Madera County Museum

Homemade Chicken Potstickers are an amazing appetizer or light meal filled with ground chicken, shredded carrots, green cabbage, and other flavorful ingredients. They are easy to make at home and are SO much better than store-bought!

I absolutely love Asian inspired appetizers! There is something so amazing about the flavor combinations of sweet and savory that have me coming back for seconds and thirds. If you are like me, you are going to love these Shrimp Spring Rolls, these flavorful Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps and this unique and delicious Wonton Soup.

Homemade Chicken Potstickers

Takeout will be the last thing you think of after cooking up these chicken potstickers! These are so easy to make and taste SO dang good. Chicken potstickers are filled with ground chicken, shredded carrots, and green cabbage. You can add other ingredients like garlic and ginger to ramp up the flavor. Simply add a small scoop to a dumpling wrapper and fold it in half, pinch off the sides, then cook in a skillet. It is that simple and easy!

Potstickers are known to be a delicious appetizer at most Asian restaurants, but sometimes I like serving them as a meal, especially along with this super yummy potsticker sauce. It also goes great with a side of ham fried rice and a delicious Asian edamame ramen salad. If you are eating it as an appetizer, the perfect main course is slow cooker mongolian beef or my family’s favorite slow cooker cashew chicken.

Ingredients

Don’t let the number of ingredients scare you away! These are simple ingredients that come together quickly and easily. Chicken potsticker filling makes these potstickers tender on the inside with a crispy outside when fried in vegetable oil. These are sure to please everyone in your family!

Ground Chicken: This can either be from a can or already made chicken and shredded.Carrots: Shredded with a grater or purchase them already shredded.Green Cabbage: Shred with a knife or a grater.Garlic Cloves: Peel and mince the garlic cloves.Green Onions: Chop up as finely as you prefer.Hoisin Sauce: This is a thick and flavorful sauce. Sesame Oil: Enhances Chinese flavoring and adds to the mixture.Egg: Binds the mixture togetherVegetable Oil: Used for frying.Dumpling Wrappers: These can be homemade or store-bought.Soy Sauce for Dipping: I love a simple soy dipping sauce, or you can make the potsticker sauce I mentioned earlier!

Chicken Potsticker Recipe

Chicken potstickers are so easy to make! After you make them you will never buy them frozen again. The best part is you can actually freeze your homemade ones for later, and you will be so glad you did.

Mix Filling: In a medium bowl combine ground chicken, carrots, green cabbage, garlic, green onions, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, and egg. Mix until incorporated. Heat the vegetable oil to medium in a large saucepan.Make Potstickers: Lay the dumpling wrapper on a solid surface. Add a heaping teaspoon of the chicken mixture to the center. Wet the outside edges and fold the dumpling together and seal tightly.Cook: Place the dumplings in the skillet and cook on each side for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Serve with soy sauce or your favorite Asian dipping sauce

Chocolate crinkle cookies are classic chocolate cookies with a decadent chewy texture. The crinkle top on these rich fudgy cookies has a sweet sugar coating making them everyone’s favorite holiday cookie!

Chocolate is definitely my flavor of choice. If you love chocolate treats as I do, you will love these chocolate crinkle cookies. And you’ll definitely want to try some of my favorite chocolate recipes. This death by chocolate cheesecake is incredible and my chocolate pie is always requested at the holidays! And this fudge is an absolute must for sharing with friends and family.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

These incredible cookies remind me of a fudgy brownie. I just love the contrast between the dark chocolate cookies and the snowy white crust of powdered sugar on these chocolate crinkle cookies. The signature crinkle on top makes these cookies look like snow-capped mountains. A perfect dessert for a white winter holiday.

Christmas time is the best time for delicious holiday treats, and these chocolate crinkle cookies are always a hit! I love bringing these cookies to Christmas parties or to a cookie exchange. Some of my other favorite cookies to bring to cookie exchanges are cream cheese snickerdoodles, Italian Christmas cookies, or these easy no-bake cookies. You will love them!

Ingredients Needed For the Best Chocolate Cookie

These easy chocolate crinkle cookies are deliciously sweet and easy to make! You will be very familiar with the ingredients and have most of them on hand. This cookie recipe is enhanced with browned butter. It gives it a more complex flavor and takes this recipe from good to great! They are so amazing! The flavor and chewy texture are out of this world.

