The Christmas/Finals season has me in the mood for baking. I can’t wait to get home to my kitchenaid and start whipping out some great holiday treats for my fam. Here are my selections for cookies and other confections this year:

• Homemade gingerbread made with molasses and candied ginger (great with a bailey’s whipped cream or a la mode!)
• Almond Crescents (a family favorite)
• Springerle Cookies (a coffee cookie made with anise seeds, pressed into traditional wooden molds. Very German)
• Spiced gingerbread cookies
• Hot Cocoa Cookies (So excited for these! Just before the chocolate cookies come out of the oven, you top them with a bit of marshmallow and a piece of chocolate…ooey, gooey yumminess!)

Another family tradition we have is mincemeat pie. I feel like no one eats this stuff anymore and has almost declined into legend like fruitcake…but it’s delicious! It’s spicy, savory, sweet, with a touch of an alcoholic hit that makes it probably the most festive thing you could eat at Christmas. Goes great with a big dollop of whipped cream too! I’ll have to give my Grandma a call to make sure I get the crust just right—crispy and flaky.