Christmas Around My Southern Table

Indulgent. Decadent. Luxurious. Lavish in taste and presentation.

Christmas arrives first in the scent of something baking.

Thanks for stopping by our special place that celebrates connection, hope, creativity, and resilience. The South Carolina Lowcountry is my center of gravity, where stories jump out at the least expected moments. It’s where we gather as a community of creatives to tell stories and gather ‘round our collective love for the power of story, good food, and fellowship. Step in, sit a spell, and make yourself at home. We’re glad you’re here.

Before the lights are strung or the tree is trimmed, before the ribbons are tied and the carols begin, there is butter softening on the counter, cinnamon warming in a pan, and a house slowly filling with memory. Every Christmas I have ever loved begins in the kitchen.

This little collection of recipes is more than a gathering of holiday dishes—it is a gathering of years. Of porches wrapped in cedar and pine, of flour on old wooden boards, of hands passing down not just instructions, but stories. These are the recipes that appeared faithfully year after year, the ones we cooked without needing to look at the page, the ones that made the season feel like home.

Some are joyful and grand. Others are humble and quiet. But each one carries the same offering: connection. A way of saying, I remember. I love you. Come sit with me.

Christmas food, especially in the South, is never only about what is served. It is about who gathers. It is about the empty chairs we still set by memory, and the new ones we pull up for those just finding their way into our story. It is about nourishment of every kind. Share your story or your recipe, but if not, I’m just glad you’re here.

You will find in these pages the flavors of long tables and late nights, of children slipping in for “just one more cookie,” of coffee poured in the early morning dark while the house is still quiet and full of waiting. You will find dishes meant for sharing, for gifting, for lingering over when the world outside finally slows.

I hope that these recipes become part of your own Christmas story. That they find their way into your kitchens and your traditions.

That they remind you—as they remind me—that the truest magic of the season is not wrapped in paper or ribbon, but in hands working together and hearts gathered close.

From my kitchen favorites to yours—Merry Christmas.

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These apple galettes are so simple to make. Be sure to save an extra one or two for friends who drop by or when you want to put your feet up and enjoy a cozy afternoon by the fire.

Surely one of the best fragrances of the season is juicy, ripe apples that appear in our farmers’ markets and rickety roadside stands. The aroma of falling leaves, toasting chestnuts and pecans, roasting turkey stuffed with oyster dressing, and mulled cider make this my favorite time of the year.

This simple dessert can be made ahead of time. Be sure to prep before, chop, mix, and bake - anything you can get done ahead of the gathering.For heaven’s sake, if you’re going to eat pie, make sure it’s worth the calories, and don’t just settle for one of those dull packaged crusts just because you think your pastry skills are awful.

There are so many ways to get creative with this.Nearly every cookbook on my shelf reflects our mutual love affair with apples and pastry. We see apple pie everywhere but hardly ever find one worth eating. Unfortunately, most are just slabs of commercially made pastry encased in chunks of canned apple filling. No, thank you. With a little effort you can create a memorable galette made with delicious and healthy ingredients. That’s a promise!

With just a few ingredients and only a bit of sugar, the apples can shine. I use organic apples, which will be a lot smaller. I look for ones that will hold their shape after baking, like Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, and Golden Delicious. For more tartness and acidity, you can mix the apples to include Granny Smith. Brushing the crust with heavy cream helps achieve a bit of shine and makes it look fabulous. If you can’t find cream in your fridge, just use lightly beaten egg or milk. This is so simple - just a little easier than rolling a pie crust and making it fit into a pie pan. For most of my friends, that’s a daunting task! Oh my!

You can do this! A galette is just a rustic, free-form tart made with a single crust of pastry. No need to stress about fitting the dough into a pie plate or crimping the side to make it look picture perfect.Apple Galette

Apple Galette

Get creative and sprinkle in a few cranberries!

Serves 8-10 (or 6 very hungry people)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling

Flour for rolling

1 disk sweet tart crust, chilled (instructions below)

3 small apples

2 tablespoons heavy cream or egg yolk ( brush on the crust)

2 tablespoons apricot jam

Turn on the oven to 375 degrees. Combine the cinnamon with the sugar in a small bowl.

