I remember my grandmother making these cookies when I was a kid, in her little kitchen in Bowie, MD, with it's yellow table & chairs and old-time microwave with a spin dial. She'd store them -- and what seemed like a million other varieties -- in big tupperware containers in the laundry room, pulling them…
A mug with a bag of this delicious hot cocoa mix from Alton Brown makes a nice gift for teachers, neighbors and acquaintances. Or, make a snow day gift basket with mugs for the whole family and hot chocolate mix to share, and add fun treats like these chocolate spoon stirrers, marshmallows, candy canes and…
If I could only choose one tradition or one cookie to bake, this would be it! You see, for the longest time I had this vague memory of delicious candy cane cookies that my mom used to make when I was little. I could almost taste the cookies, but I couldn't find the recipe. A…
These spicy candied walnuts are seriously addictive! Sweet, with a slight kick from the cinnamon, these would make a great teacher gift or addition to a basket of baked goods and treats. You'll need a candy thermometer to get the temperature of the candy coating just right, but these are actually really simple to make…
Chocolate-covered treats are some of my favorite Christmas gifts, not only because I love to eat them myself, but also because they make an impressive presentation when they're actually simple enough to make with your kids! A couple of years ago, I took a small basket of chocolate-covered pretzels and fresh fruit to our favorite…
We were really surprised to discover how easy it was to make biscotti (and I use the term "we" loosely because my mom did all most of the work while I sat back and commentated). It seems like a a fancy treat, and while there are several steps involved so that it's not exactly a…
These chai tea cutout cookies are a fun alternative to classic gingerbread cookies. With chai tea, pumpkin pie spice and molasses, these have a strong flavor, but my whole family enjoyed them...perhaps because of the white chocolate candy coating. They would make a fun activity with kids -- although I'd recommend smaller cookie cutters because…
These Oreo truffles are counted among my very favorite treats; crushed oreos & cream cheese make a delicious filling with a hard chocolate shell. They are rich and decadent, but oh so easy to make! These have to be refrigerated, so they're not always a great gift choice, but they make a wonderful hostess gift…