• Recipes,  Something Sweet

    Twice Baked Shortbread

    Shortbread is the ultimate indulgence. With an ingredient list traditionally comprised of one part white sugar, two parts butter, and three parts flour, these Scottish “biscuits,” popular since the 16th century, have surely stood the test of time. On my last trip to the U.K., I took home a box of shortbread from Harrod’s famous upscale “food court” and savored every last bite while back home in New York. I made a double batch to bring home for Christmas since both my Dad and my fiancé love shortbread as well ~ a win-win situation for all! This recipe calls for you to double bake the shortbread and from my experience is the best method to cook this delightful buttery treat. Because there is only a short list of ingredients, the quality of each is very important. In light of that, I decided to use European-style butter to elevate the richness of the shortbread and provide the most flavor possible. If you can’t find European-style butter at your grocery store or market, you can certainly still use regular butter for this recipe. After baking the shortbread twice (first in a pan and then cut into fingers on a baking sheet), it came out rich, crumbly and the most beautiful golden butter color. I hope you enjoy this little taste of Scotland in your kitchen for the holidays this year!

  • Recipes,  Something Sweet

    Christmas Cookies with Royal Icing

    There is nothing like a batch of freshly baked, buttery Christmas cookies frosted in rich royal icing and dusted with colorful sugar. I can guarantee that you will not find a better, more delicious recipe for cutout sugar cookies anywhere. These festive cookies are favorites of kids and adults alike and are truly a work of art! This year, I decided to do trees, stars, snowflakes, candy canes and reindeer, and I’m thrilled to share with you my recipe for these scrumptious frosted cookies along with a few helpful tips and techniques for frosting the cookies. So, throw on some Christmas carols and get baking! 

  • Recipes,  Something Sweet

    Knob Creek Balls

    Known as “Southern Truffles,” I couldn’t wait to make a batch of fun, boozy bourbon balls. Most of all, I wanted to impress my fiancé, quite the bourbon aficiando, with a dessert made of his favorite Kentucky bourbon, Knob Creek. These no-bake balls are easy to make and pack quite the punch. Inside the balls is a mix of crushed Nilla wafers and pecans for just enough crunch. I rolled them in chocolate sprinkles to make them beautiful enough to serve at any of your holiday parties this year. Enjoy! 

  • Recipes,  Something Sweet

    Pecan Pie Biscotti

    This week my grandmother and I stumbled upon a scrumptious looking biscotti in the newspaper. The warm color of the cookies and the addition of pecans, which you do not usually see in biscotti, was especially intriguing this time of year. We noticed there was not any butter or oil in the cookies – quite the rarity in the baking world! I did a quick Google search and found out that there are 2 varieties of biscotti: simply put, ones that are made with butter and ones that are not. Armed with this information, we set out to bake what turned out to be a delightful, light and crispy biscotti full of crunchy pecans and sweet brown sugar. They are wonderful to make around Christmastime and I highly recommend adding them to your assortment of cookies this year. Try one with coffee or a cup of tea for breakfast or an afternoon snack. Enjoy!