This sure is one unusual holiday season, to put it mildly! So many things are different this year, and as we stay cautious during these times, I'm thankful for the holiday season. Frankly, it's a welcome distraction, and keeping busy making Christmas cookies and treats is a tradition that I'm happy (and grateful) to keep up with.
So despite everything, our kitchen is humming along and I've been busy making some of our favorite Christmas cookies. My love of almond paste is well documented and it's surely the time of year for a batch of chewy, fragrant cherry almond macaroons.
There's no neglecting peppermint this time of year. My son is a big fan of all things chocolate-and-peppermint so we've been enjoying these peppermint brownies.... and a batch of chocolate cookies with peppermint chunks. I use this recipe but instead of white chocolate chunks, I substitute peppermint chunks along with semisweet chocolate chunks. A touch of peppermint extract in the chocolate cookie dough adds plenty of cool holiday flavor. Naturally, we're all about "sugar, spice, and everything nice" during the holidays season. Personally, I crave the combination of gingerbread and chocolate. It's become the taste of the holiday season for me. So to kick things off, I made a loaf of chocolate gingerbread loaf. It's chock full of gingerbread flavors (from fresh and dried ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves), made sweet and moist from dark brown sugar and molasses, and studded with chocolate flavor with a little cocoa powder as well as chocolate chunks that somehow turn into bits of fudgy pudding baked in the cake.As if that wasn't enough, I can't let Christmas go without a batch of soft & chewy chocolate gingerbread cookies. I'm savoring them as we speak!
