Here is my countdown to some of my all time favorite holiday desserts! (Recipe titles are links to the recipe)
Cookies
This is a very simple, classic, sugar cookie recipe. My family has been making this recipe for as long as I could remember. It’s perfect for a family cookie decorating event. The ingredients are simple and the recipe comes together fast. The taste is what you think of when someone says sugar cookies, a classic taste. (Image Credit: Joy of Baking)
If you are looking for a step up from the Joy of Cooking Sugar cookies, these are definitely the way to go. I made these last year and they are so simple but amazing! What makes this recipe superb to the Joy of Cooking Sugar cookie, is the extra ingredients that the classic sugar cookies do not hold; like light brown sugar, lemon zest, ginger, cinnamon and especially the cardamom! They could be iced and cut anyway you want, so the possibilities are endless! (Image Credit: Half Baked Harvest)
This recipe is from one of my favorite books, Sweet by Ottolenghi & Goh. They are the perfect crowd pleaser and a cookie that screams Christmas. The texture is perfect, hard on the outside and like a pillow on the inside.
These gingerbread cookies are perfect for the more health based baker. They are refined sugar free, minus the icing, and full of natural ingredients. Don’t let the “healthier” word scare you away though, they do not skip on flavor for a second! If you are a huge Gingerbread lover like me, you’ll love these.
This cookie is for the chocolate lovers! This cookie is like a pillow with gooey chocolate bursting within. I made this one Christmas for my boyfriend’s family and they loved them!(Image Credit: Handle the Heat)
Other
If there’s one baked good my professional taster (boyfriend) ask for all year it is Bliss Bars. Bliss Bars are blondie cookies with white chocolate & cranberries inside, topped with cream cheese frosting, cranberries, and white chocolate. The bars originated from Starbucks, and dupe recipes can be found all over the internet. My recipe comes from Skinnytaste, and though they are lower in calorie, it doesn’t make them any less delicious! I actually ask my boyfriend ever year if he wants to try a more delectable (higher in calorie) recipe, just to see if he would like them more. Without a doubt he says no every year, this is by far the best recipe I make in his eyes.
Every year for Christmas my family wants a cheesecake. Christmas is one of the most special days of the year, so we need a dessert to match it! This cheesecake was absolutely perfect! It is again from Sweet by Ottolenghi & Goh. In the book they show it as a baking sheet cheesecake, which is an interesting concept, but you can make it in a classic springform pan too. This recipe is perfect for the cheesecake lover that enjoys a little extra surprise. The lime is not overpowering or bitter, it’s actually light and a little sweet, since they are key limes. Additionally, the roasted strawberries on top bring it all together, with their naturally sweet taste and depth of flavor from being roasted.
Lastly I have a tart! I have not yet made this recipe (soon!), but it screams the holiday season to me. Chocolate & Peppermint are some of the biggest flavors during this time of year. So if you love both, or even just admire how pretty this tart is, I don’t think you can go wrong.
Lizzy’s Sweet Kitchen 