Love baking cookies for the holidays? Here's cookie expert Chantea Williams to give you some new ideas …
Guest – Chantea Williams
How have childhood holiday traditions influenced your life?
Everyone loves the holidays but often we (women) try to do too much. It’s easy to end up so exhausted we don’t enjoy ourselves. That’s why we’re hosting experts to share 24 holiday tips to help you re-balance how you spend your time and money during this holiday season. We hope you enjoy these tips on making holiday cookies part of the festivities now, and for other special occasions during the year.
Favorite Holiday Activity
Chantea grew up in a family that loved to cook and bake. Whenever her family gathered, she'd join her grandmothers and aunts in the kitchen and thus her love of baking started at a very young age. So of course her planning starts with planning her holiday cookies and other tasty treats.
3 Tips: Holiday Cookies for Smiles Everywhere
Chantea attended Mississippi's Culinary Arts Institute. It shouldn't surprise you that she favored her baking classes over cooking and entrees, and while her catering business offers a full menu, she still prefers baking desserts (see her favorite cookies on Pinterest) above all else. When you listen to Chantea there's no doubt that if she could, she'd make a career out of cookies … and she's got some great tips to share with us.
- Baking with kids is a great way to connect with them. Put out the dough and watch their imagination create things you've never dreamed of. Sugar cookies work well because they can have any color or shape, and of course the kids love loading them up with all sorts of sprinkles. Click to download Chantea's favorite sugar cookie recipe.
- Cookies and parties go together. You're familiar with cookie swaps and if your friends don't have time to bake, consider sharing recipes or cookie cutters. Holiday cookies can also be the centerpiece for theme parties, maybe an adult '80s party or the movie Frozen for young children. Chantea shared a story about a LEGO theme party, and how easy it was to create LEGO cookies.
- Holiday cookies make great presents. They'll put a smile on someone's face, knowing you took the time to bake for them. Cookies aren't just for special occasions either, as Chantea pointed out you can bring half a batch to work and everyone will smile.
If you’d like to listen to Chantea and I talking about her tips, click to listen to the recording …
Most Important Holiday Goal
For the holidays, Chantea looks forward to spending time with her family and friends … and eating some great cookies.
I loved these tips! I want this Christmas to be a special one! And making cookies with kids is a great activity idea!
Have fun backing & we’d love a photo of the results (low calorie please)