There’s nothing like the holidays! Here’s some of our favorite holiday dessert recipes!
Shortbread Cookies
“There are 2 favorite holiday cookies at my house are Oatmeal Lace cookies and a 3 ingredient shortbread cookie that we decorate!” –Deena Ramsaur
Ingredients
1 Cup Butter (2 sticks) softened
1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
2 Cups all purpose flour
Instructions
Preheat Oven to 350
Line baking sheets with parchment or silpat
Cream butter and sugar together
Add flour and mix until soft dough forms. Will be crumbly at first
Roll dough into 1/4 inch thick onto dusted surface (flour or powdered sugar)
Cut into shapes, bake 16-18 minutes or until pale golden brown.
Cool and decorate
Oatmeal Lace Cookies
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
3 Cups uncooked Rolled Oats (do not use instant)
1 1/2 Tbsp. All purpose Flour
1 tsp salt
1 3/4 Cups Sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs slightly beaten
Instructions
Heat oven to 325
Cover baking sheets with parchment or silpat
In a saucepan, melt butter. Let cool, add remaining ingredients except the eggs. Stir well to combine, then add eggs.
Mix thoroughly
Place 1 1/2 Tbsp of batter on parchment, leave 3 inches between cookies
Flatten batter with a spoon. Bake 13-15 minutes until golden brown
Cool on wire racks.
Spicy Candied Pecans
“You know I’m not much of a cookie baker but I would love to share this Spicy Candied Pecan recipe that I love and is always a big hit when I share at holiday gatherings. The crushed red pepper flakes seem very curious to most at first but becomes addictive when starting to eat them.”– Holly Westlind
1 lb shelled pecans or walnut halves
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp salt
Preheat the oven to 325°. In a medium sauce pan over high heat, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add the nuts and boil for two minutes. Drain. Meanwhile, in a 2 1/2 quart sauce pan over medium high heat, combine all of the remaining ingredients. Bring to a low boil. Transfer the nuts, while still piping hot into the honey – sugar mixture. Increase the heat to high and stir the nuts until all the liquid disappears.
Spread the nuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the nuts in the oven and bake until they become a dark mahogany color, about 20 minutes (using a spatula, turn the nuts over halfway through the cooking process). Leave the nuts on the pan and let cool to room temperature.
When cool, separate the nuts and place them, still on the baking sheet, into the freezer. When frozen, transfer to a zip top bag and store in the freezer. The recipe can be completed to this point up to three months before serving. To serve, transfer the nuts to a bowl and serve frozen.
