One Dough, Three Cookies: Christmas Thumb Print Cookies with Nielsen-Massey

I was sent products from of charge by Nielsen Massey in order to accommodate the writing of this post. All opinions are my own.

So your boyfriend's best friend's girlfriend suddenly decided to throw a last minute Christmas party. And your office manager suddenly decided everyone should do a pot luck lunch before the holiday. And your kid suddenly remembered the band is holding a holiday bake sale in order to raise funds to get the dents hammered out of the tubas. Not to fear! I'm here to help.

Of course everyone thinks of cookies around the holidays, and everyone has their favorite flavor combos that remind them of their childhoods. The easiest way to please everyone without endlessly sorting through Pinterest for recipe ideas is to find one basic cookie recipe and riff on that.

I, personally, have a great affinity for thumbprint cookies, mostly because they are so versatile that they can be re-invented to accommodate almost any flavor combo. To prove this, I decided to use Nielsen-Massey's Holiday Flavor Bundle as inspiration and create three different thumbprint cookies from the same basic recipe.

First, I made the easy decision to pair the almond extract with cherry preserves. Cherry and almond are such a classic combo, and the bright red center and the creamy white cookie just look so darn festive. Top these cookies with some slivered almonds and watch them disappear (in my own personal testing session at my office, these were the first to go).

Secondly, I decided to be a little adventurous with the vanilla while still keeping within the realm of winter flavor. Nielsen-Massey's vanillas are, after all, top notch and deserve to be featured rather than used as an after thought. For this version, I finely ground some winter spices (cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and cardamon) and mixed those into the cookie dough along with the vanilla extract. I filled these cookies with a sweet orange marmalade and topped them with a drizzle of melted white chocolate. This version of the cookie might have been my favorite, if only because it reminded me of the orange spice tea my mom used to give me when I was a kid.

Lastly, I decided the pair the peppermint extract with chocolate, because what else is a more quintessentially holiday flavor combo? I altered the base cookie recipe slightly by replacing a 1/2 cup of the flour with cocoa powder and I baked the cookies without any filling. While they baked, I made a quick ganache from dark chocolate, cream, butter, and some more peppermint extract. Once the cookies were cooled, I filled them with the ganach and topped them with crushed candy cane bits.

Tell me what cookie flavor combos you'd like to try in the comments below!

Thumbprint Cookie Base


3/4 cup softened unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp flavoring (such as vanilla extract, peppermint extract, etc.)
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with a hand mixer, then add the egg and extract/flavoring. Add the baking powder and salt. Continue mixing, adding in the flour 1/4 cup at a time until it is all incorporated and the dough has formed. If the dough it a sandy texture, use your hands to finish mixing it until it is one thick mass.

Scoop the cookie dough into 1 inch balls and place them onto a greased baking sheet or a silicon mat. Make an indent with your thumb to create a well in the middle of the cookie. If using a jam-like filling, drop it into the well now. Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes, or until the bottom edges start to go golden brown. Let the cookies cool on a rack for about 15 minutes, then if not already filled, top the cookies with whatever filling you are using.

Makes about 2 dozen.

Wine and Cheese: 6 Tips for Building the Perfect Holiday Cheese Plate

I was sent products by Mary's Crackers and Mionetto free of charge. All opinions are my own and I am not affiliated with any of the companies mentioned in this post.

Forget the crudite, forget the charcuterie. If I show up to your holiday party and there is no cheese on your table, I'm leaving. And I brought a damn good White Elephant gift, which I am now keeping for myself. There is just nothing quite like a well curated cheese plate, and I'm not talking one of those pre-sliced, plastic wrapped deals that looks like they just dyed the same block of cheese product different colors. A good cheese plate needs variety, not just in flavor, but in texture. Hard cheese, soft cheese, fresh cheese, aged cheese. Like a wedding. "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something bleu."

I know, it can be intimidating to put together a really nice cheese plate yourself. But I have been doing it for years (I had a friend who once admitted mine was the only house he'd go to outside his own because he knew I'd always have good cheese on hand) and I am here to give you a few tips to help please all the cheese lovers at your next gathering.

1) Aged cheese, like Goudas, Parmesans, and Cheddars are the most common and approachable hard cheeses, but they do get pricey. Good news is, these cheeses are meant to be nibbled on in very small quantities, as they pack quite a punch, so you can get away with smaller wedges. Do not slice these cheeses! Break them into small hunks using a cheese spade. That way you don't destroy the crunchy calcium crystals that give aged cheeses their distinctive texture. Stay simple with something like a 5 year gouda or an authentic Parmesan (produced in Parma, Italy) and you can't go wrong.