Cookies

Butter: This recipe uses browned butter to enhance the chocolate flavor even further.Sugars: Granulated and brown sugar are used in this recipe. I love the combination of both!Cream Cheese: Gives the best texture! I can’t wait for you to take a bite!Egg: The egg binds the ingredients together.Vanilla Extract: Vanilla always enhances the flavor!Flour: All-purpose flour is used in this recipe.Cocoa powder: Unsweetened or dutch-processed cocoa work great in this recipe.Salt: Just a little bit of salt because it enhances the flavor.Baking Soda and Baking Powder: The combination of these creates the perfect spread and crinkle.

Sugar Coating

Granulated Sugar: This first layer of sweetness is the secret.Powdered Sugar: Gives it that snow-capped look!

Chocolate Crinkle Cookie Recipe

Grab your kiddos and make these fun chocolate crinkle cookies for the holidays or any time of year! It’s also a favorite because this recipe is easy to follow and comes together quickly. Brown butter is truly the secret ingredient. It makes this recipe shine because it brings a toffee note that compliments the chocolate flavor. Follow the instructions below for how to make these cookies.

Cookies

Brown the Butter: To brown the butter, heat in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter melts, it will start getting foamy. Once the foam subsides, you’ll see clear bubbles. Continue cooking and stirring constantly because it keeps the butter from burning. Cool the Butter: Once the butter smells nutty and turns a caramel color, then turn off the heat. This process will take about 7-9 minutes. Allow the browned butter to cool to room temperature before using. It is very important to let it cool.Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit then line a baking sheet with parchment paper.Mix the Egg, Sugar, and Cream Cheese: In a large mixing bowl or a stand mixer bowl, add the egg, sugar, and cream cheese. Beat until light in color and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add Browned Butter and Vanilla: Add the cooled brown butter and vanilla extract. Continue beating until light and fluffy for an additional 2 minutes.Combine Dry Ingredients: In another mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.Add Dry Ingredients to Wet Ingredients: Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients then mix until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.Shape the Dough: Scoop the dough then roll it into a ball with your hands. Place the rolled balls aside until you’re ready to roll in sugar. No need to refrigerate the dough.

Sugar Coating

Roll the Dough in the Sugar Coatings: Add granulated and powdered sugar in two separate bowls. When ready to bake, roll the cookie dough in granulated sugar first, then in powdered sugar. Place them on the prepared pan about 2 inches apart. Bake: Bake for 11-12 minutes. Cool and Enjoy: Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Allow the cookies to cool before removing them from the pan. Cool for 5-10 minutes and place them on the wire rack to cool completely.

This amazing Rotel Dip is the easiest and most delectable dip for any occasion! Perfectly spiced hamburger, creamy cheese, and full flavored Rotel tomatoes combine in this quick appetizer that everyone will love.

Everyone loves a fabulous dip, there’s just something about taking crackers, veggies, or chips and dipping them into something creamy, cheesy, and full of flavor. For more dips try this Insanely Delicious Hot Crab Dip, everyone’s favorite Loaded Creamy Ranch Dip, or this quick and easy 5 Minute Million Dollar Dip. 

Rotel Dip Recipe

This dip couldn’t be any easier or faster. When you need a fast dip with tons of flavor, this is the winner! Rotel is canned tomatoes with green chilies, which adds just a touch of spice.  I use taco seasoning to create more of that Mexican flare, but you can make this dish your own. It is SO creamy and delicious, I can’t stop myself from eating it! And the fact that it’s so easy to make means you can whip this up whenever you need to.

Make this for your next party, I promise your guests will love it! I have made this so many times, and it seriously never gets old. There’s just something perfect about creamy cheese, warm spices, and a pop of flavor from fresh veggies. It’s even perfect on a charcuterie board or served with your homemade air fryer tortilla chips. Any way you serve it, I guarantee your guests are going to love it!

Ingredients

With only 4 ingredients this couldn’t be easier! All the ingredients can be found at your local grocery store. You can switch up this recipe in so many different ways, you are going to love all of the combinations! You can find the exact measurements below in the recipe card.

