Everything feels a little extra-special around the holidays.
Fires feel cozier and kitchens are more welcoming.
Strangers are friendly to one another, and there’s always music in the air.
Is it just me, or does hot chocolate taste richer this time of year, too?
It’s time to bring some of this festive elegance to your baked goods.
Get inspired! Here are our five favorite tricks for making fancy treats:
1. Cookies: go for ganache
Dark chocolate can be a baker’s best friend.
Adding a touch of this bittersweet ingredient is a simple yet tasteful way to elevate practically any baked good, including your favorite cookies.
Our Vanilla Sugar Cookie recipe is a classic treat that’s made year-round.
But during the holidays, you might be looking for something a little more impressive to bake and share.
You needn’t look elsewhere — stick with a tried and tested recipe (this one or another of your favorites) and use this holiday baking idea to jazz them up.
It’s easy: just bake your cookies and while they’re cooling, whip up a batch of chocolate ganache. You can pipe designs using a pastry bag or drizzle on the warm chocolate with a spoon.
The result is both artistic and delicious.
Chocolate-lovers might find themselves inclined to coat cookies by dipping them into the ganache.
If you’re the dunking type, consider using tempered chocolate so that when it sets, the chocolate has a pleasant shine and snappy texture.
If your go-to cookie recipe doesn’t jibe well with dark or milk chocolate, consider using a more amenable option: white chocolate.
It’s the perfect complement to cookies with subtle or complex flavors, like our Soft & Chewy Vanilla-Orange Cranberry Cookies.
Your cookies will be the first to disappear at the cookie swap when you add a touch of chocolate ganache.
Source: <emHoliday baking ideas – Flourish – King Arthur Flour
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