2024 Holiday Cookie Box

  

I know I've done a crap job of updating my blog in the past several months but I would be remiss if I ended the year without posting my 2024 Holiday Cookie Box.  I think it's a nice variety that caters to many different tastes.  Hopefully the people who receive it will agree.

Stella Parks Gingerbread Cookies

Pierre Hermé Viennois (Raspberry Jam Filled or Chocolate Dipped Fingers)

Ginger Molasses

Walnut Snowballs

Lemon Gooey Butter Cookies

Clotted Cream Shortbread 

 

Bakery Boxes

 

 

2023 Holiday Cookie Box

 

For the 2023 Holiday Cookie Box I stuck to the tried and true classics that everyone seemed to love along with the new addition of vanillekipferl.  Year after year I vow to cut back on the different types of cookies I make to save myself the time and effort, yet every year I never do.  I can't help it, baking is my love language and what better way to show someone you care than by gifting them a box of homemade treats?

 

Ginger Molasses

Walnut Snowballs

Vanillekipferl

Viennois

Checkerboard Sablés

Italian Rainbow 

Gingerbread 

 

Packaging (Item 851445940P)

2022 Holiday Cookie Box

  

Here's the 2022 Holiday Cookie Box roundup:

 

Walnut Snowballs

Clotted Cream Shortbread

Iced Chocolate

Jam-Filled Viennois

Italian Rainbow

Ginger Molasses

Buckeyes 

 

SEASON'S TREATINGS!

2021 Holiday Cookies

 

Here's a roundup of the holiday cookies I made this year and gifted to friends and family.  Every year I tell myself, "don't go overboard, two to three different cookies will suffice," and every year I ignore that advice.  I can't help it!  When the holidays come around I'm constantly inspired by all the baking I see and inevitably I end up finding something new or different that I want to make.  

Clockwise from top right:

Iced Chocolate Stars

Walnut Snowballs

Ginger Molasses

Sugar Cookies

Ricciarelli

Millionaire's Shortbread

Bravetart Brownies

Raspberry-Filled Viennois

 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!

Ricciarelli

 

One of my close friends is gluten-intolerant and when the holidays roll around I'm always on the hunt for  flour-less cookie recipes that she can enjoy.  Given that the majority of the baking I do involves wheat flour this can be quite a challenge.  In the past I've just substituted gluten-free flour, in place of all-purpose, in a "normal" recipe.  Unfortunately that trick doesn't always yield stellar results because of the chemistry involved in baking.  My preference is to make cookies that are naturally gluten-free so you don't even miss flour. 

Normally I would go with macarons but I had no desire to make them because it would have been an arduous and multi-stepped process.  I wanted something quick that still tasted great.  Enter Ricciarelli, the Italian almond cookie that originated in Siena.  They're similar to amaretti cookies, except softer and chewier.  I'd never heard of ricciarelli before until I saw them on Thida Bevington's Instagram stories. She used this recipe from Italian chef Silvia Colloca and they looked so intriguing I had to make them for myself.

 

I dare you to find a cookie that's easier to make than ricciarelli.  Almond flour, sugar, lemon zest and egg whites are mixed together by hand into a stiff dough.  Then tablespoonfuls of the dough are shaped, dusted in powdered sugar and finally baked.  How simple is that?  I shaped half the cookies into the traditional rectangle and the other half into thumbprints filled with raspberry jam.  I couldn't believe how similar the baked ricciarelli smelled to macarons.  One taste of the cookie and they could easily give their French cousin a run for their money.  Anyone, gluten-intolerant or otherwise, will love these cookies.

Iced Chocolate Star Cookies

 

I've had this set of Nordic Ware cookie stamps for a while but never really used them.  That is, until I  was inspired by this post on Beyond The Butter's blog and made these Iced Chocolate Star Cookies.  One glimpse of the gorgeously iced chocolate cookies and I was motivated to bring out the stamps from hiding.  The stamp does all the work, and with very little effort you get the most beautiful cookies.  That's a win-win situation in my book!

Beyond The Butter calls these cookies "Oreos" because they are jam-packed with chocolate flavor, similar to the famous filled sandwich cookie.  But I actually think these cookies taste even better because they are nice and soft.  They almost remind me of a brownie, in cookie form.  I'll definitely be adding these beauties to my holiday cookie list.

  

Poinsettia Red Velvet Cake

 

I asked my friend Gracie what kind of cake she wanted me to make as XMAS gift and she immediately said red velvet, which I wasn't surprised by at all.  It’s her and her son's favorite!  Since this was for the holidays I made this Poinsettia Red Velvet Cake.  

For the cake layers I used my favorite recipe from Cook's Country that produces the most tender crumb.  For the frosting I chose Stella Park's cream cheese buttercream, which is super fluffy, delicious and a lot less sweet than the traditional frosting made with cups and cups of powdered sugar.    

