December has arrived and that means it’s officially acceptable to bring out all things holiday in full force! For us at Stokes and thinkkitchen, nothing gets us into a festive mood more than starting to make all of our most delicious holiday goodies. Bringing out cookie recipes reserved specially for the holidays and starting to mix up your favourite ingredients is a magical moment and just another reason to love this time of year. Taking that first bite of mouthwatering chocolate, ginger, or sugar cookie can immediately bring you back to some of your favourite yuletide memories. It’s a mood like no other; you start to hum carols in your head and you can’t wait for what’s to come (fun family time, more seasonal food to indulge in and lots of presents!). It’s the season of cheer, and holiday baking can be a great family activity, a way to gift in an affordable way, or the perfect finishing touch for the biggest feast of the season!

There’s always a good reason to eat a cookie, and during the holidays that couldn’t be more true. So guess what? We have two more for you to bake! This week we have absolutely mouthwatering recipes for you to add to your holiday cookie tin: Easy Chocolate Shortbread Cookies (made with only 4 ingredients!) and healthy Gingerbread Cookies with blackstrap molasses and coconut oil. Easy for amateur bakers, and dreamed up by blogger and youtuber JoJo Boisverts for her own cookie tin, these dazzling treats are sure to please your loved ones–and Santa won’t be complaining either! Before getting started on turning your kitchen into a production center that could rival the North Pole, make sure you have all the baking tools you need! Jojo used the thinkkitchen Icing Set, the new Remy Olivier Diamond Baking Sheet, and our cute Bric-à-Brac Container to keep it all fresh!

Get ready to fill your home with the sweet scents of the season and spread some holiday cheer!

Helping you savour and share every bite during this season of giving,

@jojoboiverts

From behind a desk as an administrative assistant to a dietary technician in the kitchen, my new profession let’s me test, invent and share recipes.

My website, jojo dans le frigo, is for all the foodies of the world. You’ll find ideas for simple recipes, nutritional guidance, as well as articles related diet. My primary goal in relation to my occupation is to prove to you that health and pleasure go hand-in-hand. I am convinced that eating healthy is a form of self-respect and self-care. Cooking nurtures the soul and I hope to pass on this passion to you through my website.

Happy exploring! I hope it inspires you to cook a little bit more each day.

• 2 Mixing Bowls
• Electric Hand Mixer
• Wooden Spoon
• 2 Baking Sheets
• Rolling Pin
• Cutting Board
• Cooling Rack
• Heart Shaped Cookie Cutter

Directions

In a bowl, combine the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, and salt and set aside. In another bowl, cream the butter with the sugar, water, vanilla, egg yolks, and almond extract using an electric mixer. At low speed or with a wooden spoon, stir in the dry ingredients.

On a work surface, place dough on a sheet of aluminum foil and shape into a flattened disk. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour or until the dough is firm to the touch.

With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 190 °C (375 °F). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Unwrap and place the dough on a floured surface and roll out until about 1/2-inch thick. Cut dough into heart shaped using a lightly floured heart shaped cookie cutter then place on the baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to allow the dough to harden some more before baking.

Bake, one sheet at a time, for about 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden brown then allow them to cool on the cooling rack. Using an icing bag, decorate in personalized patterns then present them on our heart-two tier platter.

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