Winter Woodland Gingerbread Cookies

December 20, 2015 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking

Woodland Gingerbread Cookies | Image: Laura Messersmith — **Woodland Gingerbread Cookies** | Image: *Laura Messersmith*

When I was growing up my siblings and I would spend most of the afternoon on Christmas Eve rolling dough and making cutout cookies. My sister and I traded off who used the rolling pin to prepare a new patch of dough while my brother plotted his next move – would it be the evergreen tree, the star, maybe the random chicken shaped cutter (an old-fashioned tin one with a red painted handle) that we insisted on using despite it’s non existent connection to the holiday at hand? My mother mainly left us to our own devices, occasionally taking a pass through the room to check on our progress.

We continued that tradition every year up until a year or so ago when we began spending holidays with our respective in-laws, and now I’m continuing in my own way. Much to my father’s chagrin we were dedicated to plain sugar cookies when I was a kid, but I’ve since realized the error in judgment and have turned my attention to these spicy, gingery cookies chewy with molasses and dark brown sugar.

The cookies are wonderful plain - complex with plenty of cinnamon, ginger and cloves – but a light layer of icing makes them festive and transforms some of my brown bears and foxes into their arctic cousins. Plus, who can resist snowy vanilla frosting or a sparkle of coarse sugar at Christmas?

Woodland Gingerbread Cookies (yield*: 50-60 medium cookies)

Ingredients:
6 cups all purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
4 teaspoons ground ginger
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 cup unsulfured molasses
Vanilla Icing (recipe below)
Decorative sugar (I used Sugar in the Raw Organic Cane)

Instructions:
Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt in a large bowl and set aside.

In a separate large mixing bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer) beat butter and brown sugar together with an electric hand mixer until fluffy. Add in one egg at a time and then the molasses until well combined. (A light coating of non-stick spray inside the liquid measuring cup will make pouring the molasses much easier.)

Slowly add in the flour mixture, mixing on low until just combined. The dough should still have streaks of flour and look a little dusty. Finish mixing by hand making sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. The texture will be quite sticky and almost fluffy.

Divide dough into thirds pat each portion into a flat disk about 1 inch thick and wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate until cold and firm, about one hour or up to two days.

When ready to bake, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to a 1/4-inch thick. Even after chilling, the dough will remain semi-soft and pliable, and the cookies will puff up and spread slightly when baked, so cutters with minimal fine detail are best.

Cut into shapes of your choice and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Gather the scraps and re-roll until all the dough is used.

Refrigerate the cut cookies again for about 15 minutes. Bake cookies until crisp but not dark, 12 to 14 minutes. Place the baking sheets on wire racks and cool.

Allow the cookie sheets to return to room temperature before placing the next batch of cut cookies.

When the cookies are cool, decorate with icing and sprinkles. Once the icing is set, store cookies between layers of parchment or waxed paper in an airtight container for up to a week.

*Yield Notes: 50 medium/large cookies (moose, reindeer, fawns, bears, foxes), 22 small cookies (hedgehogs, squirrels)

Rewritten and slightly adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s Spicy Gingerbread Cookies a version of Martha Stewart’s Gingerbread Snowflakes

Vanilla Icing (yield: about 2 1/2 cups icing)

Ingredients:
6 cups confectioner’s sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 teaspoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 cup, plus 1 tablespoon skim milk
Food coloring (optional)

Instructions:
In a large mixing bowl, sift the confectioner’s sugar through a fine mesh sieve to remove any lumps. Next add the vanilla extract, corn syrup, salt, and food coloring, if using.

Pour in 1/4 cup of the skim milk and mix on low speed with an electric hand mixer. Consistency will be very thick. Add remaining milk 1-2 teaspoons at a time until the icing reaches your desired consistency. Thicker if you plan to spread with a knife or spatula, a bit thinner if you plan to pipe.

When the cookies are cool, ice with a piping bag or small offset spatula. Sprinkle with decorative sugars.

