This time of year, my kitchen turns into a disaster zone of baking materials. The freezer becomes full of cookie containers, flour is regularly found in the crevices of the counters, and a steady, excess sugar-induced stomachache persists for a solid week or so. But it’s all in the name of spoiling friends and family with an endless supply of baked goods for the holidays. This year’s distribution list has nearly doubled, which meant I took a trip to Costco to buy some ingredients in bulk (may have greatly overestimated the number of eggs needed to complete the job, but I will never argue with the amount of butter in my fridge).

I’ve tasked myself with making 12 different types of baked goods this year, mostly cookies, and I’m more than halfway through this effort. As far as cookies from far away locales, I do make a traditional Serbian cookie from my grandmother’s old cookbooks each year, but I decided to add another new cookie to the mix this year. Representing Switzerland, the Brunsli chocolate cookie has a little bit of spice (thanks to Chinese 5-Spice Powder) and is gluten free! Delightfully crunchy and light, I’m happy to be able to offer this up to a friend who is gluten-free, and to come up with a healthier alternative to some of the brown butter laden offerings this year.

This recipe came from Yotam Ottolenghi’s “Simple” cookbook.

Overall Level of Effort: 2

Skill Level: Beginner

Would Make It Again? Yes

Additional Notes: Pretty cookie cutters made these look extra special. You do need to watch the baking time as these can go from soft with a hard exterior to overdone pretty quickly.