Hamburger: I like to use lean ground beef.Taco Seasoning: I love my homemade Taco Seasoning, but you can also use store-bought.Rotel Tomatoes: This is diced canned tomatoes with green chilies. Do not drain the can, you want all of those juices!Velveeta Cheese: Velveeta is processed cheese. I know it’s not for everyone, which is why I have a substitution down below.

How to Make Rotel Dip

This dip is made all in the same pot, which is why it’s so easy to make and clean up. I’m in love with quick and easy crowd pleasing dishes! Done in no time and served warm, you’ll be the hero of appetizers.

Crumble: In a medium-sized skillet gook the ground beef, crumbling as it cooks. Cook till no longer pink. Drain the excess grease.Add:  Add in the taco seasoning, tomatoes, and cheese. Stir till melted. Remember not to drain the tomatoes, you’ll want the juices to help keep it the right consistency.Serve: Pour dip into desired serving dish and serve warm.

This Horseradish Sauce is creamy and full of flavor. The horseradish is strong and spicy, and paired with sour cream and other unique flavors, this sauce takes any dish to the next level!

I grew up as a meat and potatoes kind of girl. It was always one of my favoite meals. That’s probably why I love this horseradish sauce so much. It’s perfect on a juicy steak (try this easy air fryer steak recipe), on top of a prime rib, or with cube steaks!

Horseradish Cream Sauce

This horseradish sauce is so easy to make, there’s no reason not to have it along with your next steak dinner! Horseradish has a really nice spice to it, and paired with these other ingredients the flavor adds a whole new layer to whatever you put it on. I’ve made it when I’ve had guests over, and they all agreed that it was the game changer for the evening.

I also love how you can put this sauce on so many different kinds of meat. I’ve tried it over a juicy tomahawk steak and it was amazing. It also goes great with a grilled steak or it can even dress up a skirt steak. Horseradish sauce it usually served over beef, but once you try it I think you’ll want to eat it on everything! This creamy horseradish sauce recipe is really great on chicken, a big prime rib roast, and then even a roast beef sandwich.

Ingredients

The quality of ingredients will really make the difference in this horseradish sauce. The best part about this sauce is it’s really simple ingredients that you probably already have! If you love spicy and sweet, you are going to really like this sauce. You can buy horseradish at your local grovery store. It is most likely in the condiment aisle or near the dips. You can find exact measurments below in the recipe card.

Sour Cream: Sour cream is the perfect base for this sauce. It is tangy with a little sweetness, which helps cut down on the spicy flavors of the horseradish.Horseradish: You are looking for prepared horseradish, which is a paste usually in a jar. It has a few other ingredients like vinegar, but the main thing in it is horseradish. Crushed Garlic: I really like getting little bites of garlic in the sauce, so I like to use crushed garlic.Worcestershire Sauce: This sauce is the BEST thing to combine with horseradish. It is salty, savory, spicy, and sweet all at the same thing. It is amazing, you are going to love it!White Vinegar: This vinegar is going to help keep the sauce good for longer, but it also adds a depth of flavor that kind of reminds me of a pickle. It’s the perfect thing to brighten this sauce up.Kosher Salt: A high quality salt will make all the difference!Black Pepper: Freshly ground black pepper has more flavor and adds a little spice.

Horseradish Sauce Recipe

Once you have all of your ingredients together, this horseradish sauce comes together so quickly. You will want to let it sit in the fridge for a few hours to really let those flavors combine. Make sure that you plan ahead and make your sauce at least two hours before you plan on serving it!

Add Ingredients: In a medium bowl, add the sour cream, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, and crushed garlic cloves.Whisk: Then whisk to combine until smooth.Stir: Stir in the salt and pepper.Chill: Then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours for the flavors to develop.Season: Season to taste with additional salt and pepper before serving. Then garnish with chopped chives.

Turn leftover pie crust into perfect buttery and flakey pie crust cookies. Roll and shape using fun cookie cutters then simply sprinkle with sweet cinnamon and sugar. 

We LOVE pie at our house and we have so many favorite flavors that we make year-round. I always use my Grandma’s pie crust recipe. My kids love this strawberry pie in the Springtime, and this chocolate pie for the holidays.

What Are Pie Crust Cookies?

No more throwing away the extra pie crust that you have left over! Simply roll the dough out and bake it into airy and tender cookies that melt in your mouth. The buttery flakey cookies are sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. I also love to drizzle warm cookies with a sweet glaze. You won’t be able to stop eating them!

