Brighten Your Holiday with Complex Flavors
The holidays are for enjoying the small pleasures that come once a year, and there are none sweeter than homemade goodies, baked or brewed. By using a multitude of flavors in your Christmas recipes, you’ll wow your friends, family and co-workers alike.
Fruitcake, the French Way
Fruitcakes are traditional gifts around the holidays, but so often get overlooked and go stale on your kitchen counter. To spice things up, try pain d'epices, fruitcake's sophisticated French cousin. The holiday spice bread marries gingerbread, dried fruit and toasted nuts for an elegant, yet rustic take on the classic.
Warm Up with Mulled Wine
A mug of mulled wine makes for a warm blend of sweetness, spice and citrus, perfect to snuggle up with as you watch the snow fall outside. Combine red or white wine, cider, cinnamon, citrus, cloves, star anise and honey (or another sweetener of your choice) in a saucepan on your range or cooktop, then boil, serve and enjoy.
Coconut Lime Snowball Cookies
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes | Servings 2 to 3 dozen cookies
Ingredients
8 oz unsalted butter, softened
½ cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp lime juice
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ tbsp lime zest
½ tsp salt
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes, toasted
1 ½ cups powdered sugar for rolling
How to make it
Using an electric hand or stand mixer, beat softened butter in a large bowl until creamy. Add in ½ cup powdered sugar, mixing gradually,
along with vanilla and lime juice. Beat until combined. Slowly add flour, lime zest, and salt, mixing until just combined. Gently mix in toasted coconut. Cover dough and chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 and position rack in the center of the oven. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone nonstick baking mat. Scoop and roll chilled dough into balls about 1 inch in size. Place them on baking sheet, 1 inch apart from each other. Bake for 14-18 minutes, until cookies are golden brown on bottom and pale on top.
Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes. Put remaining powdered sugar in a bowl and roll warm cookies in the sugar to evenly coat. Cool completely, then roll in powdered sugar again. Garnish with slivers of lime zest.
Chef's Notes
Coconut flakes can be carefully toasted in a 350 degree oven for 5-10 minutes, until they turn a light golden brown.