Holiday Cookie Recipes from the Suhru Family Kitchen
The only thing better than milk and cookies, is wine and cookies!
I love the holidays—cutting down a tree, lighting the menorah, driving through the neighborhoods and seeing the North Fork all lit up with lights, holiday shopping on Main Street—there is something truly magical about it all!
While I love all of the festivities and decor, one of my favorite holiday traditions is baking with family and friends, and I make a point of carving out at least one full day of baking each year.
There is something very comforting about gathering in the kitchen and creating something with your own two hands, passing down recipes and finding new ones. We tend to stick to the "classics" over here, however I have recently learned that my classics are not the norm so, I am sharing a few of my favorites which hopefully inspire you this holiday season!
Almond Shortbread Cookies
This is one of my absolute favorites! The recipe was shared with me years ago by a close friend and has quickly become a holiday staple in my house.
Shortbread cookies (in my opinion) are far superior to a sugar cookie in taste but still allow for the fun of holiday decorating. I usually keep mine relatively simple, with powdered sugar on top or a simple drizzle of icing. What's great about these cookies is, you can also go full out with traditional sugar cookie frosting and decorating!
The key to the icing, is to add almond extract which adds a nice level of complexity and contrast to the sweetness of the icing. Plus its a nice elevated surprise when you bite into it. These are great with a cup of tea or a softer, fruitier red like Teroldego.
Rugelach
Growing up in a house that celebrated both Chanukkah and Christmas, rugelach was a must! This recipe is an adaptation from one of my mother's Jewish cookbooks—one of those cookbooks that has been passed down through multiple generations and has notes in the margins.
I have made it my own over the years through slight tweaks. I have kept this recipe fairly traditional with the raspberry jam, cinnamon sugar, walnut and raisin filling but feel free to experiment. I have made them with a variety of other nuts (pecans add a nice flavor) and strawberry jam also works nicely.
As with most Jewish recipes, it is a bit time consuming to make but is worth the work in the end!
I enjoy these as an after dinner treat paired with a glass of Shiraz to bring out the raspberry and red fruit notes!
Peanut Butter Blossoms
An absolute classic and a holiday staple. There is something so nostalgic about peanut butter blossoms, to me they have always screamed holiday!
Whether you make them with the traditional Hersheys Kiss or opt for my personal favorite the Hersheys Hug (plus the swirl of the white and milk chocolate add a little extra festive touch) you really can't go wrong with peanut butter and chocolate!
You absolutely can pair this one with a bottle of red (and I often do), but recently I keep reaching for the bubbly with these. Grab yourself a bottle of Brut, a warm fuzzy blanket, and settle in on the couch for a cozy night in (that's how I plan to spend my holiday break at least)!
We'd love to know what you and your families bake this time of year, so please comment below with your favorites as well. Wishing you and yours a very happy holidays and a happy, healthy New Year!