by: Sarah Kieffer

“While my nostalgia is built around specific Christmas traditions, my hope for all who use this book is that the recipes and notes contained among the pages bring comfort and cheer to your own festivities and families, however they are shaped and chosen,” Sarah Kieffer.

I was so excited to see that Sarah Kieffer had a new cookbook, Baking for the Holidays, after her amazing 100 Cookies cookbook. Christmas baking is one of my favorite things to do in the world. I am always looking for something new to make along with my favorites. The recipes in this cookbook are very easy to follow and detailed. I love the wide variety that provides something for everyone.

Streusel Coffee Cake

Coffee cake is a staple in my house, granted most of the time it is a Sara Lee coffee cake, but every now and then I like to make one from scratch. When I saw this recipe I knew this was one I had to try. The recipe is easy to follow, there are a lot of steps and ingredients for each part of the coffee cake, but don’t let that overwhelm you.

I don’t have a stand mixer so I used a hand mixer and it worked perfect. My oven isn’t keeping an constant temperature so I did have to cook it for longer than the directions said. The most important thing is to make sure that the toothpick comes out clean in the center. Letting it rest while it absorbs the icing is the most DIFFICULT part! However, it was worth it, this is one of the most delicious things I have eaten in a long time. I put the extra streusel in the freezer and plan to make this again before Christmas.

Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies

Red velvet cakes are something a lot of people are scared to make. The recipes tend to be really complicated, but this one is not. It has very concise and helpful steps to create the best cookies. Don’t forget you have to let the dough sit in the fridge for at least six hours.

I was so happy with how the red velvet crinkle cookies turned out. They were delicious and perfect. I could only eat one since they are so rich, but I will definitely make these again!

Sarah Kieffer’s cookbooks are the perfect addition to any home cooks shelf. Baking for the Holidays has given me so many new ideas and I can’t wait to try all of the recipes. What do you want to cook first from this amazing cookbook?