occasion: food gift

Lemon blueberry muffins are an easy morning treat. This breakfast recipe is super lemony and studded with fresh, juicy berries. Plus, it's ready in 45 minutes!

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

c. sugar

lemons,

sour cream

c. (1 stick) salted butter, melted

eggs

yellow gel food coloring

c. self-rising flour

kosher salt

c. fresh blueberries, divided

tbsp. turbinado sugar

For the muffins: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with large paper liners. Add the granulated sugar and lemon zest to a large bowl and, using clean hands, rub the zest into the sugar to release the oils and flavors. Whisk in the sour cream, butter, eggs, and food coloring until smooth. Fold in the flour and salt until just combined. Fold in 2/3 cup of the blueberries.

Divide the batter evenly among the liners. Top with the remaining 1/3 cup blueberries and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar. Bake until golden, cooked through, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few crumbs, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and let cool completely.

For the glaze: Meanwhile, combine the powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice in a medium bowl until smooth. Once the muffins are cool, drizzle the tops with the glaze. 

Carmelitas are an easy dessert bar recipe. This treat has layers of crumbly oatmeal cookie, gooey caramel, crunchy pecans, and chocolate chips.

Carmelitas

Baking spray

c. all-purpose flour

c. old-fashioned rolled oats

c. firmly packed light brown sugar

baking soda

c. (2 sticks) salted butter, melted

vanilla extract

(12-oz.) jar caramel sauce

c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

c. pecan halves, chopped

sea salt

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 13-by-9-inch baking pan with baking spray with flour, line it with parchment paper leaving at least a 1-inch overhang, and spray again.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, brown sugar, and baking soda. Add the butter and vanilla, and fold to combine.

Press half of the mixture in an even layer in the prepared pan. Bake until just set, about 10 minutes.

Heat the caramel sauce in the microwave until pourable, according to the package directions.

Sprinkle the crust with the chocolate chips and pecans. Pour the caramel in as even a layer as possible over the chocolate and nuts. Crumble the remaining oat mixture evenly over top.

Bake until lightly golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

Allow the bars to cool completely, at least 1 hour. Slice into 24 pieces and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

Ree Drummond's soft sugar cookies have a special ingredient: brown butter! It gives these extra-large cookies a rich, nutty flavor. Try this dessert recipe!

Brown Butter Sugar Cookies

c. (2 sticks) salted butter

baking powder

vanilla bean paste

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Let cook until medium golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the butter to a heatproof bowl and let it cool completely, about 30 minutes.&nbsp;

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.&nbsp;

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the cooled butter with 1 1/3 cups of the sugar until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, followed by the vanilla. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour mixture until just combined.&nbsp;

Put the remaining 1/4 cup sugar on a shallow plate. Using a 1/3-cup scoop, scoop the dough directly into the sugar. Roll to coat&nbsp;well and place on the prepared baking sheet. Press lightly to flatten the tops. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.&nbsp;

Arrange the cookie dough mounds on 2 unlined baking sheets, spacing them about 3 inches apart. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until the cookies are just set and the edges are lightly golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Allow to cool slightly on the baking sheets, about 5 minutes, before transferring the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

These colorful cut-outs, made with eggnog, just might become your new favorite sugar cookies for Christmas!

Eggnog Cut-Out Cookies

c. unsalted butter, softened

c. all-purpose flour,

nutmeg

c. prepared eggnog, room temperature

Easy cookie icing

Red food coloring

Green food coloring

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until creamy, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Add the egg yolks and vanilla, then mix on low until fully combined, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.

With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, alternating with the eggnog, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition.

On a lightly floured work surface, place the dough. Divide the dough in half and form into disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Place one oven rack in the upper third of the oven and a second oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Working with 1 disk of dough at a time and keeping the second disk refrigerated, lightly flour a work surface. Roll the dough out until ¼-inch thick. Use a 2- to 3-inch cookie cutter to cut the dough into shapes. Using a&nbsp;thin spatula, transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Refrigerate the scraps.

Bake until the tops are dry and the edges begin to turn golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes on the pan, then move the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough and the scraps, re-rolling only once for smooth cookies.

