Cold, festive nights beg for inviting treats— even better when they are homemade. This week, the boys helped me make almond flour thumb prints with raspberry jam. A glass of milk goes really well with these subtle-sweet almond medallions with a fruity, chewy jam to challenge the texture. Almond flour is delicate in its nutty taste, and is often accompanied by cardamom— at least in the delectable Indian desserts I grew up with. The aroma alone is heaven for the hippocampus; paired with the coziness of wintertime, it’s pure holiday perfection.

A small disclaimer: spending evenings baking cookies together is not something we do enough of in our home. The thought of it actually stresses me out, if only momentarily. Not being able to control the process, the outcome, the mess— it’s a lot to take in. But once I get past this hang up, it’s pretty magical. Being together in the kitchen with lots of side chat, all while having a common purpose, wrapped up in such a blissful aroma— that’s the reward in itself.