A vintage crate or a pretty tray and an assortment of sweets make for a holiday cookie box worth sharing with those you care about.
Making A Holiday Cookie Box
The internet is ablaze with ideas for holiday cookie boxes, which require careful packing and shipping. Though this makes for a beautiful snail mail surprise, it does diminish the appeal of the assembly. However, with a vintage crate or a pretty tray, you can take a similar idea and enjoy the sweet bounty in person.
Holiday Baking Tip: Waste Less Cake & Make More Truffles
Whether you’re cutting shapes from a cake, or just sick of the same leftover desserts, think of truffles as a way to waste less and enjoy rich, small bites. I swirled my cake scraps with natural, creamy peanut butter, shaped the mix into balls, and dipped them in dark chocolate. There was a healthy sprinkling of coarse sea salt for good measure. Naturally, these truffles, which weren’t really a recipe or very repeatable, were a crowd favorite from my holiday cookie box.
Holiday Cookie Box Recipe: Gluten-Free Almond Lace Cookies
These Almond Lace Cookies feel like magic when they transform from gritty spoonfuls to textured beauties. They’re fragile and light, but they’re loaded with buttery brown sugar flavor.
Holiday Cookie Box Recipe: Homemade Peppermint Patties
These were another crowd favorite at our holiday decorating festivities. No one would have guessed that these homemade peppermint patties are vegan and only lightly sweetened with maple syrup. (Recipe below)
Holiday Cookie Box Recipe: Dark Chocolate Rye Flour Brownies
Whole-grain rye flour brownies, with creamy peanut butter, between layers of dark chocolate ganache, and a sprinkling of sea salt make these brownies fancy enough for your holiday gatherings. They’re not a cookie, but they make the cut.
Holiday Cookie Box Styling Tip:
Fresh greens, almonds, cinnamon sticks… don’t be afraid to tuck more festive touches into the corners and gaps between cookies. Plus, powdered sugar makes everything look snowy.
You Might Also Like: Creamy Chocolate Amaranth Cupcakes
If arranging an assortment of sweets is inspiring your festive baking ideas, you might also like this idea from my book, The Gluten-Free Grains Cookbook. The recipe is for Creamy Chocolate Amaranth Cupcakes with a side of Bourbon-Whipped Crème Fraîche. Akin to a cheese or charcuterie board, the recipe includes tips and tricks to create this spread for DIY cupcake toppings. It’s delicious and interactive.
Julep’s Corner:
A reminder from Julep, who was looking like a very festive painted lady, to take time to be cozy and enjoy the holiday spirit.
Homemade Peppermint Patties (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 3 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
- 2 Tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 2 teaspoons melted coconut oil divided
- 1 cup vegan dark chocolate chopped
- Powdered sugar for topping (optional)
Directions
- Line a sheet pan with Silpat or parchment paper.
- Blend the coconut in a food processor in 10-15 second increments, scraping down the sides. Blend until the coconut starts to hold together when squeezed between your fingers. Be careful not to over-process, or it will turn into coconut butter.
- Add the maple syrup, peppermint extract, and 1 teaspoon of the melted coconut oil. Mix again until incorporated and the mixture holds together.
- Scoop 1 tablespoon of the mixture at a time, form into a disc and transfer to the sheet pan. Continue until all coconut is used. Transfer the pan to the freezer to set for 10 minutes. Note: You can tweak the disc shape more after chilling.
- Meanwhile, melt chocolate and the remaining 1 teaspoon of coconut oil over a double boiler.
- Individually place a chilled patty on the prongs of a fork to dip into chocolate. Tap off excess and return to the parchment. Continue until all the discs are coated.
- Place the sheet pan in the refrigerator or freezer for 8-10 minutes, or until the chocolate is firm.
- Serve chilled or at room temperature, and enjoy!
