Tag: #Holiday

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Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

These chocolate thumbprint cookies are simple but tasty, satisfying any chocolate lover’s sweet tooth. Rolled in walnuts and sealed with a kiss, they’re delightful on their own, but especially when served with a bowl of maple walnut ice cream.

Cute, easy and fun to make, this chocolate thumbprint cookie recipe delivers a tasty dessert option that’s wonderful with a glass of cold milk or mocha frappe, or even tastier when served with a bowl of your favorite ice cream. While they do require a chill time of up to an hour and have the added step of a filling, they’re easy to pull together for a little treat. The crumbly nut outside and the chocolate-kiss-filled inside make them a bit showy, making them a nice cookie to include in your holiday cookie bake-off.

Ingredients for Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

  • Butter: Soften your butter fully prior to using it in this recipe.
  • Sugar: Regular granulated sugar is fine here.
  • Egg: You’ll be separating the egg to make these cookies.
  • Milk: This recipe calls for 2%, but you can use whole milk or even cream here if that’s what you have on hand.
  • Vanilla extract: This extract helps to give the chocolate thumbprint cookies a rich, caramel-like flavor.
  • Dry ingredients: All-purpose flour and baking cocoa make up the bulk of the cookies, and the salt brings out the best in the other ingredients.
  • Walnuts: You can substitute another nut, but the walnut taste is excellent with the chocolate.
  • Filling: You’ll be using confectioner’s sugar, additional butter, milk and vanilla extract here, as well as chocolate kisses.

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85 Christmas Cookie Recipes to Bake All Holiday Season

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

What would the holiday season be without Christmas cookie recipes? While we love easy Christmas desserts like fruitcakes, fudge and bread pudding, there’s just something magical about filling our homes with the scent of freshly baked cookie dough. So, we put together this collection of easy Christmas cookie desserts that will keep your oven busy all season long.

Here you’ll find classic Christmas cookie ideas like decorated gingerbread, ultra-rich spritz and snickerdoodles that are perfect for getting into the holiday spirit. Plus, fun and inventive takes like mint morsels, hot chocolate cookies and fruitcake cookies! You’ll even find international Christmas cookie must-haves like Italian sprinkle and rainbow cookies, Russian tea cakes, Czech kolache and German lebkuchen. The recipes in this collection were chosen to represent a wide range of flavors, cuisines and difficulty levels, so everyone can find something to bake.

Most of the cookies can be made well ahead of your Christmas party to cut down on your day-of to-do list. Knowing how to store cookies will keep your baked goods as fresh as possible. Grandma’s vintage Santa cookie jar might just come in handy! And if you’re gifting any easy Christmas cookie desserts, pair them with these Secret Santa gift ideas for the holiday season.

Whether you’re looking for the best holiday cookie recipes to bake and decorate with the kids, to take to a cookie exchange or to leave out for Santa, these classic Christmas cookie ideas are sure to fit the bill.

Taste of Home

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Our Top 50 Thanksgiving Recipes

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Plan the Perfect Thanksgiving Dinner

Whether you’re planning a traditional Thanksgiving menu featuring classics like turkey, savory green bean casserole and homemade cranberry sauce or experimenting with new takes on your family traditions, you’re going to need a few ideas to get you started. Luckily, our 50 most-popular Thanksgiving recipes have you covered. This collection of feast-worthy eats includes soups and appetizers to start your meal, turkey and side dishes to round it out — and even desserts. You’ll truly find everything you need to host the perfect holiday meal.

There are lots of great options but this flavorful turkey is truly one of the best. A slather of mayonnaise on the bird pulls double duty by standing in as a flavor-packed rub as well as adding moisture and fat to often dry meat. And what’s particularly great is that it browns the skin beautifully without the constant basting that most birds need.

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Sweet Potato Casserole

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Sweet potato casserole with marshmallows is an iconic part of many a Thanksgiving spread. My grandma used to serve it in a 1970s-era Pyrex dish, which had a burnt orange color that matched the potatoes. Her casserole was famous for its ratio of one part sweet potato to three or four parts marshmallows.

This recipe has a more balanced ratio, with a thick layer of smooth, lightly spiced sweet potatoes and a delicious scattering of toasted marshmallows. Because the marshmallows are added at the end and baked for 5 to 10 minutes, they get nice and browned on the outside and perfectly gooey inside. In other words, they’re absolute bliss!

Because of their seasonality, sweet potatoes generally make for good fall fare. Serve this classic casserole with other Thanksgiving sides or as a special treat with a Sunday dinner. Be sure to choose the best marshmallows when making this dish; the jumbo ones with a hint of vanilla make all the difference.