Adapted from Bon Appetit’s icing as described in New England Molasses Gingerbread Cookies.

Decoration Ideas
I did a combination of all over sugar, piping, full icing, and full icing + sugar for the truly hummingbird inclined. This had the dual effect of giving me the appearance of both arctic animals and creatures from more temperate climates. The icing recipe described above was enough to do about half with full icing, if you want every cookie to be fully covered I'd double it.

If you’d like to achieve the un-iced, all-over sugar effect place an even layer of white granulated sugar or sanding sugar in a plate. Lightly press the top of the un-baked cookie into the sugar and then chill and bake as usual.

Some hints on piping the outline, which I learned from watching cookie artist Patti Page on an episode of Barefoot Contessa. (some of her work) Rather than touching the tip of the piping bag to the cookie, instead hover the piping bag just above the surface letting the strand of icing fall onto the cookie and moving the piping bag along slowly (maintaining even pressure), so that the strand of icing drags behind just slightly. To adjust your position, turn a corner, or catch the details, tap the point down. Think connect the dots except you’re creating both the dot and the line between with the icing. You can watch her demonstrate here.

This is also useful if you’re looking for sharp icing edges. Pipe the outline first let it set a bit, then fill in the middle with an offset spatula or more piped icing. More coloring book than connect the dots.

Edited to Add: If you're looking for the specific cookie cutters I used the Drommar set from Ikea (via Amazon) and these two additional fawn and reindeer cutters by R&M (also via Amazon.)

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Potentially, with strict organization. The tricky part is during the baking/cooling stage. Do this in batches over the course of a day if you have to. For equipment I used two large mixing bowls, an electric hand mixer, rubber spatula, mixing spoon, liquid and dry measuring cups to mix the dough. You’ll also cookie cutters (or use biscuit cutters, the rim of a glass, any shape that appeals) need two rimmed baking sheets, wire cooling racks (or an elevated trivet), parchment paper, and plastic wrap.

For the icing I washed and reuse one of the large bowls, the electric hand mixer, measuring cups. Add in a sieve and an offset spatula, or piping bag set. Toothpicks will help with fine detail work.

The Verdict:
This is everything I could hope for in a gingerbread cookie and has more than earned its place in my Christmas cookie line-up. Spiciness that holds it's own against even the heaviest layer of icing, texture that miraculously balances the tricky tipping point between chewy and crisp. They filled the apartment with Christmas-y warmth only holiday baking and crazy whimsical cookie cutouts can. Yes, I probably spent more time than is healthy decorating, but that's half the fun, right? Definitely make these and watch them fly off the platter, that is if anyone can stand to eat something so adorable.

French Chocolate Bark

December 17, 2015 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking with the Contessa

Each week I follow along with Ina Garten (aka the Barefoot Contessa) and attempt to recreate one of her dishes in my tiny New York City kitchen. The catch? This is my version of cooking school and I’m making these recipes for the first time. I’ll share both my successes and um, challenges, along the way and we’ll see if I can keep up with the Contessa!

Episode: “Festive Fun”

The Set-up: Ina and Jeffrey are having friends over for a pre-holiday celebration and christening the barn with its first dinner party.

The Menu: Seafood Gratin, French Chocolate Bark, Mulled Wine, Pumpkin Mousse

0:18 – Ina says everyone gets so busy preparing for the holidays that we forget to actually have fun. Preach!

1:20 – First up, she’s making Pumpkin Mousse instead of pumpkin pie although so far the ingredients seem to be the same.

2:31 – Ina says she’s not really a fan of pumpkin pie calling it “cloying and sweet”, which would be a treasonous statement to another audience, but sound spot on to be. Apple pie #FTW

3:09 – Home-Ec Ina says that she only needs the yolks for this mousse, so an egg-white omelet is on the menu for lunch.

4:42 – Another recipe calling for gelatin, but thanks to my marshmallow adventure I’m no longer intimidated!

5:13 – I’m honestly not fond of pumpkin-centric baked goods, but Ina is so good at “layered flavor” (who else would think to put a mashed banana into a pumpkin mousse?) I could almost be convinced.

