December often conjures images of roasted turkey and a parade of pies, cookies, and other confections. But just because your family has always cooked the same delicious dishes year after year doesn’t mean you can’t add something new–and unusual–to the lineup. For the truly intrepid, here are five weird winter recipes to try this holiday season. Your taste buds will thank you for the welcome diversion.
Eggnog Cake
That customary beverage of the season, eggnog is as ubiquitous as tinsel this time of year. So why not integrate the sweet flavor into your baking? Strange as it might sound, this eggnog cake recipe might just make your holiday dinner table a bit more festive. Pair it with a glass of fresh eggnog, and you’ve quite the winter treat.
Garlic Cookies
A beloved staple, cookie trays tend to consist of perennial favorites like chocolate chip and peanut butter thumbprints. This December, mix it up with this recipe for garlic cookies that also incorporates honey and goat cheese. Weird? Sure. Delectable? I’ll let you decide.
Figgy Pudding
For those of you who know your carols, figgy pudding will immediately conjure lyrics of good tidings from the tune, “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”. As a dish with super rich flavors, it’s an easy crowd pleaser. One bite, and you’ll know why those vintage carolers wouldn’t leave until they got a taste for themselves.
Mincemeat Pie
Once upon a time, mincemeat pies were indeed made of meat–and were sometimes shaped into effigies. These days, you can eschew the meat in favor of fruit, and you can also just make them look like any old mini pies. Or you can mold them into whatever shapes make your weird little heart content. Your call.
Wassail
Another well-known English classic, wassailing commonly refers to either door-to-door caroling or the old-time tradition of visiting orchards and singing to the trees. All in the name of good luck, of course. As a recipe, wassail is a lot like mulled cider, only with extra fruit such as oranges and cranberries added to spice it up. This is my personal favorite from this list, so if you can try only one new and weird recipe this holiday season, make it wassail. Spiked or not, it’s a great warm elixir for a bitterly cold evening.
What’s your favorite weird winter recipe? Let me know in the comments below!
Happy haunting!