What to Bake for the Holidays: Our Top Cookies and Treats for Gifting and Hosting

How do you choose from the endless holiday cookie recipes to include in your holiday baking? Whether you’re prepping for a cookie swap, assembling homemade gift boxes, or heading to a holiday potluck, this episode is your calm, curated roadmap through the season’s abundant baking options. By the end of this episode, you’ll discover: Which cookies and sweet treats pack and travel well—and how to choose the ones that keep their ideal texture for days. A Martha Stewart must-bake recipe, along with nostalgic classics that delight all ages (especially the kid inside us). Three standout slice-and-bake options: Dorie Greenspan’s iconic “World Peace Cookies,” a mosaic-style pistachio–dried fruit cookie, and a double-chocolate biscotti perfect for pairing with a hot cup of coffee or tea. Press play now, and bake holiday treats that will fill your kitchen with buttery warmth, sugar, and spice! *** LINKS Nostalgic Cookies Peanut butter blossom cookies by The Gerror Family for NYT Cooking (unlocked) Sonya’s marionberry rugelach Spoon Cookies from Gourmet magazine No-Bake Rum balls by All Recipes Chocolate-dipped pretzels from House of Nash Eats Peanut butter balls with rice kispies Colorful Peppermint stripe cookies by Susan Spungen for NYT Cooking Confetti cookies by Smitten Kitchen Decorated Best sugar cookies recipe by Susan Spungen for NYT Cooking Grasshopper brownies by Yossy Arefi for NYT Cooking Fruity Cranberry streusel bars from Bake From Scratch, recommended by Shannon Sarna Chewy almond-raspberry sandwich cookies from Bon Appetit Orange blossom water crinkle cookies from the Splendid Table , and a similar almond cookie with cherries in the center from Sugar Salted , recommended by Kari’s friend Malin Slice and Bake Dorie Greenspan’s World Peace Cookies Pistachio crusted ice box cookies by Charlotte Rutledge for King Arthur Baking Double chocolate biscotti from Once Upon A Chef that Malin made in her 2023 box Chocolatey Chewy chocolate gingerbread cookies by Martha Stewart Double chocolate crinkle cookies by Sally’s Baking Addiction Flourless chocolate walnut cookies by Francois Payard from Food52 Wild Card Lemon Ricotta Cookies by Sip and Feast , recommended by Sonya’s friend Sam Choc chip cookies with black sesame and seawead by Zoe Kanan for NYT Cooking, recommended by Sonya’s friend Ethan Maida Heatter’s Key Largo Cookies as shared by Adam Roberts Cakes Sock-It-To-Me bundt cake by Millie Peartree for NYT Cooking, and a spiced bundt version from Dorie Greenspan . Cranberry orange loaf cake by Natasha’s Kitchen and Tastes Better From Scratch Additional Recs: Martha Stewart’s Rosemary Butter Cookies Dorie Greenspan Cookie Book Last year’s holiday cookie episode with Zoë François *** Got a cooking question? Leave us a message on our hotline at: 323-452-9084 For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our Substack here . You can also now find us on YouTube. We love hearing from you — follow us on Instagram @ foodfriendspod , or drop us a line at foodfriendspod@gmail.com ! Looking for an in-person Food Friends experience? Book a farmers’ market tour with Sonya in Portland, OR!