Break out your warmest blanket and turn on your favorite reading lamp! It’s time for some self-care time with the help of Chosen Foods’ favorite cookie and drink pairings.
We encourage everyone to make time for self-care this holiday season. Setting aside an hour for yourself and a bit of relaxation goes a long way toward making the season less stressful and more enjoyable.
- Chocolate Chip Cookies with Milk
- In the top spot is the all-time favorite that can be enjoyed as simply or laboriously as you like. Make them from scratch or pick up a box from the grocery, along with a carton of milk—cow’s or plant-based. There’s only one recommendation (ahem, rule): the cookies must be warm.
- Concha with Mexican Atole
- Mexican sweet bread rolls are known as “conchas”—the Spanish word for shell—because they look just like striped seashells. Also known as pan dulce, these palm-sized treats feature a sweet bread interior topped with a cookie crust. They come in a variety of flavors and colors, but most commonly vanilla and chocolate in beige, brown and pink. Pair yours with a warm mug of Mexican Atole, an ages-old beverage of brown sugar, cinnamon, and masa harina (corn flour).
- Biscotti and Tea
- The Italian biscotti from Tuscany is one of the most versatile (and dippable) treats. Their name translates to “twice cooked,” as the recipe calls for. Enjoying one of these crunchy, oblong cookies with a hot cuppa is equally gladdening at breakfast as it is before bed. And the flavors? The list of choices is long and protracted, even if you’re buying from the grocery store. Some of our favorites are almond anise, cranberry orange, chocolate hazelnut, and curry pine nut, but with so many options, you’re certain to find a duo to dip in a freshly brewed cup of proper tea.
- Brown Butter Sugar Cookies with Kahlua Coffee
- This one’s for those of us who delight in roasty, earthy flavors. Brown butter is easily made in a sauté pan by stirring butter continuously over medium heat for five minutes, allowing it to oxidize just enough to create a strong, but not overpowering flavor. Infused into sugar cookies, the combination of brown butter and Kahlua-spiked coffee’s vanilla and caramel notes is delectable.
- Gingerbread Cookies with Full Fat Cow’s Milk
- The perfect snap of a gingerbread cookie is something that often only happens once a year. Whether you’re using your grandmother’s recipe, enjoying a token from a loved one’s kitchen, or snuggling up with your favorite store-bought gingerbread man, the moment is something to relish. A tall glass of full fat cow’s milk harmonizes its creamy fats with the cookie’s peppery ginger.
- Want to mix it up? Try our Gingerbread Whoopie Pies recipe.
- Nanaimo Bars and Earl Gray Tea
- Hailing from the Pacific Northwest’s Canadian city of Nanaimo, these no-bake triple layer bars are equal parts graham cracker and custard, topped with a thin, glossy layer of dark chocolate. The fragrant, floral flavor of bergamot oil in Earl Grey Tea contrasts beautifully with the bittersweetness of the bars. Note: Nanaimo bars are eaten cold.
- Churro Cookies with Chocolate Abuelita
- Whether you opt for churro cookies or the original churros, there’s no better drink to dip them in than Chocolate Abuelita, a brand of Mexican hot chocolate loved across the southwest. Break a few pieces from the chocolate brick and warm them in a pot of milk. If you’re feeling adventurous, add a dash or two of cayenne pepper. The combination of cinnamon sugar coated cookies and thick hot chocolate will take you back to the very first time you had churros. Read the history of churros and get our recipe.
- Snickerdoodles with Apple Cider
- Snickerdoodles are essentially cinnamon-spiced sugar cookies. Because they’re simple and sweet, they couple well with hot apple cider. If you can find a locally made cider, you won’t regret the small splurge, as it hasn’t been subject to commercial filtering processes, which allows its complex flavor and body to remain intact.
- Pecan Tassies with Hot Toddy
- It’s thought that tassies take their name from an adulteration of tasse, French for cup. Tiny vessels of brown sugar, butter and chopped pecans, they’re essentially miniature pies. Every bite is crisp and crunchy with a moist, indulgently sweet interior. A cup of hot toddy serves to warm you up from the inside-out, and cut through the tassies’ richness with its acidic lemon and bourbon kick. Enjoy them in a sunny part of your home where you can read.
- "Kransekake" with Coffee
- The Scandinavians invented kransekake, meaning “wreath cake.” This impressive towering structure of ornately decorated and stacked almond flour rings is traditionally made for special events and truly something to behold. Kransekake looks like a white Christmas tree with red and green decorations, making it perfect for a holiday event. Be sure to save a few rings for your own self-care hour, when you can dip them in your favorite coffee, flavored or otherwise. The cookies should be crisp and break with a good snap.
Share these pairings with friends and family members who love holiday baking, or could simply use a bit of downtime.