On a lightly floured surface, use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll the dough out into an 11-inch circle. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Cut each apple around its core into 4 pieces. No need to peel. Cut straight down and slightly rotate the apple between cuts, leaving a square core. Discard the core and thinly slice the apple pieces into half-moon shapes. Make the apple slices like a shingle in overlapping rows. Leave a 2-inch border all the way around. Sprinkle the 1/4 cup sugar-cinnamon mixture evenly over the apples. Top with the pieces of butter.

Lift and press the edges of the dough up over the fruit, pressing as you go. Brush the crust with heavy cream or egg yolk and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake until the crust is golden brown and the apples are tender - about 30 minutes. Stir the apricot jam and run it through a fine mesh sieve or slotted spoon to remove any large pieces of fruit. Brush the apples lightly with the jam. Cool slightly before serving.

Delicious with or without cranberries (I love cranberries!)

Almond Linzertorte

Almond Linzertorte

This is a traditional Austrian pastry, a form of shortbread topped with fruit preserves and sliced nuts with a lattice design top. It’s known as the oldest cake ever to be named after a place, Linz, Austria. It was served every Christmas by my Virginia grandmother, whose family was from Germany. We simplified the recipe with Odense Almond Paste with all its deliciousness.

30 minutes to assemble

60 minutes to chill dough

40-42 minutes to bake and serves 8

Ingredients:

1-7 oz box Odense Almond Paste (grated using the large hole side of a box grater)

1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup almond flour (sometimes called almond meal)

1/3-1/2 cup sugar*

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1 stick (1/2 cup) cold butter, diced

2 egg yolks beaten with 2 teaspoons of ice water, reserve the whites

1-12 oz good quality raspberry jam or preserves

Optional: sliced almonds and 1-2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar

Directions:

1. Add Almond Paste (grated using large hole side of a box grater), all-purpose flour, almond flour, sugar, lemon zest, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and cloves into a food processor fitted with a metal blade (can use a pastry blade, but doesn’t get as fine).

Pulse until combined. Add cold butter and process until the texture of small crumbs.

Add egg yolk mixture and mix or process until the dough holds together.

2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board and shape it into a log. Divide the log into 2 pieces of dough, about 1/3 and 2/3 of the dough.

Shape each piece into a flat disk. Wrap and refrigerate for one hour.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F 30 minutes before assembling Linzertorte. Grease and flour or spray (with baker’s non-stick spray) a 9-inch springform pan or a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom.

4. Roll out larger disk of dough on a lightly floured counter; use wax paper if sticking. Place dough into tart pan and cut top of the crust by rolling a rolling pin over the top. Gather the cut-off dough and add it to the 1/3 portion of dough.

Cover bottom of dough with raspberry jam. If using a springform pan, bring the edge of the tart up to one inch and cut away any extra dough. Add extra dough to the 1/3 disk.

5. Roll out the remaining dough like a pie crust, but a bit thicker. Cut into 1-inch strips and make a lattice design over the jam. OR make cut-outs (using small cookie cutters) like hearts for Valentine’s Day or stars for Christmas, and make lattice strips using cutouts. If desired, brush edges of Linzertorte with reserved egg white (beaten with a bit of water) and sprinkle edges with sliced almonds for a decorative touch.

6. Set torte on a baking sheet and bake for 40-42 minutes or until nicely browned. Remove tart pan from sheet pan and set on a wire rack to cool completely. Unmold and serve with a dusting of confectioner’s. Enjoy!

Cranberry Ricotta Cake

Always moist and easy to make. It’s sure to put smiles on the faces of all.

10 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

3 extra-large eggs at room temperature

1 cup whole-milk ricotta

2 tablespoons sour cream

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, such as Nielsen-Massey

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon orange zest

1¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

Kosher salt

2 cups fresh cranberries (12 ounces), divided

Sifted confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch round springform pan, shaking out any excess flour.

Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat at medium speed for 3 minutes until it is light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs one at a time with the low mixer, mixing well after each addition. Mix well with the ricotta, sour cream, vanilla, and lemon zest. (The batter will look curdled.)

In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the batter with the low mixer, mixing just until incorporated. With a rubber spatula, fold two-thirds of the cranberries into the batter. Transfer the batter to the prepared springform pan and smooth the top. Scatter the remaining cranberries on the cake, pressing them lightly onto the surface.

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove the sides of the pan and lightly dust the top with the confectioners’ sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature.