The Sweetest Season
Advice from baking experts on the very best recipes for holiday cookies
W
Story and photography by King Arthur Flour
hen the air grows frosty and holds the promise of snow, we look forward to the most memorable time of year for baking.
Twinkling tea lights and the scent of pine trees mean the holidays are near. As the year completes its circle, we start to think
about kitchen traditions. Most of us hold tightly to beloved recipes, knowing that no holiday feels complete without our
grandmother’s classic gingerbread men or that buttery shortbread our uncle gift s us every December.
Whether you turn to tried-and-true, well-worn recipes or search for new inspiration to brighten the winter months, there’s a cookie
out there for you. Th ere are icebox cookies, a colorful rainbow of slice-and-bake doughs, traditional roll-out cookies—perfect for royal
icing and shimmery decorations, chunky chocolate chip cookies, and chewy spiced molasses cookies. And that’s just the beginning!
Over at King Arthur Flour, our bakers are busier than ever as the holidays approach. Our counters are strewn with fl our and eggshells.
Push open the swinging doors to the test kitchen and a warm rush of air—fragrant with sugar, melted butter, and cinnamon—greets
you. As the countdown to the holidays continues, our phones ring off the hook with questions from customers on all manner of baking
queries and dilemmas.
We love answering every question, whether it’s about converting a beloved family cookie recipe to be gluten free or about
recommending the very best frosting recipe to use on a gingerbread house. Guiding bakers in the kitchen by off ering tips and gently
providing expertise to bolster their confi dence is one of our greatest joys—and our mission.
But our favorite question of all? Recipe inspiration! Holiday cookies are the biggest topic come December, and we’re happy to weigh in.
Our classic gingersnaps—spicy and rich with cracked sugary tops—are a favorite winter treat. Soft and chewy vanilla cranberry cookies
are an unexpected marriage of fall and holiday ingredients, with an outstanding fl avor from the bright citrus and tart cranberry, bound
up in buttery dough. For a cookie that’ll be the star of any holiday party or cookie tray, our almond cloud cookies get top reviews every
year. Th ey happen to be gluten free and have a wonderfully moist, tender center with a delicate almond fl avor. With so many options,
it’s impossible to go wrong. Pick any holiday cookie recipe and get ready to make memories that will last, even if the crumbs don’t.
68 VERMONT MAGAZINE