I’m finally over the flu, and I’ll be baking Christmas cookies this weekend. Yep, Christmas cookies. The holidays are too darn crazy, so my mom and I make time in late winter/early spring to enjoy a day in the kitchen baking cookies. This year, our plans may be foiled by the new arrival in our house (a Wii), but I’m hoping to get a few batches in between rounds of boxing.

I have a few new recipes lined up to try, but in case you are in the mood for a sugar-riffic weekend, here are some old standbys and new favorites from the Catch the Spoon archives to get you started:

• Magical Mint Cookies
• Nutmeg Sugar Cookies
• Date Squares
• Bacon Cookies

Meredith says:

“My family isn’t much for baking, and we don’t have a holiday cookie tradition at all. What we do have are Date Squares.

Date Squares are actually one of the original, orange-book Betty Crocker recipe known as “date bars”, with very minor tweaks accumulated over the years. My grandmother would make them for breakfast whenever my Aunt Sue and Uncle Bob would come and visit for a weekend, so there would be an easy, quick breakfast available, since Sue and Bob were usually bopping around on errands while they visited. Sue thought they were the best things ever, especially since they’re sort of healthy for a cookie, and the rest of them enjoyed them, too.

As the years have gone by and the few food traditions my family does possess have been distributed to the different branches of the family, date squares seem to have gotten lost in the shuffle. Since I’m the first person to think of making them for years, this one is now mine. I took a pan to my family’s Christmas dinner, and they were a big hit. So, now you get to try them.

They’re a great bar cookie, landing somewhere between brownies and granola with fruit. They’re not too sweet, and great for breakfast, dessert, or any time you need a treat that won’t make you feel too overly guilty, and they’re definitely a wholly American recipe right out of the Donna Reed era that deserves to be remembered.”

Date Squares

Ingredients for filling:

• 16 ounces dates (Dromedary brand works best)
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/4 cup white sugar

Ingredients for crust and topping:

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3 c oats

Chop dates finely (sharp scissors or kitchen shears are the perfect tool for this.) Add chopped dates, water, and sugar to a wide heavy-bottomed sauce pan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture has thickened and turned a deep brown color. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease or line a 13×9″ pan. In a medium bowl, cream together brown sugar and butter. Add remaining ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined.

Layer half of the oat mixture in the bottom of the pan, covering the bottom completely and pressing firmly to ensure a dense base. Smear the cooled filling on the crust and lightly crumble the remaining oat mixture on top.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until top is golden brown. Cool before slicing into squares. Makes 18-24 squares.

Image by Roboppy.

It’s the Friday before Thanksgiving. Why panic, when there are great recipes like this at your fingertips?

• Amaretto Pumpkin Pie
• Cranberry Orange Sorbet
• Corn Souffle
• Zucchini-Cranberry Bread
• Bruleed Pumpkin Custard Tart
• Sage and Onion Stuffing

Autumn. The leaves are falling (and clogging my gutters), the weather is changing (finally), and I start craving flavored coffee, pumpkin pie, eggnog, and amaretto – not necessarily in that order. This recipe combines two of those cravings into one sinfully delicious dessert.

Amaretto Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 cup amaretti cookies, crushed fine
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 2 cups pumpkin puree, unsweetened if canned
• 1 cup half and half
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• 3 tablespoons amaretto
• 2 pinches salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Toss cookie crumbs and butter in a small bowl until well-combined. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9″ pie pan. Cover edges with tin foil and bake for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth. Pour into prepared and cooled pie shell. Bake for 45 minutes or until skewer inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely before cutting; serve with freshly whipped ginger cream (1 cup heavy cream whipped with 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger) and garnish with slivered almonds, if desired.

Image by JamesJyu.

I am a huge fan of can-shaped red goo at the holidays, but I’m always on the lookout for new and exciting cranberry sauce recipes. This definitely fits the bill. Adults will appreciate the sophisticated palate cleanser, and kids love eating “water ice” with their turkey, instead of waiting for dessert.

Cranberry Orange Sorbet

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces fresh cranberries
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 cup orange juice concentrate
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped

Prepare the bowl of your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

In a heavy-bottomed, non-reactive saucepan, whisk together water, sugar, and concentrate. Stir in cranberries. Cover and bring to a boil; cook for about 5 minutes from boil, or until most of the berries have popped. Remove from heat and add thyme; set aside and let steep for 1 hour.

Strain mixture through a fine sieve, pressing to remove as much of the liquid as possible. Discard thyme, berry skins, and fibers. Cover liquid and refrigerate overnight.

Process in ice cream maker.

Serves 8-12 as a side dish or small dessert.

Image by PVerdonk.

