Cozy & Giftable Holiday Favorites: Barb's Hot Buttered Rum Batter & Almond Short
Shared by Barb Hovsepian
As the holidays approach, there’s nothing better than cozy drinks and homemade cookies to share with family and friends. Barb Hovsepian brings us two festive favorites—her famous Hot Buttered Rum Batter and Almond Shortbread Cookies. Both make wonderful gifts and are perfect to serve at holiday gatherings. Even better, they freeze beautifully, so you can enjoy them all season long!
Barb’s Hot Buttered Rum Batter
This recipe makes plenty, so you’ll have enough to enjoy, share, and even gift. Barb suggests packaging small portions in festive containers with a ribbon and pairing them with mini bottles of spiced rum—an instant hostess gift!
To serve:
Put 1–1 ½ Tbsp of batter in a mug, add 1 shot of rum, fill with hot water, and sprinkle nutmeg on top.
Put 1–1 ½ Tbsp of batter in a mug, add 1 shot of rum, fill with hot water, and sprinkle nutmeg on top.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb butter (room temperature)
- 1 lb brown sugar
- 1 lb powdered sugar
- 1 qt Dreyer’s French Vanilla ice cream
- 2 Tbsp vanilla
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp cardamom
- 2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions:
- Beat all ingredients in a large bowl until well blended.
- Keep frozen until ready to enjoy.
- Separate into small containers for freezing, storage, and gift giving.
Almond Shortbread Cookies
These crisp, buttery cookies are a holiday classic. Barb recommends packaging them in clear bags tied with a festive ribbon for a simple and thoughtful gift.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup butter (room temperature)
- 2 ½ cups flour (Barb uses Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour)
- 6 Tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp almond flavoring
- ½ cup slivered almonds, crushed
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Combine flour and sugar. Add butter and almond flavoring, mixing well.
- Stir in crushed almonds until blended.
- Shape dough into one or two small rolls and refrigerate 1–2 hours.
- Slice into ¼-inch discs and place on parchment-lined baking sheets.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes, until edges are lightly browned.
- Sprinkle lightly with sugar while warm, then cool on a wire rack.
Yield: Approximately 4 dozen cookies