Holiday Treats From My Childhood

Every family has their own holiday traditions (and it many instances, this translates to holiday foods). While some of these holiday treats are cultural, others are somewhat random or have a unique story behind them. I wanted to share holiday treats from my childhood (and adulthood) and a little bit of story behind them.

Peppermint Bark

I don’t have a specific memory about peppermint bark — it’s just a nice snack that I really only eat during the holidays (even when I drink peppermint tea for digestion in non-holiday months I feel like I’m doing something wrong!) I love the crunch from the candy canes and prefer peppermint bark that has some milk chocolate in it (not just white chocolate).

Gingerbread Cookies

I LOVE ginger anything — tea, chews, gum, you name it. While I love homemade ginger cookies, there is something nostalgic about the Little Debbie gingerbread men cookies. They’re soft, not super gingery (although I like when they’re spicy personally), and small enough that you can have one and not feel like you’re indulging too much.

Shortbread/Biscuits

I love a good shortbread or plain cookie (sometimes you don’t need a ton of ingredients or crazy flavors, after all). This particular brand is new to me but has officially become a Christmas tradition from now on because they’re just THAT good. I saw these at a family BJ’s run and although I didn’t need them, the price made me buy them. We intended to put them out as an additional Thanksgiving dessert but ended up liking them so much we ate the majority of them before Thanksgiving. Oops!

Chocolate Orange

I have yet to meet another human who has ever had a chocolate orange. People look at me like I have two heads when I mention that I always had one in my stocking every year and that they are delicious! If you think the combo of chocolate and orange are weird, I advise you to just give it a try. You smash the orange on something and it “breaks” up the pieces, leaving you with chocolate orange slices. They make different flavors now too, but I’m partial to the OG milk chocolate orange.

Holiday Flavored Teas

I love a good seasonal tea, and the holidays are no exception. If I’m at my parent’s house, they usually have some sort of cinnamon or holiday tea I can have in the mornings or at night. If I’m staying local, I usually end up picking up something holiday-inspired at Trader Joe’s (they always have fun seasonal tea flavors).

Popcorn Trio

Another item I only purchase and eat around the holidays is the big tub of popcorn in three flavors. I don’t eat cheese, so I actually only eat the butter and the caramel but the point still stands. Something about the popcorn just takes better than the usual one you’d make at home or buy prebagged at the store. It’s also a challenge if you and your family can finish the entire tub in the few days you’re home for the holidays.

Hard Candy

Hard candy or ribbon candy instantly makes me think of my Nana. She always had some at her house on Christmas eve, and I would eat it. I vividly remember the crazy, old-school flavors (cinnamon and licorice — guess which one I liked) and cutting my mouth on the sharp ribbon candy edges.

Hot Chocolate

Similar to my feelings on holiday tea, I love having a mug of hot chocolate during the holidays. Oddly enough neither of my kids are big hot chocolate fans, so I don’t really buy it since I only want in once or twice a year. I was gifted the Williams Sonoma hot chocolate previously, and it was so good!