Spicing Up the Holidays With McCormick Giveaway

This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for stopping by. The winner is Angie. Congrats

In the past few months, I’ve been experimenting more and more with spices. Spices can flavor foods in unique ways, very often allowing for at least some of the removal of salt and fats. During this season, where gingerbread and peppermint predominate, author Kim Ima, who wrote The Treats Truck Book has teamed up with McCormick to offer recipes and tips for putting a little spice into homemade cookies.

1. Utilize fantastic flavor combinations

Cinnamon and ginger are classics enjoyed by many during the holidays. A splash of peppermint can add a hint of refreshment and pairs nicely with dark chocolate.

2. Dress it up

Spice up traditional recipes like sugar cookies with seasonal flavors and festive decorations. For example, Kim suggests using a hint of almond in the dough, something I’ve been doing with my own sugar cookies for years. You can also use your favorite sugar cookie recipe to create jam thumbprint cookies or simply cut the cookies into holiday shapes and then decorate when baked.

3. Ready your “bake”

If you prepare the dough in advance, you can store it in the freezer (either in portioned off balls to be rolled and cut or as cut, ready-to-bake shapes) and use it when ready.

4. Gift it

Take your favorite recipe and print/write it on a festive recipe card to attach to a mason jar filled with the pre-measured spices, seasonings, and other dry ingredients necessary for a homemade “cookie mix.” Attach the recipe card along with baking instructions, decorating tips, and a cookie cutter (or a jar of sprinkles) for your complete holiday cookie kit.

Here is one of my favorite recipes from Kim Ima’s book, The Treats Truck Book:

Sugar Cookie Thumbprints with Spiced Jam Centers

Ingredients:

1 cups (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten
3 cups flour
11/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon McCormick Almond Extract

Assorted Spiced Jam Centers
1/2 cup Blueberry Jam with 1/4 teaspoon McCormick Ground Ginger
1/2 cup Strawberry or Apricot Jam with 1/2 teaspoon McCormick Ground Cinnamon
1/2 cup Boysenberry Jam with 1/2 teaspoon McCormick Ground Cinnamon

1. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix and set aside.

2. Use a mixer to cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and mix well.

3. In a measuring cup, combine the cream, vanilla, and almond extract.

4. Mix in the flour mixture into the butter-sugar mixture in three parts, alternating with the cream and vanilla mixture, starting and ending with the flour.

5. Remove the dough from the bowl and wrap it in plastic or put in a container. Refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour and up to overnight.

6. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. In three small bowls, mix the cinnamon or ginger with the appropriate jams.

7. Roll a small scoop of dough between your hands to form a ball and place it on the cookie sheet. Pat the ball to flatten a bit, and then use your thumb to make a small indent in the center. Fill the center with the spiced jam of your choice.

8. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly golden at the edges.

Makes about 2 to 3 dozen.

You can share your own cookie recipes on McCormick’s Facebook page with The Big Cookie Share app. And for more holiday recipes and inspiration, just visit McCormick.

Win It! One of you will win a McCormick holiday kit which includes the following:

Kim Ima’s book The Treat Trucks Baking Book
McCormick Ground Ginger
McCormick Ground Cinnamon
McCormick Pure Peppermint Extract

Simply leave me a comment with another holiday recipe you like from the site. Comments will close on January 7th, 2012 at 11:59 PM PST.

US Residents only. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.

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No compensation was received for this post. Items for review and giveaway supplied by McCormick.

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Caryn Bailey

Caryn is a NICU nurse by day, blogger by night and mom 24/7. She savors the warm Southern California sun and loves to travel, shopping, baking, reading and frequenting her local tea room. Caryn created the column Lavishly Green for Peekaboo Picks Magazine to share her best tips for going green in style, she is the Former editor for Family Review Network, former OC Family Magazine online contributor, former Orange County Moms Blog contributor, former Evenflo Savvy Parent contributor, former member of the Totsy Advisory Board and former freelance writer for CBS Los Angeles.