Every year when we have our Annual Gingerbread House Party, I have to make these cookies.  They are the perfect Gingerbread Cookie.  That are soft and spicy and delicious.  They don't even need frosting!

Gingerbread Cookies by Our Best Bites
1 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 c. molasses
2 egg yolks
4 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. nutmeg

Directions

1. Cream butter and sugar. Add molasses and egg yolk. In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add flour mixture to butter mixture. Chill for at least an hour. It’s a fairly sticky dough so you might need to chill it a little longer.
2. Preheat oven to 350. Roll dough to 1/4″ thick and cut with cookie cutters. Place cookies 2″ apart on a baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes. If you bake them on the short end they will stay soft and chewy and if you bake them on the longer end they will be nice and crispy. They’re great either way!
3. Allow to cool about 5 minutes on pan and then transfer to wire rack and cool completely. Once they’re cooled you can decorate your heart out.

 
 
There is a beloved recipe I've been cooking for over a decade called Cranberry Nut Bread.  I always have it out for Thanksgiving breakfast, and sometimes for Christmas morning.

I have a secret.  All these years I've led you all to believe that I was making a perfect brunch food called "Cranberry Nut Bread."  Here's the truth: It's called "Cranberry Nut Dessert" and the original recipe recommends you serve it with ice cream or whipped cream.

Because I love you all, here is the recipe so you can make it.  Enjoy!  I love to double or triple it.  And I LOVE to eat it for breakfast.

Cranberry Nut "Bread" by Taste of Home
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Whipped cream or ice cream, optional

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Add cranberries and nuts; toss to coat. Stir in the butter, eggs and extract (mixture will be very thick if using frozen berries). Spread into a greased 9-in. pie plate.
2. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream if desired.

When the weather starts to cool down, I get a craving.  It's wassail time!  It's a tradition in our family to have wassail at Thanksgiving, Christmas and at our annual Gingerbread House party.

I have tried using all kinds of cider and juice.  I've used expensive apple cider and cheap apple juice.  Happily it does not matter what kind you use.  So I usually go cheap and get whatever apple juice is the most affordable.

Save the 3 Q. bottle the juice comes in, it's great for leftovers.  I like to use cheesecloth and a funnel to filter out the excess spices and then store the wassail in the fridge.  I find that if I don't filter it, the leftovers get a bitter taste.  When I filter it and heat it up by the cup, it tastes just like it does on the first day.

Wassail
3 Q. apple juice, any brand
10 oz. cranberry juice
1/4 c. sugar
3/4 tsp. allspice
1-2 cinnamon sticks
1 orange or clementine, peeled
6-7 whole cloves

1. Peel or cut off orange peel and stud with cloves. Add all ingredients to a crock pot.  Heat on high for 1 hour and low for up to 5 hours. Serve after one hour.
2. Filter remaining wassail through a funnel with cheesecloth into original 3 Q. juice bottle.  Reheat one cup at a time.