This post is sponsored by McCormick® but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.
Since I was a little girl, I’ve looked forward to Christmas all year long. Now that we have our own home, we love hosting during the holidays. There is something so special about a house decorated to the nines, filled with family and friends and, of course, food! Food and flavors have the power to transport us back in time and to remind us of our happiest moments.
I’ve teamed up with McCormick® to bring you two of my favorite holiday recipes. I have been using McCormick® spices since I was a child. I remember standing on a stool in my mother’s kitchen helping her pull spices out of the cabinet so that we could start our holiday cooking. I am happy that I am now making these same types of memories with my own son. Hopefully one day, he will make some of these recipes with his own kids!
The first is a spin on a classic cookie recipe that I have been making since I was a little girl. The original recipe came from my neighbor at my childhood home. She would make these cookies every holiday season and gift them to all the neighbors on our block. While her cookies were delicious, I am known for having to put my own spin on things. Since I love all things pumpkin spice, the addition of McCormick®’s ground cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice make these cookies that much better! Pro tip: we leave these cookies for Santa every year and the presents he brings us are pretty epic.
Pumpkin Spice Madeleine Cookies
Ingredients
- 4 eggs room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups flour sifted
- 3 sticks unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon McCormick® Ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Pumpkin Pie Spice
- powdered sugar
- Madeleine pan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Sift together flour, cinnamon and pumpkin spice, set aside.
- In a 3 quart saucepan, over low heat, whisk eggs and sugar until creamy and lukewarm (not hot).
- Remove from heat and whisk until cool.
- Add vanilla.
After mixture cools, add in half of the flour and butter, whisk until smooth, and then add remaining halves. Continue to whisk until smooth and creamy.- Using a pastry brush, lightly butter and flour the Madeleine pan.
- Fill pan 2/3 full and bake for 12-15 minutes or until edges brown.
- Sprinkle with a mixture of confectioner’s sugar and cinnamon. Makes about 35 cookies.
My second recipe is for an eggplant dip that has quickly become a family favorite. We first tried this dip when we stopped at a farm stand in our new town soon after we moved to Connecticut. The dip was delicious and we were all obsessed with it and I started my journey to recreate it at home.
The fresh, simple ingredients in this dip come together so well and the flavor is enhanced by the McCormick® spices. Since holiday treats are usually on the more decadent side, this dip is a great, light option to serve guests and perfect before a big meal.
Roasted Eggplant Dip
Ingredients
- 2 medium eggplants
- 1 large onion
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- McCormick® Garlic Salt, to taste
- McCormick® Black Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Sprinkle eggplant with salt on both sides and place in a colander in the sink to drain excess water. After 10 minutes, lightly rinse with water and then press dry between two towels.
- Preheat over to broil.
- Arrange eggplant rounds on a baking sheet drizzle with olive oil, a pinch of McCormick® Garlic Salt and fresh cracked Black Pepper. Roast for 5-minutes on each side. Remove from pan and let cool to the touch.
- While eggplant is roasting, heat a large skillet over low-medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add in onion sliced into half moons and stir often until caramelized. Once the onion is translucent, add in teaspoon of sugar and continue stirring.
- Place the tomatoes into a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Drain water and carefully peel tomato skin and cube. Add cubed tomatoes into the onion and continue sautéing until the tomatoes melt into the onion.
- Peel away the skin off the eggplant and add flesh to the pan. Stir to combine eggplant, onion and tomatoes.
- Add additional Garlic Salt and Black Pepper if necessary.
- Serve with a crusty baguette.
When I need to stock up on all of the McCormick® Herbs and Spices that I need for all my holiday cooking, I always head to Stop and Shop. I can always count on fully stocked shelves and every spice under the sun, and then some!
I hope that you these recipes I shared become a part of your holiday celebrations too! If you make any of these recipes, share them on social media and make sure to tag me and McCormick®!
This looks delicious!!! Ive never used eggplants like this