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Holiday Potpourri

Snejana Andreeva - 1

By Snejana Andreeva

on Nov 03, 2022, Updated Sep 04, 2024

Add as a preferred source on Google - 2

Step aside, scented candles — this all-natural Holiday Potpourri will have your 🏠 home smelling like heaven. I have been making this Potpourri during the holidays for years. My house never smells as welcoming and inviting as it does when I simmer this simple blend of ingredients on the stove. It couldn’t be simpler to have the aromas of the holidays wafting through the whole house. I love 🎄 Christmas so the holiday season begins on November first for us every single year. The moment Halloween is over, I simmer a beautiful pot of Potpourri immediately and get into the holiday spirit. There is no exact recipe for this so please measure everything with your heart.

  • Why You’ll Love Holiday Potpourri
  • How to Prepare
  • Nonna’s Tip 🛒
  • Variations and Substitutions for Holiday Potpourri
  • Similar Recipes
  • Best Served With
  • Common Questions
  • Holiday Potpourri Recipe

Why You’ll Love Holiday Potpourri

This cranberry Holiday Potpourri is the ultimate way to fill your home with cozy, festive vibes, no candles needed. A simple combo of cranberries , 🍋 lemons, earthy cinnamon, and fresh rosemary bring the warmth of a holiday hug to your home. Every guest will be instantly transported to a ❄️ winter wonderland when they step through the door. Whether it’s Christmas, Thanksgiving, or just a random wintery night that needs some extra cheer, this simmer pot will have your home smelling like heaven — even if all you’ve really done is boil water!

How to Prepare

🍋 To a pot , add: 1 bag of cranberries, lemon slices, cinnamon sticks, star anise, and a sprig of rosemary.

💧 Then add enough water to fully cover the ingredients.

🫧 Put the pot on the stove over medium heat and bring it to a boil.

🌡️ Then, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer so the smell permeates throughout the house.

Nonna’s Tip 🛒

I love this potpourri because you can find all of the ingredients at your local grocery store or online .

Holiday Potpourri - 3

Variations and Substitutions for Holiday Potpourri

  1. You can add as much or as little as you like of each ingredient to this Holiday Potpourri. There is no exact recipe for this so, please measure with your 💖 heart.
  2. You can add other fruits like 🍊 orange slices, apple slices, or even pomegranate seeds for different fragrances and colors.
  3. If you don’t have star anise , skip it or substitute it with a pinch of ground cloves, nutmeg, or allspice for a warm scen t.

Similar Recipes

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Best Served With

  • Have this Holiday Potpourri wafting through the house as you serve an assortment of amazing holiday appetizers, such as my Holiday Butter Board or Charcuterie Board , my 🎄 Cheese Ball , or Antipasti Wreath .
  • Serve a variety of beautiful holiday 🍸 cocktails or mocktails, like my Viral Snow Globe Cocktail , Homemade Hot Chocolate , Holiday Candy Cane Prosecco or Guava Martini .

Common Questions

Yes, you can add other fruits to this Holiday Potpourri, such as orange slices, apple slices, or even pomegranate seeds for different fragrances and colors.

If you don’t have star anise, you can skip it or substitute it with a pinch of ground cloves, nutmeg, or allspice for a warm, spiced scent.

You can let it simmer on low for several hours, as long as you keep an eye on the water level and add more as needed. You can also turn it off after an hour and reheat it later or the next day.

Yes, you can use a slow cooker set on low or warm to achieve the same effect. Just fill it with the ingredients and water, and leave it uncovered to let the aroma fill the room.

A New Recipe Card!!

  1. Check off each step in instructions!
  2. Add ingredients to your shopping list!

Video

Equipment

  • ▢ Medium Pot
  • ▢ Nakiri Knife
  • ▢ Cutting Board

Ingredients

  • ▢ 1 bag cranberries , fresh or frozen
  • ▢ 3 lemon slices
  • ▢ 2 cinnamon sticks
  • ▢ 3 pieces star anise
  • ▢ 1 sprig rosemary
  • ▢ water

Instructions

  • ▢ Add all the ingredients to a pot.
  • ▢ Make sure you add enough water to cover all the ingredients fully. Add the pot on the stove on medium heat and allow it to come to a boil.
  • ▢ Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer so the smell can permeate all throughout the house.
  • ▢ You can let it simmer for a few hours or simply turn it off after an hour and use it the following day as well.
  • ▢ I personally love doing this on Christmas and Christmas Eve. It’s also beautiful on Thanksgiving or any other holiday as well so enjoy.

