At Puzzling Pursuits, we create exciting, immersive puzzle adventures. Our games transport you into the midst of a compelling story and make you the protagonist. In an effort to create an even more immersive and exciting experience, we created Enhance Your Game Night, a curated list of food, drink, and music recommendations that are custom tailored to the settings and events within our games. Whether you're just interested in adding a fun drink to your solo evening, or you want to prepare a variety of food and drink options and have themed music for a multi-member adventure, you can pick and choose elements to suit your interests. We sincerely hope you enjoy!

 

  

We feel that music can always up-level a game experience by creating the right atmosphere. In the case of Mission: Elfpossible, we highly encourage players to put on their holiday favorites to set the mood! If you don't already have a list of holiday favorites though, we have also created a curated holiday adventure playlist you can access here. Enjoy!

Hot chocolate must of course be at the top of our holiday beverage list. While there are countless pre-made powders on the market, in a variety of different flavors, making hot chocolate from scratch isn’t actually that hard and can be extremely tasty! In case you’d like to try the craft out for yourself, we have the perfect recipe for you. We also encourage you to innovate with your toppings and other flavor variations! Here are some recommendations:

Eggnog

Eggnog dates back to early medieval Europe, and has become a staple of many holiday traditions around the world. The creamy, flavorful drink can easily be purchased in stores, but is also surprisingly easy to make. Many who start making their own swear they’ll never go back to the store again! If you’d like to give it a try, this recipe is both wonderfully simple, and tasty! 

Hot cider seasons starts in September and October, but continues strong through the holidays. This warm, spiced, fruit-based beverage acts as a nice balance to the creamy and chocolatey recommendations above. Like the previous recommendations, cider can be extremely tasty both with or without alcohol. To make your own batch, check out this recipe!

Yes, more cookies. But are you really going to complain?? Besides, these cookies are for decorating! Pull out your holiday-themed cookie cutters, food coloring, sprinkles and art skills to get your holiday spirit on. This recipe claims to be the best sugar cookie recipe out there, while this one is specifically holiday-themed. Both also include recipes for creating your own frosting to decorate with.

Peppermint Bark

Want to uplevel your candy canes this season? This super simple recipe will show you how to make some delicious peppermint bark. Just crush those candy canes up, melt some dark and white chocolate, layer it together, and you’re ready to go with this holiday treat! This can not only be a fantastic game night treat, but can also make a classy (and tasty!) holiday gift for friends and family. 

Fancy Popcorn

Next up, we begin shifting from sweet to savory options. Popcorn isn’t just for the movies, and buttered is certainly not the only variety. Popcorn can be a fantastic holiday snacking option too. If you’ve never made popcorn straight from kernels on your stovetop, this recipe will get you started! Once you’ve got the basics down, there is a whole world of popcorn variations to explore. You can do sweet, with this Christmas Crunch or this Gingerbread Caramel recipe, or go savory with Garlic Herb or Parmesan Ranch. If none of these tickle your fancy, here are another 50 options (!) to peruse.

 

Roasted Holiday Nuts

We’ve all heard the timeless holiday classic “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire” by Nat King Cole, but not many folks have actually tasted roasted chestnuts! If you’ve ever been curious, but felt like roasting over a literal open fire is a bit of a hassle, this recipe is a great option for roasting in your oven. In case you have tried roasted chestnuts and are looking for something new, this maple rosemary roasted nut mix is an exceptionally tasty choice to throw in the mix at any gathering (or just for yourself!)

 

Cranberry Brie Bites

Want to look fancy but don’t have the culinary skills to match? These scrumptious cranberry brie bites might be the perfect appetizer for you! The rosemary, brie, cranberries, pecans, and puff pastry combine to create a perfect, savory holiday treat that your friends and family are sure to be impressed by.

 

Pigs in a Blanket Wreath

Pigs in a blanket - holiday style! This recipe takes a clever holiday spin on the finger food classic and doubles not only as a tasty appetizer, but also as a lovely centerpiece. With 12 servings of 2 bites each, this recipe is also perfect for larger group get-togethers, or for the very hungry solo puzzler enthusiast. :)

 

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