6:29 – The pumpkin mousse is in the fridge, Ina says you could make it up to 3-4 days in advance, now it’s time to go shopping!

7:34 – First stop: a giant bunch of mixed evergreens from Michael the Florist TM who is decked out in his signature bright sweater (candy cane red). Then, onto the Seafood Shop for ingredients in the Seafood Gratin.

10:28 – Moving on the main course and Ina has designed this menu to be special and festive for company, but also something she can make in advance. Music to everyone’s ears.

11:45 – The seafood will cook in a fish stock based broth with cream, tomato and white wine, yum! Pro Tip #1: To make the shrimp bite sized while retaining the shape, cut them in half lengthwise.

12:06 – Oooh, tricky. Since some of the fish is cooked (the lobster) and some of it isn’t, Ina is cooking each ingredient separately and then lifting it out of the stock when it’s done.

13:30 – Now that all the fish is cooked stock continues to simmer and will reduce into a sauce. Clever way to retain all the flavors…

14:54 – Onward to the vegetables which are sautéed in butter while Ina makes a panko bread crumb topping.

15:23 – Friends, this will come as no surprise, but we’re not dealing with a low-cal recipe here. Lots of butter, cream, and cheese went into the making of this gratin.

16:12 – Pro Tip #2: the butter in the gratin topping is for flavor, but also ensures that it browns.

17:48 – Interesting, I thought at some point that the cooked seafood, sauce and vegetables would all be stirred together, but instead they’re layered in a large baking dish and then topped with the bread crumbs.

21:17 – Next on the docket: French Chocolate Bark starting with a combination of bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolate bricks. The two different kinds are meant to balance each other out.

22:21 – Ina is using toasted cashews, cranberries, and apricots, but she has also given us leave to top it with trail mix if that’s what suits you.

23:02 – Fun fact: American chocolate bark has the fruit and nuts mixed in, while French chocolate bark starts with a sheet of chocolate and is then topped with the ingredients so they’re more visible.

24:36 – Ina is not messing around with the chocolate bark either, she’s planning to use it in S’mores over coffee gathered around the outdoor brazier. Boom, gauntlet thrown.

25:05 – The table setting is in silver and taupe, because you know Ina probably isn’t going to rock red & green. She’s using large glass jars of lemons and clementines softened with some of her greenery from Michael the Florist TM and mercury glass votive holders. Gorgeous, naturally.

27:24 – Part of Ina’s strategy for the Mulled Wine is to serve it after dinner with the chocolate bark since it’s already on the sweet side, and it's a nice hot drink to have on a cold night.

28:50 – I honestly never knew what was in mulled wine but Ina is using a combination of sweet spices, apple cider, and a little honey. Sounds pretty good, actually.

29:49 – Dinner is served and everyone seems to be diving right in. Ina disappears to set up the s’mores tray and the mulled wine while her guests enjoy the fire. Looks like a blast – invite meeee! (please.)

Final Thoughts:
Add an outdoor brazier to my future home wish list.
s anyone else contemplating the thousands of different types of chocolate bark to make?
Just imagine if Ina had made her own marshmallows and the chocolate bark. Heads would explode.

Lessons Learned:
I’ve really been enjoying my starter candy course this month, and frankly this French Chocolate Bark, is even easier than the marshmallows I made last week, but I still managed to learn a few things along the way.

Double Boiler/Bain Marie – this really is the time to use a water bath to melt the chocolate. Nothing could be more tragic (okay, that’s an exaggeration) than ruining high quality chocolate by burning it. A double boiler allows you melt the chocolate through indirect heat and reduces the chances of a mishap due to inattention. Make sure the bowl is heat proof (ie. pyrex) and that the water doesn’t actually touch the bottom.

Advance Prep – The double benefit of using a water bath is that it allows you to get your other ingredients ready without stressing that your chocolate is charring. And, since the chocolate will cool and harden fairly quickly after it’s spread on the parchment it’s a good idea to have the toasted cashews and fruit ready before that step. Much less panic inducing….