To give the cake a festive feel I featured a large poinsettia as the main design.  I went online and watched a few videos on YouTube on how to pipe the flower using icing.  I know my poinsettia isn't the most botanically correct, but I think it will more than suffice, and I can live with that!

2019 Holiday Cookie Box

I don't know about you, but I am utterly exhausted from all the holiday candy making and baking.  I blame this year's shortened time frame between Thanksgiving and Christmas.   For four weeks straight I was either making pounds and pounds of cashew toffee or various holiday cookies.  It was a frenzy of activity so you can't blame me for relishing some down time until 2020.

Here's what I gifted to my friends:

Chocolate Crinkle (America's Test Kitchen) - a classic that is always a crowd pleaser

Zimtsterne (The Daring Gourmet) - gluten free and dairy free

Ginger Molasses (Amanda Frederickson) - mine came out flatter than hers, but they still taste great!

Walnut Snowballs (America's Test Kitchen) - my all-time favorite Christmas cookie

Brownies (Bravetart) - the BEST recipe hands down and a guarantee of the shiny top crust

Pinwheel Icebox (America's Test Kitchen) - slice and bake are super easy and convenient

Clotted Cream Shortbread (Rodda's) - the best shortbread that holds it's shape beautifully

Paper Mart boxes.

Season's Treatings to All!!!

Zimtsterne (German Cinnamon Stars)

I've got several friends who are gluten and dairy intolerant so it can be challenging to find Christmas cookies that meet those criteria.  Fortunately for me these Zimtsterne (German Cinnamon Stars) fit the bill perfectly! 

After a google search I found this great recipe from Daring Gourmet.  The cookies are made with only a few ingredients but they pack a punch: almond flour, confectioners' sugar, egg whites, cinnamon, vanilla sugar and salt.  These German treats remind me a little of macarons, but are so much easier to make.   Plus, I love that you can easily tint the meringue topping any color you'd like.  

Kransekake

Making a Kransekake was long overdue for me.  You would think that since I have such strong ties to Norway I would have made this "cookie cake" a lot sooner, but chalk it up to laziness I guess.  My introduction to this glorious confection was at my dear friends' wedding in Bergen almost fifteen years ago.   Kransekake is traditionally served at celebrations like weddings, christenings, Constitution Day (17th of May) and Christmas.  After purchasing these kransekake cake forms I really had no more excuses and was determined to make it this holiday season.  

Luckily I had no trouble finding a great recipe.  One of my favorite Scandinavian baking blogs, Passion for Baking, had one that was very straightforward with minimal ingredients: almond flour, confectioner's sugar, egg whites and vanilla.  I used my stand mixer to bring the dough together and a cookie press to pipe long tubes of the dough.  You can forgo these and do both by hand if you want. 

The kransekake's impressive appearance belies its simplicity  I was shocked at how easy it was to make and assemble.  When finished it's a true show stopper.  I'm planning to make a few more of these to give as holiday gifts.  God Jul to All!

Italian Tri-Color Cookies

 

I'll be honest with you, I definitely had a lot of hesitation when making these Italian Tri-Color Cookies, also called Rainbow Cookies or 7-Layer Cookies.  Why, you may ask?  Because the first time I attempted them it was a horrible failure.  My Achilles heel was the chocolate coating on the top and bottom.  When I tried cutting the cookies in to bite sized pieces the chocolate completely fell apart and separated from the almond layers.  The perfectionist in me was devastated, to say the least.

But recently I was asked by my friend Maria if I knew how to make them.  Maria grew up on the East Coast (New York City to be exact) and apparently these cookies are ubiquitous staples in every Italian bakery there.  Unfortunately they're not so easily found out here on the West Coast.  Every now and then Maria has a craving for these cookies so I thought I would give it another go and try to give her a taste of home.

Never one to be defeated I set about looking for a "foolproof" recipe - or at least something close to it.  I stumbled upon Smitten Kitchen's recipe and had a very strong feeling they would turn out great.  I'd had previous success with her tres leches cake, one of my absolute favorites.  Just reading through Deb's helpful tips gave me the reassurance I needed.  Be forewarned though: these cookies aren't hard to make but they require some time, most of it inactive though.  

If you like almond flavor these tri-colors are for you!  The festive colors and almond flavor make them the perfect holiday cookie to add to your repertoire.  The true test though would be Maria's review.  I gave her a sample and she said they tasted pretty authentic to her.  Her hubby Lou said the chocolate needed to be thicker..hahaha...I'll remember that for next time! 

Gnome Sugar Cookie

The holiday season doesn't start for me until I decorate the Christmas tree and bring out my beloved collection of Scandinavian gnomes.  I first fell in love with these adorable felt figures many, many years ago when they festooned my honorary Norwegian mamma's cabin in the mountains outside of Oslo.  Mamma G (aka "MG") loves to decorate at Christmas, no one can hold a candle to her in this regard, and the gnomes are the star centerpieces.  

