Gatlinburg Santa
Christmas Cocktails & Cookies in your Gatlinburg Cabin
Christmas is a time for family, fellowship, and fun. This Christmas season while on vacation in the Great Smoky Mountains you can create your own cabin Christmas party.
Cozy up in your Elk Spring Resort Cabin and spend a cold winter’s eve making cookies with the kids. While you are at it you can concoct some adult beverages to add to the fun.
These simple recipes are sure to make some Christmas memories and spark the Christmas spirit!
Cranberry Margaritas
1 ¼ cups premium tequila
1 ¼ cups frozen cranberry juice cocktail concentrate, thawed
1 can jellied cranberry sauce
10 tablespoons fresh lime juice
6 Tablespoons orange liqueur
Directions
1) Mix all ingredients in a blender until smooth.
2) Pour half of Cranberry Margarita base into blender
3) Add 3 ½ cups ice cubes
4) Blend until mixture is slushy
5) Pour into salt-rimmed glasses.
6) Garnish with cranberries
Pomegranate Mimosa
1 ounce fresh orange juice
1 ounce pomegranate juice
2 ounces sparkling wine
Directions
1) Pour ingredients into a glass and serve
Christmas Sangria
2 tsp. finely shredded lime peel
1 cup lime juice
¾ cup sugar
4 cups water
1-750 ml bottle Pinot Noir
1 orange, peeled and sliced
½ cup maraschino cherries
¼ cup brandy
ice
Directions
1) In a 1-quart glass measuring cup combine lime peel and juice, and sugar.
2) Add water, stir sugar mixture to dissolve.
3) Add wine, orange slices, and cherries
4) Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
5) Pour over ice in glasses.
Jam Thumbprints
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup jam, such as raspberry, blueberry or plum
Directions
1) Preheat oven to 350°F. In bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
2) Add egg, and beat until completely combined. Reduce speed to low, add flour, and mix. Shape dough into 1-inch balls.
3) Place on baking sheets, spacing at least 3 inches apart. Moisten thumb with water, and gently press center of each ball to make indentation.
4) Heat jam in small saucepan over medium until melted. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon into each indentation.
5) Bake—rotating sheet halfway through—until cookies are golden brown around edges, approximately18 to 20 minutes.
6) Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool. Cookies can be stored in single layers in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days.
Dark Chocolate Chunk Cranberry Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups dark chocolate chips/chunks
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup chopped pecans
Directions
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) Cream sugars, butter, and vanilla until smooth.
3) Add eggs one at a time
4) Mix flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Then combine in a large bowl with egg/sugar mixture.
5) Fold in chocolate chips, cranberries, and nuts
6) Drop by large spoonfuls onto greased baking sheets.
7) Bake for 8-10 minutes, until edges are brown.
Eggnog Cookies
¾ cup butter, softened
1 ¼ cups white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup eggnog
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2) Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.
3) Cream sugar and butter. Add eggnog, vanilla and egg yolks. Beat with a mixer until smooth.
4) Add flour and beat on until just combined.
5) Drop on greased cookie sheet by teaspoonfuls, 1 inch apart.
6) Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg
7) Bake for 8-10 minutes or until bottoms are light brown.
Chocolate Crinkles
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 ounces melted unsweetened chocolate (cool)
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup powdered sugar
Directions
1) Mix sugar, oil, chocolate, and vanilla.
2) Mix in eggs, one at a time.
3) Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover and refrigerate at least three hours.
4) Heat oven to 350°F. Drop dough by spoonfuls into powdered sugar; roll around to coat. Shape into balls.
5) Place on greased cookie sheets, about two inches apart.
6) Bake until almost no indentation remains when touched (10 to 12 minutes
