For some, baking is a distraction for others, it’s a hobby or even possibly a job. No matter what baking means for you, there is one thing every baker needs; a recipe. As the holiday season begins, the trees lose their leaves, and the leaves scatter the roads, you might find yourself in the mood for something warm and festive. 

Spritz Cookies:

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups salted butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons colored sugar, nonpareils, or sprinkles, or as needed (optional)
• powdered sugar icing (optional)

Powdered Sugar Icing (optional)

1. 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
2. 2 tablespoons milk
3. 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Gather all ingredients and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Beat butter with an electric mixer in a large bowl for 30 seconds. 
3. Add sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Beat in egg, vanilla, and almond extract until combined. 
4. Beat in as much of the flour as you can using the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour with a wooden spoon.
5. Force room-temperature dough through a cookie press onto ungreased cookie sheets. If desired, sprinkle cookies with colored sugar or nonpareils. 
6. Bake in the preheated oven until the edges are firm but not brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
7. For powdered sugar icing, combine powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a small bowl. If necessary, add more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to make icing drizzling consistency.
8. Drizzle icing on cookies and add sprinkles as desired. 

Raspberry and Almond Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies: 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• ⅔ cup white sugar
• 1 ¼ teaspoons almond extract, divided
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup seedless raspberry jam
• ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon milk

Directions:

1. Gather all ingredients.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. Beat butter and white sugar together in a medium bowl until creamy. Mix in 1/2 teaspoon almond extract. Add flour and mix until dough comes together.
4. Form dough into 1 1/2-inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Use your thumb to press down and make a dent in the center of each ball, then fill with jam.
5. Bake in batches in the preheated oven until edges are lightly browned, about 14 to 18 minutes; allow to cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes.
6. Mix confectioners’ sugar, milk, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon almond extract in a medium bowl until smooth; drizzle over warm cookies.

Peppermint White Chocolate Cookies:

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp cornstarch 
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 unsalted butter
• 1/2 packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 & 1/2 vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup peppermint extract
• 3/4 white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup crushed candy canes
• 4 ounces white chocolate chips 

Instructions:

1. Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl
2. In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter for a minute on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and mix on medium speed until fluffy and light in color. Mix in egg, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed
3. On low speed, slowly mix the dry ingredients with wet ingredients until combined. (The cookie dough will be thick) add white chocolate chips and crushed candy cane, then mix for about 5-7 seconds until combined. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate/chill for at least 2 hours.
4. Remove cookie dough from the fridge and allow it to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes, then preheat the oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set that aside
5. Once chilled the dough will most likely be crumbly but work the dough into your hands and roll them to individual balls. About 1.5 teaspoons of dough into balls.
6. Bake for 12 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
7. If using chopped white chocolate, melt in the microwave in 20-second increments, stirring after each until completely melted. Drizzle over cookies once they are cooled.

Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread:

Ingredients:

Banana Bread: 

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 sugar or packed brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 and 1/2 cups mashed bananas
• 1/3 greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Cinnamon swirl:

• 1/4 granulated sugar
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Icing:

• 1 1/4 powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp cream or milk
• 1/2 vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Grease a metal 9×5 inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
2. Make the banana bread batter: whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium bowl set aside
3. Using the handheld or stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, for about two minutes. With the mixer on medium speed add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then beat in the mashed bananas, yogurt, and vanilla extract until combined. Then beat in the mashed bananas, yogurt and vanilla extract until combined. With the mixer on low speed, slowly beat the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until no flour pockets remain. Do not over-mix. You should have around 3 ½ cups of batter. 

1.  Making the sugar swirl: mix the cinnamon and sugar. Spoon half of the banana bread batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Pour and spread the remaining batter on top. The top layer of batter will want to stick to the sugar-cinnamon filling, making spreading a little tougher to do, but use a spoon to carefully spread it out as best you can. Using a knife, swirl the batter down the center of the loaf pan. Avoid over-swirling, which will mix the layers too much together 

1.  Bake for 55–65 minutes, making sure to loosely cover the bread with aluminum foil halfway through to prevent the top from getting too brown. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with only a few small moist crumbs. All ovens vary, so begin checking every 5 minutes around the 55-minute mark.
2. Remove the bread from the oven and allow the bread to cool in the pan for 1 hour. Remove bread and place on a wire rack to cool until cooled completely. 
3. Whisk icing ingredients together, and drizzle over bread before serving

Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2  cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 softened butter
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Additional granulated sugar

36 Hersey kisses milk chocolate candies, unwrapped

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 375 F. In a large bowl, beat the granulated sugar and brown sugar, peanut butter, butter, and egg with an electric mixer on medium speed or mix with a spoon until well blended. Stir in flour, baking soda, and baking powder until dough forms
2. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in additional granulated sugar. On ungreased cookie sheets place about 2 inches apart. 
3. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Immediately press 1 milk chocolate candy in the center of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheets to the cooling rack.