Holiday Baking Bonanza!
What’s your favorite holiday cookie?
Vol. 13 // In This Issue:
LĒVO Giveaway!
Most Iconic Holiday Cookies in Every State
Holiday Cookie Recipe Roundup
Egg Shortage Solutions! Best Egg Substitutes
It’s that time of year when kitchens and bellies are filled to the brim with sweet, sugary holiday cookies. Classic chocolate chip and snickerdoodles are the most popular favorite cookie during the holiday season, according to my informal and not-scientific poll on Instagram. Other notable cookies people mentioned that caught my attention:
Spumoni pistachio sugar cookies with maraschino cherry with chocolate and freeze dried cherry powder
Holly Boughs, green cornflakes with red hots
Salted miso cookie
Caramel popcorn cookies with maple pecans
Snowball cookies
What’s your favorite holiday cookie? Chime in for a chance to win a free LĒVO on my IG!
GIVEAWAY: LĒVO HERBAL INFUSION MACHINE
I partnered with LEVO for a giveaway! Step up your baked baking and enter by December 26! Winner will be selected and contacted on IG on December 27. No purchase necessary.
Iconic Holiday Cookies
What does everyone bake during the holidays? Delish did a roundup of iconic holiday cookies in each state, and I call bullshit on fortune cookies in California. Who makes fortune cookies for Christmas?? The potato chip cookies in Idaho look bomb. The plain-looking corn cookies in Iowa could use some pizzazz but I bet they taste great. I’m DROOLING at the Gooey Butter Cake Cookies from Missouri. Why are Massachusetts and Connecticut so basic with their chocolate chip and snickerdoodle? Definitely want to try these crispy cinnamon and anise Bizcochitos in New Mexico. I do love peanut butter Buckeyes from Ohio. And of course New York has the black and white cookie, which I don’t like all that much but I did come up with a better version of this classic black and white cookie that I do like. West Virginia wins with their no-bake haystacks.
What do you think of this list?
Pick a Cookie, Any Cookie
Not sure what to bake? Here’s a rundown of my favorite recipes:
Brown Butter Vanilla Bean Shortbread Bars // my famous Botanical Bandits
Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies // with toasted marshmallows
Dragonfruit Matcha Sugar Cookies // pink and green swirly goodness
Ginger Lime Shortbread Cookies // with gorgeous pressed flowers
Iced Gingerbreads // trees, hearts, stars, snowflakes, oh my!
Kitchen Sink Munchies Cookies // with whatever you got in your kitchen
Peanut Butter White Chocolate Cookies // with PAX infused flower buds
Peppermint Chocolate Cookies // use up your leftover cannabis chocolate
CBD Peanut Butter Apple Dog Treats // because pets love cookies too
Not Cookies
Bourbon Fudge Sauce // to drizzle and dip with… anything
Caramel Apples // with Jetty solventless rosin
Cookie Butter // like speculoos cookie butter, but with any cookie you want
F-Yea! Bars (Gluten-free) // better than any rice krispy treat
Rosemary Pumpkin Seed Brittle // a heavenly salty, sweet crunch
Plant-Based Egg Substitutes
Anyone else notice that the egg section of the grocery store is looking rather… empty? Other than prices increasing there’s an egg shortage due to bird flu. Egg-laying chickens have been culled to prevent the spread and it’s impacting food cost and egg prices.
Did you know that banana, applesauce, bean water, chia seeds, and carbonated water are excellent plant-based egg substitutes for baking? Eggs provide flavor, moisture, fats, and lift in baked goods. But these alternates are pretty good!
If you’re wondering if keeping backyard chickens is a good alternative to having an independent supply of free farm fresh eggs year-round, I can tell you that (1) they are not free, and (2) chickens don’t necessarily lay eggs year round. Out of my 6 hens, only one is laying right now every other day. So the 15 eggs I get each month cost approximately $3.50 each. They’re cute pets though.
I’m sharing a fun savory recipe for cheesy pesto bread this week, and taking next Sunday off for Christmas. Happy holidays and merry everything!
XOXO, Christina W.