Sweet Potato Casserole Ingredients

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  • Sweet potatoes: Look for large sweet potatoes with firm, unblemished skin. Avoid potatoes with bruises or cracks. Sweet potatoes differ from yams (which have white flesh), so double check the produce before buying.
  • Milk: Milk thins the mashed sweet potatoes, giving them a smoother texture. We call for 2% here, but you can use any milk you like, including nondairy milks (just make sure it doesn’t have extra flavors or sweeteners).
  • Brown sugar: With its molasses-tinged richness, brown sugar adds a caramel flavor to the casserole.
  • Butter: A generous dollop of softened butter mixes with the milk to thin and enrich the mashed sweet potatoes.
  • Egg: To make this dish a casserole instead of just plain-old mashed sweet potatoes, use eggs to ensure an even bake with a slightly puffy, stable base.
  • Spices: Cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and salt give this potato casserole the tempting flavors associated with classic fall desserts.
  • Vanilla extract: Although sweet potato casserole is more side dish than dessert, it still uses vanilla extract to enhance the flavors—just like a sweet potato pie!
  • Marshmallows: The toasty-on-top, gooey-inside marshmallow topping is the signature cap of sweet potato casserole. If you’re making sweet potato casserole for a sentimental crowd, skip it at your own peril!

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60 Cookie Exchange Ideas Your Friends Will Love

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

If you’re feeling the Christmas cookie exchange pressure, we’re here to help. A lot goes into picking out the perfect recipe: It must be just as delicious as it is pretty, easy to bake yet able to make a good first impression, and, of course, festive-looking or festive-flavored—no generic cookies allowed! We kept that in mind when putting together our master list of cookie exchange ideas. Any of these recipes would be a knockout at a Christmas cookie exchange party!

There is a lot of variety in this list of Christmas cookie recipes. We included all the traditional Christmas cookies (think cherry snowballs, speculaas and thumbprints), plus lots of modern cookie recipes (hello, eggnog cookies and reindeer Nutter Butters!) in case you want to shake things up. All are festive for the season and very well-reviewed, and most are attainable for even newer bakers.

Whatever cookie exchange recipes you choose, always give yourself enough time to make them without feeling rushed. I like to chill cookie dough for 24 hours so the flour can hydrate, resulting in a more flavorful and tender cookie. If your recipe needs to be decorated, wait for the cookies to cool completely to room temperature first. Depending on the recipe, decorate the cookies the night before or the morning of the cookie exchange. Anyone wanting to host a stress-free Christmas cookie exchange should follow this formula!

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30 Easy Thanksgiving Desserts Everyone Will Enjoy

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Thanksgiving is a holiday all about comforting classics, including a perfectly seasoned roast turkey, creamy mashed potatoes, stuffing and green bean casserole with a crispy onion topping. But when the dishes have been cleared, it’s time to bring out the fall desserts everyone has been waiting for. These easy Thanksgiving desserts take away the need to fuss with intricate latticed pies or layered cakes, but still bring the flavors you expect.

This roundup includes pumpkin, apple and pecan pies, quick puddings, fudge and frozen desserts, including homemade ice cream recipes. Each one has 20 minutes or less of prep time, and then it can be baked and cooled or chilled until it’s time to serve. With plenty of no-bake Thanksgiving desserts and make-ahead choices, it’s easy to set up a dessert spread in no time.

These simple Thanksgiving dessert recipes adapt well to different dietary needs and preferences. Use a prepared gluten-free pie crust or coconut whipped topping instead of whipped cream, so there is something for everyone. Whether you make one dessert or five, these quick Thanksgiving treats deliver all the flavors of fall, with warm spices, tart cranberries, crunchy nuts and juicy apples, while still leaving time to enjoy the company around you.

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Cranberry-Maple-Glazed Turkey

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

This cranberry-maple-glazed turkey takes minimal effort and ingredients and turns them into an impressive holiday centerpiece with festive flavors and aromas. Adding a cranberry-maple glaze is an easy way to transform your Thanksgiving turkey from tasty to can’t-stop-talking-about-it.

You’ll start by dry-brining your bird. This process may sound intimidating, but it’s as simple as generously salting the turkey and letting it rest overnight in the fridge. The salt seasons the meat and helps it stay juicy during roasting.

Before the turkey goes into the oven, stuff the cavity with fragrant onion, orange and bay leaves to infuse the meat with even more flavor from the inside. Then, coat the outside with a simple mixture of cranberry sauce, maple syrup and chopped nuts. The glaze bakes into a sticky, sweet-tart finish and gives the turkey a gorgeous color and beautiful shine. The result is a surprising yet classic combination of flavors that’s sure to wow guests and make your holiday table feel extra special.

