Yummy Holiday Cookie Recipes

Need a quick holiday cookie recipe? Make one of these for your parties this season.

One of the most important holiday questions to ask yourself is: What kind of cookies will you be baking for your get-togethers this season? From sweet to savory, holiday cookies come in all shapes and sizes. And what’s better than to top off a tray of cookies than a glass of homemade eggnog? You can also check out myrecipes.com to learn how to host a successful cookie swap and view more holiday cookie recipes.  Eggnog In a saucepan over low heat combine milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, cinnamon stick and cloves. Bring to a slow boil (this will take between 5-7 mins). Once the milk mixture starts to boil remove from heat and leave cinnamon stick in for a couple of minutes, then remove. Put egg yolks and sugar into a bowl. Using a hand held …

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Can’t Bake? Buy Your Holiday Cakes and Pies from These Local Bakers

This holiday season you can treat your family and friends to some of the tastiest treats that our award winning local bakers can provide.

If you’re all thumbs in the kitchen, have no fear—local bakeries are here! Patch checked out three local bakers who are offering delicious pies, cakes and cookies for the holiday season. All the items these bakers offer are prepared in house and fresh. Jilly’s Café in High Ridge: You may not expect to find home baked pies at a steakhouse, but Jilly’s offers a wide range of tasty flavors. The pies are not on the regular menu, but they are baked with loving care from the restaurant’s own baker, Dana Gisi. Pies are $20 each and can be picked up as late as Dec. 24, but you must order by Dec. 20. If you have another date in mind, Jilly’s can bake a pie with a 48 hour turn around. Flavors: Carmel Apple, Makers Mark Pecan, Key Lime, Coconut Cream…

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The Patchlist

13 Valentine Gifts More Interesting Than You Gave Last Year

Here’s a baker's dozen ways to say “I Love You” with local gifts from Fenton.

Heart-shaped rib-eye:  It's not every day you see a heart-shaped piece of meat, but on Feb. 14 at Jilly's Cafe and Steakhouse, in High Ridge, heart-shaped ribeyes will be on the menu as part of a steak and scampi special, which also includes chocolate covered strawberries. Enjoy the fine dining in one of Jilly's private booths. Reservations are a good idea. The classic gift. You know she wants them, and Fenton Flowers has them. A dozen roses is $69.99 this year, and an extra $10 will get you local delivery. If you just want to pick up a single stem, the cash and carry price is $4.99. This is a family business that takes care of its customers, so they’re happy to do any combination you like, including carnations, so drop on by. Give her the…

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Eating In, Dining Out

Trays of Tradition: The Art of Baking the Perfect Cookie

Baking cookies is a tradition and an art for St Louisan Julia Usher, author of the "Cookie Swap" and "The Ultimate Cookie" cookbooks.

Julia Usher is one smart cookie, especially when it comes to baking Christmas cookies.  “I love to bake Christmas cookies, but cookie-baking and cookie swaps are something I think people should do all year round,” said Usher, of Webster Groves, whose love for cookies served as the inspiration for her two cookie cookbooks, The Cookie Swap and her latest release, The Ultimate Cookie, both published by Gibbs Smith Publishing. Usher began commercially baking cookies and other sweet delights after relocating to St Louis several years ago. She opened a confection company here after working first as a a Yale educated engineer. A few years into the busincess she made the decision to close the company to focus on writing cookbooks and demonstrating…

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