Let's talk about holiday baking that goes beyond cookies! These are the festive winter bakes to try. The list includes an ultra fragrant gingerbread cake, a bright citrus loaf, and the perfect flourless chocolate cake. Few people love baking holiday cookies more than me, but a good amount of my favorite December baking happens outside the cookie platter. Think fragrant spice cakes, all things citrus, buttery, and bright - or deep, melty chocolate on the frostiest nights.
Icebox cakes are simple, no-bake desserts perfect for summer. They are made with a ladyfinger or cookie crust and a pudding or custard filling, and are chilled in the freezer so that the layers soften and blend into a sliceable cake.
At the risk of editorializing, few things in life are better than peanut butter and the rich, comforting, gooey pleasure it brings, which needs so little in order to be enjoyed - two slices of bread will do, or if you're feeling particularly indulgent and lazy, sometimes just a spoon. This uncomplicated charm is well demonstrated by the fact that perhaps the best peanut butter cookies you will ever taste require only three ingredients, all of which you probably already have in your kitchen.
It's hard to deny that chicken pot pie is pure coziness wrapped inside of a pastry shell. There's rich gravy and tender chicken chunks, bright vegetables and an impossibly flaky crust. It's the kind of meal that will always make your mouth water, especially when the oven timer seems to be taking forever. So when you're seconds away from creamy filling cascading onto your plate, it can be hard to resist the urge to grab a fork and dig right in.
Rhubarb brings its late-winter brightness to this favourite pudding, while ripe, buttery pears soften the edges and add a gentle creaminess. Instead of the traditional rubbing-in method, the crumble is made by pouring warm browned butter straight into the dry ingredients, creating a pebbly topping with a deeper toasted flavour. Leave out the crushed fennel seed, if you prefer, but this small addition, bloomed briefly in the butter, gives the whole thing a subtle aromatic lift.