Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies

In a bowl, whisk together 2 ¼ cups of flour, 2 tsp ginger, 1 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp ground cloves, ½ tsp ground nutmeg, 1 tsp baking soda, and ¼ tsp salt. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat ¾ cup unsalted butter and 1 cup brown sugar together until light and fluffy. Add in one large egg, ¼ cup molasses, and 2 tsp vanilla extract into the butter-sugar mixture. Beat until combined. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, be careful to not overmix. Then cover and chill the dough for at least 2 hours. Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of the dough and roll in a generous amount of powdered sugar. The more powdered sugar coating the dough, the better the crinkle effect will be! Bake the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper at 350 for about 12 minutes.

Latke Recipe

Peel and slice 3 medium russet potatoes, then run them through a food processor fitted with the grate attachment. Place the shredded potato in a cheesecloth and wring to extract as much moisture as possible. Combine a large egg, 2 tbsp of flour, 1 tbsp grated onion, and ½ tsp of salt in a bowl with the shredded potatoes. Fry in ¼ cup of oil (or however much you need) over medium meat, placing large spoonfuls of the mixture and pressing them down to form ½ inch thick patties. Cook until golden brown (4-5 minutes), before flipping and repeating on the other side. Place them on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb some of the oil while you cook the others. Latkes are best served with apple sauce and sour cream!

Sugar Cookies

Cream together 1 cup of butter and 1 cup of granulated sugar. Add 1 egg and 2 tsp of vanilla extract, mixing until fluffy. Add in ½ tsp of salt, 2 tsp of baking powder, and 3.5 cups of all-purpose flour. Mix on low until dough is fully combined and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Roll out the dough so you can cut it into fun shapes. No chilling is necessary. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes or until edges start to turn golden brown. For icing, combine 1.5 cups powdered sugar, 2 tbsp water, ½ tbsp honey or syrup, and ½ tsp vanilla extract. Add food coloring as desired.

Savory Puff Pastry Christmas Tree

Combine 2 tbsp of sun-dried tomato pesto and 2 tbsp of goat cheese in a small bowl, stirring well. Unroll 1 puff pastry sheet onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and cut away 2 strips at the bottom of the puff pastry to form a tree trunk, about an inch wide and tall. Then cut diagonally from the bottom corner to the top, creating a long triangular shape, and remove excess pastry. Spread a thin layer of your pesto-goat cheese mixture over the pastry all the way to the sides. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of grated Pecorino-Romano cheese over the top. Unroll a second sheet of puff pastry and place it at the top of the triangle. Press down carefully along the edges and cut away the sides to match the first triangle, removing the excess pastry. Cut ⅔ inch thick branches into both sides of the triangle. Twist the branches away from you, and try to get in 2 turns on the lower branches. Brush the entire tree with a beaten egg and sprinkle another tablespoon of Pecorino-Romano and some dried oregano over the tree. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes.