Do you remember the Christmas holiday food you had when you were a child? What did your grandparents make that you absolutely adored? What family food traditions have you missed as an adult? Well it’s time to have a retro Christmas recipe revival. Bring back those old favorites this year and relive the Christmas of your youth. Here are three ideas for some old holiday favorites.

 

 

 

#1 Eggnog

Did you know that eggnog may have originated in the middle ages? It’s been a holiday food tradition for quite some time. And while the convenience of buying it in a carton is nice, there’s nothing quite like homemade eggnog. It’s actually quite easy to make.

 

You’ll need:

 

* 4 egg yolks
* 1/3 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
* 1 pint whole milk
* 1 cup heavy cream
* 3 ounces bourbon
* 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 4 egg whites

 

Beat the egg yolks until they lighten in color. Gradually add 1/3 cup sugar and continue to beat until it is completely dissolved. Add the milk, cream, bourbon and nutmeg and stir to combine.

 

Place the egg whites in a separate bowl and beat to soft peaks. With the mixer still running, gradually add the 1 tablespoon of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form like a meringue. Whisk the egg whites into the mixture. Chill and serve.

 

#2 Gingerbread

Gingerbread is another old-fashioned holiday favorite. Depending on your preferences you can make gingerbread cookies, snaps, gingerbread bread or even a gingerbread house. There are a number of recipes available. They range from quite basic to a quite elaborate. Find one that matches your taste and childhood memories. Did it have cream cheese? Bananas? Was your gingerbread dipped in chocolate? Experiment and enjoy gingerbread this holiday season.

 

#3 Fruit cake

Yes, that lovely cake that gets such a bad rap can actually be quite good. This is especially true when you make it from scratch. Fruitcake is a mixture of fruits and nuts. There’s usually only a small amount of batter, just enough to hold it all together.

 

However, traditional fruit cake isn't for children. It’s usually soaked with alcoholic liquors, then stored in a tightly closed tin. If that sounds like a bit of old-fashioned fun, ask your grandmother for a recipe or take a look online. Like gingerbread there are hundreds of recipes available.

 

Other old-fashioned Christmas recipes might include:

 

* Hot cross buns
* Christmas pudding
* Mince pie

 

And of course ham, turkey, stuffing and the traditional holiday menu. Have fun this holiday and bring back some of the retro recipes you loved as a child. Who knows – you might just bring back an old family tradition.