Home Alone, Love Actually, Elf…
I have a giant stack of Christmas movies all ready to watch. One of my favorite parts of December is watching as many Christmas movies as I possibly can. (Another is listening to holiday music on the radio. Does anyone else think “I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” is the funniest song ever?)
And, of course, holiday-themed food.
The last two days have been a whirlwind (which is why I didn’t post yesterday or the day before). My friend Andrea drove in from Colorado, and she brought her adorable—but super-energetic—daughter, Kristin. It’s still hard for me to believe that my friend has a five-year-old child!
Before their arrival, I’d made up a big batch of my favorite gingerbread butter for myself, so I could eat gingerbread cookie dough balls! The girls were hungry when they got in, and so I used some of the gingerbread butter to make Christmas PB&J sandwiches. (After a quick photoshoot, I cut Kristin’s sandwich with a giant gingerbread cookie cutter!)
I’ve posted the gingerbread butter recipe before, when I did my post on cookie dough balls. Here it is again, so you don’t have to click on any links:
Gingerbread Butter
- 6 tbsp peanut butter (or other nut butter)
- 1 1/2 tbsp molasses (I used blackstrap, but regular is fine)
- heaping 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- scant 1/8 tsp each ginger and nutmeg
- Optional: cloves, sugar (I didn’t use either)
Mix together the peanut butter and molasses, using a blender or fork. (I just used a fork to mix.) Add the spices and mix again.
See cookie dough post for Nutrition Facts.
Cookie Dough Balls: If you add enough of the spices to the Gingerbread Butter, the dough is dry enough to roll into cookie balls. However, gingerbread butter is also delicious on a spoon, mixed in oatmeal, or as a sandwich with apple slices or grilled strawberries or banana. Or thin it out with a little almond milk, and make a pancake topping!
What are you looking forward to this holiday season?
Watching holiday movies? Baking cookies? Wearing ugly Christmas sweaters à la Colin Firth?
Jacqueline says
Katie! This gingerbread peanut butter looks out of this world! I love the idea of a seasonal pb&j! Thanks for another awesome recipe!! 🙂
BroccoliHut says
LOVE this recipe! Can’t wait to try it.
I look forward to Christmas movies every year too. In fact, today I watched Home Alone 2 🙂
Amelia says
What are you looking forward to this holiday season?
I am looking forward to this semester finally letting up, and also preparing for my student-teaching internship. I’m excited to go and spend time within my placement school and hopefully get to know some of the student-body and staff beforehand.
Although I don’t really get to go home for the holiday, I’ll be going home BEFORE it so looking forward to seeing my family a bit more.
And of course, baking! And all things deliciously Christmas: SO Delicious nog, gingerbread cookies, etc.!
Erica Gilliam says
This looks great! Sounds like a great “Christmasy” replacement for a PB&J! My mom used to always make holiday breads this time of year, but now I live 1000 miles away, so i look forward to making those for myself this year!
Emily @ Glitz Glam Granola says
None of my girlfriends have kids yet but I can imagine it will be crazy when they do! This peanut butter looks delicious though! I love the Christmas-y twist! And my favorite parts of the holidays are watching Xmas movies like the ones you mentioned and some Lifetime gems, listening to Xmas music and eating lots of yummy desserts!
Amanda says
You are so creative! I have no excuse not to make this it’s too easy :). My mom and I used to watch Home Alone every year while we put up the tree, I miss that I am grown and have my own place now. The ugly Christmas sweater comment is too funny! I have heard of an ugly Christmas sweater party which I think would be a blast to throw, maybe next year!
[email protected] says
I bet that sandwich was a hit with the five-year old! I’m so excited for my family Christmas party, The Year Without A Santa Claus (my favorite Christmas movie), and snuggling. Because snuggling is way more cozy during the holidays!
natalie @ southern fit foodie says
That gingerbread nut butter looks delicious…mmmmm..
I am looking forward to watching Christmas movies (Home Alone 2 is my favorite), baking cookies for a cookie swap this Saturday, and getting all decked out for our annual white trash christmas bash.
