Christmas
Best Pie Crust Tips
My best pie crust tips will get you to fabulous for your pie crusts, every time. My favorite pie crust recipes, which happen to be vegan, result in flakey, golden crusts ready for every filling you can imagine. Oil-based Crust My two favorite crusts are both oil-based but both different. Every year I laud the…
Read MoreAuthentic Eggnog
The richness of this authentic eggnog recipe is lightened with a big puff of whipped meringue and whipped cream. You can go non-alcoholic, but the rum really does cut the richness. Authentic eggnog, rich and creamy and heavily spiked, has always for some reason seemed out of reach come Christmas and New Year’s at home.…
Read MoreMom’s Frosted Christmas Cut-Out Cookies
Sometimes you just want what Mom made! Here are the frosted cut-out cookies we clamor for at Christmas, a perfect recipe anytime you want a cut-out. The cookies are crisp yet hold shape and taste wonderful, and the frosting is easy, three-ingredient buttercream heaven. I’m really of two minds when it comes to traditional recipes.…
Read MoreOrange Blossom Pecan Pie
Rich, brown-sugary pecan pie is made better with very toasty pecans and a whisper of orange blossom water. The flavor is as beautiful as it sounds: Orange Blossom Pecan Pie. A shocking moment occurred during the development of this pecan pie recipe. My tester group (Dan and sons) was miffed when I brought plates of…
Read MoreCoconut Oil Pie Crust
Pie crust made with coconut oil is a dream to handle, and results in a rich, tender crust that holds its shape beautifully. A vegan recipe to count on! It’s no secret around here that I’m hopelessly devoted to the pie crust I grew up with, a.k.a.: My Mom’s Best Pie Crust. The flakiness of…
Read MoreGarlicky Whipped Feta Dip
Two ingredients and you’re good to go with this garlicky whipped feta dip. The flavor is addictive. Plus, it comes together very quickly and easily. My niece Victoria announced recently that we have 12 Sundays left until Christmas. Her friend Hannah said so. Since then, we’ve dropped to 11 Sundays left ‘til Christmas. I’ve always…
Read MoreOlive Oil Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
The olive oil supports the warm flavors of this moist, luscious carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. There is yogurt in the mix as well, for added tenderness. I was surprised a few months ago when we turned on The Great British Baking Show, my brother, who hadn’t seen the show before, really got into…
Read MorePistachio Baklawa Nests
Pistachio Baklawa Nests are light, crisp little phyllo nests drenched in orange blossom syrup. The nests are shaped using a narrow dowel, rolled with lightly buttered phyllo, and topped with orange blossom syrup and raw ground pistachios. Find the pistachios orange blossom water here, at MaureenAboodMarket.com. I took the first one in two bites. The…
Read MoreTips for a Better Lebanese Ka’ik Recipe
Tips for baking better Lebanese Ka’ik, a traditional yeasted Easter bread/cookie that is soft, flavorful, and sweet. For the beautiful molds made of solid walnut, and the Mymoune Rose Water, visit MaureenAboodMarket.com. I’ve shared with you before some of the confounding aspects of our beloved Lebanese ka’ik. I have asked (and continue to ask): is…
Read MoreChocolate Crinkle Cookies with Orange Blossom
Classic chocolate crinkle cookies with orange blossom is a perfect combo: deep, double chocolate flavor with the gentle addition of orange blossom water. Make ahead the dough and freeze the balls to bake off when you’re ready. I haven’t seen a chocolate crinkle cookie on a holiday plate, or made them myself, in a long…
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