From previous posts you may have gathered that food is really important to me, it may be one of the reasons I love living in the Philippines so much. I don’t just enjoy partaking of food but I also thoroughly enjoy creating it as well. Family recipes are heirlooms passed down from generation to generation. While I may be far from my mother I can make her holiday lemon bread and feel connected to her, it has become tradition. A few years ago we were celebrating Christmas with dear friends and I quickly adapted their family tradition we learned: Christmas Cookie Buffet.
That is correct, we have a cookie buffet the entirety of Christmas day. I have some friends who think it is glutinous, and it may be, but guess who doesn’t care? This girl! A week in advance I begin mixing the different doughs and then bake 1-2 days before Christmas. I like to add some savory bites to even out the sweetness of the day so our Bacon Cheddar Cheese ball has become a regular as well. I have linked to the recipes below if you’re interested in starting your own cookie buffet or simply enjoy one recipe, it’s yours to share year after year.
Tree plates were a one-off find at Dapitan
Absurdly Easy Fudge
Mixed Candies
My middle son is gluten-free so I make sure to have yummy options from him as well. The best imported candy selection I have found so far is at Landers. I had never found the peppermint bells until Lander’s began carrying them last year.
Maple cookies were also from Landers which was an incredible find considering we used to bring this from Trader Joe’s every year!
Bacon Cheddar Cheeseball & Fita Crackers
my only tip is to undercok them, the chewier the better.
Sarap!
Sugar Cookies
I have to chuckle a bit because I actually wrote this post last year and never ended posting it. Last year I had enough time to host friends, make cookies and even document the cookie decorating. This year with kids in school, job changes for my husband and myself being enrolled in school didn’t allow for such leisure. Luckily, The Little Whisk pulled through and we were still able to decorate cookies this year.
FolkFam via Christmas 2017
Traditions are super important, especially for those living away from home. Recently on Instagram I asked what Filipino’s what cures homesickness and the most common answer was…food! So wether you are surrounded by family or friends I wish you a Maligayang Pasko full of warm hugs and delicious food.
