We chatted with a cookie swap pro — yes, really! — to find out her best tips for preparing a festive fête with family and friends this season, what makes cookie exchanges so special, and some of her very favorite recipes.
RECIPES
Orange & Ginger Oatmeal with Toasted Walnuts
This warming bowl of breakfast oats is loaded with flavor and can be made the night before.
Brown Sugar Breakfast Tarts
Forget the store-bought treat: Spread icing over these warm, homemade tarts and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar to impress children and adults alike.
Spinach & Sausage Bread Pudding
Bread pudding doesn’t always have to be sweet. This savory version is brimming with Gruyère cheese, eggs, and breakfast sausage.
Maple-Pecan Coffee Cake
We recommend adding North Carolina-grown nuts to this maple-pecan coffee cake — a Christmas morning classic.
3 Holiday Cheerwine Recipes
For a dose of Christmas cheer, make party-perfect punch, a delicious pot roast, and baked apple-cherry dumplings — with a North Carolina twist.
5 Vintage Cookie Recipes
Cocoa-dusted sugar balls, cream wafers, featherweight butter cookies — these sweet recipes are straight from the land of the TV dinner.
A Merry Little Breakfast: 4 Recipes for Christmas Morning
Let your heart be light: Many of these festive dishes can be made ahead — a bonus gift on Christmas morning.
Brown Butter Sage Leaf Buttermilk Cornbread
This beautiful and fragrant cornbread is sure to impress guests.
