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My 12 Favorite Holiday Cookie Recipes
I’m knee-deep in my holiday baking right now. Every year, I do a ton of baking in December, then box everything up for gifts for my friends and fam. It’s great — everyone gets to enjoy some delish cookies, and who needs more stuff, anyway? As I was baking the other day, I thought it was high time I put together a post with all my faves. There are so many great cookie recipes to choose from on this site, but these are my top 12 favorite holiday cookie recipes. See if you can’t find something to add to your cookie tray this year! 1. Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Cookies From my…
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Matcha Pistachio 7-Layer Bars
Holiday baking season is in full swing, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. It’s absolutely my favorite time of year, baking-wise. For the past few years, I’ve given baked goods as gifts for family and friends (no one really needs more stuff anyway), so I spend the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas baking every chance I can get. And while I have a ton of old family recipes and my own favorites that I bake every year, I like to try out one or two new ones as well. This year, I’d been thinking about making something with matcha and white chocolate (it’s a fantastic flavor combo, plus matcha is…
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Pumpkin Scones With Maple Glaze
Pumpkin season may be just about over, but don’t let it end before you make a batch of these Pumpkin Scones With Maple Glaze! They’re soft, perfectly spiced with your favorite fall spices, and drizzled with a simple maple powdered sugar glaze. YUM. Your New Brunch Favorite Whether you need a new recipe for a holiday brunch or a morning treat to sustain you through all the end of the year festivities, these scones are just the ticket. One of my favorite things about these scones is that they’re not insanely sweet. I mean, there’s sugar in them for sure, plus some molasses and that maple glaze, so they have…
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Matcha Snack Cake
I’m back! It’s been a while since I posted, but for good reason. In case you missed it (a.k.a., you don’t follow me on Instagram), I bought a house! After three and a half years of searching, I finally found the house I was looking for at the end of January, and by the end of February I had closed on the house, packed up, and moved! It was a whirlwind, to say the least. Now, after another month and a half of unpacking and settling in, I’m finally getting back into the swing of blogging things, and it feels great! I’m still trying to get used to my new-to-me…
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Homemade Dark Chocolate Marshmallows
Happy almost-Christmas everyone! It’s been a weird holiday season, with no snow in sight here in Northern Minnesnowta. But there’s nothing like a pile of delicious seasonal treats to get you in the holiday spirit, right? I know marshmallows might not be on your list of typical holiday treats, but, honestly, they should be. Especially these homemade Dark Chocolate Marshmallows. Marshmallows Are the New Cookies If you’ve been following along on this blog for a while, you may have noticed I’ve become a little obsessed with homemade marshmallows. Case in point, the three other marshmallow recipes I’ve already created: Some would call this a “problem;” I prefer to call it…
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Soft Cut Out Sugar Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
Originally published March 2019; Updated Dec 2023 Soft, buttery, a little tangy, and slathered with a thick layer of creamy frosting: my list of what makes a perfect sugar cookie. You know those soft sugar cookies you find in most grocery store bakeries with the crazy thick layer of sugary frosting? Like those, only more buttery, less plastic-tasting (you know it’s true), and made with ingredients I can pronounce. These Soft Cut Out Sugar Cookies are the closest I’ve come to those infamous grocery store cookies. Soft, Satisfying, and Perfect for Holiday Baking! These cookies are on the softer side, but they still have a slight firmness that makes them…
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Holiday Gift Guide: Cookie Lover’s Gift Guide
Happy holidays everyone! Here’s a new gift guide for you holiday shopping needs — this one’s all for the cookie bakers in your life. From baking sheets to cookie cutters, cookie cookbooks, and more, this cookie lover’s gift guide has gift ideas for all your baking friends. (Note: None of the items I’m sharing are paid advertisements — these are the tools I actually use and love!) Cookie Sheets A good cookie sheet (or sheet pan/baking sheet) is one of the most important tools in your cookie toolbox. The cookie sheet you use can make a big difference in how your cookies bake. For example: a dark-colored baking sheet will…
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Spiced Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Halloween is over, so naturally I’ve started planning out what holiday cookies I’ll bake this year. Not that I’m ready for Christmas decorations, music, and movies yet…I’m a firm Christmas-starts-the-weekend-after-Thanksgiving person. In the meantime, I’ll be snacking on these Spiced Chocolate Crinkle Cookies while I do my holiday cookie planning. The Ideal Cookie for the In-Between Season These chocolatey cookies straddle this in-between season perfectly. With warm fall spices (cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and allspice), they’re perfect for both your Thanksgiving dessert table AND your holiday cookie tray! Or for, you know, snacking while holiday gift shopping. And while I’m a fan of all the traditional flavors of this season —…
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Chocolate Gingerbread Biscotti
🎶It’s the most wonderful time of the year… 🎶 Holiday baking time, that is! And this year I’m adding a new treat to my must-have list of cookies—these Chocolate Gingerbread Biscotti! Light and crisp, biscotti are the ideal after-a-big-holiday-dinner treat to have with your coffee. And with dutch cocoa powder and tons of festive spices, these biscotti, in particular, are chock full of flavor. History of Biscotti Biscotti are a traditional Italian treat (though this flavor is decidedly non-traditional). In Italy, biscotti are often dunked in Vin Santo (a dessert wine), though outside of Italy it’s common to dip them in espresso or coffee. The word “biscotti” originates from the…
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Holiday Gift Guide: Fun & Fancy Baking Ingredients for Your Foodie
It’s go-time for holiday shopping, which means another holiday gift guide is in order! If you’ve been around here for a while, you know that for the past couple years, I’ve shared a list of some of my favorite things to help you find a gift or two for the baker in your life. Last year it was pie-baking tools, and in 2020 it was cookbooks. This year, I’m sharing some of my favorite fun and fancy baking ingredients that will make great gifts for your baking foodie. I’ve included links for everything (I think—if I’ve missed one, let me know in the comments and I’ll find it for you:)).…
Recipes and Musings from the Zenith City