Sweet & Salty – I realized as I was making this recipe that the cashews I had were toasted, but not salted. They’d still have worked and been quite good, but as we’ve discussed a balance of sweet and salty is what makes a dessert really amazing. Hence, the break-glass-in-case-of-emergency use of the Maldon sea salt. A good trick to have in your back pocket and regular Kosher salt (used sparingly) could work in a pinch.

Small Kitchen Friendly?
100%. I used a medium Pyrex bowl, a medium sauce pan, a large cutting board, chef’s knife, and a rimmed baking sheet. Parchment paper is a must, and if you’re into precision then a ruler and a pencil to help mark the boundaries.

The Verdict:
I ask you, how bad could dark chocolate studded with tart cranberries, sweet musky apricots, and roasted cashews be? Add in a shower of coarse sea salt and this French Chocolate Bark could be your new favorite treat. It also would make a lovely gift for anyone who likes a decadent little something. I’m already plotting my next chocolate bark concoction – maybe spiced like Mexican Hot Chocolate or make use of those leftover starlight mints? What about crunchy pretzels? Candied ginger? Sky’s the limit!

White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies with Vanilla Salt

December 15, 2015 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking

In the world of herbs and flavorings mint gets the short end of the stick; relegated to chewing gum, left in the cut-glass dish long after the strawberry candies with the soft centers have been sifted out, candy canes gone chewily humidified with neglect while the chocolate orange gets all the glory.

It’s a crime because mint is so lovely – think about it: a Thin Mint would just be a dry cookie coated in waxy chocolate without that mentholated breeze. Perhaps I'm biased because it’s one of my favorite flavors, but I was pleased to see one of my favorite bloggers, Ashley Rodriguez of Not Without Salt, give it some love in the form of the White Chocolate Peppermint Cookie. Rather than make the humble starlight mint an ironic punchline she’s treated them with respect surrounding their red and white striped freshness with a cast of players that lets their virtues shine. Cool and energizing with a foundation of smooth sweetness and a top note of vanilla scented salt. Perfect for a festive holiday occasion and a lovely send-off for any stray candy cane.

White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies with Vanilla Salt (yield 18 to 24 cookies)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
3/4 cup plus, 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar (aka Sugar in the Raw)
1 egg at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup white chocolate chips
1/4 cup roughly crushed peppermint candies (or candy canes)
2 tablespoons vanilla sea salt (store bought or homemade, recipe below)

Instructions:
In a medium mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and all three sugars together on medium speed, until smooth and light in texture, about 5 minutes. Stop the mixer and use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the egg and vanilla to the bowl and mix well to combine. Again, stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl with a spatula as needed.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together.

With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients. Mix until streaks of flour still run throughout and the dough just comes together. Stir the crushed peppermint candies and white chocolate chips in by hand, taking care to make sure everything is evenly distributed.

For best results, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 24 hours. Resting the dough intensifies the caramel flavors, and the texture of the baked cookie improves.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 360 degrees F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop the dough into 1 inch portions and roll lightly between your hands into balls. Tap the top of the cookies into a shallow dish of vanilla salt and place onto the baking sheets spaced about 1 1/2 – 2 inches apart. Once the cookies are formed, chill again on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes to allow them to firm up again.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Rotate the sheets halfway through if the cookies appear to be baking unevenly. The cookies should be lightly golden on the outside but still look quite gooey on the inside. Allow the cookies to cool for 5-10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to finish cooling.

These are best eaten the day of baking but will keep, if well sealed, for up to 2 days.

Rewritten and very slightly adapted from Ashley Rodriguez’s White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies with Vanilla Salt via Food52.

