Meringue Cookies – Light, Crisp, and Perfect for the Holidays

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a metal serving tray full of small white meringue cookies

This is the classic holiday recipe for meringue cookies! Our little meringues only call for 5 ingredients, and a lot of oven time. Be patient as the piping takes a little bit of practice, but this recipe will walk you through the steps so that you can make your own perfect meringues!

Must Make Holiday Cookies

Ok, this Christmas, well, holiday cookie recipe is one you would have found in my grandma’s kitchen which means it’s a must-make! I love the traditions of holidays and cookies are the perfect place to remember loved ones.

I’ve been busy practicing meringue cookies, dying meringues, and munching on A LOT of meringues so that I can share what I’ve learned with you! Now you can make these addictive cookies without the stress! And since they are only about 20 calories each, munch away!

Important Tip: Making Meringue Cookies

This recipe calls for only 5 ingredients. With so few ingredients, you actually run a higher risk of issues. The key to avoiding those issues is stiff peaks.

While adding the sugar, the foamy egg mixture will start to become thick, glossy, and sticky, that’s exactly what you are looking for! My mom would often stop the mixer, grab the whisk and turn it upside down to inspect. I love that method of checking for stiff peaks!

Ingredients for Meringue Cookie Recipe

  • Egg Whites: The foundation of meringue — when whipped, they trap air, creating the light, airy structure. As they cook, the proteins set and give the cookies their crisp texture.
  • Salt: Sharpens the flavor and helps slightly strengthen the egg white foam during whipping.
  • Cream of Tartar: The acid that stabilizes the egg whites which allows them to hold more air without collapsing, and helps prevent overbeating.
  • Clear Vanilla: Adds flavor without discoloring the pure white meringue. Regular vanilla extract can give the meringue a beige tint.
  • Sugar: Sweetens and dissolves into the egg whites to create a glossy, stable foam that bakes into a crisp shell outside with melt-in-your-mouth marshmallow on the inside.

How to Make Meringue Cookies

  1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 225℉ and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Beat: Using the whisk attachment on a stand mixer (you can also use a mixing bowl and electric hand mixer), beat the egg whites. When they start to get foamy, add the salt, cream of tartar and vanilla. Continue beating until soft peaks form.
  3. Whip: Slowly add the sugar one small spoonful at a time continuing to w

Easy Cream Cheese Mints (Old-Fashioned Party Mints Recipe)

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a small bowl full of red, white and green cream cheese mints

There are a few recipes that instantly take me back to childhood, and these easy cream cheese mints are one of them. They’re sweet, creamy, and just a little minty—the kind of treat that melts in your mouth and feels so nostalgic.

The best part? You only need five ingredients and a few minutes to make them!

I remember my grandma making these (we called them “party mints” back then) and man, I loved when the ladies at church brought them to potlucks!! They are perfect for weddings, baby showers, and Christmas, and I can still remember sneaking one (or five!) off the tray when grandma wasn’t looking.

I tried making old fashioned cream cheese mints on my own for the first time in college and then totally forgot about them. They need to be posted here! They are the perfect holiday treat! The best no bake mint candy recipe!

Ingredients You’ll Need

  • Cream Cheese: The base of the recipe. It provides creaminess, a slight tang, and moisture to bind the powdered sugar into a smooth dough. It also keeps the mints tender instead of dry or crumbly.
  • Butter: Adds richness and a silky texture, helping the mints melt in your mouth. It also balances the tang of the cream cheese and makes the mixture easier to work with.
  • Peppermint Extract: Gives the mints their classic cool, refreshing flavor. Just a little goes a long way in creating that signature taste.
  • Vanilla Extract: Softens and rounds out the peppermint flavor so it isn’t too sharp, adding warmth and depth to the overall sweetness.
  • Powdered Sugar: The bulk of the recipe. It sweetens the mints, thickens the mixture into a pliable dough, and creates that melt-in-your-mouth texture because of its fine consistency.
  • Gel Food Coloring: Optional, but perfect for making pastel or seasonal shades. Gel is preferred over liquid so the color is vibrant without thinning the dough.

How to Make Cream Cheese Mints

  1. Beat: Add the cream cheese and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until creamy with the paddle attachment.
  2. Combine: Add the peppermint and vanilla extracts to the cream cheese mixture and mix until combined and then lower the speed of the mixer and gradually add the powdered sugar and mix until combined.
  3. Add Coloring: If you want to add multiple colors to the mints, separate the dough into different bowls and add gel coloring for your desired colors. Mix thoroughly until the gel coloring is fully incorporated.
  4. Form: Use a small scoop, scoop the dough into small balls and roll between your palms. Place the balls on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Dip a fork into powdered sugar and gently press down on each mint.
  5. Dry: Let the mints dry at room temperature for several hours. Once they are completely dry, store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container until ready to serve.

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The Best Christmas Cookies & Treats to Share

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a collage of christmas cookies and treats

In this roundup, you’ll find the very best Christmas cookies and treats, from classic sugar cookies and peppermint shortbread to peanut butter balls, homemade caramels, and more. Whether you’re baking for a cookie exchange, gifting homemade treats, or just making memories in the kitchen, this list has something everyone will love.

Growing up, baking Christmas cookies was how we kicked off the holiday season — rolling dough, stealing tastes, decorating cookies, and sharing trays with neighbors and friends. Today I still love carrying on that tradition with recipes that are simple, delicious, and always a hit.

