It’s officially the season of Christmas, and as we head into the holidays, it can be a very lonely time for those of us who are single. However, with some clever cooking and thoughtful planning, you can make your winter blues less depressing and embrace this season by making the most of it. To help you do that from December through January, we’re putting together this handy list of recipes for those of us who don’t have anyone to celebrate with but still want a happy holiday!
1. Gingerbread for One
Ingredients
• ¼ cup molasses
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons salted butter
• 1 large egg yolk
• A pinch of baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• A pinch of ground ginger
• A pinch of clove powder
• Salt
• ¼ cup hot water
Directions
Coat a 5-inch baking dish with butter.
Preheat the oven to 175 degrees C.
In a large bowl, combine the sugar and butter and beat until smooth. Add the egg yolk and molasses, and beat until combined.
In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt and mix well.
Pour into the sugar and butter mixture and mix until combined.
Next, combine the hot water and stir until smooth.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan before slicing.
Place the dish in the oven and heat it to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Cauliflower Casserole
Ingredients
• 2½ cups of cauliflower florets
• ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 strip bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
• ½ tablespoon olive oil
• Salt to taste
• A pinch of black pepper
• 3 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• A pinch of garlic powder
Directions
Preheat the oven to 220°C.
In a large bowl add cauliflower florets with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Spread it out on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes until it's tender. Remove and keep the baking sheet aside.
In another bowl, add the cauliflower, sour cream, heavy cream, garlic powder, ½ of the cheese, ½ the cooked bacon, and 1 tablespoon of chopped green onions.
Transfer the cauliflower mixture to a greased 10-ounce ramekin and top with the remaining bacon, and cheese. Place it on a baking sheet.
Bake for 8–10 minutes, until the cheese melts, and add the chopped green onions. Enjoy hot.
3. Cranberry Jam
1 cup fresh cranberries
4 tablespoons orange juice
¼ teaspoon orange zest
3 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup water
A pinch of ground cinnamon
Directions
Add all the ingredients to a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring once in a while.
Lower the heat and continue to stir until the cranberries are tender, at least for 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and cool and store in a jar. Enjoy!
4. Pumpkin Pie for One
For Graham Cracker Crust
Preheat the oven to 177 degrees C.
Place the graham cracker crumbs in a bowl, add sugar and melted butter, and stir.
Press the crust mixture into the bottom of a greased 10-ounce ramekin and bake it for 10 minutes. Allow it to cool completely.
For Pumpkin Pie
Mix sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves in a small bowl.
Beat an egg in a separate bowl, add the pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture to it, and mix well. Add the evaporated milk to it.
Add all this to the ramekin and bake for 45 minutes. Allow to cool after baking.
5. Chicken Cutlets with Gravy
Ingredients
• ½ kg chicken breast fillet
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ¼ cup chopped onions
• 1 clove of minced garlic
• ½ tablespoon all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
• A pinch of ground black pepper
• ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
• A pinch of salt
Directions
Add Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to the chicken breast fillet.
Add 1 tablespoon of butter to a pan on medium heat. Add the fillet to it and cook a few minutes on each side. Remove and keep aside.
In the same pan, add the remaining butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and minced garlic to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously.
Add the flour to the pan and stir for a minute. Add the chicken broth, and cook till it thickens.
Add the turkey fillet back to the pan, cover, and cook on low heat for another 2 minutes.
6. Hot Chocolate for One
Place the milk and cream in a small saucepan and heat to a simmer.
Add sugar, cocoa powder, and cinnamon to a small bowl. Add this to the milk in the saucepan.
Stir and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the vanilla to it. Enjoy!
7. Soft Ginger Cookies
Ingredients
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons butter softened
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar plus 1 tablespoon for rolling
• 1 large egg yolk
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• A pinch of ground cloves
• Salt
Directions
Preheat the oven to 177 degrees C.
Line a baking tray with baking paper.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together till light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and molasses, and beat well.
In a small bowl, add flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt; add to the creamed mixture and mix well.
Roll the dough into balls and sprinkle the remaining sugar on top.
Bake till light brown for 10 minutes. Remove it and let it cool.
8. Ingredients
• 200 gm of peeled and diced carrots
• ½ tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon vanilla essence
• 2 tablespoons softened butter
Directions
Preheat the oven to 177 degrees C.
Boil the carrots till soft and puree them. Now add sugar, baking powder, and vanilla and blend with food processor till smooth.
Add the flour and mix well. Add in the egg and butter and mix well. Pour the mixture into a prepared baking dish for 1 hour.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
9. Peanut Butter Chocolate Kiss Cookies
Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons butter softened
• 3 tablespoons sugar (keep aside for some later)
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 6 Hershey's Kisses unwrapped
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• A pinch of baking soda
• A pinch of baking powder
Directions
Preheat the oven to 190°C.
In a large bowl, add 2 tablespoons of sugar, brown sugar, peanut butter, butter, and the egg yolk and mix with a beater.
Mix in the flour, baking soda, and baking powder until a dough forms.
Shape the dough into cookies and spread it on the baking sheet. Bake it for 10 minutes. Remove cookies from the oven and press a chocolate into the middle of every cookie.
Allow to cool and enjoy!
10. Caramelized Plums
Ingredients
• 1 tablespoon salted butter
• 2 medium plums, sliced
• 1½ tablespoons granulated sugar
• Pinch of ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon water
• Salt
Directions
In a 10-inch non-stick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the sugar and water. Swirl the pan to dissolve the sugar. Cook until the mixture bubbles and turns a golden caramel color, 3 to 5 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the plum slices, spreading them out in a single layer. Return the pan to the heat and top the plums with salt and cinnamon, if using. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes more, or until plums have softened.
Transfer to a jar and store in the refrigerator, or use immediately.