Mix a batch of easy cookie icing (choose the thicker border icing). It should fall off the whisk in a thick stream and the fallen ribbon of icing should hold its shape for about 10 seconds before sinking back into the  bowl of icing. Remove 2 tablespoons of&nbsp;icing each to 2 small bowls. Stir in 1 or 2 drops of red food coloring into one bowl and 1 or 2 drops of&nbsp;green food coloring into the other bowl until the desired colors are reached. Spoon the colorful icing into two separate zip-top bags or piping bags. Use a pair of scissors to snip ⅛ inch off the tip of each bag.

Add additional 1 tablespoon of&nbsp;water, 1 teaspoon at a time,&nbsp;to the remaining white icing until it is at a flooding consistency; the icing  falls off the whisk in a fluid stream and the fallen ribbon of icing holds its shape for only a few seconds before sinking back into the bowl of icing. Divide the thinned white icing between two 9-inch baking pans, spreading the icing  into an even layer. Drizzle the red icing all over one pan of icing and drizzle the green icing over the second pan. One at a time, put the cookies face-side down in the icing. Take the cookies out one at a time, twisting and shaking gently to let any extra icing drip off, and return to the cooling rack.

Allow the cookies to dry completely, 8 hours or overnight. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Italian Christmas cookies have a soft, caky texture﻿ with a simple vanilla glaze. This holiday dessert recipe is perfect for cookie swaps and homemade gifts! 

Italian Christmas Cookies

granulated sugar

almond extract

eggs, room temperature

salt

milk

Red and green non-pareil sprinkles,

For the cookies: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the sugar, butter, vanilla, and almond extract on medium until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and beat until combined. (The batter will look separated.)

With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat until all of the dry ingredients are incorporated. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Shape the dough into about 36, 1-inch balls (lightly dusting hands with flour, as needed) and place on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing each at least 1 inch apart. Or, if desired, roll each dough ball between your hands (lightly dusting hands with flour, as needed) into a 4-inch long log and coil each piece into a mound.

Bake the cookies until set and very lightly browned on the bottom, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.

For the glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract. Dip the top of each cookie in the glaze, allowing the excess to drip off and then sprinkle with the non-pareil sprinkles. Let the cookies stand until the glaze hardens, about 30 minutes.

https://streaming.hearstdigitalstudios.com/cfe040b4-33b5-4dde-9570-8240df101797/video_rover_16x9_1080p_hd_1667953577_24107.mp4

The Pioneer Woman's Italian Christmas Cookies Recipe

Try Ree Drummond's recipe for the softest, chewiest, easiest snickerdoodles! Ready in just 35 minutes, this classic cookie is always a crowd-pleaser.

Snickerdoodles

cream of tartar

c. (2 sticks) salted butter,

c. light brown sugar

sugar

tbsp. ground cinnamon, for rolling

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. 

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, brown sugar, and 1¼ cups of the granulated sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, on medium speed. Beat in the vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients and beat until combined.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the cinnamon and the remaining 6 tablespoons granulated sugar. Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, form balls of dough and gently roll them in the cinnamon sugar, coating generously. Transfer to the prepared baking sheets, spacing the dough balls about 3 inches apart.

Bake in batches, rotating the pans halfway through, until puffed and just barely set in the center, 8 to 10 minutes (the cookies will continue to set as they cool). Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Cream cheese cookies are a simple, easy, and elegant holiday dessert recipe. They're made with just six ingredients, all of which are fridge and pantry staples!

Cream Cheese Cookies

cream cheese,

Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.&nbsp;

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Add the granulated sugar and continue to beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture, mixing until just combined, about 1 minute. Give it a final stir with a rubber spatula to make sure there are no visible traces of flour.

Using a 1 ½-tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the scoops about 1 inch apart. Bake the cookies 1 pan at a time, rotating the pan halfway through, until just set on top and beginning to lightly brown on the bottom, 10 to 12 minutes.

Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely.&nbsp; Dust the cookies with powdered sugar, if you like.

https://streaming.hearstdigitalstudios.com/133eb2aa-a34a-48a9-88d7-4345c638e0df/video_rover_16x9_1080p_hd_1731342781_39268.mp4

Cowboy butter goes on everything! This luscious spread is filled garlic, green onion, herbs, and lemon zest. Enjoy it on steak, baked potatoes, or crusty bread!

