Baking for the Holidays: 50+ Treats for a Festive Season

by Sarah Kieffer

Overview

From celebrated blogger Sarah Kieffer, a charming holiday baking cookbook brimming with delicious, indulgent recipes, cozy winter photography, and lots of holiday cheer.

Here's a festive holiday baking book to celebrate this very special time of year. Sarah Kieffer, author of 100 Cookies, beloved baker behind The Vanilla Bean Blog, and creator of the "bang-the-pan" method offers more than 50 delicious recipes for seasonal brunches, cookie swaps, and all those Christmas, Hanukah, and New Year's Eve parties.

Delight family and friends with edible gifts and whip up some delicious baked goods to treat yourself through the long winter months after the holidays have ended. With cozy holiday imagery, a lovely, clean aesthetic, and easy yet innovative recipes, this is a go-to cookbook for baking enthusiasts, anyone who loves the holiday season, and, of course, fans of Sarah Kieffer and her hugely popular cookie book 100 Cookies.

DELICIOUS RECIPES: Go beyond sugar cookies and bundt cakes and learn to make such mouthwatering winter treats as Triple Chocolate Peppermint Bark, Meyer Lemon-White Chocolate Scones, Pear-Almond Danish Bread, Hot Chocolate Cake, Pumpkin Pie with Candied Pepita Streusel, and more.

GREAT GIFT OPPORTUNITY: With happy, festive photography and anyone-can-do-it recipes, this is a perfect holiday gift alongside a cute apron or baking product. It's sure to please anyone in your life who loves to while away the winter months in their warm and cozy kitchen.

BELOVED, ACCOMPLISHED BLOGGER AND AUTHOR: Sarah Kieffer is the beloved blogger behind The Vanilla Bean Baking Blog, past winner of Saveur Reader's Choice Best Baking & Desserts Blog. Her pan-banging cookie technique "broke the internet," going viral on the New York Times website. She has written several cookbooks and has been featured by Food52, The Today Show, Mashable, The Kitchn, America's Test Kitchen, Huffington Post, and more.

Perfect for:

• Home bakers of all ages and levels
• Anyone who enjoys holiday baking
• Fans of Sarah Kieffer's blog, Instagram, and cookbooks
• Holiday gift givers
• Readers of Dorie's Cookies, Dessert Person, Snacking Cakes, or Pastry Love

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781452180755
Publisher:	Chronicle Books
Publication date:	09/07/2021
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	7.70(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Sarah Kieffer is the blogger behind The Vanilla Bean Blog, a contributor to major food publications, and author of 100 Cookies. Her recipe for "bang-the-pan" cookies went viral after she introduced it on the New York Times website (it's delicious and ingenious!). In addition to writing her own books, she also shoots photography for other cookbooks, including Bread in 5 (with the authors of Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day). She lives in Minnesota.

