Christmas
Joy, warmth, and seconds
12 Recipes
Christmas in our house starts in the kitchen. Clara and I make candy cane bark the first weekend of December. Mason licks every spoon. And by Christmas Eve, there’s flour on the counter, butter in the air, and Nana Ruth’s thumbprint cookies cooling on the rack like they’ve done for three generations.
I think what makes Christmas cooking different from any other holiday is the pace of it. Thanksgiving is one big day—you plan, you cook, you eat, you collapse. But Christmas stretches out. There are cookies to bake the first week of December, fudge to make for the neighbors, rolls to prep for Christmas Eve dinner, and a whole breakfast casserole situation on Christmas morning that Jake has come to expect whether I’m ready for it or not.
Nana Ruth always said Christmas wasn’t about the presents under the tree—it was about the smells coming out of the kitchen. She started baking in November and didn’t stop until New Year’s. I’m not quite that ambitious, but I understand what she meant. When the kids wake up on Christmas morning and the house smells like cinnamon rolls and coffee, that’s the real gift. Everything else is wrapping paper.
Main Dishes
Nana Ruth’s Brown Sugar Glazed Ham
The simplest, sweetest ham glaze Nana Ruth ever made. Brown sugar, mustard, and a little patience.
Maggie’s Sunday Pot Roast
The pot roast that started everything on this site. Low and slow, the way Nana Ruth taught me.
Simple Roast Chicken (The Sunday Dinner That Started Everything)
The Sunday dinner that anchors our whole week. Simple enough for a Tuesday, special enough for company.
Cookies & Sweet Treats
Clara’s Thumbprint Cookies
Straight from Nana Ruth’s recipe box. Clara makes these every December and guards the jam jar like a dragon.
Candy Cane Bark
Clara’s favorite December tradition. Melted chocolate, crushed peppermint, and ten messy minutes of joy.
Mason’s 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies (His First Solo Recipe!)
Mason’s first solo recipe. Three ingredients, no mixer, and a kid so proud he won’t stop talking about it.
Chaos Cookies (Easy Butter Cookies the Whole Family Will Love)
The butter cookies that got their name because Mason dumps in whatever sprinkles he can reach.
Nana Ruth’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
The recipe Nana Ruth wrote on the inside of a cabinet door. Crisp edges, chewy center, gone in minutes.
Breads & Baking
Nana Ruth’s Honey Butter Dinner Rolls (Updated)
The rolls that make Christmas dinner feel complete. Jake eats four before the ham is even carved.
Easy Banana Bread (The Overripe Rescue)
What to make when the bananas on the counter have given up on life. Warm, sweet, and forgiving.
Pull-Apart Garlic Bread
Warm, buttery, and impossible to eat just one piece. Perfect alongside the pot roast or the ham.
Warm Drinks
Maggie’s Christmas Kitchen Tip
Start your Christmas baking the first weekend of December. Cookie dough freezes beautifully—roll it into logs, wrap in wax paper, and slice-and-bake whenever the mood strikes. By Christmas Eve, you’ll have a cookie plate that looks like you spent a week on it, and you barely broke a sweat.
I’m still adding more Christmas recipes as the season gets closer—gingerbread cake, a make-ahead Christmas morning casserole, and Nana Ruth’s fruitcake (yes, the good kind). Check back, or browse our other holiday recipes for more seasonal ideas.
— Maggie