Cowboy Butter

olive oil

garlic cloves, finely chopped

green onions, thinly sliced

rosemary

red pepper flakes

lemons

tsp. black pepper

In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, green onion, rosemary, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring regularly, until the garlic is very fragrant and softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely, about 15 minutes.&nbsp;

To a medium bowl, add the butter, lemon zest, and black pepper. Top with the cooled olive oil mixture and mix until well combined.&nbsp;

Lay out a long piece of plastic wrap and spoon the butter mixture in a line down the center. Carefully pull one side of the plastic wrap over the butter, squeezing it gently and rolling up the plastic wrap as needed, to form a log about 6 inches long. Twist the ends closed and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours. Use the cowboy butter to top a seared steak or grilled chicken breast. Or try it stirred into pasta, spread on crusty bread, or as a topping for a baked potato.&nbsp;

With red and green M&M's, these chocolate toffee cookie bars are a holiday treat! But you can switch up the candy color and make this dessert recipe year-round.

Chocolate Toffee Cookie Bars

Cooking spray

unsalted butter

c. packed dark brown sugar

cornstarch

c. red and green M&M's, divided

c. semisweet chocolate chips, divided

For the toffee: Line a 9-by-9-inch baking pan with foil. Spray the foil with cooking spray.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and bring to a boil, stirring constantly until the mixture forms a golden caramel and the temperature reaches 290°F, 4 to 5 minutes.&nbsp;

Carefully pour the mixture into the prepared pan, allowing it to spread. Let the toffee cool and harden for about 20 minutes.

Place the toffee sheet in a large zip-top plastic bag and use a rolling pin to break the toffee into small pieces. There should be about 1 1/2 cups of toffee pieces.

For the cookie bars: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 13-by-9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, letting the excess extend over the sides of the pan; spray the parchment with cooking spray.

In the bowl a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until the mixture has lightened in color and texture, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla, and beat until smooth, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 3 parts, mixing on low speed until fully incorporated after each addition. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Using a rubber spatula, fold in 1 cup of M&M's, ½ cup of chocolate chips, and 1 cup of toffee pieces.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, pressing into an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of toffee pieces, 1/4 cup of M&Ms, and 1/4 cup of chocolate chips over the top of the batter.

Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.

Let the cookie bars cool at least 30 minutes before slicing.

Store the cookie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

https://streaming.hearstdigitalstudios.com/4a976201-5897-4422-bc17-00c846330765/video_rover_16x9_1080p_hd_1733762600_51356.mp4

How to make chocolate toffee cookie bars.

Rugelach

c. unsalted butter,

c. walnuts

c. dark brown sugar

c. raisins or mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

cinnamon

cardamom,

Heavy cream,

Turbinado sugar (or Sugar in the Raw), for sprinkling

For the Dough: Pulse together the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor until well combined, about 5 times. Add the butter and cream cheese. Pulse until crumbly and the mixture holds together when pinched, 20 to 25 times.

Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and divide into 3 even portions (about 8 ½ ounces each). Press and shape each portion into a disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour or up to overnight. 

For the Filling: In the bowl of a food processor, process the walnuts, brown sugar, raisins (or chocolate chips), cinnamon, cardamom and salt until finely chopped, 10 to 15 seconds. 

Preheat the oven to 375°F. If the dough discs chilled longer than 4 hours, let them stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes to soften slightly. Working with 1 dough disc at a time, roll on a lightly floured surface into a 10-inch round. Brush lightly with heavy cream and sprinkle with about 2/3 cup of the filling mixture. Press the filling firmly into the dough so that it sticks.

Cut the dough round into 12 equal wedges. Roll each wedge up, starting from the wide end, to form a crescent shape. Place rolls, point-side down, on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing at least 1-inch apart. Repeat with remaining dough discs and filling. 

To finish: Brush the top of each roll lightly with heavy cream and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake the cookies until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating baking sheets halfway through the cook time. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheets. 

Top 10 occasion: food gift recipes from across the web

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Top Tags

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Carmelitas

Brown Butter Sugar Cookies

Eggnog Cut-Out Cookies

Italian Christmas Cookies

Snickerdoodles

Cream Cheese Cookies

Cowboy Butter

Chocolate Toffee Cookie Bars

Rugelach

Top 10 occasion: food gift recipes from across the web

The most viewed occasion: food gift recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Carmelitas

Brown Butter Sugar Cookies

Eggnog Cut-Out Cookies

Italian Christmas Cookies

Snickerdoodles

Cream Cheese Cookies

Cowboy Butter

Chocolate Toffee Cookie Bars

Rugelach

The most viewed occasion: food gift recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine