Chocolate crinkle cookies, with their crackly, powdered-sugar surface and chewy, brownie-like center, are a beloved part of many holiday cookie plates. While we’ll never tire of the classic version, this take is an elegant twist that could easily become a new favorite.

Fresh mint infuses these crinkle cookies with bright, herbal notes that have long been an ideal match for rich chocolate. They’re a twist on the favorite mint-and-chocolate pairing that feels especially suited for the holiday season.

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In modern Western culture, saying no can be akin to declaring that orangutans shouldn’t be saved or husbands shouldn’t do laundry. From a young age, we’re encouraged to put our hands up more, participate more, do more. When we ask people how they are and they respond, “busy,” we assume they are well. After all, only healthy, active people with a life are busy.

Equating busyness with happiness is perhaps even truer during the holidays. All it takes is a quick skim of popular media and I begin to feel like I’m not busy enough. Images and headlines suggest that I am meant to make dozens of cookies from scratch for the neighborhood exchange and create unique homemade gifts wrapped with environmentally friendly artistry — all while “leaning in” to my scintillating career, feeding my children whole-grain and plant-based meals, and wearing an ugly holiday sweater that is mocking yet flattering.

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Work would feel a lot more like work if you didn’t have any friends at the office. Luckily, you have plenty of friends at your 9-to-5 gig! You even have one friend who you’d go so far as to call your work wife. She’s the one you get lunch with every day, complain to, and nag when you need something.

Show her how much you appreciate her (and her stash of desk candy) with one of these little office-appropriate gifts.

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LaCroix is taking over the world. If you don’t have an overwhelming sparkling water habit, you probably know someone who does. Once a person has a taste for fizzy, fruit-flavored water, it can be hard to get enough of it. Now one intrepid LaCroix fan has launched a deep-dive investigation into the best way to get LaCroix online, and we can all benefit from the fruits of her labor.

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Bubbly Champagne makes the perfect, effervescent pairing for potato latkes and other fried foods served on Hanukkah. Here, apple cider enhanced with homemade fennel seed syrup and offset with a splash of lemon juice puts a cozy, winter-friendly spin on a classic Champagne bellini.

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Whether you’re shopping on a budget or you just need to scratch your Secret Santa off your to-buy-for list, there are plenty of options that don’t cost a ton but still feel like a real gift. Because the last thing you want is to drain your bank account, or make anyone feel shafted.

Here are 11 food-themed presents for $25 or less.

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Dipped. Sliced. Baked.

Thumbprinted. Rolled. Frosted.

Glazed. Spiced. Dropped.

It’s December, and all the food magazines are chockablock with cookies.

How to make sense of this cookie-palooza?

We thought we’d share with you our 10 favorite cookie recipes from 10 different issues of December 2017 food magazines. Whaddya say? Cookie swap at our place?

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When I’m cooking for a dinner party, at some point I tell myself, “Food tastes fear.”

Things have a way of not working out when I’m thinking about them too hard. It’s as true of first drafts as well as soufflés: Thinking has very little to do with doing, and “doing” goes poorly if it’s not the focus. (Side note: I would never make a soufflé for guests, unless I hauled them into the kitchen and we mixed it up together so we could all get silly and breathless about the results.)

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It’s fascinating to see what Costco food courts serve in different countries. The facilities all look more or less the same from one Costco to another, but the food court menus vary pretty widely by location. In Canada the food courts serve poutine; in Britain the food courts serve stuffed baked potatoes and cottage pie. Even France has Costco, and the food courts there sell melty ham and cheese croissants with mustard that look positively delicious.

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Stocking stuffers don’t usually extend beyond socks, toothbrushes, and scratch-off lottery cards. But we all have enough socks. And the dentist gives out toothbrushes for free! And people rarely win more than $2 from a pile of scratch-off tickets!

For all those reasons (and more!), we think you should stick to this list when shopping for this year’s stocking stuffers. They’re all sure to get an enthusiastic reaction and won’t break the bank.

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