Nothing says Happy Holidays like cookies, family & wine.
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The girl’s in my family have made a tradition over the past four years to host a baking party during the holiday season. It is how we get all of the baking done, but is also a time to catch up, decorate cookies, watch movies and enjoy a a few sips of our favorite beverages. I’ll warn you though, if the baking party is too early you might find yourself re-making many of the “lost cookies”, haha.
Pairing wine and cookies may not be familiar, but allow me to introduce you to the idea. You see, wines are usually paired with more savory foods but did you know different palettes (even sweet ones) can bring out underlying flavours in our favorite wines? This is especially true with chocolate. In the creation of this wine and cookie pairing guide we tested several different wine and cookie combinations and can assure you, you will not be disappointed!
I put together the 12 cookie recipes we chose to go with each of NB Liquor’s 12 Wines of Christmas in this blog post to keep you wining and dining right into dessert.
However you choose your 12 Wines of Christmas, feel confident that you’ve stocked up at a great price – Mix and match any 12 of these wines and get 20% off your purchase. Find them at any NB Liquor location. Shop the sale now through to January 1, 2020.
Table of Contents
Gingerbread Cookies & Relax Riesling
I made many Gingerbread Cookie recipes before finding this one from Chez Cora. It is tried and true! I have been making this recipe for years and they come out perfectly every single time. In this pairing it might be a coincidence but my sister-in-law LOVES Gingerbread Cookies and also prefers a sweeter white wine. In fact when I first wrote about Relax Riesling a few years ago she was thrilled to learn about it and has been a fan ever since.
Coconut Balls & McManis Cabernet Sauvignon
My best friend growing up talked about his mom’s coconut balls all year long. At Christmas time she makes her famous coconut ball recipe, both of her children’s favorite. Every now and then I was lucky enough to get one, but never more than 1. Like all homemade recipes Donna makes these better than anyone, but I am thankful to have her recipe to share with all of you so we can at least try.
Coconut Balls
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups oatmeal
- 6 tbsp cocoa
- 3/4 cup coconut medium sweetened desiccated
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup carnation milk
Instructions
- Mix dry ingredients & set aside.
- Combine wet ingredients in a saucepan on medium-low. Increase heat and boil for 4 minutes.
- Pour wet mixture into dry mixture
- After the mixture cools and hardens a bit make balls and roll in coconut (medium sweetened desiccated).
- Freeze for 4 hours
- The coconut balls are best kept in the freezer and taken out just before serving.
Lemon Blueberry Diamonds & Cavaliere d’oro Pinot Grigio
This next recipe is from none other than Ann. My mom’s first cousin, a genuine sweetheart and one of the best cooks I have ever known. She gifted me a recipe book of her recipes when I got married and has since agreed that I could share some of them with all of you. Believe me, you are in for a treat! I haven’t made this next recipe myself yet, but have tasted Ann’s. They are delicious and are paired with one of my favorite wines so they are a sure win in my books.
Lemon Blueberry Diamonds
Ingredients
Crust
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup icing sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 1/4 cups flour
Lemon Filling
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup flour
- 6 eggs, large
- 2 tsp grated lemon rind
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1 cup blueberries, rinsed I use frozen blueberries and just run them under hot water
- 1/4 cup icing sugar I don't use the full amount
Instructions
Crust
- Heat oven to 350. Line 13x9x2 inch pan with nonstick foil. Believe it or not it does make a difference when you use the nonstick foil.
- In a medium-size bowl, stir together butter, icing sugar, vanilla and salt. Gradually stir in flour until smooth. Press dough evenly over bottom of prepared pan.
- Bake crust at 250 for 20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
Lemon Filling & Assembly
- In a large bowl, mix granulated sugar and flour. Whisk in eggs until smooth. Stir in lemon rind and juice. Fold in blueberries. Pour filling over crust.
- Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until set. Let cool in pan on wire rack. Dust with icing sugar. Cut in diamonds.
Midnight Mint Squares & Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon
My dear friend Patsy can make anything taste good, but her sweets are literally out of this world. Visiting her house is a real treat because she has a full freezer stocked with deliciousness year round! She gave me her Midnight Mint Square recipe a few years ago but left out two quantities, the graham wafer crumbs and the coconut for the base layer… when I asked her about it she said “go by the feel”. So for all of you looking at the recipe and thinking I left out two things, I did… go by the feel as all the great bakers do 😉
Midnight Mint Squares
Equipment
- 8" x 8" pan
Ingredients
Base Layer
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 3 tbsp cocoa
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- graham wafer crumbs desired quantity… add a little at a time
- shredded coconut desired quantity… add a little at a time
Filling (Middle Layer)
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 cups icing sugar
- 2 tbsp milk
- peppermint flavour to your liking
- green food coloring to your desired shade
Top Layer
- 2 squares semi-sweet chocolate
- 2 tbsp milk
Instructions
Base Layer
- Add butter, white sugar, cocoa, egg and vanilla in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Remove from heat
- Stir in graham wafer crumbs and coconut
- Press mixture into a buttered 8"x 8" pan as the base layer and set aside.
Filling (Middle Layer)
- Mix second set of ingredients together; make sure this mixture is not watery
- Add extra icing sugar if desired for a thicker filling
- Use as much peppermint and green food coloring as desired
- Spread mixture on base layer
Top Layer
- Melt third set of ingredients
- Pour melted chocolate over prepared base and filling layers
- Shift pan from side to side along a counter top in order to spread the chocolate. Do not use a spoon or knife to spread the top layer
- Refrigerate for a few hours before serving
Oreo Balls & Adorada Rose
My sister-in-law, Valerie, has been making this Oreo Balls recipe from Cooking Classy every Christmas since she discovered it on Pinterest a few years ago. Val always makes the mint version with white chocolate on the outside and sprinkles of crushed candy canes on the top. The Oreo Balls melt in your mouth and bring out the flavours of a Rose beautifully. We always keep them in the freezer and take out about 30 minutes before serving.