Pear-Hazelnut Breakfast Bread

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces toasted shelled hazelnuts, chopped
• 2 ripe pears, peeled, chopped, and pureed to applesauce consistency
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• zest of one lemon, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 egg whites plus 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
• 1 cup white flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour a standard loaf pan.

In a large bowl, stir together pear puree, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest. Set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients, including nuts. Add dry ingredients to wet and stir until just combined.

Bake for 60-75 minutes or until top is lightly brown and wooden skewer inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm or room temperature.

Serves 10-12.

Here in Pennsylvania, we’re smack dab in the middle of peak sweet corn season. Rather than craving that fresh corny goodness, however, I’m longing for a wintertime dish that is a serious comfort food — made from pantry items and definitely not diet-friendly. This corn soufflé, known affectionately in our house as “Corn Thang”, is a sinfully rich side dish.

Corn Soufflé (AKA “Corn Thang”)

Ingredients:

• 10-12 ounces canned sweet corn, drained
• 8-10 ounces canned creamed corn
• 1 box Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
• 1 cup melted butter
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2/3 cup grated cheddar cheese

In a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients except cheese. Pour into greased casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Top with cheese; return to oven for 10 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.

Serves 6-8

Zucchini is in such abundance at the end of summers that it even has its own holiday. My favorite zucchini preparation comes in the winter, however, in the form of this bread. Moist, delicious, and not cloyingly sweet, it’s a healthy treat that makes an excellent hostess gift. (It freezes well, too!)

It’s difficult to find fresh cranberries outside of the Thanksgiving season, so I try to buy extra and freeze it for year-round use. Sweetened dried cranberries can be rehydrated in boiling water and used, but the finished loaf will be much sweeter and lose much of the crisp flavor provided by the fresh berries.

Zucchini Cranberry Bread

Ingredients:

• 2 medium zucchini, shredded
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup melted butter
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons grated orange rind
• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 6 mini loaf pans or line with parchment paper (or use silicone pans). Beat the zucchini, sugar, butter, milk, eggs, vanilla, and orange rind in a large bowl until well-combined. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir dry ingredients into wet and fold in the cranberries. Pour into pans and bake about 1 hour, or until cakes are very moist, but skewer inserted in center comes out clean. Cool before serving.

Makes 6 mini-loaves.

In a grown-up twist on traditional pumpkin pie, this dessert combines the smoothness of a custard pie with the crisply burnt goodness of creme brulée. Use whatever pie dough recipe you prefer here (even store-bought crusts will work). For an extra-crispy crust, refrigerate the dough for 2 hours before blind-baking. If you use canned pumpkin, be sure to use the unsweetened, pure pumpkin variety and not pre-seasoned pumpkin pie filling.

Bruléed Pumpkin Custard Tart

Ingredients:

• Dough for 1 pie crust
• 1 cup pumpkin puree (drained if fresh)
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup sugar, plus 1/4 cup for topping
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• pinch salt
• 2 whole eggs plus 2 egg whites, lightly beaten

Special Equipment:

• 9″ round fluted tart pan, buttered

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Fit pie dough into the tart pan and dock with a fork. Bake for 15 minutes and cool, in pan, on a wire rack.

Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together milk, cream, 1/3 cup sugar, vanilla, spices, salt, and eggs until well-combined. Pour into crust and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until filling is almost set. Cool to room temperature, then cover and chill 6 hours or overnight.

Just before serving, sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup sugar over top of tart; melt sugar under broiler or with a kitchen torch to desired doneness. Serve immediately.

Serves 8-10.

Image by Daxiang Stef
Regionally known as stuffing, filling, and dressing, this bread-based side dish is a staple at the American holiday table. If you’ve never made your own stuffing, step away from the Stove Top canister and give this a try. It’s a departure from traditional stuffing recipes in that it uses breadcrumbs instead of bread cubes, but your guests won’t miss the extra bulk. When I was tasked with preparing the family Thanksgiving dinner at the tender age of 19, I served this stuffing, and it became an instant family classic.

Sage and Onion Stuffing

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 onions, diced
• 4 whole cloves
• 6 whole peppercorns
• 1/2 cup water
• 6 fresh sage leaves, chopped
• 2 cups finely ground plain bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a large sautee pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring often, until they begin to color. Add cloves and peppercorns; sautee for one minute, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low, add water, and simmer until onions are soft but not mushy. Strain onion mixture, reserving liquid.

Combine onions, bread crumbs, sage, and chicken broth in a large bowl, stirring until thoroughly combined. Stuffing should be moist enough to form a ball if compressed; if it is too dry, add the reserved onion broth. Turn mixture out into a shallow baking pan (do not pack down) and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Serves 4.