Cookies are my love language! I could eat any cookie, any flavor, any time of day. Making cookies to share with my family and friends is one of my favorite things to do. I have some go-to recipes that never disappoint. Try my amazing cream cheese snickerdoodles, these easy no-bake cookies, or my classic chocolate chip cookies.

Ingredients For Easy Cookies

These simple pie crust cookies are the easiest cookies you will ever make! Four simple ingredients, that’s all it takes. All you need is the store-bought crust then you’re all set. You can definitely make your own pie crust from scratch, but using the scraps from leftover pie dough is a win-win! It makes a lot, so be prepared to eat them all. You will love how fast and easily these cookies come together.

Pie Crust: Leftover pie crust makes this easy, but you can use any pie crust recipe if you make your own.Butter: Melted butter adds a more delicious buttery flavor.Sugar: Sugar to add sweetness because plain pie crust is pretty bland.Cinnamon: Cinnamon adds yummy flavor!

Pie Crust Cookies Recipe

Grab your kiddos and make these fun pie crust cookies for the holidays or any time of year! This recipe is easy to follow and comes together quickly. Follow my easy instructions below for how to make these cookies. They are so adorable and delicious!

Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.Roll Out the Pie Crust: Lightly sprinkle flour on the counter then roll out the pie crust until it’s about ¼ inch thick.Cut Shapes: Cut shapes out of the dough using cookie cutters, but you can also use a knife to cut if needed. Place Cookies on the Prepared Pan: Place them on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat Steps: Continue to gather the leftover crust, roll it together into a ball, then roll it out onto a floured surface again to cut more shapes. Repeat this process until you have no dough left.Brush With Butter: Using a pastry brush, brush the melted butter across the top of the pie crust shapes. Sprinkle With Cinnamon and Sugar: In a small bowl mix together the sugar and cinnamon then sprinkle it evenly across the buttered shapes.Bake: Bake for 8-10 minutes, until cookies are a light golden brown. Bake time varies with the size of your cookies.

This Brown Gravy is quick and easy with no drippings needed! It’s made with beef broth and bullion, giving it a rich deep flavor and it’s ready in under 10 minutes. It’s the perfect addition to any protein or on top of a mountain of mashed potatoes.

I love meat and potatoes for dinner. I grew up in that part of the country where that was a common meal, and I really do just love it! This gravy goes so perfectly on top of juicy and tender pot roast, a pile of mashed potatoes, or meatloaf!

Brown Gravy Recipe

This brown gravy recipe will be your new favorite! This gravy is made with beef stock and thickened with a roux of butter and flour. I have a quick tip below in the tip box for making this recipe gluten free. This gravy is easier than my popular turkey gravy because you don’t need any pan drippings! This is so quick and easy to whip up, and it’s perfect over a Mississippi pork roast.

I make this for Christmas dinner almost every year, and it goes great on everything! You are going to love it on top of your Thanksgiving turkey. One of the reasons I love this recipe so much is because it’s ready in under 10 minutes. It’s so fast and easy, and everyone always compliments the flavor. It’s even great over french fries and really any protein.

Ingredients

What I love about this brown gravy is that you don’t need to cook meat first! You don’t need any drippings, you can just use broth and bullion and it tastes just as good! I’ve whipped up this quick and easy homemade brown gravy a number of times and everyone always loves it. You can find the measurements below in the recipe card.

Flour: Flour is what thickens the gravy. You will make a roux with butter to start the gravy.Butter: Butter is added to flour to make a roux. Roux helps to make the gravy soft, silky, and the right consistency.Beef Broth: Beef broth adds flavor and depth to the gravy. It also adds nutrients! You could add chicken broth or vegetable stock if you have that on hand. It will change the flavor but it will still be amazing!Beef Boullion: I used beef bouillon to enhance the beef flavor.Worcestershire Sauce: This sauce has great flavor and a lot of umami. It will really get your mouth watering and add so much flavor to the gravy.Garlic Powder: Garlic powder is a nice savory ingredient that will add flavor to the gravy.Onion Powder: Onion powder is sweet and savory and helps to bring out all the delicious flavors.Salt & Pepper: This is to taste, it will bring out the flavors in the gravy.