Table of Contents

1 Morning Breads and Pastries

Classic Cinnamon Rolls 25

Nutella Star Bread 37

Morning Buns 40

Cranberries and Cream Danish 47

Pear-Almond Danish Braid 50

Coffee-Cardamom Monkey Bread 54

Powdered Sugar Donuts 59

Streusel Coffee Cake 63

Panettone Scones 67

Cheater's Croissant Dough 70

Easy Danish Dough 74

Sweet Dough 76

2 Holiday Desserts

White Cake with Cranberries and White Chocolate Buttercream 80

Carrot Cake with Burnt Honey Buttercream 84

Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake 89

Hazelnut Cheesecake 93

Apple, Caramel, and Hard Cider Pie 96

Crème Brûlée Pumpkin Pie 99

Chocolate Mint Ice Cream Pie 103

Bittersweet Chocolate Tart with Irish Cream 106

Frozen Bonbons 109

Shortbread Crust 111

Pie Dough 112

3 Gift Giving

Caramel Candies 116

Peanut Butter Cups 121

Triple Chocolate Peppermint Bark 123

Red Veivet Crinkle Cookies 127

Turtle Bars 129

Chocolate Gift Cakes 132

Modern Fruit Cakes 135

Florentines 138

Vanilla Bean Sables 143

Cut-Out Cookies 145

4 Beyond Christmas

Everything Bundt Cake 151

Lemon Pull-Apart Bread 154

Blood Orange Turnovers 160

Passion Fruit-Poppy Seed Muffins 163

Meyer Lemon-White Chocolate Scones 165

Blueberry Streusel Buns 169

Coconut-Cardamom Cupcakes 171

Cruffins 174

Hot Chocolate Cake 178

Confetti Cake 183

Rough Puff Pastry 186

5 Extras

Caramel Shards 191

Marshmallows 192

Caramel 195

No-Churn Ice Cream 196

Pastry Cream 199

Candied Citrus Peels 201

Cranberry Jam 202

Streusel 203

Whipped Cream 204

Crème Fraîche 205

Candied Nuts 207

Lemon Curd 208

Marshmallow Fluff 210

Closing Out the Year 212

Music to Bake To 215

Conversions 216

Bibliography 217

Resources 218

Acknowledgments 219

Index 220

Editorial Reviews

07/19/2021

In this cheerful collection, Kieffer (100 Cookies), founder of The Vanilla Bean Blog, shares dozens of sweet recipes perfect for the holiday season. In addition to Christmas classics like triple chocolate peppermint bark and fruit cake, she offers a number of desserts—coffee-cardamom monkey bread, crème brûlée pumpkin pie, cruffins (a hybrid of croissants and muffins)—that are ideal for cozying up with in the colder months. Throughout, there are plenty of fun twists: after sharing the recipe for classic cinnamon rolls, Kieffer pivots to instructions on how to make a cinnamon braid, while a recipe for vanilla bean sables includes citrus and rosemary chocolate chip variations. She thoughtfully includes several post-holiday-rush recipes—including blueberry streusel buns, passion fruit-poppy seed muffins, and lemon pull-apart bread—that use a pop of fresh or frozen fruit to help readers get through the “long, winter days.” In addition to the recipes, Kieffer shares lighthearted anecdotes (“I have plenty of memories of my sister and I fighting over cookie cutters,” she reminisces before introducing her cut-out cookies) and even suggestions for music to bake to. Avid holiday bakers should put this on their wish list. Agent: Jane Dystel, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

"Sarah’s style of baking—cozy, nostalgic, and crave-able especially in the cold winter months—was made for the holidays. Her recipes yield the kinds of treats that just beg to be eaten with a hot cup of coffee near the fireplace as the snow falls outside. They’re hearty, reliable, and exactly what I’ll be turning to at the holidays (and beyond)!" —Molly Yeh, cookbook author and Food Network host

"Sarah Kieffer taught us that pan-banging was as essential to cookies as a glass of milk. Her recipes crafted for the holiday season offer the same sort of effortless, tried and true baking wisdom. This book is filled to the brim with recipes to return to, and worthy of building traditions around. A comforting keeper for anyone who loves to bake." —Erin Jeanne McDowell, author of The Book on Pie

"In this cheerful collection, Kieffer (100 Cookies), founder of The Vanilla Bean Blog, shares dozens of sweet recipes perfect for the holiday season…. Avid holiday bakers should put this on their wish list.” —Publishers Weekly

“Baking for the Holidays is brimming with warmth and recipes that will satisfy and delight bakers of all levels. Sarah’s signature style of modern-yet-classic baking is apparent in every recipe, from the Coffee-Cardamom Monkey Bread to the Lemon Pull-Apart Bread. The recipes are of course reliable, and the quotes are uplifting. Sarah’s music suggestions will help you set the vibe of your gathering. This book is sure to transform your winter gatherings into joyous and delicious celebrations!” —Vallery Lomas, Author of Life Is What You Bake It

“Joy to the world, Sarah Kieffer has done it again! Her newest book, Baking for the Holidays, is full of festive recipes for each occasion and every baker, no matter their skills in the kitchen. This is the gift you will give everyone on your holiday list. Her twisty Cranberries and Cream Danish, Panettone Scones, Chocolate Mint Ice Cream Pie and ALL of Sarah’s famous cookies are just a few recipes destined to be new traditions on your holiday table. Another triumph from one of my most favorite and trusted bakers.” —Zoë François author of Zoë Bakes Cakes and host of Zoë Bakes on the Magnolia Network

"Not just for the holidays." —Booklist

From the Publisher

09/01/2021

Following the success of 100 Cookies, the latest from blogger Kieffer brings more than 50 recipes for the winter holidays, particularly themed around Christmas and Hanukkah. This title again showcases Kieffer's accessible approach to baking and offers recipes with a range of complexity that will suit bakers at different skill levels (including beginners). Sweet tooths will swoon over creations such as Carrot Cake with Burnt Honey Buttercream, Hot Chocolate Cake with Marshmallow Fluff Filling, and pumpkin pie topped with crème brûlée. Beyond the show-stopping desserts, there are breakfast pastries (scones, coffee cakes, muffins) with holiday flavors, and more challenging yeasted recipes that use Kieffer's innovative Cheater's Croissant Dough, which simplifies laminated pastry. Kieffer also writes a chapter on homemade gifts (candies, chocolates, cookies) to share with family and friends. VERDICT This approachable guide to baking for the holidays offers plenty of inspiration for bakers of all levels; it's a delightful seasonal complement to Kieffer's hit 100 Cookies.—Kelsy Peterson, Brighton Grammar Sch., Melbourne, Australia

Library Journal