Well, folks, it appears that the holidays are fully upon us.
How did that happen? I swear that it was just yesterday that I was dodging
rogue 4
of July firecrackers, and now, all of a sudden, Thanksgiving
is in our rearview, Hanukkah has officially begun and Christmas is a mere four
days away.
Yikes.
They say time flies when you’re having fun; apparently it
can fly for other reasons as well.
If you’re like me, you’re not feeling much in the holiday
spirit. In fact, you may even be feeling a bit Scrooge-ish. There’s no shame in
that. But, we here at ATG want to help you snap out of the Holiday Horribles by
spreading a little holiday cheer. It’s what we do. We’re givers. And what
better way to spread said cheer than with movies – and cookies?
So, in honor of the season of giving, loving, laughing,
crying and overeating, here are 15 of the top holiday movies – listed in no
particular order – paired with their perfect cookie.
Happy watching and bon appetite!
George
Bailey is a desperate, despairing man; but, just as he’s about to do something
really drastic, he meets Clarence, an angel who shows him what life would be
like if he had never been born. Released almost 70 years ago, It’s
a Wonderful Life continues
to top the list of best holiday movies nearly every year.
Cookie
Pairing:
Chocolate Chip Cookies
In
much the same way that It’s a Wonderful Life is
the cornerstone of holiday movies, chocolate chip is a cornerstone cookie. Both
classics in their own right, these two make the perfect holiday pairing.
Those
poor Griswolds. They just can’t catch a break. Their summer vacation was an
epic disaster and their Christmas vacation isn’t much better. Maybe, if they’re
lucky, Santa will leave them
some good luck
in their stockings this year.
Cookie Pairing:
Milk Chocolate, Maple-Syrup Glazed Bacon Cookies
If,
by some miracle, freeloading Cousin Eddy decided to
contribute to the Griswold Christmas feast, he would probably bring something
like this:
Santa
Claus doesn’t exist. Or does he? That’s the question one doubting boy aims to
answer when he boards a magical train to the North Pole one Christmas Eve
night.
Cookie
Pairing:
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
A
long journey to the North Pole requires a hardy snack; and these oatmeal raisin
cookies are sure to do the trick!
Ralphie
Parker really, really wants a BB gun for Christmas, but he’s
facing an uphill battle; the adults in his life think it’s too dangerous. Who
will win this epic BB gun battle? And will Ralphie really shoot his eye
out?
Cookie
Pairing: Old-Fashioned
Chocolate Fudge
In
honor of Ralphie’s slip of the tongue – the one where he wishes
he
had said “fudge,” instead of another popular F word – here’s a decadent treat
to indulge in. Hopefully this sweet treat won’t get you into nearly as much
trouble as cussing in front of your dad.
Follow
the lives of several Londoners – and one American – as they navigate family
trials, unrequited loves, and the Holiday Horribles – all against a magnificent
London backdrop.
Cookie
Pairing: Eggnog
Shortbread
When
it comes to desserts, you really can’t get any more British than shortbread,
and with eggnog originating in England, this dessert makes the perfect pairing
to this perfectly English film.
No
holiday season is complete without this Dickens classic. Follow Scrooge as he
embarks on three separate eye-opening journeys through Christmases past,
present and future.
Cookie Pairing: Gingerbread Men
Put a
slight twist on the classic gingerbread man and decorate these cookies to
resemble Scrooge and the three Christmas ghosts.
The
grouchy old Grinch, with his Grinchy-sized heart, concocts a surefire plan to
stop Christmas from coming for all the Whos down in Whoville. It’s foolproof.
Or is it?
Cookie
Pairing: Peanut
Butter Pudding Cookies
This
quick and easy recipe is definitely a crowd pleaser. To really
make
it authentic, forget the JELL-O pudding and make it with Who-pudding instead!
Eight-year-old
Kevin McCallister is home alone. His family accidentally left him behind when
they traveled to Paris for Christmas. As man of the house, Kevin must defend
his home from a couple of neighborhood thieves. Lucky for him, they’re
operating at about a seven-year-old level.
Cookie
Pairing:
Molasses Cookies
One
of Kevin’s more painful traps for the bumbling burglars is tar on the basement
steps, with a strategically placed nail at the top. The stickiness of the tar
is recreated with the molasses in these delicious cookies…but you might want to
save the nails for your next DIY project.
Disillusioned
by
the commercialism he sees around him, Charlie Brown sets
out on a mission to find
the true meaning of Christmas
– one sad, pathetic Christmas tree at a time.
Cookie
Pairing:
Peanut Butter Blossoms
These
cookies seem to be an especially big hit with the younger crowd, which would
make them an excellent addition to Charlie Brown’s Christmas celebration – and
the perfect indulgence to pair with this fun family flick.
When
a nice old man who claims to be Santa Claus is institutionalized as insane, a
young lawyer decides to defend him by arguing in court that he is the real
thing.
Cookie
Pairing: Sugar
Cookies
A
classic movie like Miracle on 34th Street requires
the pairing of a classic cookie. To really get into the spirit, cut these
cookies into Santa shapes and frost accordingly.
Initials
are about the only thing that high-powered ad exec Scott Calvin has in common
with Santa Claus. But when Santa has an unfortunate mishap on Scott’s roof,
Scott must step into Santa’s big, black boots or risk canceling Christmas
forever.
Cookie
Pairing:
Cocoa Brownies
According
to Judy the Elf, it took her 1200 years to perfect her cocoa recipe;
fortunately for all of us, these yummy brownies don’t require “perfect” cocoa.
What
a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive, especially when the
deceivees are the family of a man in a coma. And as token collector Lucy can
attest to, the deception is made all the worse when you start to fall in love
with the “sleeping” man’s brother.
Cookie
Pairing:
Coconut Dream Cookies
For
obvious reasons, these “dreamy” cookies are the perfect pairing to any flick
that offers sleep as one of its main themes. Enjoy them with a mug of warm milk
and you may soon be settling down for your own long winter’s nap.
After
meeting on a WWII battlefield, Bob Wallace and Phil Davis team up to form a
successful song and dance team. But when they follow a sister act duo to their
show in Vermont, the boys soon find themselves at the failing inn of their
former commanding general, and the foursome quickly concocts a plan to get the
inn back in the black.
Cookie
Pairing:
Snickerdoodles
If
snow could be replicated in a cookie, this would be it. Light, airy and
sprinkled with sugar, there’s a little bit of snowy heaven in every bite.
When
Buddy, the supersized “elf,” realizes that there is nothing elf-like about him,
he sets off on a journey from
the North Pole to New York City in search of his biological family –
spreading Christmas cheer for all to hear along the way.
Cookie Pairing:
White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
If
you really want to make this cookie Elf-tastic, use peppermint from one of the
seven levels of the Candy Cane Forest and top it with gumdrops from the Sea of
the Swirly Twirly Gumdrops. Or
you could just follow the recipe:
Rudolph
is a little different than all the other reindeer, a fact that eventually leads
him and two of his pals to run away. They soon find themselves on the Island of
Misfit Toys, where Rudolph vows to get help for all of the island’s neglected
inhabitants. He returns to the North Pole on Christmas Eve to enlist Santa’s
help, but when Santa gets snowed in, and Christmas is on the verge of being
canceled, Rudolph finally gets his time to shine. Literally.
Cookie
Pairing: Imperial
Cinnamon Red Hot Cookies
Celebrate
Rudolph’s unique nose with the red hot candies in these delicious
cinnamon-infused cookies. With all their cinnamon and red-hot spice, these
cookies pack just the right punch to keep you warm on those cold North Pole
nights.