2) Fresh cheeses are great for people who like cheese, but aren't fans of the funkier varieties. Fresh mozzarella and burrata are easy enough to find these days, but can be quite messy on a cheese board. I love putting out a bit of goat cheese, since it is sliceable and spreadable, but less of a mess.
Montchevre in particular makes a wide variety of sweet and savory flavors that are excellent. I highly recommend the Honey variety, as it's simple, yet effective. These are perfect for those who prefer to eat their cheese on crackers.

3) Speaking of crackers, CHOOSE CAREFULLY. A lot of flavored crackers will overpower your skillfully selected cheeses. You want something that will function both as a palate cleanser without drying out your mouth and as a vehicle for cheese without shattering into a million pieces after one bite. I recently tried a few varieties from Mary's Gone Crackers and I really appreciate how their extraordinary texture works with cheese. They are jam packed with seeds and whole grains, giving them a lovely crisp snap, but also the strength to not crumble to bits. They are also made with rice, making them gluten free! My money's on the Original flavor, the Black Pepper, the Classic Super Seed, or the Everything Super Seed. 

4) Back to the cheese; don't be afraid of the funk. No, I'm not talking about stinky cheeses. I'm talking about funky flavors. Cheese purists will turn their noses up at the thought of anything infiltrating their cheese's natural flavoring, but adding a bit of something something to a cheese can help make it more accessible to the cheese novices in the crowd. Instead of a simple brie, why not go with something like this Champignon Mushroom from Germany, which is a rinded soft cheese with mushroomy umami flavor. Or instead of a standard cheddar, how about on with truffles in it? Too many savory cheeses on your plate? Go for one of the many varieties of white stilton with fruit in it. I've seen everything from blueberry to mango to apricot, and I have adored them all.

5) Accompaniments are essential. If you really want to make it all about the cheese, I say skip any kind of cured meats all together. Same with nuts. If you want to also have meats or nuts, make those their own things and place them far away from the cheeses so people aren't as inclined to eat everything together. If you're lucky enough to have a decent cheese department at your local grocery store, you may find a variety of unique jams and spreads that will be great accessories to your cheese. Get at least one sweet, one savory, and acidic spread. I like to present things like slices of quince jelly, fig butter, and bacon jam. Just like the crackers, your accompaniments should not only work with the cheese, but function as palate cleansers between bites of cheese. 

6) This is the big one: Wine. What is a good cheese plate without a good bottle of wine to accompany it? Now, I am no wine expert by any means, but all I've ever heard from wine directors and sommeliers is that the most important rule is to drink what you like. The first thing I personally reach for when eating cheese is a sparkling wine. A bright, bubbly, slightly acidic wine really helps to cut through the fat of the cheese and prepare you for each new bite. I really like Mionetto Prosecco Extra Dry because it's affordable, but is still an excellent quality, not to mention completely organic, and it has a subtle floral flavor that I think works really well with most cheeses. If you would rather go all out, I would highly suggest visiting the nearest Wine Cellar location and having them help you pick out a variety of reds, whites, and blushes that will please a crowd. I recently stopped into the Schaumburg location and did a little in store tasting, where I fell in love with wonderful Chardonnay from La Voute and a red blend from Valcatrina that will both be served with my holiday cheese plate. Seriously, there are so many deals to be had at The Wine Cellar that I was actually able to buy 6 bottles of wine for under $75!

And that's it! Now go out there and celebrate Jesus with Cheesus!

Last Minute Chicago Holiday Dining Recommendations

I was invited to dine at the restaurants mentioned free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

As much as I love staying inside the week between Christmas and New Year's, usually snuggled under my down comforter with my dog noisily snoring beside me and a cup of some boozed up hot beverage clasped between my hands, eventually I start to get a little cabin fever. And with this year being unseasonably warm (seriously, Chicago, what the hell? I could go back home to Arizona for 50 degrees in December!), I'm feeling the itch to get out for a few more meals before 2018 ends. So enjoy this quick roundup of some of my recent favorites for brunch, dinner, and everything in between!

Dinner at Le Sud

This French/Mediterranean inspired addition to Roscoe Village has gotten great buzz ever since it opened earlier this year. Me? I like a bit of non pretentious French cuisine, so I was very interested to check it out. The inside is the perfect kind of cozy without being overly cramped and the perfect kind of vintage without feeling artificial. This isn't the kind of place you're going to find Americanized French staples, like onion soup or coq au vin. Instead, you will find things like house made charcuterie, a decadent fois gras tart (that is so perfectly balanced between sweet and savory that it could easily be an appetizer or a dessert), a perfectly simple steak frites, and a very inventive vegetarian seared pumpkin entree with leeks and fregola. Everything here is incredibly thoughtful and uncomplicated, while demonstrating an immense amount of skill and care. Go any night you can, or check out their special service for New Year's Eve.