Classic Christmas Cookies

These are the cookies that feel like home — soft sugar cookies, classic gingerbread, and nostalgic favorites that every holiday baking list needs. Perfect for cookie plates, decorating traditions, and sharing with neighbors and friends.

Christmas Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

Soft, buttery sugar cookies that hold their shape beautifully and decorate like a dream. Perfect for kids, cookie trays, and holiday traditions.

Chewy Gingerbread Man Cookies

Warm spices, rich molasses, and a perfectly chewy texture make these gingerbread men the nostalgic favorite everyone wants at Christmas.

Soft Sugar Cookies

Melt-in-your-mouth soft with a sweet vanilla flavor, these are the classic bakery-style sugar cookies everyone loves. Top with Christmas sprinkles!


Peppermint & Chocolate Favorites

Rich chocolate meets cool peppermint for the ultimate Christmas flavor combo. These cookies look festive, taste decadent, and always feel like the holidays in every bite.

Baked Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip

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Baked Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip

This easy baked Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip is the perfect holiday appetizer this season. Only a few simple ingredients (cheese, cream cheese, leftover cranberry sauce, cranberries and spices) to this savory hot dip. Ever wondered what to make with leftover cranberry sauce? This is the answer!

This cheese dip is one of my favorite holiday dip recipes! I love that it looks as festive as it tastes and the kids love that it’s the perfect combination of sweet and salty!

The holiday season is here and that means a lot of parties, get-togethers and food. From the family Thanksgiving dinner to the “favorite things party” with girlfriends, our calendar is packed. When I need to bring a dish to share, quick and easy recipes are the way to go… like this Baked Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip.

We Love Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip!

Our family has a list of recipes that are a tradition every year. It’s not the holidays without our best cheeseball, soft and chewy gingerbread men cookies, peanut butter balls, and the best Christmas cookies ever! So why do we love this savory cranberry dip?

  • Easy to make: There are only a few simple ingredients so no running to a million different stores to get what you need.
  • Sweet and Cheesy: The tangy flavor of the cranberries are balanced with the savory cheeses and then you get that hint of sweet from the cranberry sauce.
  • Everyone Asks For the Recipe: I love that this is the dip we often get asked for the recipe, guests just love it!
  • Uses Up Leftovers: I don’t know about you, but I’m often googling “what to make with leftover cranberry sauce” This festive recipe solves that problem!
  • Make Ahead: This dip is easy to make ahead of time, so you can spend more time with your guests. See more below.

Carrian’s Secret Sandwich!

Not only is this an amazing dip, it’s also to-die-for as a spread for sandwiches or grilled up into a grilled cheese sandwich with ham or turkey. Try it and share on instagram by tagging @ohsweetbasil and #ohsweetbasil.

Ingredients for our Holiday Dip Recipe

  • Extra-Sharp White Cheddar Cheese, grated
  • Mozzarella Cheese, grated
  • Cream cheese

My Absolute FAVORITE All Butter Pie Crust Recipe

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A prepared pie crust with fluted edges in a pie pan.

I’m a self-proclaimed pie fanatic and this easy, All Butter Pie Crust is my absolute favorite pie crust recipe! It’s super flaky, easy to make, and comes together quickly!

I’m here to teach you how to make a homemade pie crust that will be so easy, so delicious, and so flaky without any stress! Making a pie crust from scratch is one of the most intimidating recipes that a home baker will encounter. Yeast bread is almost equal, and I cannot only teach you how to make both, but I can make you an expert!

Your pie crust texture is 100% dependent on the fat that you choose to use. I’ve experimented with it all, and I’ve got a suggestion for you.

If you’re a beginner and you’ve already struggled with making a homemade pie crust recipe, let’s take a step back and make my mom’s fail-proof pie crust recipe. It is so easy and the addition of egg and vinegar along with using cold shortening makes for a really easy pie crust recipe.

However, if you’re really looking for the best pie crust recipe that’s not difficult and really brings flavor and texture, well that’s an all butter pie crust.

Ingredients in an All Butter Pie Crust

Making a flaky pie crust is one of the most basic recipes with perfectly basic ingredients:

  • Flour: Forms the structure of the crust — it provides the gluten network that holds everything together while still allowing for a tender, flaky texture.
  • Salt: Enhances flavor and balances the richness of the butter.
  • Butter: The star of the crust! Cold butter creates steam pockets as it melts during baking, giving you that tender, flaky texture and rich buttery flavor.
  • Ice Water: Brings the dough together without activating too much gluten. The cold temperature keeps the butter from melting before baking, which helps maintain flakiness.
  • Sugar: I’ve found it does not sweeten the crust but does create a flakier, more golden crust.

**Keep reading to find out why I made this an all butter pie crust recipe! 

How to Pick the Best Source of Fat for Your Pie Crust

There are a few different fats that you can use for a pie crust. I’ve used lard a few times, but honestly I don’t find it to be worth it. Here’s a breakdown of each fat and why I’ve settled on butter.

Using Lard in Pie Crust

  • Pros: Lard produces an extremely crisp, flaky crust. Its melting point is higher than butter, so it doesn’t soften as quickly while you handle it so you can really bust out a good crust.
  • Cons: I don’t like lard because it’s too darn hard to find a good quality lard. And your pie can 100% taste like whatever lard you use. No thanks.

Using Shortening in Pie Crust

I have absolutely nothing against shortening. It’s cheaper to

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