Mother’s Day is coming up and if you’re still trying to figure out what to get your mom, there’s nothing better than a gift you can make with your own hands. This super easy no-bake dessert is a cross between a typical strawberry shortcake and tiramisu because of the addition of ladyfingers and mascarpone cheese. And speaking of tiramisu, you can find an amazing, classic recipe right here on my site
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It’s been a few weeks since we came back from our trip to the Philippines. One question people have been asking is “What do you miss?” and the two things I tell them is my family and well, the food! Especially the delicious Filipino desserts. Many Filipino sweets have Asian or Spanish influences. The Spanish-inspired Lengua de Gato, thin butter cookies, are perfect for pairing with coffee, tea or ice cream and are typically eaten during ‘merienda’ (an afternoon snack). My version is a bit healthier than the traditional recipe since I use whole wheat flour.
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The recipe for these yummy crescent-shaped holiday treats comes straight from my husband’s German mom. They have been a Christmas staple in his family for generations, and are typically referred to as “Vanille Hörnchen” or “Vanille Kipferl.” I absolutely love them—they are simple to prepare and yield a bold vanilla and butter flavor with a perfectly crunchy texture. It’s probably my favorite cookie recipe this time of year, and the crescents bring back memories of holidays spent in Germany. (For more German holiday cookies, take a look at my Gingerbread and Hazelnut cookie recipes.)

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For the final recipe of our holiday cookie kit, I’ve prepared a traditional German Christmas gingerbread cookie, or Lebkuchen. Created by medieval monks, lebkuchen dates back to the 13th century in Germany and Switzerland. My version is made of ginger, molasses, almond extract and a good amount of spices like cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. These cookies are soft on the inside and slightly crunchy on the outside, the perfect compliment to include in our holiday cookie kit.
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For the next installment of our holiday cookie GrubKit, I decided on a chocolate chip cookie with a kick. This recipe is perfect for the chocaholics out there. It’s decadent, moist with a brownie-like texture and added spice from cinnamon, ancho chili and cayenne. Two other recipes that will be part of this holiday cookie recipe kit are Appetite for China’s Green Tea Shortbread and my Cranberry Pistachio Biscottis.
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I love this time of year. The colors of the leaves are changing, the air is cool and the winter clothes come out. What also gets me excited is that the holiday season is coming up! I’ve been baking a lot recently working on a holiday cookie kit for our business GrubKit.com. The kit comes with ingredients for four different cookies including Mexican Chocolate Chip, German Gingerbread (Lebkuchen) and Japanese Green Tea Shortbread Cookies.
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I just got back from a trip to California for my friends’ wedding. The beautiful ceremony and reception took place in the Sequoia National Forest outside of San Francisco. After San Francisco I flew to Los Angeles, where we used to live, and got to see some old friends and spent some time at the beach. As lovely as my trip sounded, I was never this excited to cook in my own kitchen again! And what better way to welcome myself home than baking some chocolate chip cookies!
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