Dinner at Bobby's Lincoln Park

Bobby's recently opened their first location in the city in hopes of replicating their beloved Deerfield location's success. The menu boasts a lot of meat and seafood focused plates as well as handmade pasta dishes, but the vibe is surprisingly casual. The space is open and airy, a rarity in crowded Lincoln Park, and the service is exceptionally friendly and personable. It's may sound ridiculous, but I was impressed right from the start with the bread service, which came with a simple roasted garlic butter that I would have happily bought a bottle of if they had been selling it. The Shrimp Bobby was an excellent take on a scampi, the Steak Tartar was gloriously delicate (I also mixed that delicious garlic butter into it and by God, it was amazing), and the scallops with cauliflower puree and orange zest were a delight. If you want a little taste of everything Bobby's has, order The Mark Miller, which is a platter of sausage, roasted chicken, tender skirt steak, peppers, and onions. For a lighter (by comparison) plate, the Linguini Nduja is also wonderful, with a rich egg yolk sauce, crisped panchetta, sweet onions, and a little kick of heat.

Brunch The Kitchen

Having dined at The Kitchen a few times, I knew to expect only the best. Of course I wasn't disappointed, and despite some minor Instagram drama (don't ask...), I found myself more impressed than ever before with the inventiveness coming out of The Kitchen's kitchen. Highlights for me included a collection of awesome non-alcoholic cocktails (something I'd love to see more of at other restaurants), a succulent southern style Shrimp and Grits with andouille sausage, an earthy Mushroom Toast with red kale and scrambled eggs, an impossibly creamy yogurt panna cotta with blueberries and housemade granola, and poached eggs with green shakshuka, chickpeas, and toast points. They will actually be serving brunch on Boxing Day (December 26th) from 10:00-3:00 and all day New Year's Day, so if any of this sounds good to you, get on that. Also, they will be featuring an exclusive holiday donut flavor (pst... it's chocolate spice with cranberries and candied ginger!) in addition to their already stellar line up of freshly made pastries.

Tea at Vanille

Taking family to a relaxed tea service is just the kind of tradition I'd like to add to my already packed list of holiday traditions. After all, who can resist tiny sandwiches and delicate tea cups? Vanille Patisserie recently launched a beautiful tea service at their Lakeview and Hyde Park locations, offered at 12, 2, and 4 Mondays through Thursdays. The service consists of as much Benjamin's Tea as you can drink (my personal favorites include the Forest Berry and the Roasted Almond) accompanied by mini sandwiches, scones with a variety of spreads, freshly baked madeleines, Vanille's signature macarons, mini cupcakes, and other delightfully tiny treats. At just $28 a person, I think this might be one of the best tea service deals in town. Pinkie's up!

Brunch at Parley @ Joy District

I think we all know that I have very mixed feelings about brunch buffets, but if you're looking for a spot to drink away your holiday stress with a group of fun loving friends, this might be the place for you. Especially if you have a sweet tooth! The dessert table at Parlay is a little overwhelming with it's donut wall, platters of cereal treats, and legions of layered pudding cups. Fresh pizzas and chaffing dishes with various savory dishes help to balance out the glucose, but I'm tempted to tell you to skip them all together and just go in on the sweets. Calories don't count in December, after all. $50 gets you access to all the food as well as bottomless mimosas in a variety of flavors, but if you STILL haven't uped your insulin levels enough, there's the brunch cocktail menu that features giggle inducing large format cocktails, like the Scumdilyuptious served in a gumball machine with rubber ducky floats, or the Mega Mimosa and the Mega Mule; giant sized versions of the classic cocktails that are perfect for using as selfie props.

Peppermint and Almond Christmas Poke Cake with Nielsen Massey

I received free product from Nielsen Massey in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

Christmas time and baking are pretty synonymous. Who thinks of Christmas time and doesn't conjure up memories of delicately iced sugar cookies, warm gingerbread, or boozy fruit cake? Sometimes on wintery weekends, I start feeling the impulse to just get up a bake. It keeps my hands busy, it keeps me warm, and it gives me something to do while binging Great British Baking Show for hours on end. Well, one of these impulses over took me this past weekend, and it resulted in something I'm actually pretty proud of.

I had a vision, you see. It was of a cake my mom made once, long ago. A sort of yellow sheet cake with icicle-like drips of red and green running through the slices. I don't remember how old I was when she made it, nor do I remember how many times she made it. But the memory of those magically colored squares of cake popped into my head and I decided I wanted to make a Christmas Poke Cake of my own.

