UTAH TECH UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT NEWS SOURCE | March 29, 2024

A holiday treat is just the thing you need to get in the festive mood

There are so many various Christmas desserts to choose from for the upcoming holiday season. What could be better than creative and budget-friendly treats that can be made in any student dorm? Misha Mosiichuk | Sun News Daily

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With the Thanksgiving turkey eaten, it is time to get out the ornaments, tinsel and a baking spoon to kick off celebrating the holidays.

Even though it may be hard for college students to be away from their families for a short time at the start of the holiday season, there are ways the holiday spirit can be brought to a college dorm.

Baking holiday treats is a great way to keep up old traditions or start new ones. There are plenty of recipes that are perfect to make without the need of fancy kitchen appliances that most college students don’t own.

Golden Grahams s’mores

One quick and easy recipe students can make is Golden Grahams s’mores. This treat is a great way to bring the holiday spirit in less than 15 minutes.

Lindsey Fry, a junior dental hygiene major from Morgan, loves to make this treat during the holidays.

“It’s been a treat that my family has made for a while,” Fry said. “We take it to family parties because it is super easy to make and share.”

The only ingredients needed for this recipe are butter, mini marshmallows, Golden Grahams cereal and chocolate chips. This recipe works well for budget-conscious college students, as the total of the ingredients only comes to about $13.

It only takes five quick steps before being able to dig into this treat:

  1. Melt a stick of butter over low heat.
  2. Add 16 ounces of mini marshmallows and stir until melted.
  3. Remove the pot from heat and add eight cups of the cereal. Stir until the cereal is coated with the marshmallows.
  4. Mix in the remaining marshmallows and half a cup of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips.
  5. Pour the mixture into a baking pan. Add remaining cereal and chocolate chips on top. Cut once cool.

If you are looking for a way to easily get into the kitchen to bring the holiday spirit, this would be a great recipe to start with.

Giant chocolate chip cookies

Bringing a classic dessert into a party or just sharing with your roommates is a great way to get the nostalgia feel for the holidays.

Karly Nordal, a sophomore criminal justice major from Hemet, California, has created her own tradition of making chocolate chip cookies around the holidays and calling them “Santa scones.”

This recipe uses 11 ingredients and 11 steps to create giant cookies everyone can enjoy. In order to make these specific cookies, you’ll need: baking powder, baking soda, salt, cornstarch, sugar, light brown sugar, unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, cake flour, eggs and chocolate chips.

The steps to making this recipe are:

  1. Preheat the oven.
  2. Mix together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
  3. Put the cold, cubed butter in a mixer.
  4. Add the sugars and mix together.
  5. Then add in an egg and egg yolk to butter and sugar mixture.
  6. Gradually add flour into the mixer.
  7. Add in the chocolate chips and mix just until incorporated.
  8. Measure out the cookies and place onto a baking sheet.
  9. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes.
  10. Let cookies rest and cool on the cookie sheet.
  11. Then move cookies onto a cooling rack.

This recipe might take a little longer to make, but the results are worth following the process.

“It is always fun making this recipe with my roommates because we always tend to create a mess, and the flour usually ends up in everyone’s hair and clothes,” Nordal said.

Even if college students are away from home and can’t participate in family traditions, they can create traditions of their own, like making “Santa scones” with their roommates.

Peppermint ice cream pie

Switch from making pumpkin pies to making a peppermint ice cream pie to please roommates, a party or just yourself this holiday season. This dessert is festive, but budget-friendly for college students to make, as it costs about $14 to make. It also is dorm kitchen-friendly since no actual baking is required.

Cidnee Shaw, a sophomore general studies major from Pleasant View, makes this dessert every year.

“I like making this dessert, so I have a little holiday pick me up at the end of the semester,” Shaw said.

To make this pie, all you need is peppermint ice cream, pre-made Oreo pie crust, chocolate fudge topping and whipped cream. You can even add crushed peppermints on top for extra festiveness.

It takes just four simple steps to be able to eat something that encourages the holiday spirit:

  1. Stir the ice cream in a bowl until softened.
  2. Spoon the ice cream into the pie crust and spread evenly.
  3. Freeze for three to four hours.
  4. Serve topped with hot fudge, whipped cream and crushed peppermint.

It doesn’t have to take great culinary skills or a big budget to make treats to get you in the holiday mood. Simple desserts work well for creating new traditions while being away at college. Next time you are at the store, pick up some ingredients to bring the holiday cheer to you and your roommates.