Melomakarona Recipe

I originally discovered these Greek cookies while completing a practical exam in culinary school, where I had to prepare a meal of traditional Greek foods.

The melomakarona cookies I made for dessert ended up being absolutely delicious, and I couldn’t wait to make them again.

With love, I have refined my recipe for years ever since, resulting in the soft spiced cookies bathed in honey syrup and sprinkled with walnuts that you’ll find in this post.

Not only do the warm Mediterranean flavors instantly put me in a Christmas spirit, but because these cookies stay fresh up to two weeks, I actually CAN start my holiday baking by making them earlier in the month!

“Oh, my goodness! Made these cookies to bring to my daughter’s for Christmas. I waited patiently to do the “taste test” and it was worth the wait! They are delicious and taste just like the ones I’ve been buying at the annual Greek festival close to home for years. Thank you so much!”

—Connie

The post Melomakarona Greek Cookies Recipe appeared first on Foxes Love Lemons.

Spritz Cookie Recipe

For years, I would see Spritz Cookies on cookie trays and think there was simply no way I would ever be able to make those myself. Too fussy, too much chance of failure, I thought.

But, in a moment of fearlessness a few years ago, I bought a cookie press and tried my hand at it using another recipe. The cookies ended up turning out fine, but there were a lot of missing details I wish I had known, since it was my first time making them.

I’m here today to walk you through how to make spritz cookies, from the viewpoint of a spritz cookie novice. Along the way, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about each step of the process so that you succeed at these cookies the first time you ever make them.

What are Spritz Cookies?

Spritz cookies are delicate, buttery little treats that are often the prettiest part of a cookie tin or platter. Their distinctive shapes and melt-in-your-mouth texture make them a favorite for Christmas.

The name “spritz” comes from German word “spritzen,” meaning to squirt or spray, which describes how these cookies are made using a cookie press or piping bag.

The post Christmas Spritz Cookies appeared first on Foxes Love Lemons.

This is the best Sugar Cookie Recipe with Sour Cream

This is probably the most personal recipe on this blog – my family’s Christmas cookie recipe!

My mom got this recipe for Sour Cream Cookies from my grandma, who got it from a coworker, who probably got it from a local newspaper here in the Midwest.

What makes it so special? Two things – flavor and texture. The flavor largely comes from a generous spoonful of nutmeg. While most sugar cookie cutouts have very little flavor other than sugary dough, these ones have a subtle spice flavor.

And the sour cream keeps them extremely soft. They even stay soft for at least a week after they’re baked – an impressive feat for a sugar cookie.

My mom generously helped me translate our family recipe into a foolproof written version, and even helped me make the cookies for this post (those are her hands rolling out the dough in the step-by-step photos below).

What does sour cream do in baking?

Sour cream is magic! It serves several functions in baked goods such as these sour cream sugar cookies:

• Moisture Booster. Sour cream adds extra moisture to the cookie dough, ensuring a soft and tender final product.
• Flavor Enhancer. The subtle tang of the sour cream complements the sweetness of the other ingredients.
• Leavening Agent. The acidity of the sour cream reacts with the baking soda, resulting in a light and airy cookie.

“I had lost my grandma’s recipe last year in a house fire, so one of those small things that hit me when trying to make that holiday cheer. THANKFULLY I found this recipe and it will now be our family traditional Christmas cookie. Husband wasn’t a fan of grandma’s recipe but said I should receive a cookie award for these. Kids loved decorating them. Sturdy enough for little hands to grab, soft and chewy, subtle nutmeg flavor and holds details of cookie cutters very well.”

—Kris

The post Sour Cream Sugar Cookie Recipe appeared first on Foxes Love Lemons.

Get ready for the most tender and flavorful Crockpot Pork Roast

The humble boneless pork shoulder doesn’t get enough love, in my opinion. Maybe because it’s also referred to as pork BUTT?

But this affordable cut of meat shines after a low and slow cook time.

This Crockpot Pork Roast gives you tender meat, soft carrots and onions, and a rich umami-bomb gravy, and your slow cooker does most of the work.

The post Tender Pork Roast in Slow Cooker appeared first on Foxes Love Lemons.

Ever wonder what to make with Leftover Mashed Potatoes? Here is the answer!

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, but with a gathering of just five people, we’re often stuck with quite a bit of leftovers after the big meal.

While you can simply reheat leftover mashed potatoes and drizzle them with homemade gravy a second time around, my favorite way to serve leftover mashed potatoes is this Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole.

Make this, and you’ll use up 4 cups of mashed potatoes, so this might be the only leftover recipe you need (or, you can easily make a half batch of this if you have less leftovers).

It’s loaded with all the good stuff, like bacon, cheese, sour cream and two kinds of onions, and topped with crushed cheese crackers for good measure.