Now, because I can't do anything the easy way, I realized I was going to have to improvise a little. Nearly every recipe I found for poke cakes called for boxed cake mix for some reason. Does no one make their own cake mix anymore? I don't know about you, but I like begin able to control the salt levels and types of flour I'm using for my baking recipes. I also didn't want to make a sheet cake because... well... I don't really know why I didn't want to make a sheet cake. So I decided to make it a bundt cake instead. Because bundt cakes are prettier. And more festive. Lastly, I decided not to use pre-flavored gelatin. This was mostly down to the fact that red and green gelatin look great, but don't exactly make a very Christmas-y flavor combo (but if lime and cherry are your idea of Christmas flavors, I'm not judging).

For my Christmas Poke Cake, I wanted to highlight a trio of the best flavorings on earth: Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract, Pure Almond Extract and Pure Peppermint Extract from Nielsen-Massey Vanillas. I've been working with Nielsen-Massey Vanilla's extracts for many years now and it would be a horror to open my cabinet and not find them. It's so great that a family owned company from right here is Illinois has become world renowned for producing such excellent products (seriously, you can even spot their bottles on the contestant's stations in Great British Baking Show!). Obviously, these three extracts in particular play an important role in Christmas baking, which is why they have bundled them all together for super convenient baking supply shopping. The Nielsen-Massey Vanillas Holiday Flavors Bundle is available exclusively on Amazon in 2 oz and 4 oz options.

I started off by using the basic pound cake recipe from Nielsen-Massey Vanilla's website. The only modification I made was to not use the almond extract in the batter. I baked the cake in a bundt cake pan, then let it cool. Once the cake was at room temperature, I used a wooden skewer to create holes down the center and sides of the cake. For the first syrup, I brought 1 cup of water, 1 cup of sugar,and 1 packet of gelatin to a simmer. Once everything was dissolved, I removed the mixed from the heat and added a few drops of red food coloring and 2 teaspoons of the Peppermint extract. I did the same for the second syrup, except with green food coloring and 1 tablespoon of the almond extract.

Now you have to work kind of quickly with this next step. I used plastic pipettes to inject the syrups into the guide holes I'd created with the wooden skewer, making sure the syrup got at least halfway down into the cake. I did one half of the cake with the peppermint syrup and one half with the almond. Once all the holes had been injected, I carefully spooned what was left of the syrup over the top of the cake, making sure the whole top and sides were coated. This will create not only a wash of color around the edges of each slice, but will help to seal the moisture inside your cake and keep it from drying out.

Once I was ready to serve my masterpiece, I covered the whole thing in a dusting of powdered sugar and sliced away! So what are your favorite holiday baking projects? Head on over to my Instagram page and look for the post with the picture of my cake, tell me your must have holiday goodies, and you will have a chance to win a Nielsen-Massey Vanillas Holiday Flavor Bundle of your own! And for more great baking ideas, make sure to follow the hashtag #NiesenMasseyInspires across social media.

From the Kitchens of Bunny and Brandy: Sweet Corn Pudding and Caramel Glazed Drop Donuts

With the holidays right around the corner, Brandy has begun an annual tradition of her own: testing recipes to make sure they are worthy of her circle of foodie friends. "Heaven forbid if I were to put something inferior in front of that lot. I'd never hear the end of it!" she says, "For years to come it would be, 'Remember when Brandy put that slop out for us on Thanksgiving?' One year, one of them brought a casserole that had slightly burnt edges and she was so embarrassed that none of us have seen or heard from her since." The high standards of such an audience were obviously amplified by the fact that this year it was Brandy's job to prepare the post-Thanksgiving brunch. Luckily for Brandy, she had quite a few things at hand to help inspire her creations.

First of all, there was the Feast VoxBox she received from Influenster. Among the many goodies were a classic can of corn from Del Monte, Country Crock margarine in a new easy to use stick form, and a container of crispy jalapenos from French's (a spicy cousin of their famous crispy onions, which grace the tops of green bean casseroles across the nation). A quick search of her cabinets also turned up a box of corn muffin mix, which was the thing that really switched on the light bulb. "Of course, corn pudding!" she exclaimed, and quickly went about making up the batter. But as she poured the golden liquid into her baking dish, she couldn't get over the feeling that it was still missing something.