How to Make Brown Gravy

Brown gravy is a must-have recipe in the kitchen. It can liven up any dish and is perfect for your favorite meat and potato dinner. It’s ready in under 10 minutes and it really does add a depth of flavor to every dish. It is a great recipe to make with your kids too! My whole family is in love with this gravy, I know yours will love it too.

Make Roux: Add the butter to a medium sized saucepan and heat over medium heat. Once the butter melts, add the flour. Whisk until the mixture thickens and forms a roux.Add Broth: Pour in the beef broth while continuing to whisk. Add salt and pepper and let it simmer for a few more minutes until it thickens to your preference. Add Flavor: Add the beef bouillon, Worchestershire sauce, garlic powder, and onion powder. Whisk the ingredients together until combined.Simmer: While continuing to whisk, bring the mixture to a low boil then reduce the heat to a simmer. Allow the gravy to simmer for a few minutes until the mixture thickens.Season: Season with salt and pepper to taste.Enjoy: Serve warm and enjoy!

Ham and Cheese Quiche is a classic combination that is sure to make this quiche a new family favorite! Easy to put together, this dish is perfect for brunch, breakfast, or even dinner!

I love a delicious and savory breakfast dish! It kicks off the days and fills me right up! You must try this simple and easy Overnight Breakfast Casserole, this delicious Breakfast Casserole, or these classic Sunny Side Up Eggs!

Ham and Cheese Quiche Recipe

I absolutely love to make quiches. They are so easy to put together, and you can customize them with any fillings that you want. This one is especially delicious because you use classic ingredients like cheese and ham, which means… Even your kids will go crazy over it!

This ham and cheese quiche is so simple and easy because you can use premade dough for the crust. So all you have to do is put it in the pan, whip up the filling, and let it bake! It’s a great recipe to make ahead of time too. Bake it with some cinnamon rolls and muffins, and you can have yourself a delicious brunch!

Ingredients in Ham and Cheese Quiche

The ingredients in this ham and cheese quiche are simple and easy; you probably already have most of them ready to go in your kitchen! Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements.

Pie Crust: You can just grab a store-bought pie crust and keep it in your fridge until you are ready to go! Eggs: I always use large eggs when I cook. Half and Half: You can easily make this at home with this recipe or use whole or 2 percent milk instead. Salt and Pepper: These will enhance all ingredients’ flavors. Onion Powder: This adds some delicious flavor without being overpowering. Cooked Ham: You can buy cubed, cooked ham at your local grocery store to save some time! Mexican Blend Cheese: I always like to shred my cheese from the block so that it melts into my quiche better. Green Onion: You can add this to the quiche mix or use it as a garnish on top.

How to Make Ham and Cheese Quiche

This easy quiche recipe only takes about 10 minutes of prep time. The rest of the time is spent cooking in the oven! It’s so easy and delicious; it’s a great meal for the entire family!

Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Roll out the pie crust and shape it into a 9-inch pie dish. Set aside.Whisk: In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and onion powder.Add Cheese: Whisk in 1 cup of shredded cheese.Assemble: To assemble the quiche, place the cubed ham on top of the pie crust to fill the bottom of the pan.Pour: Pour the egg mixture over the chopped ham.Sprinkle and Garnish: Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup shredded cheese over the egg mixture. Garnish with diced green onion.Bake: Carefully place the pie in the preheated oven. Bake for 45 minutes or until the ham and cheese quiche is cooked through.Let it Sit: Remove from the oven and allow the quiche to sit for 5 minutes before enjoying it!

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If you’re looking for a dessert that is absolutely delicious but also looks great on the holiday dinner table, these Christmas tree cupcakes are it! Moist vanilla cupcakes topped with homemade buttercream frosting that almost look too good to eat!

If you couldn’t already tell, making festive desserts is one of my favorite things to do around Christmastime. A few more fun and festive desserts to try this holiday season are these Christmas tree sugar cookies, cornflake wreaths, and Grinch cookies!

Christmas Tree Cupcakes

If you’re ever unsure of what dessert to make, cupcakes are always a good choice. They’re easy, bite-sized, and always a hit with everyone. If you’re looking to take your Christmas dessert game to the next level, try out these Christmas tree cupcakes for your next get-together! Not only are they moist and delicious with the BEST buttercream frosting, but they’ll add a little extra holiday cheer to the meal!

