Happy Wednesday, everyone! Are you all ready for Christmas?? I’m happy to report that things are feeling pretty under control on my end: my shopping is done, gifts wrapped, plans finalized and cookies baked. Speaking of Christmas baking, I thought I’d share a photo of this year’s treats…
The classic sprinkle sugar cookies and lemon glazed stars are beloved favourites that I make every year: they’re always a crowd pleaser! You can find their recipes, along with the recipe for the ambrosia macaroons (the ones with cherries on top) in this post from last December. I usually like to try at least one new cookie recipe each year, and though I’ve never had a bad cookie, I only make 4-5 different varieties per year, so only the very best get added to the permanent rotation. That’s the case with the ambrosia macaroons: I made them for the first time last year, and they were such a hit that I knew I’d be making them every Christmas for years to come!
Two new additions this year: I tried making rum balls for the first time (they’re the chocolate ones rolled in cocoa powder and chopped nuts) and I swapped my usual Vanilla Almond Snowballs for these Pecan Snowballs. While I ran into some issues making the rum balls – I had trouble incorporating the liquid ingredients into the melted chocolate, and the dough wasn’t sticky enough for rolling – the good news is they taste fabulous! I don’t like a strong boozy taste, so I reduced the rum from 1/2 cup to 1/4 cup and they have – in my opinion – just the right amount of flavour. (Though it’s possible my modification is what caused the aforementioned issues, so tread with caution!) The Pecan Snowballs turned out fabulously. They’re so easy to make, and the recipe is very similar to the Vanilla Almond Snowballs, so it just depends on if you’re more of a pecan or almond person. I love both, so I’ll probably switch up the recipe every other year!
This year, I baked double batches of everything except the rum balls – 9 batches total – plus some homemade dog treats to give to our friends and relatives with pups. I decided to tackle everything all at once, so I took the day off work and baked nonstop from 8am until after 5. It was exhausting… but it’s always worth it to see the smiles on people’s faces when you bring them homemade goodies!
I don’t know about you all, but around this time of December, I always start getting a little FOMO. I love Christmas – and all the activities leading up to it – so much, that I always want to make sure I’ve experienced as much of the season as I can! I had so many big plans this December – daytrips to Stratford and Niagara-on-the-Lake, tree farms and Christmas markets – that never ended up happening. Let’s face it: it’s a busy time of year, and there’ll never be time to do everything we want to do! That’s why sometimes, as much as I love a good daytrip, it’s easier (and more enjoyable) to do something closer to home. Luckily, I live in the beautiful city of Burlington, where there’s plenty of fun things to do around the holidays. I’d been hearing about the Burlington Festival of Lights for a while and had been meaning to go, so last week, Tania and I met up with our friends Zack and Danielle – and their adorable dog Daisy – to check it out. (Photos of Daisy below for extra cuteness.)
The Burlington Festival of Lights takes place along the city’s waterfront in Spencer Smith Park. From November 24 until January 8, the park is lit up with a dazzling display of whimsical, holiday-themed light installations. The festival runs daily from 4pm to midnight and is completely free to visit!
There are so many cute installations to check out, but my favourites include this Cinderella-esque carriage…
…and this appropriately-themed Poseidon and seahorses by the lake!
After admiring the installations throughout the park, be sure to stroll down to Brant Street Pier. You can’t really get the full effect from this photo (my iPhone is terrible at night photography!) but you’ll get a beautiful view of all the installations, lighting up the waterfront in a rainbow of colours.
After checking out the light displays, we walked over to Village Square. Located between Pearl and Elizabeth Streets, this charming square is one of my favourite spots in downtown Burlington. With its historic buildings and narrow cobblestone pathways, it was built to resemble a turn-of-the-century town square. It’s almost like a miniature version of Toronto’s Distillery District!
The central attraction of the square is this charming gazebo, which they always decorate beautifully for the holidays. There’s also a lit Christmas tree, and all the shops and restaurants in the square are adorned with wreaths, lights, greenery and other festive decorations.
If you want to warm up (and indulge your sweet tooth while you’re at it) one of my favourite spots in Village Square is Lola Choco Bar & Sweet House. This cute café specializes in all things chocolate: from cookies and cakes to truffles and specialty drinks. Unfortunately I didn’t realize they’re closed on Mondays (which is the day we went) so we weren’t able to stop in, but here are a couple of photos from a previous visit.
I highly recommend their famous drinking chocolate, made from coconut and 100% dark Ecuadorian chocolate. Unlike your typical hot chocolate, which is made from a cocoa powder or mix combined with hot water or milk, drinking chocolate is made from full-fat chocolate that’s been melted down. In other words, it’s of a much higher quality, purer and more decadent than your traditional hot cocoa!
Another one of my favourite places to grab a treat in downtown Burlington is Kelly’s Bake Shoppe, which sells delicious baked goods that are gluten-free, plant-based, dairy-free, peanut-free and egg-free (and I promise… you’d never know it!) They were also closed when we were there (they normally stay open until 8 or 9 pm, but close at 5 on Mondays.) Seriously y’all, don’t be like me… be sure to check the hours of these places before you go!!
Treat or no treat, it was still lovely to wander around downtown Burlington and check out all the shop windows decorated for Christmas. I was particularly enthralled by the ones at Pure Boutique.
The Burlington Festival of Lights runs every evening until January 8, so be sure to check it out! If you end up going, please let me know how you enjoyed it. I’d love to hear your thoughts!
I’ll probably be back with one final blog post of 2023 before I take a little break over the holidays, but until then, I hope you have a great rest of your week and enjoy the last few days before Christmas. Only 4 days left!!!