What happened to the Christmas recipes that filled our grandparents’ homes with warmth and wonder every December?
In this video, we journey back to discover 25 forgotten Christmas recipes that once defined the holiday season – from mysterious sugarplums that weren’t plums at all to paper-thin Moravian cookies that required generations of skill to perfect. These lost culinary traditions reveal how our ancestors transformed simple ingredients into magical holiday memories through patience, tradition, and love, creating dishes that connected families to centuries of celebration.
#christmas #recipes #vintage #cooking #traditions
00:00 Introduction
00:25 Chapter 1: Sugarplums
01:50 Chapter 2: Tom and Jerry
03:19 Chapter 3: Green Tomato Mincemeat Pie
04:49 Chapter 4: Divinity Candy
06:23 Chapter 5: Potato Candy Pinwheels
07:56 Chapter 6: Christmas Plum Pudding
09:28 Chapter 7: Brandy Hard Sauce
10:57 Chapter 8: Pfeffernüsse Cookies
12:32 Chapter 9: Moravian Spice Cookies
14:04 Chapter 10: Rum Balls
15:40 Chapter 11: Ambrosia Salad
17:17 Chapter 12: Ribbon Gelatin Salad
18:52 Chapter 13: Cranberry-Orange Relish
20:21 Chapter 14: Oyster Stew
22:03 Chapter 15: Lefse
23:35 Chapter 16: Stollen
25:08 Chapter 17: Aged Fruitcake
26:46 Chapter 18: Gingerbread Steamed Pudding
28:25 Chapter 19: Spiced Pickled Peaches
30:03 Chapter 20: Wassail
Disclaimer:
Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.”
I do NOT own some or all of the video materials used in this video. In the case of copyright issues, please contact me for credit/removal.
My grandmother Grandone had one job at Christmas. Make enough polenta to feed anywhere from 15 to 20 people. My grandmother Grieza was in charge of making some of the most luscious cream gravy with chicken stock, milk, and flour, that I have ever tasted. Both made it on their own stoves and we brought it to whose ever house was hosting Christmas. While we had leftover turkey or ham and sides for everyone who wanted to take some home, if you didn't get polenta and gravy when it went around a second time at the table, you were out of luck.
I’m 93 and still make cranberry relish for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. My recipe includes a lemon jello base with cranberries, whole orange, red apple, celery, pecans and sugar. One of my friends calls it cranberry candy. Holiday blessings to all.
Mom always made my dad suet pudding with hard sauce and mincemeat pie at Christmas. I ate a piece of the raspberry pie and apple pie that grandma made. Yum.
Ugh, Oyster stew
I'm german, living in France and bake Christstollen every year. To give as a présent and enjoy… made another hatch of 2 kg today.
Divinity!!! My Mom always made this by herself!!!!
I’ve made the Jello layer dessert many times !! 78 & I remember most of these!!!
My grandma was a terrible cook 😮!
Christmas pudding needs suet, not sweet as recorded here.
Potato candy was always a fun treat from Thanksgiving to Valentine's.