Heather Baird's Blog, page 26

Triple Cheese Omelet Bake for Christmas Breakfast

This dish is ready when you are! Layers of potatoes, cheese, eggs, and bacon make this a hearty breakfast. Prepare ahead and refrigerate it overnight for a fuss-free Christmas morning.

Today I'm posting something savory to balance out all the sweet things I've been making. I'm a huge fan of breakfast casseroles (see this fave) and I'm always on the lookout for a worthwhile recipe that will make Christmas or New Year's morning easy. 

This cheesy omelet bake scored high marks during recipe testing and ended up being lunch for about 3 days in a row. So, if you're a breakfast every hour person like I am, you'll probably love this for any meal. And what's not to love about bacon, eggs, and cheese that sits atop a layer of hash browns? It's all good. 

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Chocolate Rosemary Pots de Crème

Chocolate pots de crème are deeply chocolaty with luxurious texture. This recipe adds a note of woodsy pine with the addition of rosemary.

I recently mentioned how much I value make-ahead desserts during the holiday season. This is yet another that I love. Like most French desserts, it is rich and decadent. This version has a note of pine that seems so fitting for winter. 
Traditionally, pots de crème are baked in a water bath. This recipe is made on the stove top and skips baking entirely, which speeds up the process but doesn't compromise any of the texture or flavor this dessert is known for.
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Chocolate Dipped Toffee Graham Crackers

Crisp graham crackers are dunked in rich chocolate and covered with crunchy toffee bits. Toss on some festive sprinkles for maximum holiday appeal.


This is practically a no-cook, no-bake treat that will be at home on your holiday cookie or candy tray. It's such a simple, satisfying sweet and kids can help sprinkle on the toffee bits and holiday nonpareils. It really doesn't get any easier than this!
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Festive Black and White Cookies

Also called Half-Moons, these rich, buttery cookies have a cake-like texture and colorful frosting. The classic black and white version is glazed with vanilla and chocolate frosting, but this version is dressed for the holidays in red and green.

It seems strange to call these 'black and white cookies' when they are so obviously not black and white, but I couldn't resist giving this New York native a holiday spin. Contrasting colors of thick glaze covers each side of a large lemon-scented half dome. It's not cake, but I also hesitate to call it it cookie. It's somewhere between the two. What I do know for sure is that their size and heft will power you through any intense gift wrapping marathon you may be gearing up for this week.Continued, click to read more...

Peppermint Stripe Mousse Cakes

These festive tree-topped mousse cakes are wrapped in a red striped sponge and filled with pink peppermint mousse. Decorate them with your favorite holiday sprinkles.

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas TreeHow lovely are thy … sprinkles?
I couldn't resist. I had a lot of fun making these cakes, and they are created using one of my favorite pastry techniques. Stencil paste is a pastry medium made with egg whites that you can whip up at home. Just tint it a fun color and then use it to pipe or stencil designs onto a silpat or parchment paper. Continued, click to read more...

Kentucky Colonel Candy

This classic southern candy has a cream center infused with real Kentucky bourbon, and enrobed in smooth chocolate. It's a perfect gift for the bourbon connoisseur on your list! 

This is yet another retro southern candy that I'd never tried - until now! The centers hold a cream filling that is packed with bourbon flavor and they're sandwiched between two pecan halves. Chocolate-dipped and drizzled, they are ready for the holidays and a place on your favorite silver candy tray.
I've always heard these referred to as Kentucky Colonels , but some people call them bourbon balls. In my neck of the woods (TN), a bourbon ball is a completely different confection of packed cookie crumbs mixed with chocolate, honey, and bourbon (see my 5 Minute Bourbon Ball recipe here). It just goes to show you how diverse southern food culture can be - it's so wonderful to explore!Continued, click to read more...

Spiced Rum Cake Mini Trifles

These elegant mini trifles have big holiday flavor! Layers of rum-soaked cake and spiked vanilla bean custard are layered in small glasses and topped with fluffy whipped cream. 

No matter what size your guest list is this year, it always helps to have recipes that can be made ahead. There's so much to do even with a small dinner gathering - mains and sides to arrange on the buffet, glasses to fill, naughty little pugs to shoo out of the kitchen - it always helps to have a trick or two up your sleeve (and in the refrigerator).

The components of this dessert can be made up to 3 days ahead and then assembled before serving. They are appropriately bold and rich for their small size. It's like having the flavors of the holidays condensed into your own single serving.Continued, click to read more...

Frosted Animal Cookies for Christmas

These cookies were inspired by a nostalgic childhood treat - Frosted Animal Cookies! This version gives shortbread a holiday makeover in red, green, and white with lots of sprinkles on top.

These cookies were the result of a happy accident. I ordered a set of cookie cutters (these) for a client project, and when they arrived they were much smaller than I expected! I love miniatures of all kinds, and these cutters were too adorable for words. If you look closely, they are all dog shapes - although the dachshund could pass for a seal which is one of the original Keebler Animal Cookie shapes - ha!
I instantly knew these cutters were destined to stamp out shortbread shapes for a version of animal cookies all dressed in holiday colors!Continued, click to read more...

Toasted Hazelnut Fudge

Toasted Hazelnut Fudge is rich and creamy with the addition of chocolate-hazelnut spread in the mix, and hazelnuts give it craveable crunch!

I can't believe we're already halfway to Christmas Day, and there are still so many things on my to-do list! At least I can cross off the yearly batch of fudge. The season just wouldn't be the same without it. It's one of the most giftable confections, and because of its richness, one pan can be divided to make many gifts. Continued, click to read more...

Martha Washington Candy

Retro recipes don't get any better than this! This candy has rich history to match its flavor with creamy coconut and pecan filling. 


This old fashioned candy has been around for ages, but not quite as far back as its namesake. It's something your grandma might have made. It originated in Pennsylvania, but it has come to be a southern favorite - mostly because we'll eat anything if it has a can of sweetened condensed milk in it. 
When I first made this candy I didn't know its history, and pondered the fact that coconut, which is a main ingredient, didn't arrive in the United States until late 1800s - long after Mrs. Washington's time. It turns out that these candies originated from The Martha Washington Candies Company by purveyor Elie Sheetz, which was a confectionery during the early 1900s. The business thrived until the Great Depression, when most shops closed. This recipe survived and has been handed down for generations!Continued, click to read more...