holidays

Chocolate and Cinnamon? Absolutely! The combination of chocolate and warm autumn spices make an irresistible bite...and a surprising sandwich cookie. When I gave a plate of these Chocolate-Filled Pumpkin Cookies to a friend, she expected my tried-and-true vanilla bean cookie filled with dark chocolate ganache. She was pleasantly surprised by the cinnamon-sugar coating and the pumpkin spices in the cookie itself and how well these flavors complemented the chocolate. In between bites, she mused on whether she would share a few with her family or keep them all for herself.

Easter came even though we were hidden away. Easter came even though there were no hymns to celebrate its arrival. Easter came in spite of the mandate to keep our distance. And to bring joy to me and mine, I made cutout cookies by the dozens in shapes that remind me of life’s glory and abundance ... butterflies, eggs, bunnies, crosses, flowers, sheep, carrots (yes, carrots!). In spite of the craziness of our current situation, I sent out dozens of cheerful sugar cookies as sweet messengers of hope to those I love.

These Easter Egg Cookies may look all blinged-out but underneath the over-the-top embellishments lies a familiar classic: ye old chocolate chip cookie. There’s no rule that says only cutout sugar cookies can be decorated for Easter. Enter the humble, but well-loved, chocolate chip cookie — shaped like an Easter egg, covered with chocolate or royal icing and decorated to the hilt.

I   Valentines

Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite “cookie” holidays. This year I decided to decorate my creations in a variety of ways to celebrate the sweet side of love ... and to let my inner Cupid out to express the joy of the day. I chose Brown Butter Cookies as my canvas because the flavor is nutty, complex, and irresistible — a lot like love itself.

“Happiness is a plate of chocolate snowflakes... and someone you love to help you eat them.” Kasha

I’m fascinated (aka obsessed) with snowflake cutout cookies and this is a quick-and-easy way to decorate them when I have no time or have run out of “cookie decorating steam.” Yes, there are occasions when even I don’t want to spend all day decorating cookies. Sometimes I want (or need) to bake, decorate and package my cookies all on the same day.

I love to make these shortbread angel cookies at Christmas time and give them to “my special people.” This year I made all kinds of shapes and sizes of angels, and it seemed so fitting because my “angels” come in all different shapes and sizes, too! You know who you are...you have an angel cookie to remind you that I treasure your friendship.

Throughout the year I love a dash of red here and there to add color to my cookies. But at Christmas time, red isn’t just an accent, it’s often the main attraction. These Brown Butter Red Christmas Ornament Cookies are the epitome of the Christmas holiday cookie...they’re red, they’re beautiful, and they’re yummy. The white and gold sugar crystal accents make each cookie look like a jewel. It’s impossible to ignore them.

Snowy trees are one of nature’s most beautiful sights. Although that beauty can never be entirely captured in a cookie, it most definitely inspires the effort. An added bonus is that if you don’t quite match Mother Nature’s artistry, you can always eat your attempts and share them with a friend..or two or three.

This Christmas I made a lot of different cutout cookies...angels, snowy trees, ornaments, animals, clothing. But the shape that kept calling to me was the snowflake. So-o-o I made a lot of snowflakes: big, tiny, with holes, without holes, elegant, simple, even some dipped in chocolate! I just couldn't seem to get enough.