The cupcakes themselves are vanilla-flavored, but don’t be fooled! There’s nothing simple about them! (Vanilla is so underrated!) These cupcakes are moist, rich, and buttery soft! I always like to pair my vanilla cupcakes with some buttercream frosting, but you can always go for cream cheese frosting if you want more tang! Either way, these Christmas Tree cupcakes are going to be a hit. And if you’re looking for more festive recipes to complete your meal, try this Santa veggie tray or Christmas tree charcuterie!

Ingredients You’ll Need

With grocery stores being so busy this time of year, I gravitate towards recipes with ingredients I already have at home. You may need to make a run for the holiday sprinkles, but everything else is probably in your pantry right now! Check out the recipe card below for exact measurements.

Cupcakes

Cake Flour: I like to use cake flour for cupcakes because it has a fine, light texture. If you don’t have any on hand, all-purpose flour works as well! It will just give your Christmas tree cupcakes a slightly different crumb.Granulated Sugar: Regular white sugar works great to sweeten up the cupcakes.Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Both are a must-add to make sure your cupcakes rise in the oven!Salt: Boosts the overall flavor of the cupcakes.Buttermilk: Buttermilk is the key ingredient to moist, soft cupcakes. If you don’t have any on hand, you can easily make some with milk and vinegar using my recipe here!Milk: I recommend using whole milk because the higher fat content will make your cake more moist.Vanilla Extract: Since vanilla is the main flavor here, use pure vanilla extract if you have it!Vegetable Oil: Makes your cupcakes nice and moist.Egg Whites: Help to make your batter light and fluffy and bind all of the ingredients together when baked.

Buttercream Frosting

Unsalted Butter: This acts as the base of the frosting.Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar adds the best sweetness! It also gives the buttercream frosting a smooth texture.Milk: To adjust thickness.Vanilla: Adds flavor to the frosting.Salt: You only need a pinch to give the frosting a little extra flavor.Green Gel Food Coloring: For that classic Christmas tree color!Sprinkles and Toppings: This is the fun part! Feel free to decorate your Christmas trees with whatever sprinkles, toppings, and decorations you’d like!

How to Make Christmas Tree Cupcakes

These festive cupcakes are so simple to make but will impress everyone at your holiday party. They’re so cute! It only takes a few simple steps to whip them up. Let’s get started!

Preheat Oven, Prepare Pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two muffin tins with cupcake liners.Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.Add Wet Ingredients: Add the buttermilk, milk, vanilla, and oil to the dry ingredients and whisk until fully combined. In a separate bowl whip the egg whites until you get medium-stiff peaks, and then gently fold the egg whites into the batter.Add to Muffin Tin: Use a small cookie scoop to scoop the batter into the cupcake liners. Fill the liners only halfway full, or the cupcakes will puff over the top of the muffin tin.Bake: Bake for 20-22 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and the tops of the cupcakes bounce back when lightly pressed. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.

How to Make the Buttercream Frosting

Combine Ingredients: Add the butter, powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, salt, and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir on low to incorporate and increase the speed slowly as the butter absorbs the powdered sugar.Add Food Coloring: Beat on high speed until the frosting is white and fluffy, about 10-15 minutes. Add your green food coloring until it has reached your desired color. Frost Cupcakes: Spoon the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a fluted piping tip. Pipe the frosting on top of the cupcakes to resemble a tree. Add sprinkles and other toppings to decorate your cupcake trees for Christmas!

Pomegranate chocolate chunk cookies are the BEST cookies you will ever make! The pomegranate is tangy, like cranberry, with a hint of sweetness at the end. The burst of flavor when you bite into this cookie will have you coming back for seconds!

I love a good cookie. I’m a little obsessed with winter baking because it just makes the home smell so good! And it’s the one time of year when you actually want the oven to warm up the house! If you love cookie baking in the winter time, you HAVE to try these perfect-for-Christmas Grinch cookies, these gooey and delicious Butter Cookies, and these melt in your mouth Peppermint Meltaways.

Pomegranate Cookie Recipe

It’s no secret that I love cookies! It was one of the first things I learned how to make (probably like most of you), and they have always hit the spot. I especially love cookies during the holiday season, like these almond cookies and these Italian Christmas cookies. They are so easy to share, and everyone loves having a delicious cookie for Christmas!

