Finchly
 

The perfect mashup of holiday treats from the good ol' US of A and our dear friends from across the pond. Made with dried figs, this is the dessert made famous from Christmas carols; yes, figgy pudding is real, my friends. I took liberty with my rendition by adding in apple cider to round out the flavors and baked it off in a bundt pan to add some aesthetic to the shape. Because, let's be real, sticky toffee pudding is usually made in a muffin tin and albeit delicious, leaves

So, panforte is a really old-school Italian Christmas dessert. While it's hard to pin down with words, it's best described as a cross between fudge and nougat. Often, you'll see panforte in its pure state with vanilla, honey, dried citron, and assorted nuts. Because I simply can't leave well enough alone, I made panforte a lá German Chocolate Cake meets Black Forest Cake. So, I introduce to you German Chocolate Black Forest panforte. It's rich, it's decadent, it's chock full

Marshmallows have never been more 'Merican. These lovely ladies are packed with sweet apple flavor with a hint of cinnamon. Made with apple cider, apple pie extract, and finished with crushed dried apples, it's all the flavors of apple pie that you love in a squishy, pillowy, luscious marshmallow. Eat them on their own, floating in cocoa, or a steaming mug of apple cider. These also make an awesome homemade gift for neighbors, friends, and family. And don't make the mistake o

Traditional millionaire bars are some of my favorite sweet treats. Classically, they have a shortbread crust with a caramel middle and a dark chocolate top. To give it a holiday makeover, I've transformed ordinary millionaire bars into holiday millionaire bars with a gingerbread crust, apple cider caramel filling, and a white chocolate topping. They are so heavenly. These would be a showstopper at any holiday party, cookie swap, or work gathering. To give it an extra pop of h

These blondies could not be easier to make. They take less than ten minutes to put together but look like you spent all afternoon in the kitchen. Baking the crushed candy canes in the oven results in a beautiful red and white swirled design on top. The insides are soft and rich while the top is slightly crunchy and bursting with peppermint flavor. If you don't have any bread flour on hand, you can definitely substitute all-purpose flour- using bread flour only yields a browni

Candied cranberries are such an explosion of flavor, texture, and holiday spirit. Every year I make a big batch of candied cranberries, in varying flavors of course, and then commence with sprinkling and decorating everything I eat and drink with them; on top of cakes, in a glass of bubbly, in the bottom of a gin and tonic and sometimes, just on a piece of toast. These little red gems are bursting with flavors of cranberry and St. Germain, an elderflower liquor. Feel free to

We always have fried onions in our pantry. I've found that they are a miracle ingredient to so many dishes- scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, any and all vegetables, chili, etc. And now, I know that they're also a miracle ingredient when it comes to making biscuits. These pillowy buttermilk bundles are packed with cheese, bacon, and fried onions. They make for a killer egg sandwich in the morning, are amazing with ham or turkey for lunch, and the perfect accompaniment to chili

'Tis the season. I love this pie for many, many reasons. It is festive without being boring and tired, sweet but balanced with a hint of smokiness, and rich without being overindulgent. The crust is sweet and spicy, made of crushed gingersnaps and sweet butter. The filling is creamy and full of butterscotch. If you'd prefer to omit the scotch, by all means, go for it- it will still be tasty and you can still add a touch of smokiness with smoked salt. Smoked salt? Yes. For thi

I'm taking a quick break from all things candy cane and gingerbread. And quite frankly, I'm tired today so I'm taking a helping hand from the grocery store with this one. It takes less than ten minutes to whip up this rich and fluffy espresso and ricotta cheesecake, stuff it in some store-bought pie crust and heat up a small pot in which to fry them. It's quick, it's beyond easy, and it's so, so tasty. The outside is crisp and delicate while the inside is super creamy and bu

And rounding out my holiday eggnog recipes is this magnificent little lady- Eggnog Tres Leches Bundt Cake. To say that I saved the best for last would discredit those delicious recipes that came before but oh. my. word. this is amazing. Tres leches is a personal favorite due to the beautiful creaminess, tender delicacy, and the way it just melts away as soon as you eat it. This version doesn't fail to deliver the robust flavor of warm nutmeg, sweet eggnog, and warm vanilla. A

If you're anything like me, you have a tendency to overdo things a bit. I almost always overcook, overbake, overfeed- as if my culinary training took place in an army kitchen. I'd love to meet someone who can accurately make chili for two, or pasta for one, or really anything that's properly measured to solely feed a few people. Because I shop, and consequently cook, as if the world is ending and the entire roster of the New York Giants is at my front door. So, I made too muc

So, that rye bread pudding we made the other day? I had some leftover bread and decided to kill two birds with one stone. In a way, stuffing is just another rendition of bread pudding, right? And sometimes you gotta swap in something cheesy, meaty, and savory in between all the sweet and sugary holiday cheer. This stuffing is the answer to the same old stuffing year in and year out. And truthfully, I make this stuffing all year round since it's so ridiculously delicious. It's

Let's talk about rye bread. Most people find rye bread polarizing- you either love it or hate it. I tend to fall in the latter category but when rye is done right, it is so good. Rye gets its distinctive flavor from caraway seeds. Did you know that caraway seeds come from the carrot family? Neither did I. Rye is typically associated with savory fare but when given the chance, it can shine spectacularly in sweet dishes as well. Try swapping out a portion of your regular flour

At the start of every holiday season, I overestimate how much eggnog I can realistically drink. Because, why not buy a few gallons or more at the grocery store? IT'S DECEMBER. It's what Santa would want for me. And then, a mere few days later, I can't possibly bear to drink another glass of eggnog. I'm a bit of stickler for "waste not, want not" so it's out of the question to just toss it. So, let's bake with it. These buttery biscuits are filled with eggnog flavors- warm nut

Stollen had always been something that I had heard of, kind of knew about, but never really incorporated into my holiday baking. As a pretty big skeptic of traditional fruitcake, I wrongly assumed that stollen would fall into the same stale box. And, admittedly like many things in my life, I was wrong. This stollen will absolutely become customary in our house during the holiday season and I look forward to the many inevitable iterations that I will attempt. One of the best a