Baking with flavors of the holiday season: It’s like Christmas in your mouth

Sometimes all a dreary December day needs to be transformed to a festive moment is a recipe with the nostalgia-inducing flavors of the holiday season. Here are a few flavor profiles that are sure to inspire your next baking session.

The flavors: Sugar, spice and everything nice 

Peppermint candy canes are a traditional favorite, making their appearance in baked goods or dipped into hot drinks. The minty-fresh flavor of the iconic cane-shaped Christmas candies rarely disappoints.

Ginger and other spices, such as cinnamon and cloves, are anticipated for their palate-warming qualities in drinks, baked goods and savory dishes. Few edible treats say happy holidays like giant ginger cookies or maple cinnamon star cookies.

The flavors: Old-fashioned favorites 

Speaking of maple, this old-fashioned flavor is just as popular today as ever. While we know it best from syrup – a comfort-food condiment that gives pancakes and waffles a welcome boost of flavor – maple can add a classic sweetness to cookies.

Vanilla is a universally adored flavor that is a confectionery necessity in holiday desserts. Though you can use artificial vanilla flavoring, the real stuff – pure vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste or fresh vanilla bean seeds – give desserts, such as the vanilla bean danish butter cookie recipe below, an authentic and lingering vanilla flair.

Butterscotch and bourbon

Butterscotch is a delicious caramel-like blend of butter and brown sugar that gives holiday desserts an unparalleled rich, sweet flavor that decadently melts in your mouth. Try the Jim Bean honey butterscotch oatmeal cookies to see what we’re talking about!

Bourbon, another holiday flavor, impeccably partners with the oats, butterscotch chips, vanilla, and butter in this scrumptious holiday cookie idea, below. 

Giant ginger cookies

From Josh Johnson, The Kentucky Gent (thekentuckygent.com)

INGREDIENTS

  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2¼ teaspoons baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
  • ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ½ cup packed light brown sugar
  • ½ cup granulated sugar, plus ⅓ cup for coating
  • 6 tablespoons molasses
  • 1 large egg

INSTRUCTIONS

Honey-bourbon-butterscotch cookies

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