There’s something about sharing a family recipe that feels special. It’s like a window into someone’s past, traditions and family gatherings. Some are keepsakes, some are cultural, and others evoke a memory.

Food is an intimate experience, especially when it comes to a recipe that holds meaning. The holidays are surely a time to dust off the family recipe book and pull out a stained recipe card, showing many years of love.

So with this, team Nyla Free Designs is sharing some of our beloved recipes. The Christmas season is looking a whole lot different this year, and we want to embrace the comforts of home and perhaps inspire you to try one of our personal favourites.

Kerstin

Four generations and counting! The love of this shortbread recipe has been passed down from my grandmother and enjoyed by many.

SHORTBREAD COOKIES

COOKIES:

1 c. salted butter
1/2 c. icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 c. flour

*Beat butter until soft. Add icing sugar and cream until blended. Add vanilla. Work in flour. Roll into a ball and flatten into a disk. Chill 15 mins. then roll to desired thickness, and cut into shapes.
Bake at 325 degrees until the edges just begin to brown.

ALMOND ICING:

1/4 c. margarine or butter/margarine blend
2 Tbsp milk
1/4 to 1/2 tsp almond extract
icing sugar
food colour

*Cream margarine. Beat in milk and almond extract. Add icing sugar until it reaches desired consistency. Tint if desired. Pipe onto cookies.

Alex

Our family celebrates Ukranian Christmas on January 7th with a huge feast. My Nona’s soup kicks off the dinner and even though I don’t care for beets, I have two helpings of her homemade borscht!

BORSCHT

3 stalks celery with leaves, chopped
2 medium, onions, chopped
3 Tbsp oil, margarine or butter
1 medium carrot, grated
5 cups beets, shredded
6 cups water
2 cans tomato juice
1 bay leaf
2 heaping Tbsp chicken soup base
14 oz cream of mushroom soup
2 Tbsp vinegar

Sauté onions and celery in oil, margarine, or butter. Boil carrots and beets in water until tender. Add sautéed onions and celery. Add tomato juice, cream of mushroom soup and chicken soup base. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add vinegar. Heat; do not boil. Add a dollop of sour cream and fresh dill for garnish.
TIPS:
Buy 5lb bag of beets.
Use food processor on “shredding” setting for beets and carrots

Ana

Summer begins December 20th in Chile and this is the official drink of the season. Shared amongst friends, family and neighbours alike, this beverage is a sure sign of celebrations.

COLA DE MONO

1 can evaporated milk
½ cup water
¼ cup granulated sugar to taste
3 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 tbsp Nescafe Clasico 100% Pure instant coffee granules
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch ground nutmeg
1 cup chilean pisco, white rum, brandy or vodka

Combine evaporated milk, water, sugar, cloves and cinnamon stick in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Add coffee; stir to dissolve . Add vanilla extract and nutmeg. Remove from heat. Cool 20 minutes. Remove cloves and cinnamon stick. Add brandy. Pour into empty bottle. Refrigerate fort 4 hours.
Serve in a an aperitif glass for a 2-ounce serving. Top with cinnamon stick.
Note: For a twist on flavour, add a 2 inch piece of orange peel when boiling milk and spices.

Jackie

A heritage dish to serve a crowd. It’s a feast for the senses with an homage to Quebec, and sweet memories of mom and grandma. C’est bon!

TOURTIERE

1 lb ground pork
1 lb ground beef
1 1⁄2 chicken stock
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small yellow onion, minced
3 small yellow potatoes, finely grated
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1⁄2 tsp ground all spice
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tenderflake pastry sheets 10” x 10”, thawed
1 egg and 1⁄2 cup of water or milk for egg wash
9” Pie plate of your choice, oven safe

In a large and deep fry pan, add oil to pan and sauté onion until translucent. Add garlic until fragrant. Add pork and beef and cook over medium high heat until browned.
Add chicken stock, potato and spices. Mix until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook on low for 45 minutes to 1 hour, mixing occasionally.
Remove pan from heat and check seasoning. Add more seasoning to taste if desired. Move mixture to a cookie sheet and spread out evenly. Place in fridge to cool completely.
Roll out tender-flake pastry sheets to cover pie plate of your choice. Trim any excess pastry overlapping on the edge and place in bottom of pie. Whisk together egg and water or milk for egg wash.
Remove cooled mix from fridge and spoon into pastry covered pie plate. Smooth out with spoon or spatula.
Apply egg wash to edge/ rim of pie bottom and place second pastry sheet overtop. Trim excess pastry and press pastry edges together. Add more egg wash if necessary ton ensure pie is sealed.
Heat oven to 375 °F. With a small, sharp paring knife cut out design of choice on top of pie. Apply egg wash to top and edges of pie. Place pie on middle rack and bake for 45 minutes, or until pie is golden brown.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. Serve with gravy and enjoy!

Brianna

This is the ultimate comfort food in the form of dessert. A classic, family favourite recipe for every holiday. Not complete without ice cream!

APPLE CRISP

APPLE FILLING:

5-6 apples
¾ cup white sugar
2-3 tbsp white flour
3 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of salt

*Mix together in Medium - Large Casserole dish.

CRUMB TOPPING:

½ cup brown sugar
1/3 cup margarine/butter
¾ cup white flour
1-2 tsp cinnamon
½ - 1 cup rolled oats

* Combine ingredients and cut butter in, sprinkle on top of apple filling.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and bake 35-40 min.

Nyla

GOLDEN CARAMELS

What started out as a candy making experiment, soon turned into a tradition of almost 25 years. These morsels have become a part of my Christmas gifting to friends, neighbours and clients. Each batch takes roughly two hours to make, 24 hours to set and another several hours to cut and wrap. They are a labour of love. I now make 5-6 batches each year, yielding a total of approximately 1375 individually wrapped pieces.

I used to have my husband help cut and wrap them. That, however, lowered my numbers by 50% as he would cut one, eat one, cut one, eat one… he has since been fired.

One year, I didn’t know how I was going to find the time to make them. I called a meeting to inform my family there would be no caramels this year. They all gasped. Literally. Then my husband said, “you have to find a way, people are counting on the caramels!” And so, of course, I did.

Year after year, people anxiously await their delivery and this warms my heart to no end. They hide them from their families to save them all for themselves, stash them in secret places and savour each and every morsel.

When I start making caramels, it’s a sure sign of Christmas in our house.

Fun fact: I don’t even eat them!

ps. While I didn’t create this recipe, I have claimed it as an NFDI tradition and subsequently, am sworn to secrecy.