HOLIDAYS 2022
INDIAN RIVER KITCHEN
Beach-themed cookies
make a perfect gift for
the holidays.
Floridians put a special spin on their holiday celebrations
Florida seasons are often out
of sync with the rest of the
country, but that’s even more
apparent during the holidays.
We’ve got all the celebratory spirit
minus the cold weather it coincides with
everywhere else. We adapt by putting a
Florida spin on everything. Our decorations
are a blend of traditional and tropical,
with a hefty dose of kitsch mixed in.
A giant inflatable snowman and Santa’s
sleigh might look out of place on a lush
green lawn among palm trees, but add
sunglasses and a surfboard and they fit
right in.
We put up festive lights all over town,
but we don’t stop there. We also light up
our boats and parade them around on
balmy December nights. We won’t wake
up to a white Christmas on the Treasure
Coast, but our sunny holiday season is
equally magical.
Even though it’s often too warm to have
the oven on all day, that doesn’t stop
me from baking cookies. It’s my favorite
way to kick off the season. It brings back
memories of helping my grandma bake
hundreds of them each year. We arranged
them on paper plates, always with the
prettiest cookies on top, and delivered
them to family and friends. Everyone
loves a plate of fresh-baked cookies.
I make all the same classic cookies I
made with grandma, but the pretty ones
on top are now these distinctly Florida
DANIELLE ROSE PHOTOS
sand dollar cookies. They’re flavored
with Indian River citrus zest, along with
honey and tahini for amazing texture,
similar to shortbread.
The best part is, the sand dollar design
is extremely easy to pull off. Trust me,
I’m terrible at decorating sugar cookies
with icing, but this I can do. All it takes
is to make a few small notches along the
edges of a round cookie, then arrange
some sliced almonds on top. Dust them
with sugar for extra sparkle. They make
a beautiful gift, but be sure to save some
for yourself.
Wishing you all a happy holiday filled
with sunshine and local flavor.
Happy
holidays,
y’all By Danielle Rose
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