Countdown to Christmas – Favourite Holiday Treats

Day 4 of our Countdown to Christmas is in full swing, and today we asked some of this country’s talented artists/ bands what their favourite Holiday/ Christmas treats are! I feel I should warn you that this post is going to make you VERY hungry for some yummy foods! But before you start to read today’s, be sure to check out “First Thoughts of Christmas“, “Favourite Christmas Songs“, and “Favourite Christmas Movies“.

What is your all-time favourite Holiday treat?

My mom’s gingersnaps. “ –Marty Zylstra

Whiskey” –Andrew Rodgers (Fairgale)

I’m gonna go with Christmas cookies.” -Kayd

Ginger bread, of course!” – Kaitlyn Hansen-Boucher  (The Katherines)

“I have zero sweet tooth, so I have to say just the big Christmas roast with family is the best meal related  favourite for me. You shouldn’t need a reason to be with family, but sometimes having a reason doesn’t hurt.” –Andrew Phelan (The River & The Road)

Baked Brie in Puff Pastry with Cranberry Sauce (Not really; its home-made fois gras, but I can’t say that!)” –Steven Hardy

The Italian “Panettone”” –Antonio Piretti

Candy Canes for sure!” –Tyler Wilkinson (Small Town Pistols)

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THE ‘NOG” –Chris Blades (Birds of Bellwoods)

Christmas ham (glazed)” – Grant Kawai (Kayd)

“Carmel Popcorn” –Danielle Marie

“Does Single Malt count as a holiday treat?” –Adrian Morningstar (Birds of Bellwoods)

Egg Nog. It’s a once a year treat and I do not hold back!” –Andrew James O’Brien (Fortunate Ones)

My mother’s rocky road cookies with a drop of purity syrup” –Brad Wells (Another North)

“A Nice whiskey, but I guess you can imbibe year round…” – Kintaro Akiyama (Birds Of Bellwoods)

That’s hard to choose. Every year my grandma makes a ton of Christmas goodies and I always gain at least 15 pounds because of it.” –Jordan McIntosh

White chocolate peppermint bark!” –Lauren Kurdyak (The Katherines)

Robotic Chocolate Dreydel. It’s from Future-Time.” –Stephen Joffe (Birds Of Bellwoods)

“Gingerbread anything” –Bobby Wills

My parents used to put a mandarin orange in the toe of my stocking.  I don’t know if it was the orange itself, or the break from all the sugar I had  worked my way through before I got to the delicious citrus fruit, but it has become  my favourite Christmas related food. Now that I’m a grown-up, mulled wine is also  climbing the ranks… and ginger cookies! So good!” –Steph MacPherson

Candy canes.” – Mat Beyore (Kayd)

“I’m kind of a classic girl and love to have pumpkin pie around the holidays and eggnog of course!” –Madeline Merlo

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The funny thing is, it isn’t even really a Christmas treat at all. You know those bags of Hershey’s chocolate chips you use for baking? My mom always buys a few of those to surprise me when I come home for the holidays. I basically just stuff my face with about 4 full bags of Hershey’s chocolate chips over a week long period.” –Bryce Smith (Rival Town)

“I love peppermint hot chocolate and gingerbread cookies! Who doesn’t love making gingerbread houses?!” –Mike Robins (Autumn Hill)

“The buttercream chocolates in “Pot of Gold“” –Harry Parsons (London Above)

After Eight chocolates!” –Chantel Emond (French Press)

“Chocolate fudge! I love it. And eat way too much of it. But who cares it’s Christmas, it’s completely acceptable to eat chocolate for breakfast right?” –Justin Mattock

Sucre au Creme.  My Grandmother would always make it witht the kids during the Holidays. Homemade hot toffee poured over fresh snow! Every kid gets a spoon and digs in!” –Clayton Bellamy

Turnip or cookies. Mostly cookies.” –Jason Golden (Kayd)