If you have ever had a cranberry cookie, this pomegranate chocolate chunk cookie is kind of like that! Cranberries and pomegranates are similar because they are tangy and have a little sweetness at the end. I am a huge fan of cranberries, but it’s fun to switch it up! Pomegranates are so fun to eat in so many different ways. I bet you haven’t tried them in a cookie yet. They are a must-try!

Ingredients in Pomegranate Cookies

You will need the same ingredients as any cookie recipe, but for this pomegranate cookie, you will also need, well, pomegranates, of course! I also added cream cheese to the recipe, which I think you will love! You can find the exact measurements below in the recipe card.

Butter: You will want to use unsalted butter and make sure to leave it out for a few hours before you plan on making the cookies so it is nice and soft.Cream Cheese: Cream cheese is SO good in cookies. If you haven’t tried a cookie with cream cheese in it, you are in for a treat. It’s tangy and creamy and gives this cookie great texture and flavor.Granulated Sugar: Your pantry sugar will work great.Brown Sugar: Brown sugar is great in cookies like this because it has molasses in it. Molasses has a nice rich flavor and gives a deeper flavor than just granulated sugar by itself.Egg: I always use large grade-A eggs in my recipes.Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract adds flavor to the dough and helps to bring out all the other delicious flavors in the cookie.All-Purpose Flour: All-purpose flour is the easiest to work with and will be the best option for this cookie.Salt: Salt brings out the flavor.Baking Soda: Baking soda will help the cookies fluff up when baking. Baking Powder: Baking powder also helps these pomegranate cookies to rise.Semi-Sweet Baker’s Chocolate: You could use chocolate chips too.Pomegranate Arils: You will need to buy a pomegranate from the store and get all the seeds (arils) out. See my tip below for how to easily remove the seeds!

How to Make Pomegranate Cookies

This pomegranate cookie recipe is really similar to a chocolate chip cookie. The main difference is the pomegranates and adding chunks of chocolate instead of chips. You will love how these cookies taste; they are perfect for holiday get-togethers!

Prep: Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Chop the chocolate and prepare your pomegranate seeds (arils) by removing them from the fruit and set them aside.Beat: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the butter and cream cheese together until it is light and well mixed. Add in your sugars and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in your egg and vanilla and beat an additional 1-2 minutes.Whisk: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder until well combined. With your mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, ¼ cup at a time, until just combined.Fold and Bake: Fold in the chocolate and pomegranate until evenly distributed. Scoop about 2 tablespoon size rounds of dough onto the parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving a 2-inch space between each one. Bake for 12-15 minutes, the cookies should be lightly golden all around, remove from oven and let the cookies rest on the hot baking sheet for an additional 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.Cool: Allow the pomegranate cookies to cool for at least 15 minutes and enjoy!

This traditional German stollen bread is the perfect treat for the holidays! It’s a delicious sweet bread filled with cranberries, raisins, candied citrus, and a luscious almond filling.

I love German food and trying to recreate it at home! A few more recipes you’ll have to try out: pork schnitzel, German oven pancakes, and this German potato salad! (It’s one of my favorite sides!)

German Christmas Fruit Loaf (Christstollen)

This holiday season, swap out your traditional fruit cake for this tasty German version! Translated, “stollen” means fruit loaf. These are eaten all year round, but in December they’re called Christstollen. Stollen bread is soft with the perfect chew. Similar to a fruit cake, it’s also loaded with cranberries, raisins, and candied citrus for delicious fruity flavor!

What really makes stollen good, though, is its tasty almond filling. I use almond paste in this recipe, but it’s also commonly made with marzipan! Stollen is the perfect combination of flavors and textures. It’s sweet, nutty, and fruity! You’ve got to give this delicious German pastry a try for Christmas. It may just become a new family tradition!

What You’ll Need to Make Stollen

I’ve broken this list of ingredients up into a few different parts so it’s easier to organize. If you can’t find almond paste at your local grocery store, check out my tips section below on how to make it at home.

Fruit and Nut Mixture

Dried Fruits: In my stollen bread I used dried cranberries and golden raisins for the perfect combination of tart and sweet.Candied Citrus: I used both candied orange and lemon peel. If you can’t find these in-store, use my recipe here to make them from scratch!Slivered Almonds: Adds a little extra nuttiness to the stollen.Dark Rum: Added for extra flavor.

