Holiday Baking

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The smells, tastes, and the merriment of holiday baking always adds to the joyous festivities of the season. Baking festive cookies, spiced fruitcakes, decorated bars, gingerbread loaves, meringue swirls and themed iced cupcakes are just some of the delicious flavors that make the holidays even sweeter! Baking with family and friends creates wonderful lifelong memories that will last throughout the years. While baking, you can also make the event extra special by playing holiday music, wearing festive aprons, drinking eggnog or hot chocolate, singing, and spending quality time with your family and friends.

My favorite holiday baking standout is making Linzer cookies with my Grandma. Here is the recipe we use for these delicious buttery, confectioners’ sugar-dusted, jam-packed cookies that are a big hit every year. You won’t be disappointed, as you and your family should celebrate the holidays while having some annual traditional baking fun!

Linzer Cookie Ingredients:

9 oz. sifted flour (250g)

4 ½ oz. sugar (125g)

6 ½ oz. butter (185g) – cut into small pieces

4 egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Knead all ingredients quickly onto a wooden board to make a firm cookie dough.

Put dough into a plastic bag and chill dough in refrigerator for 1 hour. Take out of refrigerator. Roll dough out with a rolling pin onto lightly floured wooden board.

Use a large round cookie cutter to make 24 whole round cookies and also 24 large round cookies with a small thimble circle cut out in the center.

Bake in the oven on center rack for 11-12 minutes at a temperature of 350 F (180 C).

Cool on wire rack. Once completely cooled, spread seedless red raspberry jam (we use Smucker’s brand) onto the whole round cookies.

Use confectioner’s sugar to dust round cookies with thimble circle cut out in the center.

Place dusted round cookie on top of whole round cookie with the jam to finish.

Store cookies in a tin box. Enjoy!

We naturally find comfort in indulgent baked goods that allow us to relive and recreate fond memories with our family and friends in the form of certain flavors and ingredients. It’s these holiday baking aromas and tastes that always bring us back home again! Happy Baking!