Winter is a tough time for a lot of people, but it doesn’t have to be. Winter also brings some of the most fun holiday events of the year. The holidays can get pretty stressful, so add some fun to your winter with some delicious festive recipes. Whether you like to invent your own holiday treats, whip up some warm drinks for friends and family, or build a gingerbread house fit for an ice queen, winter is the perfect season to get creative. 

Design a New Winter Dessert

It’s that time of year! The nights are closing in, snow is falling, and cozy holiday decorations are popping up in windows up and down the street. Whilst there might not be much to do outside, it’s the perfect time to get creative in the kitchen. Instead of your typical festive pudding, yule log, or tipsy trifle, get your thinking hat on and come up with something new. It could be based on a particular winter flavor like cinnamon or clove, or it could be based on a festive color like silver or red and green. This is a great activity to do with the kids – ask them to design a dessert, and the winner gets to make it!

Bake and Decorate Biscuits

This is an easy activity for when it’s cold and miserable outside and you don’t have many ingredients in the cupboard. All you need is flour, sugar, butter, and egg. If you have any spices, these can be used too, and ready-made icing will make decorating easier, although you can make your own with icing sugar. Festive biscuit cutters are perfect for this activity, but simple circles can be decorated to look like polar bear faces or baubles. Even young kids can get involved with this, and the best thing is that you can eat them straight after!

Cook Up a Gift or Two

We all know the festive season is expensive, but one way to make things cheaper is to make homemade gifts to give to your friends and family. Chutney and jam make perfect gifts that can easily be made at home, and they can even be spiced up with a little all-spice to give it a festive kick. If you’ve grown the fruit yourself, this is even better, but if you’re going to buy the fruit from a shop, try to stick to fruit that’s in season. Strawberry jam doesn’t exactly shout winter magic! To make this gift even better, the jars can be decorated with glass paint, or a festive ribbon can be used around the lid.

Mull your Wine

There’s nothing better than a hot glass of mulled wine on a cold winter night. The smell alone is a feast for the senses, whilst a little alcohol never hurt anyone during a festive celebration (most of it gets cooked off anyway). If you’re not a fan of wine, cider makes a great alternative, and both are perfect for winter parties. Just boil a big batch in a saucepan, pour it into a caddy, and allow your guest to serve themselves!

Warm Up with a Hot Chocolate

Finally, does anything say “winter” more than a steaming mug of hot chocolate, topped with squirty cream, sprinkles, marshmallows, and a flake? This is a naughty treat to enjoy in front of a roaring fire, tucked up under a blanket on the sofa with the family whilst watching a film. If you’re feeling adventurous, consider using white chocolate, or even chocolate orange to give this classic drink a fun twist.

The festive season just wouldn’t be the same without a table full of food and drink. It’s easy to think that all of your festive food is going to cost an arm and a leg, but it’s surprisingly easy to lay out a feast if you just make a few things yourself! Just try not to eat it all before the guests arrive!