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  4. Best-Ever Christmas Recipes to Make This Holiday Season

Best-Ever Christmas Recipes to Make This Holiday Season

Southern Living May 2021 Cover
By Southern Living Editors
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Best White Cake
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christina Lane; Food Styling: Torie Cox
We're firm believers that the best holiday recipes impress your friends and family without keeping you forever in the kitchen. For all of your Christmas feasting needs, we created a spread of twelve impressive yet delightfully easy recipes, covering you from cookie swaps to Christmas morning breakfast. Then, we rounded out our holiday extravaganza with—you guessed it—treats and treats and treats. Make a batch (or two, or three) of our fresh take on nostalgic Southern sweets: peppermint divinity, bourbon balls, nut brittle, fruitcake bark, pralines, and buttermints. And while gingerbread may be old-fashioned, we came up with four creative recipes that show it can be much more than a candy-covered craft. Finally, no matter how you dress it up, this year's Big White Cake is as simple and fun as a walk in the woods. (You'll see.) We decided to trade in the bells, whistles, and bling for a layer cake with a variety of charming cookies, including a flock of festive reindeer. Celebrate the season with these best-ever Christmas recipes.
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Gingerbread Cheesecake with Lemon-Ginger Glaze

Lemon and ginger make a lively duo, as you’ll see in this bright and tangy cheesecake.

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Cheddar Shortbread Crackers

Cheddar Shortbread Crackers
Credit: Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Cheddar Shortbread Crackers

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Potato Puffs with Toppings

Potato Puffs with Toppings
Credit: Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Potato Puffs with Toppings

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Make-Ahead Croissant Breakfast Casserole

Croissant Breakfast Casserole
Credit: Victor Protasio

Recipe: Make-Ahead Croissant Breakfast Casserole

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Ombre Citrus Salad

Make-Ahead Croissant Breakfast Casserole
Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Ombre Citrus Salad

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Savory Sweet Potato Casserole

Savory Sweet Potato Casserole
Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Savory Sweet Potato Casserole

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Pork Crown Roast

Cornmeal Crescent Rolls
Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Pork Crown Roast

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Cornmeal Crescent Rolls

Cornmeal Crescent Rolls
Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Cornmeal Crescent Rolls

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Slow-Cooker Bolognese Sauce

Slow-Cooker Bolognese Sauce
Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Bolognese Sauce

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Slow-Cooker Cranberry-Pear Butter

Slow-Cooker Cranberry-Pear Butter
Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Cranberry-Pear Butter

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Spicy Bourbon-Citrus Punch

Spicy Bourbon-Citrus Punch
Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Spicy Bourbon-Citrus Punch

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Root Vegetable Fritters

Root Vegetable Fritters
Credit: Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Root Vegetable Fritters

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Best White Cake

Best White Cake
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christina Lane; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Best White Cake

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Gingerbread Cookies

Gingerbread Cookies
Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Gingerbread Cookies

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Christmas Buttermints

Christmas Buttermints
Credit: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Christmas Buttermints

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Salty-Sweet Nut Brittle

Salty-Sweet Nut Brittle
Credit: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Salty-Sweet Nut Brittle

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Ginger Bourbon Balls

Salty-Sweet Nut Brittle
Credit: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Ginger Bourbon Balls

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Buttermilk-Pecan Pralines

Buttermilk-Pecan Pralines
Credit: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Buttermilk-Pecan Pralines

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Fruitcake Bark

Buttermilk-Pecan Pralines
Credit: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Fruitcake Bark

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Peppermint Divinity

Peppermint Divinity
Credit: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Peppermint Divinity

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Gingerbread-and-Pear Upside-Down Cake

Gingerbread-and-Pear Upside-Down Cake
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Gingerbread-and-Pear Upside-Down Cake

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Chocolate Sugar Cookies

Dog Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Credit: Victori Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Chocolate Sugar Cookies

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Gingerbread Roulade and Eggnog Cream

Gingerbread Roulade and Eggnog Cream
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Gingerbread Roulade and Eggnog Cream​​​​​​​

Don’t let the long ingredient list keep you from trying this easy cake recipe – you probably already have most the ingredients in your pantry. Strong coffee added to the fudge layer helps give it a deep, rich, flavor. Leave the bourbon out if you wish.

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Chocolate-Peppermint Swirl Sandwich Cookies

Dog Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Credit: Victori Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Chocolate-Peppermint Swirl Sandwich Cookies

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Classic Gingerbread

Brown Sugar-and-Ginger Whipped Cream
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Classic Gingerbread

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Brown Sugar-and-Ginger Whipped Cream

Brown Sugar-and-Ginger Whipped Cream
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Brown Sugar-and-Ginger Whipped Cream

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Chocolate Sugar Cookie Bars

Dog Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Credit: Victori Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Chocolate Sugar Cookie Bars

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Chocolate-Caramel Cookie Cups

Dog Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Credit: Victori Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Chocolate-Caramel Cookie Cups

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Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

Dog Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Credit: Victori Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

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    Everything in This Slideshow

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    1 of 29 Gingerbread Cheesecake with Lemon-Ginger Glaze
    2 of 29 Cheddar Shortbread Crackers
    3 of 29 Potato Puffs with Toppings
    4 of 29 Make-Ahead Croissant Breakfast Casserole
    5 of 29 Ombre Citrus Salad
    6 of 29 Savory Sweet Potato Casserole
    7 of 29 Pork Crown Roast
    8 of 29 Cornmeal Crescent Rolls
    9 of 29 Slow-Cooker Bolognese Sauce
    10 of 29 Slow-Cooker Cranberry-Pear Butter
    11 of 29 Spicy Bourbon-Citrus Punch
    12 of 29 Root Vegetable Fritters
    13 of 29 Best White Cake
    14 of 29 Gingerbread Cookies
    15 of 29 Christmas Buttermints
    16 of 29 Salty-Sweet Nut Brittle
    17 of 29 Ginger Bourbon Balls
    18 of 29 Buttermilk-Pecan Pralines
    19 of 29 Fruitcake Bark
    20 of 29 Peppermint Divinity
    21 of 29 Gingerbread-and-Pear Upside-Down Cake
    22 of 29 Chocolate Sugar Cookies
    23 of 29 Gingerbread Roulade and Eggnog Cream
    24 of 29 Chocolate-Peppermint Swirl Sandwich Cookies
    25 of 29 Classic Gingerbread
    26 of 29 Brown Sugar-and-Ginger Whipped Cream
    27 of 29 Chocolate Sugar Cookie Bars
    28 of 29 Chocolate-Caramel Cookie Cups
    29 of 29 Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

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    Best-Ever Christmas Recipes to Make This Holiday Season
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