The Hill's favorite recipes

We here at The Hill have come up with the ultimate holiday guide.  Get ready to try some of the best cocktails and food recipes, and visit some of the greatest holiday-oriented places you’ll ever experience this side of the North Pole.

Candy Cane Martini

This is a fun cocktail to make when you’re getting together with your best girlfriends to exchange gifts.

1 1/2 ounces vanilla vodka
1/2 ounce peppermint schnapps
1 ounce club soda
Crushed candy canes for garnish

Rim a martini glass with crushed candy canes, then get out your favorite cocktail shaker and mix vodka, schnapps, and club soda with ice in a cocktail shaker. Strain into the martini glass and sip some holiday heaven.

Kate Oczypok, Special Reports coordinator

The Mike Laws Family Get-Together Survival Cocktail

To make it through those interminable Yuletide family get-togethers with a modicum of sanity left intact, I like to prepare the following concoction. For this you will need:

McCormick’s or better-grade vodka, one 175 ML bottle of, placed discreetly in garage
Inconspicuous-looking drinking glass, one of
Ice cubes, eight to ten of
Garage, one of
Ability to maintain near-normal speech patterns and duck unseen into said garage to mix ingredients, limitless supply of

Enjoy!

Mike Laws, copy editor

Chocolate-covered peanut butter pretzel balls

1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 cups confectioner’s sugar
5 dozen miniature pretzel twists
1 1/2 cups mild chocolate or semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Beat peanut butter and butter together until smooth. Beat in confectioner’s sugar until combined. Shape mixture into one-inch balls; press one ball on a pretzel twist. Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until the peanut butter mixture is firm, about one hour. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips and oil together. Dip the peanut butter ball into the chocolate. Return to the baking sheet, pretzel side down. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Store in the refrigerator. Makes about five-dozen.

Anna Martin, intern

The Cable Car

With the burnt or caramelized rim of sugar and cinnamon, it’s a warm and toasty drink and smells so good.

http://www.jetsettersmagazine.com/

1 1/2 ounce Captain Morgan spiced rum
3/4 ounce orange Curacao
1/2 ounce fresh sweet and sour

In an ice-filled mixing glass, add the above ingredients and shake until well blended. Strain into a martini glass that has a “caramelized rim” of raw sugar and cinnamon. Serve with a garnish of an orange spiral.

Kelley Kennedy-Lapping, senior advertising executive

Old Danish Glug:  A Christmas brew

This has been passed down for many generations — my husband loves this drink, as do most of our friends.

1 bottle port wine
2 bottles burgundy
1 bottle Cointreau
1 bottle cognac
1/2 lb. brown sugar
20 cloves
40 almonds
1/4 lb. raisins
6 pcs. cinnamon bark
1 orange skin

1. Mix all ingredients except Cointreau and cognac in a stainless cooking pot.
2. Bring the contents slowly to a light boil. Shut off the heat and let the mixture soak in the pot for a couple of hours or more.
3. Add the Cointreau, and if available add one bottle leftover from last year’s Glug (NOTE: Save one bottle of Glug each succeeding year — it brings back memories).
4. Bring the mixture to a light boil again. Shut off the heat and add the cognac.
5. Filter the spices from the Glug and pour it into bottles.
6. Separate cloves and cinnamon and orange skin from the rest and save the almonds and raisins in a glass jar for future use.

Prior to serving this home brew, heat it to suit your liking — heat in the bottle, in a pot of water.

Serve about 3 ounces of the luscious drink in a glass. Add one almond and 2-4 raisins per glass.

Finally, kiss your loved one, and then enjoy this cheering drink!

Beth Tray, advertising coordinator

Chicken Dip

18 oz. pkg. of cream cheese
2 cans of white meat chicken
1 tsp. of lemon juice
3 drops of Tabasco sauce
6 drops of Worcestershire sauce
1 small chopped onion

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix all ingredients and shape into a ball. Refrigerate at least two hours.

Scott Buga, production editor