first Christmas as a married couple in one place, we are having a chance to try out all sorts of traditions- old and new. Two that have proved to be so fun have been Bonham family traditions: Making wassail and peppernuts. Having wassail in the fridge to pull out and heat up leads to many chances to just sit and enjoy the company of those around us. Peppernuts is a fun cookie to make with lots of helping hands. Thought I would share with you two of our favorite Christmas recipes.
Peppernuts:
3 3/4 cups sugar
3/4 cups Karo syrup
1/2 tsp ground anise (we buy the anise star and grind it in a coffee grinder)
3/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 tsp baking soda dissolved in 1 1/2 tbsp water
2 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
flour to make a FIRM dough, (about 8 cups)
Mix in given order. Refrigerate dough. Test a few and work in more flour if necessary. Roll out into snakes and cut with knife into 1 cm pieces. Bake at 350 about 10 minutes until golden brown. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Wassail (pronounced was-sul):
10 cups boiling water
1 tbsp tea leaves (or 3 Lipton tea bags)
1 tsp all spice
1 tsp cinnamon or 2 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cloves
4 cups orange juice
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 qts cranberry juice (64oz)
6 cups water
1/3 cup lemon juice
Steep the tea for five minutes, Remove the tea bags and add the spices and remaining ingredients. Bring to boil and then remove from heat. I like to store in mason jars in the fridge. Pull out how much you need and heat it up on the stove, serving it hot!