However, what I’m looking forward to the most this year…is going to CANCUN with my husband, mom, dad, and brother for Christmas. I cannot wait – it’s going to be amazing! Feliz Navidad!
Emma says
Where is the jam recipe for the other part of the sandwich? And what about the bread recipe? Don’t you think it’s deceptive to post pictures of foods for which you don’t include recipes for on your website?
KIDDING, kidding, just kidding. Ha, I saw the furor over your icing recipe-less sugar cookie post and would have told those commenters to stuff it if I were you (you see why I don’t have a blog!). I love that you cut your sandwiches out with cookie cutters too! I snagged some star-shaped mini loaf pans at a flea market a few weeks ago and have been making baked oatmeal and muffins in them since….before Thanksgiving (shh!).
And thank you for answering my questions about agave and brown rice syrup (I had asked about the taste and consistency). I hate when people ask how something tastes– like itself, duh!
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
LOL Emma, you scared me for a second! 😉
I have a heart-shaped mini loaf pan… but so far the only thing I’ve made in it has been raw chocolate fudge cake. 🙂
Misty says
Katie, I’m including a link to a recipe I shared online, using your gingerbread butter. I made sure you received credit for the gingerbread butter and shared your link. Thanks for all your delicious recipes!!
Matt @ FaveDiets says
This looks delicious! I would love if you shared this in my holiday recipes Blog Hop. Enter it for a chance at a Wilton Pre-Baked Gingerbread Tree Kit! http://bit.ly/vbyp71
Erin says
I know it’s not Christmas anymore, but I’d been wanting to try this recipe out for awhile, so today I finally did. Mine came out really gummy 🙁 I’m not sure what I did wrong. Has this happened to you Katie, or to anyone else, before?
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
Hmm… what pb brand did you use? 😕
Autumn says
Oh my goodness..I think I just fell in love…I have been obsessed with gingerbread since I worked in Haiti (I know, sounds random..but they have gingerbread guys that walk around with giant trays of it on their heads and sell it on the streets..SOOO yummy!!) and this recipe definitely satisfied that craving in the easiest way imaginable..
How do you possibly make this and not eat the entire recipe?? haha I made a half batch (knowing my love for gingerbread) and had to force myself to put half of it in the fridge…
Thanks CCK!! 🙂
Food For Thought says
Bookmarking this one for Christmas time! Nothing better at Christmas than gingerbread – YUM!
Check out my Nutrition blog at blogfoodforthought.com ! 🙂
[email protected] says
Thanks for the recipe! I just featured these over here:
http://moderngirlnutrition.wordpress.com/2012/12/26/holiday-desserts-roundup/
Happy Holidays!
Sarah says
Whats your favorite kind of jam to use?
Chocolate Covered Katie says
I have two: one comes in a green jar, but I don’t remember the name. The other one is something like St. Balfour.
Becky says
I wound up adding some extra molasses to mine, along with about 1/2 tsp vanilla, 1 1/2 Tbsp maple syrup, and replaced the nutmeg w/ allspice. YUM. Will definitely be playing around with this and making it again. 🙂
linda says
Thanks for today’s email: Frosted Peanut Butter Snack Cake. can I substitute honey or maple syrup for the sugar or xylitol? if I do, will it make it too runny, such that I should compensate in some way to thicken it? Thanks so much. 🙂
Erin says
Love this! I used the spices and molasses in my homemade almond butter and it’s FANTASTIC. I’m never going back. Love!
John says
Gingerbread Peanut Butter?! Oh my god, I can’t wait to try this. Just in time for Christmas this year too! I’m a dessert junkie like you and it’s great to see some healthier options. Thanks for the new recipe!
Aimee B. says
I just wanted to let you know how much my family LOVED your gingerbread pb! Even my husband loved it and he doesn’t care for gingerbread, lol! I made some gingerbread pb and sugar plum jam (Trader Joe’s) tea sandwiches for our Christmas tea this year. These are definitely a keeper. Thanks so much! 🙂