Tag Archives: Christmas cookies

Christmas Cake and Cookies

I love the elaborate Christmas dessert buffets found at upscale restaurants and hotels during the holiday season. I prefer sampling a variety of sweet treats than gorging on a single piece of rich cake or pie. Those holiday dessert buffets inspire me this time of year. While I am far from an expert baker, I do my best to whip up an array of different desserts to serve on Christmas Day. Some are traditional, while others are far from holiday fare. Regardless, they are all delicious, and as you can see from the recipes I’ve listed below, they are also … Continue reading →

Christmas Cookie Bake-a-thon

It’s a blizzard out there! Seriously. A genuine, meteorologically categorized blizzard. Schools are closed, major highways are shut down, and frankly, I’m surprised that we still have power. It’s my first official blizzard and I don’t know who’s more excited about staying home all day, Mommy or the kid. The National Weather Service warned about the impending 18 inches of snow and 50 mph winds, so I prepared. I stocked up on all the essentials needed to turn today’s blizzard into a Christmas cookie-baking marathon. Here are just a couple of the holiday treats my daughter and I will be … Continue reading →

Cinnamon and Chocolate Christmas Cookies

Are they cinnamon buns or cookies? That’s what I wondered when I first saw the lovely array of Christmas treats my preschooler’s cooking class presented to parents at their holiday party the other day. Don’t get me wrong; they were lovely looking goodies, but at first glance I wasn’t quite sure what I was biting into. Turns out the cinnamon spirals laced with ooey-gooey vanilla icing were in fact cookies. And darn good ones at that. If you have cinnamon lovers in your home, these Cinnamon Bun Cookies won’t last long. They are that good. Another one of my favorite … Continue reading →

Healthy Christmas Cookies

Okay, maybe not the healthiest… but much healthier than other versions. The Pistachio Cookies with Fennel are a good source of Vitamin C (thanks to the fennel). What’s more, the pistachio nuts are enriched in antioxidants and feature essential fatty acids, said to be useful for reducing cholesterol. Pistachio nuts are also believed to be a good source of B Vitamins, calcium, iron and selenium. The second recipe for Dark Chocolate Cookies is low in fat. In fact, the major source of fat in the recipe comes from the almonds, which provide “good” fat. In addition, almonds contain fiber, protein, … Continue reading →

How to Have a Choco-licious Christmas

Have you ever experienced the decadence of a chocolate molten lava cake? The devilishly good treat is comprised of a miniature cake with a hidden warm chocolate center that oozes out like lava from a volcano when pierced with a fork. It is sinfully delicious and now I’ve discovered a way to replicate the magic in a cookie. While I can’t take credit for creating the recipe (I got it from a holiday cookie swap), I can definitely attest to its phenomenal taste and ease of preparation. Ditto for another holiday classic that I traditionally prepare this time of year—-Chunky … Continue reading →

Coconut Candy Cane Cookies and Mega Chocolate Delights

It’s the eighth of December… how’s your Christmas cookie baking coming along? My sister-in-law just called to tell me that her kitchen resembles Mrs. Field’s, but not in a good way. The countdown to Christmas is on and if you haven’t already chosen the sweet treats you plan to lovingly prepare for family and friends, then you’ve come to the right place. I’m about to share two of my all-time favorite Christmas cookie recipes. The first recipe for Coconut Candy Cane Cookies was voted best holiday treat at the TV station I used to work at. Unfortunately, I wasn’t the … Continue reading →

Making Edible Reindeer and Other Holiday Treats with Your Kids

Cooking with young children may take twice as long, but it has the potential to be ten times as fun if you are working with kid-friendly recipes. The following holiday-themed recipes are among my 4-year-old’s favorites. Not only does she delight in getting to add ingredients, mix, scoop and stir, but the Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies also allow her to exercise her creativity in the decorating process. As for the Candy Cane Ice Cream Sandwiches, well, one look at the ingredients and you’ll see why this is a holiday classic in our home. PEANUT BUTTER REINDEER Ingredients: 1/2 cup creamy … Continue reading →

How to Have a Chocolate Covered Christmas

If you cooked a Thanksgiving feast fit for an army of guests, then you probably aren’t looking forward to going back into the kitchen any time soon. Unfortunately, your break probably won’t be very long given that Christmas is right around the corner. To kick off the FOOD blog’s “Countdown to Christmas” series I’m highlighting an ingredient that most people can’t resist indulging in during the holiday season—chocolate. Personally, there’s no better incentive to get me back in the kitchen than whipping up delectable coca-filled treats. If you are working on your holiday menu, consider the following fabulously rich chocolate … Continue reading →

Have a Merry Choco-Christmas

How much is too much? Is it possible to have too much chocolate? My sister-in-law certainly doesn’t think so. With less than two days until Christmas she is in her kitchen whipping up her famous chocolate macadamia nut clusters. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that if I see one more Christmas cookie I may just run in the opposite direction. But, that’s just because I spent the last three weeks churning out more than 300 cookies to give to friends and neighbors. (Did I mention I sampled a few dozen along the way?) My sister-in-law is by … Continue reading →

Two Days ‘til Christmas

Well, there are only two more days until Christmas but that means only one more day until Christmas Eve. Since many people enjoy at least part of their celebration on Christmas Eve, time is getting short! What do you have planned for tomorrow? If you still have things left to buy, hopefully you can get those last minute gifts or stocking stuffers today. Stores can be pretty crazy on Christmas Eve, but worse yet, they’re also likely to be very picked over. On the other hand, if you know a store that puts a lot of stuff on sale at … Continue reading →