Enter a couple of delectable condiments from Chut Up, a small start up company dedicated to creating healthier condiments by not adding in any sugar to their products, but also not sacrificing flavor or quality. Their Beet Ketchup really impressed Brandy with its true to form consistency and clean flavor and their Peri-Peri Hot sauce certainly packed quite a punch. Wanting add a little color to her corn pudding, she ended up mixing the two condiments together to produce a sort of "sweet heat" style sauce, then she dropped the mixture into the pudding and swirled it for a pretty effect. After baking her masterpiece, Brandy added a handful of the French's jalapenos to the top of the pudding to add crunch and just a bit more heat. She absolutely loved how her creation turned out, determining that it could easily be a side dish for the main event, or served with an egg and some sausage for a perfect sweet and savory post-Thanksgiving brunch. It was definitely the Chut Up condiments that made the dish pop, adding a little vinegar and heat to balance the natural sweetness of the Del Monte corn.

Next, Brandy determined to make something sweet and easily munch-able. She settled on the idea of "drop donuts," or a simple cake batter fried into small rounds, then glazed and sprinkled. For this, she turned to some amazing products from Nielsen Massey and McCrea's Candies. Brandy used a bit of Nielsen Massey's coffee extract in her donut batter, then made a simple glaze with some of the McCrea's salted caramels, which she soaked her donuts in and then topped them with Nielsen Massey vanilla sugar to add a little crunch. Because there was barely any sugar in the donut batter itself, the sweetness of the caramel and the sugar topping didn't overwhelm the palate and the subtle flavors of salt, vanilla, and coffee were able to shine through.

Finally, Brandy chose the perfect bottle of wine to compliment her dishes; Vivanco Tempranillo Garnacha. This particular rose had a bight fruity and acidic flavor with slight floral notes, making it ideal to pair with two dishes that used both sweet and salty elements. Brandy was also quite drawn to the beautifully rich color and the extremely unique wide lipped bottle, which was meant to mimic Vivanco's original 18th century bottle.

"Well, I'd say I am well prepared for the coming food storm," said Brandy as she surveyed her sweet and savory creations, "Now to start prepping for the New Year's Day brunch!"

Sweet Corn Pudding

1 can of Del Monte Whole Kernel Corn, drained
1 stick of Country Crock Salted Margarine
1/4 cup of sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 package of corn muffin mix
1/2 cup of milk
1 can of creamed corn
2-3 tablespoons of Chut Up beet ketchup
1-2 tablespoons of Chut Up peri-peri sauce
French's fried jalapenos for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat together the sugar and margarine (no need to soften before hand). Add in sour cream and continue to beat, then add in eggs. Alternate adding in corn muffin mix and milk until everything is well combined and there are no lumps in the batter. Carefully fold in the whole kernel corn and the creamed corn. Season with salt if desired, but the sea salt in the corn and margarine should be enough for most palates.

Pour the batter into a greased 9x9 baking dish. Carefully drop small spoonfuls of the ketchup/peri-peri mixture into the batter, then use the tip of a knife to swirl the sauce a little further into the batter. Bake for about an hour, or until the edges are golden and the center is solid. Top with fried jalapenos and serve warm.

Caramel Glazed Drop Donuts

1 cup of milk
1 egg
1 tablespoon of Nielsen Massey Coffee Extract
2 cups of white flour
2 tablespoons of sugar
5 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 stick of Country Crock Unsalted Margarine, melted
4-8 cups of frying oil (vegetable, corn, or canola oil works well), depending on the depth of your frying pot

For the Glaze:

1 cup of McCrea's Black Sea Salt Caramels
1/3 cup of milk
1/2 cup of Nielsen Massey Vanilla Sugar

Heat the oil over medium high heat, making sure there is enough oil in the pot so that the donuts are never touching bottom.

In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. In a small bowl, scramble the egg and then add in the milk and coffee extract, then whisk them all together. Slowly pour this into the dry mixture and mix well, then add in the melted margarine and continue mixing until a smooth, soft dough forms.

Using two spoons dipped briefly into the hot oil, form small 1 inch balls of dough and carefully drop them into the heated oil. Only fry about 5-6 donuts at a time to avoid the temperature of the oil falling. Let them cook for about 2-3 minutes, making sure to turn them so that all sides turn a golden brown, then lift them out of the oil with a slotted spoon and place them onto some paper towels to drain.

In a small sauce pan over medium low heat, add in the caramels and milk and stir continuously until they are completely melted and just start to bubble. Add the finished donuts to a large bowl and pour the warm caramel over them, then toss vigorously to make sure they are completely coated. Turn the donuts out onto a serving plate and sprinkle them with the vanilla sugar. Makes about 3 dozen.

The writers of this blog were sent products by the companies mentioned in order to facilitate the writing of this post.