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

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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.

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Classic Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies

My family’s classic Midwestern sour cream sugar cookie recipe got such a nice response on social media, that I’m back today sharing our thumbprint cookie recipe!

This recipe combines a salty nutty cookie with sweet jam, and it uses a special technique of baking the cookies for a bit first before making the thumbprints, which helps prevent the cookies from cracking quite so much.

What are Thumbprint Cookies?

Thumbprint cookies are a classic in the baking world, especially around Christmas!

The unique feature of these cookies is the indentation created by pressing your thumb into the center, which provides the perfect well for a delicious filling.

Types of Thumbprint Cookies

Thumbprint cookies come in various flavors and with different fillings. Sometimes, they are made with a simple sugar cookie dough, and sometimes they are nutty.

The fillings can range from jams and preserves to chocolate, caramel or even something like Nutella. My mom actually fills hers with frosting!

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Nothing says “Holiday Season” like Chocolate Peppermint

In terms of flavor combinations, chocolate and peppermint is right up there with peanut butter and jelly, and tomatoes and basil. And chocolate and peppermint tastes BEST during the holiday season. It’s a fact.

This Chocolate Peppermint Cookies recipe has been developed using both cocoa powder and melted dark chocolate for the richest, deepest chocolate flavor. And, these cookies have a just-slight-underbaked chewy texture, so they almost eat like a brownie!

They also have both peppermint extract and crushed peppermint candy, so I guess you can say they’re double chocolate and double peppermint cookies!

These cookies are dedicated to the true lovers of the combination of chocolate and peppermint, but I think just about everybody will end up loving them!

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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

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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.

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Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells

Chances are, if people were polled and asked for words and phrases synomous with “comfort food,” that both stuffed shells and alfredo would be high up on the list of results.

I saw no reason not to combine these ideas to make the ultimate comfort food dish, so here we are.

This recipe for chicken alfredo stuffed shells is the best one out there, in my opinion. The alfredo sauce has a hint of lemon zest to brighten it up, and the shells are baked in a cast iron skillet so they get some yummy crusty edges.

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This Corn Casserole Recipe with Cheese is the ultimate comfort food

Don’t you just love when a side dish becomes that thing that everybody is still talking about the next day?

That’s what this Cheesy Corn Casserole is designed to do. It’s perfect for a holiday dinner or any time you’re craving comfort food.

It comes together using simple things like sweet corn, rich cheeses, a touch of seasoning and bacon. The ingredients are transformed into something so warm and comforting that it will be a star of your dinner table.

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This Lasagna Recipe with Cottage Cheese has been in my family for generations!

Today, I’m sharing my family’s recipe for lasagna with cottage cheese. My mom got the recipe from her mom, and she often made this for Christmas day when I was a kid (and sometimes my birthday, too!).

First things first, let’s get this out of the way: Is this lasagna recipe with cottage cheese authentically Italian? No. Is it delicious? Absolutely.

YES, as the name makes crystal clear, this is lasagna without ricotta, and it uses cottage cheese instead. Yes, I know that ricotta is more traditional in authentic Italian food.

But hey, this recipe is from the Midwest (ope!), where cottage cheese is readily available, affordable, and delicious, and I am here. for. it.

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This Halloween Brownies Recipe is scary good!

There’s lots of recipes for Halloween Brownies that look like mummies out there, but most of them use vanilla frosting or melted white chocolate for the “bandages.”

This mummy brownies recipe is for true chocolate lovers. These are rich, fudgy dark chocolate brownies topped with the easiest two-ingredient homemade chocolate ganache.

Perhaps you’ll love these brownies . . . to death?

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