My Notes

Holiday Potpourri

Equipment

  • Medium Pot
  • Nakiri Knife
  • Cutting Board

Ingredients

  • 1 bag cranberries fresh or frozen
  • 3 lemon slices
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 3 pieces star anise
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • water

Instructions

  • Add all the ingredients to a pot.
  • Make sure you add enough water to cover all the ingredients fully. Add the pot on the stove on medium heat and allow it to come to a boil.
  • Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer so the smell can permeate all throughout the house.
  • You can let it simmer for a few hours or simply turn it off after an hour and use it the following day as well.
  • I personally love doing this on Christmas and Christmas Eve. It’s also beautiful on Thanksgiving or any other holiday as well so enjoy.

Video

Holiday Potpourri https://themodernnonna.com/holiday-potpourri/ November 3, 2022

Home › Recipes › Cookies & Snacks

Lemon Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies

Snejana Andreeva - 16

By Snejana Andreeva

on Dec 15, 2022, Updated Nov 08, 2023

Add as a preferred source on Google - 17

My lemon cheesecake thumbprint cookies melt in your mouth . This recipe is one of those recipes that you’ll need to triple, because it’s THAT good. 🍋Whether you’re a lemon lover or simply looking for a unique and delicious cookie, these Lemon Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies are a must-try. They’re perfect for any occasion, from a casual afternoon tea to a fancy dessert spread.

  • Why You’ll Love Lemon Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies
  • How to Prepare
  • Nonna’s Tip 🍋
  • Lemon Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies Variations and Substitutions
  • Other Holiday Recipes
  • More Holiday Cookies
  • Common Questions
  • Lemon Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies Recipe

Why You’ll Love Lemon Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies

These lemon cheesecake thumbprint cookies are ideal for anyone who cannot tolerate 🥚 eggs as they are completely egg-free . The dough takes 5 minutes to whip up, so these cookies are easy enough for anyone who is not even a baker. They’re only 5 ingredients , which you probably already have on hand. I can honestly say that this is one of those cookie recipes that you cannot get enough of.

How to Prepare

🥣 Use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand-held mixer and bowl to cream butter and cream cheese for about 2 minutes until smooth.

🍋 Add sugar and lemon extract and mix until smooth . Then add flour, and mix until a sticky dough forms. Scrape down the sides to fully incorporate any remaining flour.

🧊 Cover the cookie dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.

🥄 Remove dough from the refrigerator, use a small ice-cream scooper to portion the cookies, rolling each in a touch of flour to prevent sticking.

🍓 Place rolled cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper . Flatten each with your thumb, creating an indent, and add a teaspoon of preferred jam/preserve to the center.

🔥 Preheat the oven to 350°F and bake the lemon cheesecake thumbprint cookies for 13-15 minutes or until the edges are light and golden brown .

❄️ Allow the cookies to cool completely and optionally dust with icing sugar. They can be stored at room temperature for up to a week.

Nonna’s Tip 🍋

You MUST refrigerate the cookie dough for at least one hour and you have to use a touch of flour to roll each one as they will stick.

Lemon Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies - 18

Lemon Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies Variations and Substitutions

  • Try adding a decorative topping like chopped nuts or a sprinkle of coarse sugar for holiday decoration.
  • I have not tried this recipe with gluten-free flour , but feel free to experiment with a gluten-free 1-1 replacement and let me know how it goes!
  • Instead of lemon extract , you could try almond, vanilla, orange or another you have on hand.
  • Feel free to experiment with different jams or preserves , for example, you could use strawberry, raspberry, apricot or even marmalade.
  • You could try dairy-free or vegan alternatives to the butter and cream cheese if you or your guests have allergies.

Other Holiday Recipes

A round platter forms an Antipasti Christmas Wreath, with skewers of mozzarella balls, cherry tomatoes, grapes, olives, prosciutto, and rosemary arranged in a circle; raspberries fill the center and two gold forks rest on the side. - 19 A round platter forms an Antipasti Christmas Wreath, with skewers of mozzarella balls, cherry tomatoes, grapes, olives, prosciutto, and rosemary arranged in a circle; raspberries fill the center and two gold forks rest on the side. - 20

Antipasti Christmas Wreath

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5 mins

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Holiday Cheese Board

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More Holiday Cookies

Looking for an even fancier-looking cookie? Try my puff pastry cookies .

