Christmas-ify December

Christmas may come once a year, but there's 25 days in December to get your holiday flavor fix. Incorporate festive tastes like eggnog, gingerbread and peppermint into everything from breakfast dishes to DIY gifts and scrumptious syrups and sips with recipes from the McCormick Kitchens.

"We do a lot of celebrating and eating in December, so there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the seasonal flavors we look forward to all year," said Chef Kevan Vetter of the McCormick Kitchens. "Make green 'Christmas Tree' waffles studded with chocolate candies as 'ornaments' and dusted with powdered sugar for the 'snow.' Or, mix popcorn with white chocolate, peppermint extract and red and green sprinkles for a party snack or edible gift."

A Very Merry Morning

• Christmas Tree Waffles Decoration meets deliciousness with this jolly take on waffles. Tint the batter green, cut into triangles, then decorate with chocolate candies and powdered sugar.
• Overnight Eggnog French Toast Casserole It's a Christmas miracle! This overnight French toast uses rum extract and nutmeg for that signature eggnog flavor. Make the night before and pop in the oven for more quality time with guests.
• Slow Cooker Gingerbread Oatmeal Steel cut oats + Gingerbread Spice, molasses and a slow cooker make for a cozy bowl to wake up to. Guests can customize with toppings like dried cranberries, shredded coconut, nuts and raisins.
• Overnight Cinnamon Roll Casserole Prepare this cinnamon-sweet dish the night before for a hassle-free holiday brunch. Challah bread soaks in a mixture of milk, cinnamon and vanilla. Drizzle with cream cheese icing after baking.
• Gingerbread Men Pancakes Add Gingerbread Spice to a simple pancake batter, then pour inside a gingerbread man cookie cutter atop a skillet for a memorable stack of flapjacks.

Good Tidings to your Toppings, Sauces and Sips

• Hot Buttered Rum Sauce What do pancakes, ice cream and bread puddings have in common? They all crave this warm, rummy sauce, made with just 5 ingredients.
• Cinnamon Cream Cheese Spread Enjoy this Christmas-spiced spread at breakfast on bagels and toast or on apple slices as an easy, everyday snack.
• Eggnog Martini Serve this adult-friendly drink at your holiday party that lets you cheers with a fun, festive flair.
• Slow Cooker Peppermint Hot Chocolate Holiday party guests can warm-up on a snowy evening by helping themselves to a steamy hot beverage that's bursting with cool peppermint flavor.
• Candy Cane Whipped Cream Like tinsel on the tree, this minty treat is the perfect topper for your favorite winter beverages like hot cocoa, or try it on desserts like chocolate cake.

Santa-Worthy Snacks and Gifts

• Peppermint Crunch Popcorn Watching your favorite holiday movies just got even merrier with this crunchy Christmas snack.
• Gingerbread Cookie Butter Made from real gingerbread cookies, this spreadable treat is irresistible on everything from toast and pretzels to brownies and ice cream.
• Eggnog Cookie Gift Tags Why label gifts with paper cards when you can use cookies instead? Use food color and vanilla extract to paint designs on these eggnog-flavored cookie tags.
• Apple Cider Mulling Spice Sachets Tie up cinnamon sticks, allspice and cloves in cheesecloth to make it easy to add warm seasonal flavor to simmering apple cider.
• Cinnamon Ornaments These ornaments are easy to make with an aroma that lasts long after the holidays are over.
• Cinnamon Vanilla Glazed Walnuts The holidays should be full of sugar, spice and everything nice. These sweet walnuts get a little heat from red pepper.
• Gingerbread Whoopie Pies with Lemon Crme Spiced gingerbread cookies combine with tangy lemon crme for a contemporary take on a classic Christmas cookie. Roll the edges in peppermint candies for added coolness and crunch.

For more holiday tips and recipes, visit McCormick.com. Also, check us out on Pinterest and Facebook.

About McCormick

McCormick & Company, Incorporated is a global leader in flavor. With $4.3 billion in annual sales, the company manufactures, markets and distributes spices, seasoning mixes, condiments and other flavorful products to the entire food industry retail outlets, food manufacturers and foodservice businesses. Every day, no matter where or what you eat, you can enjoy food flavored by McCormick. McCormick Brings Passion to Flavor. For more information, visit www.mccormickcorporation.com.

SOURCE McCormick & Company

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