Delicious buttery shortbread is topped with a brazenly pink icing glaze flavored with the bitter Italian aperitif, Campari. Sprinkled with a pinch of golden citrus infused sugar Campari Shortbread Cookies are the best new cookie recipe I’ve found in years. The dough is easy to make, cuts beautifully, and holds its shape while baking. The finished cookies have a striking appearance making them delightful little bites of holiday cheer.
A classic mid-century recipe, Aunt Noni’s Christmas Fudge is nearly foolproof. Sometimes called “No-Fail” Fudge, the directions are easy and require no candy thermometer. This recipe makes a deliciously creamy fudge with a rich chocolate flavor.
A measure of cloves rounds out the sweetness of cinnamon and dark brown sugar to create an intriguing flavor in Aunt Betty’s Spicy Oatmeal Cookies. The spices lay down a lingering impression on the tongue to sweeten the bitter notes in the coffee Aunt Betty loved to share. They also taste great with cold milk in a wide glass for dipping.
Ginger and Spice Cutout Cookies hold their shape while baking and are a dream to decorate. The finished cookies are pretty whether decorated with careful attention or with a few quick drizzles of vanilla icing and colorful sugar sprinkles.
Cinnamon Coffee Crisps speak in the language of fall flavors. Caramel tones of brown sugar sweeten the warmth of ground cinnamon and espresso powder to make these cookies deliciously flavorful. Topped with a quick embellishment, they are well dressed for most any occasion.
Change can be hard to digest. Yet, proper digestion remains critical to our overall health, both physical and mental. Maybe that’s why I thought this was a good time to make some Chocolate-Covered Digestive Cookies. These semi-sweet cookies are made from a dough that is rich in whole grains. The dough holds its shape through baking and produces a pretty cutout cookie to enjoy plain or topped with chocolate.
The flavor of this little cookie is bold but balanced. A thin sugar glaze provides the perfect contrast of sweetness while a pinch of pink peppercorns adds a lovely festive flourish. They are pretty on a cookie platter and also perfect served as a single sweet on the saucer beside a cup of good coffee.
Chewy Chocolate Meringue Cookies take meringues to a new level of intensity and relevance, producing a cookie that is denser, chewier, more flavorful and abundantly satisfying. Besides that, it is gluten free. All told, it has become a personal favorite and is an excellent cookie to share with someone special.
One of the high points of holiday baking this year was a new recipe for Gingerbread Cookies. These cookies are festively fragrant with cinnamon and ginger and sparkle with crunchy sugar crystals. They make a nice addition to a holiday cookie plate. They also freeze well and are delicious straight out of the freezer and gingerly dipped in your morning coffee.
I once had a recipe for the perfect summer dessert bar: White Chocolate Brownies. The photo was luscious 80’s elegance, a stack of pale squarely sliced bars drizzled with a grid of dark chocolate and arranged on a red plate. They looked picnic ready and utterly delectable. I swooned and clipped the page…
What makes Cinnamon Toast Biscotti special is the topping added during the second bake. After cutting the loaves into thick slices and toasting one side, brush the biscotti with a bit of butter. Then sprinkle each cookie with cinnamon and sugar, like a slice of Cinnamon Toast.
The recipe for these Pecan Bars is easier than most. The crust does not need to be rolled out and no candy thermometer is required. Even better, the addition of lemon zest adds a refreshing note to the rich honey and brown sugar sweetened flavor of this holiday favorite.