Ingredients for Cranberry-Maple-Glazed Turkey

  • Turkey: If you’re using a frozen turkey, plan for plenty of thawing time. A 12- to 14-pound frozen bird needs about three days in the fridge to thaw completely. Ignore the pop-up timer that comes with most turkeys; an instant-read meat thermometer is the most reliable way to ensure your turkey is cooked through.
  • Kosher salt: Salting the turkey ahead (a process known as dry-brining) is the secret to extra-juicy meat. It may seem like a lot of salt, but it’s the key to locking in moisture and flavor. Be sure you’re using kosher salt and not table salt; table salt is too fine and will make the turkey taste overly salty.
  • Aromatics: Stuffing the cavity with onion, orange and bay leaves subtly flavors the meat from the inside out as it roasts. Onion brings a savory aroma, orange adds brightness and bay leaves lend an herbal note.
  • Maple syrup: Maple syrup adds a rich, caramel-like sweetness to the glaze and balances the tartness of the cranberry sauce. Be sure to use pure maple syrup (not to be confused with misleading pancake syrup) for the best flavor.
  • Cranberry sauce: This shortcut ingredient gives the glaze its festive tart-sweet flavor and a hint of ruby-red color. We prefer whole berry sauce for added texture—store-bought is perfectly fine, but you can cook up a quick homemade cranberry sauce with fresh berries if you have time.
  • Walnuts: Finely chopped walnuts add a nutty crunch to the glaze. Need a nut-free option? Just leave them out.

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28 Nearly Forgotten Thanksgiving Side Dishes

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

A bronzed, roasted turkey is the classic crowning glory of a Thanksgiving spread, but the evolution of various holiday side dishes is where you can mark the passage of time. What might’ve been all the rage 30 years ago has been pushed off your menu and out of your mind. This collection of non-traditional Thanksgiving sides revisits nearly forgotten recipes and offers new, less expected ideas for your holiday table.

Many of these recipes are vintage side dishes passed down through families that make the holiday feel complete. From vintage fluff salads to stuffings with fruit or oysters, they deliver familiar flavors and comfort in the best way. Other sides offer an alternative to your go-to recipes, with a dash of vinegar or a scattering of crisp pancetta giving vegetables a bright, modern twist.

This collection includes all the ingredients and recipe ideas you associate with Thanksgiving, like cranberry, sweet potatoes and the best Thanksgiving stuffing recipes, so you don’t miss your favorites that define the holiday. While they might be non-traditional, these combinations prove that a Thanksgiving menu doesn’t have to look the same every year to be memorable.

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Pigs in a Blanket Wreath

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Pigs in a blanket are a classic party appetizer for a reason. What’s not to love about buttery dough wrapped around a savory, smoky sausage? The dish isn’t exactly memorable, though; your guests have probably had dozens of versions of pigs in a blanket that all taste (and look) the same. Our pigs in a blanket wreath is a cute and festive change-of-pace that no one will forget!

This creative pigs in a blanket idea is delicious and fun to eat. The little crescent dough bundles bake together to create a pull-apart pigs in a blanket ring. Garnished with rosemary sprigs, it looks like a festive Christmas wreath, but the recipe isn’t just for the holidays. Serve it on game day, at family get-togethers or anytime you need crowd-pleasing finger food.

Ingredients for Pigs in a Blanket Wreath

  • Crescent roll dough: Crescent dough is the base of our three-ingredient pigs in a blanket wreath. Its buttery, salty character is so flavorful that it doesn’t need added ingredients to taste great. Use one of our Test Kitchen’s picks for the best crescent dough, or make your own crescent roll dough if you’re feeling ambitious.
  • Miniature smoked sausages: Also known as cocktail weiners or lil smokies, these tiny sausages taste as full-flavored as hot dogs but with an added hint of smokiness. They should be easy to find at the grocery store, but you can substitute sliced hot dogs if you can’t find them.
  • Rosemary: Fresh rosemary sprigs add a festive flair to this pigs in a blanket Christmas wreath.

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17 Freezer-Friendly Thanksgiving Dishes You Can Make Right Now

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Stock Your Freezer Before Thanksgiving

Maybe you have that big work conference right before Thanksgiving, or a million homemade costumes to make for the school play. Whether you’re hosting or bringing a dish to pass, we’ve got you covered. These dishes can be made right now (from Thanksgiving sides to desserts) and go into your freezer for a later date. We’ll tell you how to get them ready when Turkey Day rolls around, so that homemade is within reach even if you’re short on time. No need to thank us on the national day of gratitude — the satisfaction that we’ll be helping you eat well is thanks enough.

We love this genius make-ahead. Though you could just assemble the casserole and bake day-of, you can also wrap that casserole, freeze it, and forget about it until an hour before go-time. Then, just unwrap and bake right from the freezer. A last-minute topping of fried onions will give it that essential little something extra.

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