This is a super difficult one for me to answer! I don’t think I have a really great answer because I have become a totally different person this year than I have ever been in all my years of Christmas past. But I will do my best to answer here.

For me, my favorite Christmas foods have always been bread. When I was an elementary-age kid–maybe around age ten or so–I took over all of the Christmas baking. I loved to read cookbooks, and every weekend, I would bake Christmas treats. I always began with loaves of bread because they kept the longest of anything else when placed in the freezer. I started Christmas baking in October (I kid you not!).

German Stollen was the first thing I made that truly became somewhat of a tradition. Until I adjusted the recipe, I didn’t like this bread much, I admit. I am not overly fond of candied cherries and citron, but the bread itself was amazing! I knew how to knead bread and could make some of the best bread ever long before the advent of bread machines.

One year, I decided to adjust the recipe and try maraschino cherries in the dough. I was totally IN LOVE with this recipe! I don’t always get the chance to make it, but when I do, it is some of the best bread I have ever tasted!

Other treats include Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies, Almond Roca (really, it’s English Toffee, but because this candy hails from our area, we call it by that name), and even Peanut Butter Fudge and Peanut Butter Brittle. (I’m sensing a theme here, are you?)

We have a wide variety of meal eats. I used to cook international cuisine every Christmas Eve–everything from Italian to French to German and more. I have always been an adventurous cook who doesn’t like to make the same meal twice. Over the years, we have streamlined our holiday meals and cut down on the number of sweets. Even more so this year!! But I hope to make some of that German Stollen between Christmas and New Year’s!