Baking and Cooking for the Holidays

Photo courtesy of Adam Knight

The decorations are up, the holiday music is playing, but it’s not really “the holidays” until I can smell those delicious buttery cookies baking in the oven!

Photo courtesy of Lorena

I don’t know about you, but for me, the delicious food really makes the holiday – that and being with people I love. And what better way to combine these than to spend time together cooking and baking?  Or have everyone contribute a dish to a wonderful holiday meal?  Or maybe a cookie exchange party.

There are a few things that I just have to make every year: my grandmother’s peanut brittle, my mom’s Christmas Eve meatballs, and my sister’s recipe for Scotchies. Every year as I make my peanut brittle I remember my grandmother teaching me the finer points of making the brittle thin and crispy.  That memory is a gift that I enjoy year after year.

But I am also always on the lookout for new recipes to try, and I’ve been having loads of fun looking for recipes in the library’s Cooking Neighborhood. We have some great books to help prepare for the holidays!

There are lots of cookbooks for holiday baking. Here are a few of my favorites:

And there are some really great books about holiday entertaining:

In the sharing of holiday goodies with others, I find new recipes from friends and coworkers that become part of my tradition as well.  We have compiled a selection of favorite holiday recipes submitted by library staff members. You can find printed copies in the display area of the library’s Cooking Neighborhood or you can download or print them here:

Holiday Recipes - TSCPL Staff Faves

I hope you enjoy your cooking and baking adventures and have a wonderful holiday season!