Exclusive: Chef Claire Thomas’s 6 Go-To Winter Recipes
Brit + Co and The Kitchy Kitchen’s Claire Thomas have something major in common — we are all a little (okay, a lot) enthusiastic about food. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Claire has turned food into an intellectual- and grumbling stomach-driven passion with her website devoted to delicious living, The Kitchy Kitchen. Today, we’re launching a week of recipes and a new video series called Crave where Claire will share six of her favorite holiday recipes that also make the best gifts — good timing, right? Here is a sneak peek of the mouth-watering goodness coming up this week on Brit + Co with the story behind each straight from Claire:
English Toffee That Makes Your Knees Weak
“For me, this toffee is the epitome of the Christmas season (my family starts whipping up batches the day after Thanksgiving), and something I look forward to nibbling on every year. Cook up this toffee until your kitchen is heavy with the scent of butter, sugar and the spirit of the holiday.”
“Like a hot water bottle in cocktail form, this drink is soothing and warm. It’s an oldie but a goodie and the perfect canvas for extra spice and citrus. It also makes your house smell beautiful, and the ingredients make a gorgeous stocking stuffer.”
“I love creamy, rich, dessert-y things with booze, so egg nog wins for me. Here’s a fun idea that takes the egg nog out of your mug and into your new favorite dessert. Topped with candied cranberries, this cake is the perfect holiday showstopper.”
“Happiness is a homemade marshmallow nestled in a cup of steaming hot cocoa. Of course it’s easiest to reach into a bag and pop a Jet-Puffed marshmallow on top of your cup, but if you have a little bit of time, making marshmallows from scratch really makes a difference. So do yourself a favor and make a batch of fresh, gooey, delicious and unexpected marshmallows!”
“You can’t bake gingerbread cookies without it immediately feeling (and smelling) like Christmas. The twist comes with taking these usually flat cookies and creating a 3D forest. These are so much easier to assemble and decorate than a gingerbread house, and look adorable lined up on a fireplace mantel.”
“I love the idea of a big, carbohydrate bonanza on Christmas morning, and this recipe is inspired by some of the sour milk recipes I’ve come across in my vintage cookbooks. I used that sour flavor as the inspiration for these fluffy, delicious pancakes. These are so satisfying and so fun. Cooked with blueberries and topped with heaps of sweetened condensed milk and powdered sugar, they look like a gooey, snowy mountain top.”
Check back every day this week at 8am PT/11am ET for a new episode of Crave!