How ecstatic was I last Christmas when she gifted me with an entire family of white and grey gnomes of my very own!  Little did she know at the time that her generous gift was the start of my ever growing gnome collection.  You might say I have a slight obsession, but I can't help it, they are just so darn cute! I've found some great ones at Zara Home, Swedish Inspirations, IKEA and Heath Ceramics.

So when I happened upon Sweet Sugarbelle's gnome cookies I knew I had to make them.  They were literally screaming my name.  Callye is such a baking inspiration for me and her creativity has no bounds.  She ingeniously used one of her brand's ghost cookie cutters and transformed it in to the gnome.  Unfortunately I didn't have a chance to buy her Halloween cutter collection when it was in stores but I found this great alternative at Truly Mad Plastics.

I just love how the gnomes turned out.  In fact, I love them so much I'm using "gnomes" as the theme for the holiday treats that I'll be gifting this year.

Holiday Cookies

Every year I love to make cutout cookies to celebrate the holidays and give as gifts.   Normally I stick to my foolproof sugar cookie recipe but this year I decided to add gingerbread to the mix.   And I'm so glad I did!  The dark molasses and spices from the gingerbread just scream Christmas to me.  

I found a great gingerbread recipe from one of my favorite blogs, The Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle.  After an overnight chill in the fridge the dough is easy to roll out and cut.  The baked gingerbread is firm but still soft, if that makes sense, and the royal icing complements the cookies so nicely.

 

My theme for holiday decorations this year was red and white, like a candy cane stripe.   I decorated my tree with this scheme and all of my holiday baking and packaging followed suit.  I hope my friends and family will love it as much as I do!

 

Split-Second Cookies

You've probably seen these treats before on a Christmas cookie platter.  I never knew what they were called until recently when I found a recipe online.  Good thing too because they've become a new favorite!

If you're a fan of jam thumbprints then you'll definitely love split-seconds.  In fact, you may even like them better because they are so simple to make.  

Salted Caramels and a Giveaway

My holiday candy making has pretty much been limited to cashew toffee, a well loved favorite among my family and friends.   Ironically, for me not so much.  I guess after all these years of making it I've become immune to the crunchy, buttery candy and was actually on the lookout for new inspiration.  

Lucky for me the very kind folks at America's Test Kitchen sent over a copy of one of their latest publications, DIY Cookbook.   Score!  I'm one of those people who's all about giving homemade food gifts for the holidays.  What better way to show you care than with something from your own kitchen?  I immediately headed to the sweets chapter and gravitated towards the Salted Caramels.  

There's nothing I love more than a sweet/salty combination and these candies fit the bill perfectly.  As with all of ATK's recipes this one was easy to follow and the results were fantastic.  I think my friends and family will definitely welcome to new addition to my candy repertoire.

Now to the giveaway....

One lucky blog reader can win their own ATK DIY Cookbook.  (Special thanks to  ATK for sponsoring the giveaway!)

Here's how to enter:

Just leave a comment to this post, as well as your email address, by 12PM PST Thur Dec 20 11:59 PM PST Thur Dec 20.  IMPORTANT: You must leave an email address, otherwise  there's no way I can contact you!  (Only open to residents of the US...sorry!)

Good luck and happy cooking!!!

UPDATE: The winner of the DIY Cookbook is #22 - tdlzing@gmail.com.  I'll be contacting you directly with instructions on how to claim your prize.  Thanks to everyone who entered!!  

2011 Holiday Treats

A quick post to show the fruits of my labor this holiday season.  Just a pic of some of the treats I made, and gifted, to friends and family.  Some are old favorites and some are making their debut to the party: 

Dark Chocolate Truffles 

Raspberry Marshmallows

Hat and Mitten Sugar Cookies

Spiced Candied Nuts

No-Bake Rocky Road Bars

Macarons (the ones above are raspberry and pistachio)
Walnut Snowballs

Shortbread

Mandel Bread

Despite its moniker mandel bread is not a bread at all, but actually a cookie.  It's an Eastern European Jewish treat very similar to Italian biscotti.

I first tasted mandel bread many years ago at a work potluck.  I mistakenly thought they were biscotti and was corrected by the colleague who brought them in.  They were so crunchy and light, not heavy and tough at all like some biscotti you find.  When I learned how easy they were to make I was instantly hooked.

Looking to make cookies to give away as homemade gifts?  Try making mandel bread.  Your family and friends will love them!

4th of July Cake Pops

When it comes to cake pops I'm a bit torn.  On the one hand their cuteness really captures my fancy, but on the other their intense sweetness has my teeth aching.  Dilemma, dilemma.   The solution?  Make them, just don't eat them!

This time, instead of using a boxed cake mix and ready-made frosting, I made the cake pops with a  homemade high-ratio yellow butter cake and lemon curd swiss meringue buttercream.  Using homemade stuff cuts in to the sweetness a bit, but not by much.  

I decorated the pops with red, white and blue nonpareils to celebrate the 4th of July.   Hopefully the kids coming to my brother's BBQ this weekend will enjoy them, not so sure about their parents!

HAPPY 4th OF JULY!!!