Homemade Vanilla Sea Salt (yield 3/4 cup)

Ingredients:
3/4 cup flaked sea salt
1 vanilla bean

Instructions:
Place the sea salt in a small bowl. Next, split the vanilla bean lengthwise with a small paring knife. Run the tip of the knife along the interior of each half to scrape out the small black seeds. Add the vanilla seeds to the sea salt and rub together with your fingers to combine. Transfer the vanilla salt to an air tight jar or container. Tuck the empty vanilla bean pods into a mason jar of granulated sugar to get started on your next project… Vanilla Infused Sugar! The sea salt can be used right away or saved indefinitely.

Rewritten from Joy the Baker’s DIY Vanilla Salt.

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Yes! I used two medium mixing bowls, a stand mixer (a hand mixer would work too), two rimmed baking sheets, a rubber spatula, measuring cups and spoons, and a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop. A small dish to roll the cookies in vanilla salt is helpful, as is a heavy rolling pin, a zip top bag (for breaking up the candy pieces), and parchment paper. If you're also making the vanilla salt, then you'll also need a small bowl, small cutting board, and a paring knife along with an airtight storage container.

The Verdict:
I made these cookies for our annual holiday party and based on the small amount left on the platter at the end of the night I’d say they were a success. I love the bracing chill of peppermint in any form - as evidenced by my hunt for the best Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream - and here it’s perfectly complimented by the caramel sweetness of the dough and the white chocolate pieces. All that sugar could get cloying if not for the finishing edge of the vanilla salt. Vanilla on it’s own isn’t necessarily sweet and with the briny sea salt it does its work as an amplifier and keeps these cookies just this side of too much.

Homemade Marshmallows

December 10, 2015 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking with the Contessa

Episode: “Just Candy”

The Set-up: Ina is working on ways to display and gift candy, so she invited Dylan Lauren of Dylan’s Candy Bar to help!

The Menu: Homemade Marshmallows, Winter Squash Soup, White Chocolate Bark

0:22 – Ina’s not really a fan of store-bought marshmallows, but says that making them at home was a revelation. High praise, indeed.

1:15 – Anything involving packets seems to make me nervous, whether its gelatin or yeast. I need to conquer that anxiety!

2:29 – I didn’t really think about this, but since these are going to be white marshmallows it’s important to use light corn syrup.

3:31 – Good call on recommending that children be really carefully supervised if they’re going to help. Molten sugar is not a toy.

4:04 – Pro Tip #1 – Use a heat proof measuring cup with a spout to help pour the hot sugar syrup into the mixer.

5:18 – We visit Dylan Lauren at her store, Dylan’s Candy Bar, to learn some tricks for displaying candy. Idea #1: a topiary shaped like a witch’s hat. Oh, I forgot to mention – this is a Halloween episode….just a bit late.

6:34 – Back to Ina, who manages the marshmallow mixture without too much trouble. Pro Tip #2: a generous dusting of confectioner’s sugar helps to keep the marshmallows from sticking too much.

9:45 – Ina is making Winter Squash Soup as a gift to Dylan. She says it’s inspired by a French dish – soup au potiron, essentially a pumpkin soup.

10:11 – Rather than using fresh pumpkin, Ina is using some butternut squash and canned pumpkin (not pie filling.)

11:26 – We’re back to Dylan who’s making a cookie tin Halloween-ish with decoupaged tissue paper and funky stickers. #crafty

12:48 – The finishing touches on the soup will be some honey-white bread made into croutons. Pro Tip #3: Any bread can be toasted and made into croutons.

13:53 – It’s interesting to me to see when Ina uses an electronic tool and when she’ll do something by hand. I tend to avoid anything with a cord unless that’s really the only way, but I have no idea why.

18:30 – The day of Dylan’s visit has arrived and Ina is making one more type of candy for their wrapping party: White Chocolate Bark.

19:25 – Pro Tip #4: an easy way to temper chocolate is to melt a portion of it in 30 second increments using the microwave. Then add the remaining portion to cool it down and stabilize the mixture.

20:17 – I didn’t realize that tempering chocolate prevents that cloudy bloom, but Ina says that this process will keep it shiny.

21:32 –The chocolate is melted but still soft and now Ina is adding toasted pistachios, chopped apricots, and dried cranberries. Yum.

