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Cranberry Linzer Torte
With a crust that rivals the best holiday cookie, this linzer torte features warm spices, ground nuts, and a vibrant, lightly sweet yet tart cranberry filling. Topped with a generous lattice that makes dessert gorgeous and rustic at the same time, consider this your invitation to bake up a bit of holiday magic. In place of traditional almonds or hazelnuts, I include pecans and/or walnuts in this recipe as they pair so well with cranberry, though you can customize using your favorite ground nuts if preferred. They make the crust incredibly flavorful and ensure this cranberry linzer torte will be the jewel of the dessert table – even more so…
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Root Vegetable Gratin
Spiraled in a baking dish, root vegetables form the base of a delicious gratin that can be served as fittingly for Thanksgiving or any holiday as it can be for an indulgent weeknight dinner. Potatoes give a familiar and comforting flavor while beets, turnips, rutabaga, and other varieties lend a bit more interest, with the choice of customization completely yours. Red beets are particularly delicious, though they do cause the entire dish to become quite tinged with their color. For this reason, you may wish to opt for the golden variety. As a holiday dish, this one disappears quickly and can take the place of mashed potatoes if you are…
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Fruitcake Blondies
Fruitcake blondies made with brown butter, nuts, and dried fruit soaked in brandy are inspired by the classic cake while having a flavor all their own. Packed with festive ingredients, these bars have the toastiness of butter that has developed deep color and rich flavor similar to hazelnut, one of the nuts I recommend adding to your batter. Once you begin making brown butter, you will find uses for it in plenty of sweet and savory dishes. This season I have been sharing cookie recipes during my holiday baking classes in which we make festive shortbreads, linzer cookies filled with jewel-like jams, and plenty of others. Alongside these festive treats…
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Holiday Cheese Board
Spark holiday cheer by creating a festive board brimming with an assortment of cheeses, charcuterie, and accompaniments both beautiful and delicious. When I make a cheese board, I start with the vintage wooden round seen here then build around the moment it will be served. Heading into New Year’s Eve, I thought about the sweetness to be wished for the months ahead, incorporating raspberry jam, deep honey, blackberries, and gorgonzola dolce, which has a buttery sweetness. Aged gouda lends its own hint of butterscotch while truffle-laced pecorino and herb-crusted salami offer bold richness. As you build a holiday cheese board, here are tips on what to include and how to…
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Gingerbread Cookies
Ring in the holiday season with a batch of my classic gingerbread cookies, with patterns that fit your holiday mood. Snowflakes, trees, and a scattering of stars filled my baking racks over the weekend while I made the season’s first batch of homemade Christmas cookies. Since my family always made gingerbread without icing, I decorate the centers of each cookie with cut-out patterns so each one is unique. Save plenty of the little shapes and bake them to serve alongside the larger cookies. With warm spices and rich flavor, these cookies lend festivity to the table with their cheerful designs. Once you get into a merry rhythm of rolling and…
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