The holidays are here, and there’s nothing quite like the smell of fresh baked goods wafting through the kitchen. Whether you’re preparing for a cozy family dinner or hosting a festive gathering, the right recipes can make all the difference.
This season, we’re thrilled to share two free recipes that are sure to become staples at your holiday table:
🎄 Tara Teaspoon’s Fresh Baked Rolls: Fluffy, golden, and irresistibly soft, these rolls are the perfect complement to any holiday feast. With Tara’s expert tips and clear instructions, you’ll feel like a pro baker in no time.
🎄 Carrian Chenney’s No-Fail Pie Crust: From pumpkin to pecan, every holiday pie starts with a flaky, buttery crust. Carrian’s recipe is as simple as it is foolproof, making it a go-to for both seasoned bakers and beginners alike.
These recipes are our gift to you—because sharing food is one of the best ways to bring people together during the holidays.
So grab your apron, preheat your oven, and get ready to wow your family and friends with these festive favorites!
silky-soft dinner rolls
This recipe is from the cookbook: Delicious Gatherings by Tara Teaspoon
MAKES 25 Rolls | HANDS ON TIME: 50 min | TOTAL TIME 2 hrs 10 mins
THESE LITTLE ROLLS are luxuriously soft. I use a milk-bread technique called tangzhong that makes the rolls so silky, like the bread you find at Chinese and other Asian-style bakeries. The tangzhong starter—a mixture of flour, water, and milk—takes only a few extra minutes of planning ahead and helps the dough retain moisture.
TANGZHONG STARTER
½ cup water
½ cup whole milk
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
ROLLS
4½ to 4¾ cups (576 g) all-purpose flour
1¾ teaspoons fine salt
1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon instant yeast
2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk
¾ cup whole milk, warmed
2 large eggs, room temperature
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for brushing
Canola or avocado oil for work surface
¼ cup chopped mixed herbs (such as rosemary, parsley, oregano, and thyme) for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
1. For tangzhong: In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together water, milk, and flour. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, to thicken. Transfer to a covered bowl and refrigerate until cool.
2. For dough: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the 4½ cups (576 g) flour, salt, instant yeast, and dry milk. In a separate bowl, whisk together warm milk, eggs, and cooled tangzhong paste.
3. Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients in the mixer. Mix on medium speed until combined. Dough will be dry. Add butter a tablespoon at a time as the mixer is going. After the butter is incorporated, knead on medium speed for 6 minutes. Cover bowl with a clean towel and let rest 20 minutes.
4. After 20 minutes, knead the dough again on medium-high speed for 6 more minutes until a smooth dough forms. Add a few tablespoons extra flour as the dough is mixing if it is really sticky. Dough should be soft and smooth.
5. Remove dough hook and use a rubber scraper to bring dough together into a ball. Spray dough and inside of bowl with cooking spray. Cover and transfer to a warm place to proof. Let rise until almost doubled in size and until finger imprint remains and doesn’t bounce back when touched, 35 to 45 minutes.
6. Prepare high-sided pans by spraying with cooking spray or brushing with butter.
7. Turn dough out onto an oiled work surface. Measure and weigh into 1½- to 2-ounce pieces. (I made 25 [1.8-ounce] rolls.) Gently roll into tight balls. Arrange ¼- to ½-inch apart in pans. Cover and let rise again until almost doubled in size and until a finger imprint remains on the side when touched, 30 to 40 minutes.
8. While rolls rise, heat oven to 350ºF. Once rolls have risen, bake until just golden, 15 to 18 minutes. Brush tops with extra butter and sprinkle with chopped herbs.
For more recipes like this check out DELICIOUS GATHERINGS by Tara Teaspoon!
No-Fail Homemade Pie Crust
This recipe is from the cookbook: Raised in the Kitchen by Carrian Chenney
Prep: 15 min Cook: 20 min Total: 35 min Yield: Pastry for 1 double-crust pie or 2 (9-inch) pies
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups shortening, chilled
1 large egg
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/2 cup ice-cold water (see note)
1. In large bowl, whisk together flour and salt. With a pastry cutter or two forks, work shortening into flour 3 to 4 minutes, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
2. In a small bowl, beat egg with a fork. Add vinegar and mix until well combined. Stir in water.
3. Pour wet ingredients into flour mixture and stir with a fork until dough comes together.
4. Divide dough in half and shape each half into a 4-inch disc. For use with double-crust pies, follow directions in specific recipe.
5. For a single-crust pie, heat oven to 375 degrees F. Wrap one dough disc tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. Seal bag and freeze for future use. (When ready to use, thaw in refrigerator overnight, then roll out as described in step 6.)
6. On a well-floured surface, roll out dough to a 12-inch circle. Transfer dough to a 9-inch pie dish, leaving an overhang around the edges. (With this particular recipe, I’ve found that it works well when transferring dough to pie plate to fold the dough in half and then in half again. Move folded dough to pie plate and unfold in center of pan.) Trim overhang to a uniform ½ inch around edges. Fold overhang under itself so it is flush with edge of pie plate. Flute as desired.
7. Pierce dough all over with tines of a fork and bake 15 to 20 minutes, until light golden brown.
NOTE: It’s important that the water be ice-cold. I usually fill a bowl with water and add a handful of ice cubes before starting the recipe. Then, when the recipe calls for water, I remove the ice cubes and measure out ½ cup water from the bowl
For more recipes like this check out RAISED IN THE KITCHEN by Carrian Chenney!
