Share Your Favorite Holiday Recipes

My new favorite is a chocolate chip cookie with extra goodies inside.

The favorite holiday recipe in my family is for my mother's chocolate chip cookies. She only makes them for the holidays, handing out tins to relatives and good friends. They're so good, my sister and I still count to make sure we get an equal number of cookies. The problem is, my mom's recipe is a few twists off the Tollhouse chocolate chip cookie recipe. And she won't share what her twists are. I've come close to duplicating her cookies, but they still fall short. I'm anticipating seeing my mom this weekend and claiming my tin, but in the meantime I came across a great recipe for chocolate chip cookies that has it's own little twist of added toffee and hazelnut goodness. Enjoy this recipe, which I found on www.foodnetwork.com, and share …

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Culinary Capers

Gifts for Hosts and Hostesses this Holiday Season

Think outside the box with these recipes for homemade coffee liqueur and caramel sauce.

One of the true joys of the holiday season is the opportunity to catch up with friends, or make some new ones, at holiday gatherings. Some years it seems every weekend is packed with parties or gatherings of some sort. Knowing that our festive Patch readers are nothing if not well-mannered, it seemed like a good time to offer a thought or two about hostess gifts. Many of us (this writer included) rely on a nice bottle of wine as way of expressing gratitude, but what better time of year to add a special flare than the holidays ? Hostess gifts are a token of appreciation offered to the person or persons kind enough to include you on their guest list. They are certainly not obligatory, but they are always appreciated. There are some points …

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Culinary Capers

Going Beyond Pies for Thanksgiving Dessert

When planning your holiday feast, think outside the box and try these recipes.

Let the countdown begin; the annual Thanksgiving feast is approaching. With that comes the anticipation of all your favorites: turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing. All of it of course leads to the big finish, the classic array of pies. Apple, mince, pumpkin a variety of other sweet concoctions brings the Thanksgiving dinner to a glorious close. So, how did the traditional desserts acquire their place of honor at the annual feast? It is believed that the traditional pie pastry originated in Greece. The pies were made using a flour-water paste wrapped around meat. This served two purposes, to cook the meat and seal in the juices of the finished dish. As with many good ideas, the pie was loved by the Romans who spread the popularity throughout …

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