Cherry Cheesecake Tarts & Tammasi Ripasso Valpolicella Classico
Growing up a cheery cheesecake was part of every family gathering that I can remember. In fact I can picture one of my Aunts very carefully placing the cheery pie filling on top and smoothing it across the cheesecake filling to ensure every inch was covered perfectly. The cherries were perfectly spread apart and it always tasted like extra love and care went into the preparation. In more recent years we discovered the same cheesecake filling could be made as “single servings” using small frozen pie shells. This recipe is perfect to please a crowd and have a homemade dessert whipped up in a few minutes!
Tomassi Ripasso Valpolicella Classico pairs perfectly with pasta, pizza and the Italian foods you know and love. It also pairs well with the cherries and the richness of the cheesecake filling.
Cherry Chessecake Tarts
Ingredients
- 36 frozen tart shells
- 1 pkg Philadelphia cream cheese, 8 oz.
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 envelope dream whip
- 1 can cherry pie filing
Instructions
- Prepare oven and bake tart shells as directed. set aside and let cool.
- Mix cream cheese and sugar together. In a separate bowl, prepare dream whip as directed. Fold the two mixtures together.
- Spoon cream cheese mixture into tarts after the tarts are cool. Top with cherry pie filling. Enjoy!
Brown Sugar Cookies & Yellow Tail Bubbles
I have hidden this recipe on myself a few times (on purpose) because it is simply to die for. I have to admit I am typically more for sweets than cookies, but when it comes to Sugar Cookies and these Brown Sugar Cookies from Sally’s Baking Addiction I am indeed a cookie person! Be sure to follow the recipe, melting the butter and putting the dough in the refrigerator before cooking – it really does make all the difference in the texture of the cookie once it is baked.
Melt in you mouth cookies and Yellow Tail Bubbles mimosas for Christmas morning anyone?!
Red Velvet Cookies & Meiomi Pinot Noir
Impressive, Simple and Decadent. Made from a cake mix these Red Velvet Cookies from my friend Suzi of Confessions of a Fitness Instructor couldn’t get much simpler to make. I absolutely love red velvet (it was even the flavour of our wedding cake). The cream cheese flavour and the color of the batter always puts a smile on my face. Cookies and cake alike look just a little fancier when they are red.
Scotch Cookies & Seaside Chardonnay
Scotch Cookies are more commonly known as shortbread cookies, but my Nana always called them Scotch Cookies. Nana made these cookies better than anyone ever will, and she swore by this recipe and especially the cornstarch. She could tell the instant she tried anyone else’s recipe if it had cornstarch or not and she would always say “un-hun, it’s ok”. If you had the chance to meet her you know the tone of her comment, and if you haven’t… just stick to her recipe 😉
Scotch Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 2 cups flour 2 scant cups of flour, gradually added to the butter
- dash salt
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 4 tbsp icing sugar
Instructions
- Scoop dough and roll into balls. Flatten with the bottom of a glass or your hand before baking.
- Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes
- After the cookies are cool top with your favorite white icing and half a maraschino cherry.
Chocolate Chow Mein Clusters & Jacob’s Creek Double Barrel Barossa
Chocolate Chow Mein Clusters are the perfect combination or milk chocolate, butterscotch, and the crunch of peanuts and chow mein noodles. My husband and my father both go crazy for these treats and are known to take them directly from the freezer after one of our baking parties. They are best served at room temperature with Jacob’s Creek Double Barrel Barossa which will bring out the butterscotch flavour even more.
Chocolate Chow Mein Clusters
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
- 1 cup butterscotch chips
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter I use Kraft Light Peanut Butter
- 2 cups dry chow mein noodles
- 1 cup salted peanuts
Instructions
- Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips, butter and peanut butter stirring often. In a separate bowl stir in noodles and peanuts. Pour in chocolate mixture and mix well.
- Spoon into 1 inch rounds on a wax paper lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until firm before serving.
- Makes about 4 dozen clusters.
- Can be stored in the refrigerator for 1 week in an airtight container or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Sugar Cookies & La Marca Prosecco
I rave about this Sugar Cookie recipe and make the cookies any chance I get. It is simply THE BEST Sugar Cookie recipe you will ever find. My favorite way to indulge in these cookies is to have them cooked to perfection (no brown on them at all) with sugar sprinkled on the top before they are cooked. If you love decorated cookies these Sugar Cookies are a good option as well. Simply roll out to dough a bit thinner before creating shapes and cooking.
Pair these Sugar Cookies with La Marca Prosecco for a delightful dessert that is sure to please everyone in the crowd.
Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies & Nottage Hill Shiraz
Last but not least, red wine (Shiraz in particular) is a touch one to pair with cookies. My former boss swore by milk chocolate and Shiraz as a dinner time staple but the experts typically recommend something more tart like cherry, cranberry, or raspberry flavours. I chose to go with Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies from my friend Ruth Ann at Everything Unscripted. Having different assortment of fruit infused shortbread cookies that can pair with both red (Shiraz) and white (Chardonnay) wines is always a great idea.
I hope you are now inspired to get in the kitchen and try a few of these recipes 🙂 Don’t forget to PIN THIS POST and if you make any of the recipes, be sure to tag your photo @theresashoeforthat on Instagram / Facebook and use the hashtag #theresashoeforthat.
Enjoy every bite and remember to sip responsibly,
xo Jenna
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