Bread

Milk: I always like to use whole milk for bread because the fat content makes it soft and tender. Be sure to use milk that’s warm to help activate the yeast!Yeast: I used active dry yeast.Sugar: Just regular granulated sugar works great to sweeten up the dough.Bread Flour: Bread flour has a higher protein content than all-purpose flour, so it produces more gluten and gives your stollen more chew.Large Egg: Binds all of the ingredients together!Softened Butter: I used unsalted butter because we add salt separately.Vanilla: Vanilla and sweet breads go hand-in-hand! Add some in for an extra pop of flavor.Lemon Zest: I add lemon zest for a touch of zesty flavor.Salt: Keeps your stollen from tasting bland.Spices: No Christmas bread is complete without spice! I used cardamom, nutmeg, and cinnamon for the perfect holiday flavor.

Almond Filling

Almond Paste: For the filling of the stollen. You can also use marzipan instead. If you can’t find either at the store, you can make it from scratch using my instructions below.

Garnish

Melted Butter: Nothing compares to a little melted butter brushed on top of homemade bread!Powdered Sugar: Stollen is traditionally made with powdered sugar dusted on top, but you can omit this if you want your bread to be less sweet.

How to Make Stollen Bread

I know all the instructions may be intimidating, but making stollen is actually pretty simple! It just takes a little time and patience to get your dough right.

Preparing the Fruit and Nut Mixture

Combine Ingredients: Prepare the fruit and nut mixture by combining dried cranberries, raisins, candied fruit peels, almonds, and rum.Soak in Rum: Allow the mixture to soak, stirring occasionally until you are ready to use it.

Making the Dough

Activate Yeast: In the bowl of a stand mixer combine your milk, yeast, and sugar. Let the mixture rest for about 5 minutes, it should become bubbly as the yeast activates.Combine: Add to the bowl 3 cups of your bread flour, egg, butter, vanilla, lemon zest, salt, cardamom, nutmeg, and cinnamon.Mix: Using the dough hook attachment mix the dough on low speed to incorporate all the ingredients and bring the dough together. Once dough has come together, if it is too sticky and wet, add more bread flour ¼ cup at a time. Then allow it to mix for a few more minutes on low speed. Increase speed to medium high and mix for about 3-5 minutes, this will develop the gluten.Proof: Remove dough from mixer and place in a lightly greased bowl and cover to proof until it has doubled in size, about 45 minutes to an hour.Create Bread Forms: While the dough is resting, create two rectangular forms with tin foil and place them on a sheet of parchment paper, these will help the stollen bread to keep it’s shape while baking. If you have stollen bread forms you can use those.Shape and Fold: When dough has doubled in size, dump out onto a lightly floured surface and pound to degas. Fold in your fruit and nut mixture, straining out any excess juice beforehand. Then work the dough until the fruit and nut mixture is evenly distributed throughout the dough. Allow the dough to rest, covered in the bowl for another 10 minutes.

Adding Filling and Baking

Add Almond Filling: Dump the dough back onto a lightly floured surface and cut it into two equal halves. Stretch each half into a rectangle and set aside. Take your almond paste and roll into a rectangle between two sheets of parchment paper. Cut the almond paste rectangle in half and place one on each rectangle of dough, slightly off to one side.Shape and Proof: Stretch the dough over the almond paste and secure your seam on the side of the loaf. The seam is baked on the side of the loaf to create the classic stollen bread form. Be sure to secure it tight. Place the formed loaves onto your prepared forms on the sheet pan and cover, allow the loaves to proof until just under double in size. Do a touch test to see if the loaves are ready to bake by lightly poking down each loaf about 5 times. The pokes should slightly spring back but still be visible. If they spring back and the dough is still tough they need more time, if the loaf starts to deflate when you perform the test your dough is over-proofed.Bake: Once the loaves are ready, bake them at 350° Fahrenheit for 40-50 minutes. I like to rotate the pan around after about 30 minutes to ensure an even bake. You also may want to cover the loaves with foil after 30 minutes if they are browning too quickly. The loaves are ready when they are a light golden brown and temp out to 190° Fahrenheit.Add Topping: Remove the loaves from the oven and brush with melted butter, once the loaves have cooled a bit, dust each one generously with powdered sugar.