Christmas baking and cozy holiday books

Thinking beyond the sugar cookie, plus letting literature inspire you in the kitchen

Hello friend,

I love baking, and never feel a stronger pull toward the mixing bowls and measuring cups than I do during the holiday season. And yet, for years, Christmas cookie-baking felt to me like more of an obligation than a source of joy, typically a perfunctory, eleventh-hour slice-and-bake session just in time to decorate for Santa.

Finally it daw…