A plate of Easy Gingerbread Cookies shaped like people, adorned with white icing details, red and green candy buttons, cinnamon sticks, and colorful candies, set on a white surface with a red ribbon and white cloth. - 27 A plate of Easy Gingerbread Cookies shaped like people, adorned with white icing details, red and green candy buttons, cinnamon sticks, and colorful candies, set on a white surface with a red ribbon and white cloth. - 28

Easy Gingerbread Cookies

3 hrs 23 mins

A stack of three powdered almond cookies on a wooden surface. The top cookie has a bite taken out, revealing a soft interior. Whole almonds are scattered around, with more cookies blurred in the background. - 29 A stack of three powdered almond cookies on a wooden surface. The top cookie has a bite taken out, revealing a soft interior. Whole almonds are scattered around, with more cookies blurred in the background. - 30

Italian Amaretti Cookies

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Close-up of 3 Ingredient Sugar Cookies cooling on a black wire rack. The cookies are round, golden, and have a slightly rough texture from sugar crystals. A pinkish surface is visible in the background. - 31 Close-up of 3 Ingredient Sugar Cookies cooling on a black wire rack. The cookies are round, golden, and have a slightly rough texture from sugar crystals. A pinkish surface is visible in the background. - 32

3 Ingredient Sugar Cookies

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A plate of Shortbread Butter Cookies topped with red, white, and green sprinkles, surrounded by small holiday gift boxes and pinecones on a white surface. - 33 A plate of Shortbread Butter Cookies topped with red, white, and green sprinkles, surrounded by small holiday gift boxes and pinecones on a white surface. - 34

Shortbread Butter Cookies

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Common Questions

Feel free to use any jam or preserve you enjoy. I love fig or apricot but you are more than welcome to use any you have on hand.

The lemon extract is optional so don’t worry if you don’t have any on hand. You can also use pure vanilla extract, or almond extract, or leave them plain. Or, if you don’t have pure lemon extract, but still want the flavor, you can also use the zest of a lemon in the recipe.

You MUST refrigerate the cookie dough for at least one hour and you have to use a touch of flour to roll each one as they will stick.

Feel free to freeze the cookie dough tightly wrapped for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge and shape as usual.

The cream cheese and butter must be softened in order for the cookies to bake correctly.

You can use salted or unsalted butter. I have made them with both and both results are delicious.

While 1 cup of flour weighs 160g in my kitchen, it might weigh anywhere from 120 to 180g in your kitchen and there’s a few reasons for that. The weight of ingredients may vary due to the brand of ingredients, the brand and style (wet vs dry) of measuring cups and spoons, and the technique for measuring into cups: scooping and leveling versus spooning the ingredients into the cup measure. For best results, go by the weight listed in the recipe.

A New Recipe Card!!

  1. Check off each step in instructions!
  2. Add ingredients to your shopping list!

Video

Equipment

  • ▢ Measuring Cups + Spoons
  • ▢ Mixing Bowls
  • ▢ Baking Sheet
  • ▢ Parchment Paper

Ingredients

  • ▢ ½ cup cream cheese , softened
  • ▢ ½ cup white sugar
  • ▢ 1 stick softened salted butter
  • ▢ 1.5 teaspoons lemon extract , optional if you don’t have any on hand
  • ▢ 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour , + 2 extra tablespoons for rolling the balls
  • ▢ 18 teaspoons jam , I used fig preserve

Instructions

  • ▢ In a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese together for about 2 minutes or until smooth. You can also use a hand-held mixer and a bowl as well.
  • ▢ Once creamy, add the sugar and lemon extract and mix until smooth. Add in the flour and mix until a sticky dough forms. If there’s any flour on the sides, you can scrape it down and mix again until fully incorporated.
  • ▢ Cover the cookie dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour. After an hour, take out the dough, remove the plastic and use a small ice-cream scooper to scoop out the cookies. I scoop each cookie, roll it in a touch of flour as it will stick to your hands if you don’t.
  • ▢ Repeat this step for all 18 cookies. Place each rolled cookie onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Press each one down with your thumb to make an indent. Add a teaspoon of any jam/preserve you like to the middle.
  • ▢ Preheat the oven to 350F and bake until the edges are light and golden brown. This should take 13-15 minutes depending on the oven.
  • ▢ Let them cool completely and optionally dust with icing sugar. These are perfectly stored at room-temp for up to a week.

My Notes

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.