I made those Early Gray shortbread cookies yesterday, Meagan. (I sprinkled flaky salt and lavender on top when they came out, for extra layering of flavors!) They were lovely!
Dear Meagan - May this beautiful season bring you and yours great comfort and joy! I look forward to getting to know you better and doing the Substack life with you in 2025. Blessings!
"'Christmas cookies' can be any kind of cookie. They can even be something that is not quite a cookie at all, like fudge or brownies or a really yummy quick bread."
YES! Over the past two decades I've established strong holiday baking traditions and our staples aren't what most people would make. My version of Julia Child's fruitcake is a multi-day process and labor of love I've been making since before my kids were born. Out of this recipe sprang a tradition of mince pies (homemade mince goes into the fruitcake and no, we're not of British heritage) which proudly sit on our Christmas Eve dessert platter along with the fruitcake. THEN there's the gingerbread brownies with bittersweet ganache. What can I say, we like strong flavors. Earlier in December, I make a gingerbread cake which is my husband's favorite. There are also a few muffin recipes I pull out for weekend breakfasts in December as well as seasonal flavored baked oatmeal.
Not a sugar cookie in sight. ;-) I made them - from scratch, from a tube, and even the Pillsbury shaped kind - when my kids were interested in decorating but they no longer care. I also suck at cutouts.
I do LOVE shortbread and have made Mexican Wedding Cakes (the pecan version or a snowball version with peppermint extract and mini chocolate chips) as well as cranberry orange slices similar to yours. This year, I'm considering a whipped shortbread and a chewier cranberry orange cookie. We'll see.
Way more than you probably wanted to read about my baking habits but it's December 16 and I'm not super focused at work these days!
I adore quick breads. I think they're one of my favorite things to make. They're easy to make, and they always turn out moist and delicious. Zucchini bread's my favorite quick bread to make in the spring/summer, and pumpkin bread, in the fall/winter. Banana bread is always a crowd-pleaser, and I have a recipe for a Cinnamon Streusel Quick Bread that my husband loves.
Yes! they ALWAYS turn out great, even when they don't turn out quite right! Banana and zucchini bread are also big fan faves over here, and I made multiple loaves of pumpkin bread around Thanksgiving that were a hit. I remember my mom making an apple bread with a sweet streusel top that I adored as a kid, might need to find that recipe.
I made those Early Gray shortbread cookies yesterday, Meagan. (I sprinkled flaky salt and lavender on top when they came out, for extra layering of flavors!) They were lovely!
Dear Meagan - May this beautiful season bring you and yours great comfort and joy! I look forward to getting to know you better and doing the Substack life with you in 2025. Blessings!
Thank you Linda - it's been a joy to get to know you here!
"'Christmas cookies' can be any kind of cookie. They can even be something that is not quite a cookie at all, like fudge or brownies or a really yummy quick bread."
YES! Over the past two decades I've established strong holiday baking traditions and our staples aren't what most people would make. My version of Julia Child's fruitcake is a multi-day process and labor of love I've been making since before my kids were born. Out of this recipe sprang a tradition of mince pies (homemade mince goes into the fruitcake and no, we're not of British heritage) which proudly sit on our Christmas Eve dessert platter along with the fruitcake. THEN there's the gingerbread brownies with bittersweet ganache. What can I say, we like strong flavors. Earlier in December, I make a gingerbread cake which is my husband's favorite. There are also a few muffin recipes I pull out for weekend breakfasts in December as well as seasonal flavored baked oatmeal.
Not a sugar cookie in sight. ;-) I made them - from scratch, from a tube, and even the Pillsbury shaped kind - when my kids were interested in decorating but they no longer care. I also suck at cutouts.
I do LOVE shortbread and have made Mexican Wedding Cakes (the pecan version or a snowball version with peppermint extract and mini chocolate chips) as well as cranberry orange slices similar to yours. This year, I'm considering a whipped shortbread and a chewier cranberry orange cookie. We'll see.
Way more than you probably wanted to read about my baking habits but it's December 16 and I'm not super focused at work these days!
Im SO inspired by the fruit cake and mince pie!!! and…girl, please. I could read you sharing like this all day!
I adore quick breads. I think they're one of my favorite things to make. They're easy to make, and they always turn out moist and delicious. Zucchini bread's my favorite quick bread to make in the spring/summer, and pumpkin bread, in the fall/winter. Banana bread is always a crowd-pleaser, and I have a recipe for a Cinnamon Streusel Quick Bread that my husband loves.
Yes! they ALWAYS turn out great, even when they don't turn out quite right! Banana and zucchini bread are also big fan faves over here, and I made multiple loaves of pumpkin bread around Thanksgiving that were a hit. I remember my mom making an apple bread with a sweet streusel top that I adored as a kid, might need to find that recipe.
Oooh, I think you do!