This might seem strange but clementines always come out during the holidays.  The smell of them always reminds me of this time of year. “ –Amanda Wilkinson (Small Town Pistols)

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“CHOCOLATE in every form. Advent calendars, those big dutch chocolate letters (my mom is Dutch), and Toblerone bars!” – Kristian Montano (Sun K)

Baileys and coffee!” –Stacey Zegers (Runaway Angel)

My family heritage is Scottish, so shortbread all the way. Sugar + flour + butter = heaven.” –Ali Raney (The Lovelocks)

My mom gets homemade Christmas treats every year from this woman at work and she makes the best Nova Scotia cake ever. I only get it once a year so when this time of year comes around I probably have a piece of cake every day until it’s gone!” –Cory Marquardt

Favourite Christmas treat would be alcohol that I didn’t have to buy lol!” –Curtis Hayes (Shark Week)

Tim’s candy cane hot chocolate “ –Dave Shears (RocketRocketShip)

Latkes” –Roy Viser (Jon and Roy)

Toffeefe and toblerone. I’ve always associated these with Christmas because we get them in our stockings every year. There was always toblerone in our house on Christmas, it’s my dad’s favourite.” –Evan Aucoin (Port of Call)

“My mom’s shortbread.
Baking is a science and an art. It is equal parts chemistry and creativity. As the youngest of the family I often ended up in the kitchen helping out and making Christmas goodies is a huge part of my childhood memories… sifting the flour, cutting in butter, the sugar, the dough. Mixing it lightly, not too much so it is tough, rolling it not thick and not thin and cooking it… just enough.
I liked the darkest brown ones, still do.
I love to cook and bake and still do to this day, but have yet to achieve the achieve something as close to what we would eat  those early winter days.”
–Robert Campbell

Turkey dinner. Quality Street candy. Gingerbread.” –Catherine Allan (Fortunate Ones)

Terry’s chocolate oranges! Oh, And homemade cookies!!!!“ –Jordan Coaker (Waterfront Fire)

Chocolate pecan squares. Mmmm.” –Kate Kurdyak (The Katherines)

Egg Nog” – Stu Kawai (Kayd)

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Toffifay…..yum!!” –Scott Gilbert

My mom’s Shortbreads are the best!” –Cadence Grace (Runaway Angel)

Presidents Choice Candy Cane Ice Cream” –Seamus O’Neill

Gingerbread cookies from my Grandma!” –Matt Stinn (Friends of Foes)

My Nan’s German Shortbread Cookies! We get together every year and make them for the family. They’re amazing!” – Kirsten Rodden-Clarke (Quote The Raven)

White Chocolate covered Oreos & Avalon brand Egg Nog” –Louis Wu (Fake Shark Real Zombie)

My grandma’s nanaimo and peanut butter squares!  Although she’s not with us anymore, the recipes and deliciousness live on.” –Zoe Neuman (The Lovelocks)

Almond paste cookies” –Made Them Lions

Julie makes delicious popcorn drizzled with dark chocolate, caramel and coconut!” –Twin Kennedy

“Not even sure. I like the process.” -Max Kolosov

My mom’s homemade Baklava.” –Patrick Ballantyne

Is it wrong if they’re all alcoholic? Rum ‘n eggnog and a nice scotch after a long hike in the cold.” –Ann Chaplin (Runaway Angel)

Shawn is a big fan of sugar cookies, Chad is all about the shortbread cookies with the cherry in the middle and Chris loves his coffee and baileys.” –Sea Perry

Gingerbread houses. Because I like decorating them. I don’t really like eating them though?” –Sheldon Stenning (Air Combat)

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Homemade eggnog w/ maple whiskey AKA Sov Nog. It’s from a local Thunder Bay bar called the Sovereign Room. It’s so good that I like to think Jesus would have died for it too. “ – Ryan MacDonald (The Honest Heart Collective)

“Depends on the treat… Spiced Rum + Egg Nog? Delicious.” –Tim Chaisson