Better Homes And Gardens December Recipes

Latte Spritz Cookies

Credit: Carson Downing

The holiday season is upon us. Take a break from your online shopping to truly savor the season with recipes from our December 2020 issue ofBetter Homes & Gardens® magazine. Holiday menus are as varied as our winter family traditions, but we've got a little something for everyone here—latkes, cookies, corn bread and even cinnamon rolls for a festive brunch. Dig in and be merry!

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Chocolate-Orange Sandwich Cookies

Credit: Carson Downing

Feast your eyes (and then your stomach) on our homage to the much-loved Milano cookie. This version has orange zest folded into the cookie and a tender, rather than crisp, texture. (Think madeleine meets soft sugar cookie.) The two-ingredient chocolate ganache that's sandwiched between the cookies is so rich and luscious that you'll want to use it on all your desserts.

Related: What's Your Cookie Personality? Our Quiz Has the Answer

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Almond Sugar Cookies and Mascarpone-Cocoa Cutouts

Credit: Carson Downing

Transform cookie cutters in simple shapes—diamonds, triangles, stars and circles—into a jolly array of Santa cookies. Use smooth Royal Icing for flooding and detail work, then add beards and poms with Buttercream Frosting.

Buy It: Wilton Cookie Cutter Set ($15, Bed Bath & Beyond)

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Latte Spritz Cookies

Credit: Carson Downing

Break out your cookie press for a new twist on a spritz cookie. This buzzy version adds coffee powder to the dough and the creamy icing for a double dose of coffee flavor. Serve the cookies with a cup of coffee for a happy start to your day or as the perfect ending to dinner. Heck, they sound like a good midday snack pairing for when we hit an afternoon slump too. Try it any time.

Buy It: OXO Cookie Press with Disk Storage Case ($32, OXO)

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Limoncello Cheesecake Bars

Credit: Carson Downing

These spirited cheesecake bars give you a head start on hosting duties: They can be made and refrigerated up to three days ahead. We put limoncello in the name for good reason. There's not merely a splash of limoncello in the filling; there's a generous ½ cup so the flavor comes through in each bite.

Related: Get Your Perfect Cookie Recipe

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Raspberry Marble Shortbread Cookies

Credit: Carson Downing

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Peppermint-Chocolate Brookies

Credit: Carson Downing

If you're a fan of food mash-ups, these two-in-one fusion bars are for you. Mounds of peppermint sugar cookie dough bake into a rich brownie batter to create "brookies," the brownie-cookie combo you didn't know you needed.

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Triple-Ginger Cookies

Triple Ginger Cookies

Credit: Carson Downing

Cloves and ginger add a hint of heat to these cookies. We list a range of both so you can cater to your taste. Use the smaller amount for a more subtle flavor, or stir in the full amount for a bit of kick.

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Citrus Shimmer Cocktail

Credit: Carson Downing

Tangerine juice and limoncello give this cocktail its pucker; a pour of bubbly Prosecco makes it glimmer. With a thick citrus twist as garnish, this drink recipe is ready to party.

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Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls

Credit: Carson Downing

There's something about a fluffy cinnamon roll that signals big-time comfort. We took our best cinnamon roll recipe—its secret ingredient is a scoop of mashed potatoes—and decked it out for the holidays. The gingerbread-inspired filling includes ginger and cloves in addition to the usual cinnamon.

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Crispy Latkes

Credit: Jason Donnelly

"My grandmother makes her latkes with leavening; hers are more fluffy," says Seri Kertzner of the event planning company Little Miss Party. "But I like mine really thin and crispy. If you don't celebrate Hanukkah, these make a great side dish for breakfast or brunch," Kertzner says. Any time is a great time for crispy potatoes, if you ask us.

Related: 6 Tricks to Making Your Crispiest Latkes Ever

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Jerk Chicken

Jerk Chicken on black serving tray

Credit: Jason Donnelly

For Riche Holmes Grant, the designer and the creator behind the web series The Riche Life, December is all about holidays. The blogger celebrates both Christmas and Kwanzaa with her family. "Kwanzaa is an African American cultural holiday," Grant says. The weeklong holiday starts December 26 and usually culminates in a celebratory dinner. Grant puts a Caribbean spin on the menu with her Jerk Chicken that takes on maximum flavor as it marinates overnight in a mixture of chiles, brown sugar, and spices.

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Buttermilk Skillet Corn Bread

Credit: Jason Donnelly

Delicious on its own, Grant's corn bread recipe only gets better with her whipped honey butter and/or hot pepper jelly. When she makes the recipe, Grant makes enough pepper jelly to serve with the corn bread and to gift some jars too. Who would say no to that food gift?

Buy It: Stansport 10-Inch Cast Iron Skillet ($31, Target)

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