Christmas | Color My Food

My Austrian Christmas Cookie Tradition

December 22, 2024

As the holiday season unfolds I’m filled with gratitude and a touch of nostalgia. For years, I hesitated to share my mama’s beloved legay of Austrian Christmas cookies and love. As a functional nutrition therapist, it felt like a contradiction—celebrating rich, butter-laden treats while advocating for balance and health. But I’ve come to realize that food is so much more than calories and “eating healthy”. It’s about connection, tradition, and love. And these cookies? They are pure love, passed down from my mama’s kitchen to mine.

My Christmas Cookie Process

Step 1

Baking begins in November. My daughter and I prep our butter-based cookies: vanillekipferl, Linzer cookies, and a nod to Texas — pecan thumbprints. And a fourth variety that from year to year: Pistachio “coins”, cardamom orange or poppyseed cookies.

Step 2

I freeze the unbaked cookies. And put them in ziplock bags (with parchment paper in between the layers) until December.

The first weekend of December, we dive into gingerbread house-making with my daughter, cousins, nieces and nephews; it’s a chaotic, happy memory-making, friendship-bonding time with cousins and nieces and nephews

Cookie by cookie—a Hansel and Gretel story brought to life with authentic lebkuchen:

🌲 trees and 🍄‍🟫 mushrooms

🦌 deer, foxes and 🐇rabbits

🦆 duck pond and ☃️ snowman

🧙 the witch, Hansel, Gretel

🌟 big stars, ✨ little stars, lots of stars

It’s not just cookies – laughter, friendship and memories are also in the making!

I’m always astonished anew each when the house stands cemented only with icing. 😂

Step 3

In the days after the gingerbread forest is all set up, I bake our butter-based cookies. We fill them with raspberry preserves and dusting others with powdered sugar as the cookies require.

Step 4

Then come the meringue-based cookes: Hasselnuss Busserl (hazel nut macarons) and Pignoli

Step 5

Once ready, cookies go into festive tins, until they ready to be shared throughout December…

Step 6

Cookie boxes are made into gifts of appreciation for teachers, hostesses and friendship. Each bite is a way to spread holiday cheer, and share something meaningful with others. Little tokens of connection and care.

Step 7

I open the cookie tins to make platters that enhance my table for holiday brunches, tea time with friends and after-dinner-desserts.

Until needed the cookies stay safely out of sight. It’s part of my strategy of Prep Your Kitchen to Support your Brain Health this Holiday Season. If cookies are in the kitchen plain sight, no amount of will power will stop me from eating a cookie or two – or three! each time I pass by. Out of sight is out of mind.

If this all seems overwhelming, keep in mind that it is a process that’s evolved through trial and error over decades. 💪

A Tradition of Gratitude and Connection

The holiday season is about so much more than food. It’s about the people we cherish, the rituals that help us feel grounded, and the memories we create. These cookies—rich with love and history—are a part of our family’s way of expressing gratitude and spreading happy energy. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, the winter solstice, or any other tradition, this season invites us all to connect, reflect, and share in being present in the moment.

Wishing you and yours Love 💕 and Light ✨ this holiday season!

What about you? What holiday tradition brings you joy this time of year?

I’d love to hear your favorite recipe, custom, orrituals in the comments below.

Together, let’s celebrate the shared spirit of the season! ✨

Resources

4 Tips to Minimize Holiday Sugar Overload

7 Key Nutrition Tips for Brain Health during the Holidays

Prep Your Kitchen to Support your Brain Health this Holiday Season

Pistachio Salmon Holiday Dinner

4 Nutrient-Dense Holiday Rice Recipes for Brain-Healthy Celebrations

December 18, 2023

Here are some of my all-time favorite “special times” rice recipes. They are so beautiful and scrumptious – perfect for a Thanksgiving, Christmas table or special celebration. And loaded with amazing nutrients for brain health and wellbeing. Imagine that — delicious and nutritious even for the holidays!

Girlfriends’ Holiday Brunch

December 4, 2021

Pumpkin Granola Parfaits with cranberry orange sauce, smoked salmon frittata and pineapple pomegranate with mint make a pretty, delicious, and healthy brunch table. A celebration of 10+ plant foods!

Nutrient-Dense Color My Food Granola

March 8, 2021

A Nourishing Upgrade from Cereal

Homemade granola is an excellent transition away from breakfast cereal and typical breakfast of bagels, muffins, baked goods. It’s nutrient-rich, fiber-rich, and simple to prepare. It also makes breakfast feel easy, colorful, and steady — exactly what your brain and body need.