“This recipe is a winner! Easy to improvise if needed. I made it yesterday and it turned out to be melt in your mouth, delicious and memorable. Absolutely perfect way to use up leftovers!”

—Melinda

The post Baked Loaded Mashed Potatoes appeared first on Foxes Love Lemons.

This Cranberry Curd Pie will WOW your holiday guests

Every year, I usually panic buy 2 or 3 bags of fresh cranberries, worried there’s going to be a shortage.

Once I make cranberry sauce and then cranberry sauce muffins, and I still have some left, that’s when this cranberry curd tart happens.

It starts with a classic graham cracker crust with some cinnamon added for extra flavor. There are also gluten free crust options, which I discuss below.

Then, fresh cranberries, orange juice, orange peel and sugar come together on the stove in very much the same way you’d make a traditional cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving (except you’ll be blending it smooth and adding eggs to make it custardy). 

The end result is a dessert with a striking appearance and a tart-but-perfectly sweet taste.

The post Cranberry Tart Pie appeared first on Foxes Love Lemons.

This Instant Pot Sweet Potato recipe couldn’t be easier

Is your stovetop full on Thanksgiving? Or do you just love using your pressure cooker?

Or, perhaps your goal is to make the most luscious mashed sweet potatoes of your life. These are the ones for you.

Instant Pot mashed sweet potatoes come together quick, and with little fuss. Where the magic happens is all the things we’re going to mix into them, including bourbon, brown sugar and cinnamon.

Everybody is going to want a second scoop of these velvety sweeties, I guarantee it.

The post Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes appeared first on Foxes Love Lemons.

This is the BEST Stuffing Recipe

You know how you hear about people taking recipes to their grave? My husband’s grandma seriously did that with her Thanksgiving bread stuffing.

It was the best turkey stuffing in the whole wide world, and I consider myself a stuffing aficionado. It had a simple, comforting flavor and was toasted to perfection.

Try as we might, we never got Mary Ellen to give up the recipe for her turkey stuffing. The only detail she ever gave us was “well, I just soak the bread in milk, really.”

So, ever since Mary Ellen passed, it’s been my mission to try to recreate this recipe. Using some flavor memories based on what Jeff and I can recall about Grandma’s stuffing, I first published my best educated guess of how this stuffing was created back in 2014.

Using reader comments and e-mails ever since, I’ve made revisions to the recipe to keep getting it closer and closer to the original.

The recipe card below reflects nine years of work, and at least a dozen tests. At this point, I think I’m a close as I can get to honoring the flavors of Mary Ellen’s stuffing.

The recipe in the card below will yield you a delicious old fashioned bread stuffing to serve alongside your Thanksgiving turkey, I guarantee it.

“I ran across your Grandma Mary Ellen’s stuffing recipe last year and what a hit it was!! Thank you!! I too have been searching for a recipe similar to my Grandmother’s and your recipe is spot on!”

—Mary

What is stuffing?

Stuffing, also known as dressing, is a quintessential part of holiday feasts, specially where turkey is served. It’s a mixture of cubed bread, vegetables, and seasonings, and it produces a very comforting blend of flavors and textures.

Technically, it’s called “stuffing” when it gets stuffed into the bird, and “dressing” when its cooked in a separate baking dish.

But, since you tend to have to overcook the turkey to make sure the stuffing reaches a safe temperature, we just cook ours in a baking dish, but we’ve always still called it stuffing.

The post Grandma’s Old Fashioned Bread Stuffing appeared first on Foxes Love Lemons.

Deliciously classic Russet Mashed Potatoes with Heavy Cream

Mashed potatoes are my ultimate comfort food, and I was taught to make them the best they can possibly be in culinary school.

This homemade mashed potatoes recipe takes the dish to a new level of creaminess and indulgence with heavy cream and butter. It’s also seasoned to perfection with four secret spices I learned from some of the best chefs in the country.

The post Creamy Mashed Potatoes with Heavy Whipping Cream appeared first on Foxes Love Lemons.

Tender and juicy Pork Chop and Applesauce recipe

Pork chops and applesauce are a classic combination, and you can just never go wrong with something so classic.

This recipe elevates the traditional dish by making homemade applesauce with an optional bit of spice to liven things up.

Why do you put applesauce on Pork Chops?

While some people might shy away from eating fruit and meat together, they’re actually a great pairing.

The natural sweetness and tanginess of apples complement the richness of the thick double-cut pork chop, satisfying your taste buds.

And while the recipe below will ensure that your pork chops end up perfectly juicy, if you DO accidentally overcook them a bit, the applesauce is there for you to add some moisture back to every bite of pork.

The post Applesauce Pork Chops appeared first on Foxes Love Lemons.