22:18 – Pro Tip #5: Choose ingredients that both look pretty and have flavors that compliment each other.

23:01 – Dylan is packing up her loot to bring it out to East Hampton and Ina is packing up the Winter Squash Soup and croutons to send back with her.

24:59 – Ina has cut the Homemade Marshmallows into squares and put a lollypop stick into each one and wrapped them in individual glassine bags ready to go for Dylan!

27:16 – Dylan has arrived an the assembly of the marshmallow-witch’s hat topiary is under way. I was all prepared to hate on this, but it actually looks pretty cool.

28:20 – Next up is the White Chocolate Bark, which Ina has cut into large squares. Dylan suggests placing two pieces back to back so that the pretty fruit and nut topping shows. Then they go into the tin with a few other treats and it’s good to go!

29:43 – Ina gives Dylan her soup take-out and after a sample of the white chocolate bar they agree, “that’s a wrap!”

Final Thoughts:
Ina’s right, a homemade gift really can be jazzed up with the right wrapping.

I have really never made candy of any kind, probably something to work on…

These packaging suggestions are cute, but Halloween colors tend to be tacky - maybe in autumnal golds and creams?

Lessons Learned:
I’m not normally one to make something easily purchased, but I also find candy and caramel making just a bit terrifying so Homemade Marshmallows seemed like a good entry point. Here’s what I learned along the way….

Sugar Syrup – Is really nothing to be trifled with, the temperature of molten sugar is very, very high so it’s important to be extremely careful when handling it and have your oven mitts at the ready. Add it very slowly and keeping the mixer on low speed until it cools a bit before ramping up to high – splattering hot sugar is not anyone’s idea of a good time.

Battling the Sticky – A rubber spatula coated with non-stick spray will be a godsend when it comes time to scrape the marshmallows out of the mixing bowl and into the pan. Trust. You’ll also find that confectioner’s sugar (aka powdered sugar or 10x) is your friend here and basically serves the same purpose flour does with pie crust. Don’t be shy and embrace the mess! Give both the pan and the top of the marshmallows a generous layer and coat the knife when cutting the squares. I’d recommend tapping the edges of the cut marshmallows in it as well to keep them from sticking to one another.

Prep & Timing – This is a recipe that rewards the organized cook who has her ducks in a row. Do have the gelatin and water mixed ahead, do prepare the baking pan in advance, do have your rubber spatula coated with non-stick spray before you try to scoop out the marshmallows.

Flavored Marshmallows – I came across this recipe in Southern Living a few weeks ago and now that I’ve got my feet wet with a vanilla version I really want to make some different flavors. If you have some extracts on hand this would be the time to get creative. Wouldn’t a cinnamon swirled marshmallow be so good in hot chocolate?

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Yes and no. A stand mixer really is pretty essential here, although if you had patience and a steady hand a strong electric hand mixer could work in a pinch. Beyond that I needed a medium sauce pan, 8x12 glass baking dish, rubber spatula, fine mesh sieve, liquid measuring cup, and measuring spoons. A chef's knife or bench scraper and a ruler will be helpful to cut the marshmallows into pieces. You’ll definitely need a candy thermometer or an electronic thermometer that can register 250 degrees or higher. Non-stick spray will be helpful too, even though the recipe doesn’t call for it.

The Verdict:
I felt a little like the Ghostbusters after the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man explodes by the end of my Homemade Marshmallow adventure and I absolutely had that “A Marshmallow World”* song in my head the whole time, but the results were totally worth it. I’ve had what I’d term homestyle or artisan marshmallows before but these blew them out of the water. Incredible texture - sublimely light, tender, fluffy - with a lovely sweet vanilla flavor. I’m pretty sure one of these would be awesome in everything from hot chocolate, to coffee, to apple cider, and I can’t wait to make them in more flavors too!

*I gave you the Dean Martin/Frank Sinatra duet from 1967 where they’re both preeetty ‘toasted’.