And the best part? Granola never gets boring. There are endless combinations to keep your mornings nourishing and fun:
🫚 Spices
🌰 Nuts/seeds
🍒 Dried fruit (always add after baking)
🍏🫐 Fresh, seasonal fruit — berries, peaches, and plums in summer; sweet potato and pumpkin in fall; cranberries and gingerbread flavors in winter 🍑

Build a More Balanced, Brain-Friendly Breakfast

Enjoy your granola with grass-fed Greek yogurt, kefir, cottage cheese, or coconut yogurt. These add essential fatty acids and protein. They help keep your blood sugar steady so you avoid the mid-morning crash.

Add fresh seasonal fruit for more fiber, more nutrients, and more flavor.
Top it with a tablespoon of ground flaxseed or hemp hearts for even more essential fatty acids your brain and hormones love.

Other Ways to Use This Granola

✔️ Use as a topping on chia pudding or quinoa breakfast bowls.
✔️ Add a spoonful or two into oatmeal or overnight oats for crunch.
✔️ Enjoy a few tablespoons with dark chocolate chips for a fiber-rich dessert your taste buds will love.

Flavor Variations

As always with Color My Food, think of this recipe as a launching pad. Mix and match spices, herbs, pureed fruits, and toppings you have in your kitchen.

Use fresh seasonal fruit to bring color and nourishment into every bowl.

These variations keep breakfast colorful, seasonal, and fun 🤩

Variations

Almond joy: Use almonds for the chopped nuts, add 2 cuts shredded, unsweetened coconut. Optional – add 1/4 teaspoon almond extract when mixing melted coconut oil and maple syrup. Add cacao nibs or dark chocolate chips after baking.

Orange Cranberry: Zest 3–4 oranges and mix the zest into the oats. After baking, add 1½ cups dried cranberries

Banana Bread: Add 2 mashed or pureed bananas to the melted coconut oil and maple syrup mixture.

Lemon Poppyseed: Zest 3 lemons and mix zest into the oats. Add ¼ cup poppy seeds.

Pumpkin pie:Add 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice mix to the oats. Mix 1 cup pumpkin puree with melted coconut oil and maple syrup.

Moroccan Sweet Potato: Add 1/2 tablespoon Golden Milk spice blend to the oats. Add 1 cup sweet potato puree

Gingerbread Granola: Add 1 teaspoon ginger, 1 teaspoon cloves, and ½ teaspoon nutmeg to the oats.

This homemade granola is a simple, nourishing upgrade for busy women, growing kids, and anyone wanting a steadier, more colorful start to the day. It also makes a great afternoon snack with Greek or Coconut yogurt😊

⭐ FAQ: Homemade Granola

Is homemade granola healthier than store-bought granola?

Yes. Homemade granola is usually lower in sugar, higher in fiber, and made with whole-food ingredients. You control the oils, sweeteners, nuts, seeds, and spices — making it a more nutrient-dense and nourishing option for your family.

How do I make granola a balanced breakfast?

Pair it with Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, or kefir for protein and healthy fats. Then add fresh seasonal fruit for colorful plant nutrients and fiber. This combination supports steady energy, balanced blood sugar, and better focus.

Can I make this granola gluten-free?

Absolutely. Simply choose certified gluten-free oats. All other ingredients in this recipe are naturally gluten-free.

Can I reduce the sugar in this recipe?

Yes. You can reduce the maple syrup by up to one-third without affecting texture. Adding fresh fruit and warm spices also boosts natural sweetness.

How long does homemade granola last?

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks. For longer storage, freeze for up to 3 months.

Can I customize the flavors?

Definitely. This recipe is a base you can build on. Add spices, citrus zest, pureed fruits, or seasonal ingredients like pumpkin or sweet potato to keep breakfast colorful and nourishing.

Is granola good for perimenopause or menopausal women?

Granola can be part of a nourishing breakfast when paired with protein and healthy fats. The fiber and plant diversity support gut health, hormone balance, and steady energy — key needs during perimenopause and menopause.

Updated from original March 2021 recipe

Pistachio Salmon Holiday Dinner

December 6, 2018

The wild mushroom soup, the contrast and color of pistachio on salmon, the jewel rubies of pomegranate with wild rice make this a beautifully elegant dinner.
With its filling made of bourbon-soaked tart cherries and apricots, coconut and bittersweet chocolate, the cake makes a spectacularly scrumptious dessert.