I was this years old when I realized how incredibly easy these cookies are to make.

1 c. butter
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla
1 1/4 c. flour
1 c. finely chopped nuts (pecans, almonds, and/or walnuts)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cream the butter and sugar. add the vanilla then the flour. mix in the nuts. Roll into balls and lightly press the balls to flatten with the bottom of a glass. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the bottoms start to brown. While they are still warm, toss in more powdered sugar. Cool on a wire rack

This recipe has very low lactose by replacing the evaporated milk with whipping cream.

1 pie crust
1 3/4 c. pumpkin (one can)
1/4 c. maple syrup
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. milk (lactose free if you’re so inclined)
4 eggs
2 T. flour
spices: 1 T. pumpkin pie spice, 1/2 t. ginger, 1/2 t. cardamom or your favorite blend

Combine; back at 350 in a 9″ pie shell for about one hour.

2 ¼ C flour
½ tsp Baking Powder
½ tsp Salt
¾ C sugar
2 T lemon zest
1 C Butter, unsalted room temperature
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ c fresh cranberries, chopped
Lemon

Glaze: ½ C powdered sugar, 1 T lemon juice

Combine flour, BP, and salt in a medium bowl. Rub lemon zest into sugar. Add butter and beat until fluffy. Add egg & vanilla, mix until smooth. Add flour mix, mixing just until incorporated. Fold in cranberries by hand. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes. Form dough into balls (heaping tablespoon) on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool slightly on pan before moving to rack.

1 pkg phyllo dough
1 stick butter
1 lb. walnuts
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. ginger
1/2 t. cardamom
2 T. lemon juice
3/4 c. water
3/4 c. honey

Preheat oven to 425.

Chop walnuts and mix with spices.

Layer 1/4 of the phyllo sheets in the bottom of a cake pan, coating each with butter. Add 1/3 of the nuts. Repeat. Cut into squares or diamonds. Bake for one hour or until golden brown.

Combine water, lemon juice, and honey in a saucepan on the stove. Bring to a rolling boil.  Remove from heat.

When the pastry is removed from the oven, pour the honey mixture overtop.

This is the cake that my family makes every Yule.

1 c. flour
1/2 c. cocoa powder + 1 T.
11 egg whites
9 egg yolks
1 c. sugar
1 pint whipping cream
1 T. red food coloring
20 roasted unsalted almonds
1 T. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Cover cookie sheets in parchment paper. Separate the eggs. Beat the egg yolks to stiff peaks with 1/4 c. sugar and move to large bowl. Beat the egg yolks with 1/2 c. sugar until light and thick then add to the large bowl with the egg whites. Sift together the flour and cocoa powder into a separate bowl. Gently fold the eggs together while sifting the dry mixture overtop. Fold until just combined.  Scoop into a piping bag with a wide, round tip. Pipe onto cookie sheets into 3″ circles. You should make 40. Bake for 12 minutes, until they are springy to the touch. Let cool.

Beat the whipping cream with 1/4 c. sugar & 1 T. red food coloring. Spoon into piping bag with large star tip. Mix 1 T. cocoa powder with 1 T. powdered sugar and place in sifter.

Assemble cakes individually into this order: cake round, whipping cream, cake round, whipping cream, sifted cocoa powder mixture, and one almond on top. (the almond is for good luck next year!)

Cake:

1 c. pecan pieces
3 c. grated carrot
2 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1-1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1-1/2 t. cinnamon
1 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. cardamom
4 eggs
1 c. sugar
1 c. veg oil
2 t. vanilla

Frosting:
1/2 c. butter
16 oz. cream cheese
3/4 c. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Oil & flour cake pans. Combine dry ingredients and set aside. Beat eggs until frothy. Add sugar & beat 3-4 minutes, until batter is thick & light. Add oil in a steady stream. Add vanilla. Add dry ingredients mixture until just combined. Fold in carrots and nuts. Bake about 30 minutes for 2 rounds or about 40 minutes for a 9×11 cake pan or about 20 minutes for cupcakes. Cool 10 minutes then invert on wire rack.

4 habanero peppers
1 stick butter
1 lb. chocolate
nibs
cocoa powder

Remove the seeds and stems from the peppers. Chop them lightly and let them cook in the butter for about an hour. Strain, pressing the flesh through. Throw away the skins. Melt the chocolate in the butter. In a chocolate mould, sprinkle nibs. Pour in the melted chocolate and freeze until solid. Pop out the chocolates and dust with cocoa powder.

Vanilla:
2 c. flour
3/4 c. sugar
1 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
3/4 c. chopped almonds
1 t. vanilla (or hazelnut)

Chocolate:
2 1/2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1/4 c. cocoa powder
1/2 c. chopped almonds
3 T. butter
3/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 t. vanilla (or hazlenut)
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 325. Toss together dry (not sugar) ingredients. In a separate bowl cream sugar and butter. Beat in eggs ~2 minutes. Slowly stir in dry ingredients until just combined. Turn out dough & shape into a log. Place log on cookie sheet covered in parchment paper. Press to 3/4″ tall. Bake 30-35 minuets or until firm. Remove from oven & cool 15min. Reduce oven to 275. Saw log into biscotti and place them on side on cookie sheet. Bake 30-35 min. Cool 1 1/2 hour. Drizzle with chocolate.

5 pkgs. cream cheese
2/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. buttermilk
2 T. flour
5 eggs
1 T. vanilla
1 T. lemon juice

Cream together cream cheese, sugar, and buttermilk. Add eggs one at a time; beat slowly until lumps are almost gone. Bake at 350 for one hour. Chill in fridge for at least 4 hours.