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Baking Through It All: Cookies, Rosca, and Showing Up Anyway

  • Writer: Cayce Markham
    Cayce Markham
  • Dec 15, 2025
  • 3 min read


Some weeks feel light and inspired. Others feel heavy — emotionally, mentally, physically — and yet, the kitchen still becomes the place we return to. This past week was one of those hard weeks for us.

There were moments where motivation was low, energy was thin, and real life pressed in from all sides. But baking has always been more than content here. It’s grounding. It’s familiar. It’s a way of choosing to show up — even imperfectly — and create something warm and tangible when everything else feels uncertain.

So this week’s recipes aren’t just holiday bakes. They’re reminders that progress doesn’t stop because life gets hard — it just looks a little quieter.

Below you’ll find everything we baked this week: a versatile cookie base transformed into three giftable treats, and a beautiful Rosca de Reyes to close out our Global Holiday Breads journey.

⭐ Master Cookie Dough (Base Recipe)

One dough. Three cookies. Endless flexibility.

This is our go-to cookie base — reliable, forgiving, and easy to adapt. Make it once, then divide and customize.

Yield: ~36 cookies (depending on size)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

  • 1 cup granulated sugar

  • ½ cup light brown sugar, packed

  • 2 large eggs, room temperature

  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 tsp baking soda

  • ½ tsp baking powder

  • ½ tsp kosher salt

Instructions

  1. Beat butter and sugars together until light and fluffy (2–3 minutes).

  2. Add eggs and vanilla; mix until smooth.

  3. Whisk dry ingredients separately and add gradually to the wet mixture.

  4. Mix until just combined — do not overmix.

Stop here. This dough becomes the base for all three cookies below.

🍪 Cookie Add‑Ins (Divide Dough into Thirds)

Cookie #1: Peppermint Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Soft, rich, and classic — these feel like Christmas in cookie form.

Add to ⅓ of the dough:

  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

  • ¼ cup granulated sugar

  • ½ tsp peppermint extract

  • ¾ cup chocolate chips

  • 1–2 tbsp milk (only if dough is too stiff)

  • Powdered sugar for rolling

Bake: 350°F for 10–12 minutes after chilling 30–60 minutes.

Cookie #2: Cinnamon Sugar Sparkle Cutout Cookies

A nostalgic, family‑friendly cookie that holds its shape beautifully.

Add to ⅓ of the dough:

  • 3–4 tbsp additional flour (to make rollable)

  • ¼ cup granulated sugar + 2 tsp cinnamon (for coating)

  • 2 tbsp melted butter (optional)

Bake: 350°F for 9–11 minutes.

Optional decorating: royal icing, sprinkles, powdered sugar drizzle, edible glitter, or white chocolate.

Cookie #3: White Chocolate Cranberry Soft Drop Cookies

Bright, festive, and perfect for gift boxes.

Add to remaining ⅓ of the dough:

  • ¾ cup dried cranberries

  • ¾ cup white chocolate chips

  • 1 tsp orange zest (optional but highly recommended)

Bake: 350°F for 10–12 minutes.

⭐ Rosca de Reyes (Three Kings Bread)

Soft, citrus‑scented, and deeply symbolic.

Rosca de Reyes marks the close of our Global Holiday Breads series — and it felt especially meaningful this week. This bread is traditionally shared, celebrated, and broken together, which felt fitting during a season where leaning on one another matters most.

Ingredients — Dough

  • 4 cups all‑purpose flour (520g)

  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar (65g)

  • 2¼ tsp instant yeast (1 packet)

  • ½ tsp kosher salt

  • ½ cup warm milk (110°F / 240ml)

  • 3 large eggs, room temperature

  • 1 tbsp orange zest

  • 1 tbsp lemon zest (optional)

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • ½ tsp almond extract (optional)

  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

Ingredients — Sugar Paste (Pasta de Azúcar)

  • ½ cup all‑purpose flour

  • ½ cup powdered sugar

  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

  • 1–2 tbsp milk

  • Food coloring (optional)

Decoration

  • Candied cherries

  • Candied figs

  • Candied citrus peel strips

  • White sanding sugar

  • 1 egg (for egg wash)

  • Optional: baby figurine (insert after baking for safety)

Instructions (Condensed)

  1. Mix flour, sugar, yeast, and salt.

  2. Add milk, eggs, zests, vanilla, and almond extract.

  3. Knead with dough hook, adding butter gradually.

  4. Knead until smooth and slightly tacky (8–10 minutes).

  5. First rise: 1–1.5 hours until doubled.

  6. Shape into an oval ring; place on lined baking sheet.

  7. Second rise: 30–45 minutes until puffy.

  8. Prepare sugar paste and shape into pads.

  9. Brush dough with egg wash; decorate generously.

  10. Bake at 350°F until golden and set.

Showing Up, Even When It’s Hard

This week reminded us that consistency doesn’t mean perfection. It means continuing anyway — baking anyway, creating anyway, sharing anyway — even when the spark feels dimmer than usual.

If you’re walking through a heavy season too, know this: showing up softly still counts. Quiet progress still matters. And sometimes, the most meaningful things are made when we choose not to quit.

Thank you for being here — for baking with us, walking alongside us, and letting this space be real.

🤍










 
 
 

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