Food: What's Cooking Newsletter
Daily Herald's Food: What's Cooking
Food: What's Cooking
A make-ahead Christmas menu for a more joyful day

A make-ahead Christmas menu for a more joyful day

There are plenty of ways to do the work in advance, so you can enjoy a homemade Christmas breakfast or brunch with a little less last-minute scrambling. Here’s a family-friendly menu of make-ahead dishes, both sweet and savory, with flexible options for when you prep them.

 
Marzipan and toasted cashews add sweetness, crunch to slimmed-down blondies

Marzipan and toasted cashews add sweetness, crunch to slimmed-down blondies

Blondies with marzipan, toasted cashews and white chocolate? Yes, please. Almost two sticks of butter and a cup of sugar? Not so fast. Don Mauer slims down the “perfect bar cookie recipe” in this Best of Lean and Lovin’ It column from 2017.

 
advertisement
No-fry chicken parm is cheesy, saucy and easy to prepare

No-fry chicken parm is cheesy, saucy and easy to prepare

This no-fry chicken parm features boneless, skinless chicken breasts in marinara sauce under a blanket of cheese and breadcrumbs. There’s no need to pound the chicken until thin, and it skips the breading and frying steps for a streamlined, weeknight-friendly version. And, as a bonus, it’s all made in one skillet.

 
These gingerbread pancakes will make any morning feel like a holiday

These gingerbread pancakes will make any morning feel like a holiday

Fragrant with gingerbread spices and topped with a decadent date sauce, these pancakes are ideal for holiday mornings or any time you crave an extra-special breakfast.

 
This tiramisu with Nutella and star-studded cookies is a dream dessert — or breakfast

This tiramisu with Nutella and star-studded cookies is a dream dessert — or breakfast

For a twist on the classic tiramisu, this no-bake dessert swaps traditional ladyfingers for Pan di Stelle biscuits, Italy’s beloved brand of chocolate-hazelnut cookies studded with sugar-coated stars. Here, they’re soaked in espresso and layered between whipped cream and a fluffy Nutella-mascarpone filling.

 
advertisement
A new ‘Blue Food’ cookbook champions fish and other seafood for any meal

A new ‘Blue Food’ cookbook champions fish and other seafood for any meal

Andrew Zimmern and Barton Seaver are what you’d call seafood fanatics. Or blue food evangelists. They want us to eat more things from the water, even first thing in the morning. The two have combined for “The Blue Food Cookbook: Delicious Recipes for a Sustainable Future.”

 
Crescent roll dough is the shortcut to this cheesy, garlicky shareable bread

Crescent roll dough is the shortcut to this cheesy, garlicky shareable bread

These easy pull-apart rolls — filled with garlic, butter and mozzarella cheese — are great as a party appetizer, for a potluck, or even as a meal with a soup or side salad. Store-bought crescent roll dough is the key to getting them on the table in under an hour.

 
Piping impaired? ‘Embroidery’ cookies turn frosting dots into seasonal designs

Piping impaired? ‘Embroidery’ cookies turn frosting dots into seasonal designs

Not great at piping on cookies? Try dots. Cookbook author Molly Yeh has perfected this technique of piping dots into a configuration that resembles embroidery. She shares some of her go-to designs, plus her version of the ideal sugar cookie cutout — sturdy enough to hold up to decorating, yet soft enough to melt in your mouth.

 
advertisement
How to bake your best batch of cutout cookies yet

How to bake your best batch of cutout cookies yet

Cutout cookies are a holiday baking staple. Yet it can be all too easy to watch in dismay as your dough sticks and tears or those cute little snowmen turn into a shapeless blobs. If you’re looking to take your cutout cookies to a new, neater level, here are some top tips.

 
Ditch the bowl for this festive, shapely Christmas Tree Salad

Ditch the bowl for this festive, shapely Christmas Tree Salad

All you need is a cutting board and a decorative flair to turn your favorite salad recipe into a festive Christmas tree. This recipe starts with lettuce greenery trimmed with ornaments made of salami, tomatoes, chickpeas and olives, all draped with red onion garland. And the star on top? Cheese.

 

Find more great stories on dailyherald.com.
 
You are receiving this email because you signed up for our 'Food: What's Cooking' Newsletter on DailyHerald.com.


Want to be removed? No problem, Click here to unsubscribe and manage your email subscriptions.

Today's Daily Herald e-edition is ready!
Arlington Heights
Illinois

P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006

Copyright 2025 Paddock Publications, Inc. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -