Meet the 13 Bakers Behind our Holiday Cookies 2018 Special Issue

Sarah Kieffer | The Vanilla Bean Blog | @sarah_kieffer

Sarah Kieffer, founder of The Vanilla Bean Blog, is a self-taught baker who has worked in professional bakeries and made the decision to become a home baker after her two children were born. When she’s not baking and banging out a new batch of her famous Pan-Banging Cookies, she enjoys reading and rereading her favorite books and drinking too much coffee. Her first cookbook, The Vanilla Bean Baking Book (Avery/Penguin Canada), was published in 2016.

Baker’s Pick: “The Hot Chocolate Sandwich Cookies. I love meringue, especially when it’s sandwiched between two brownie cookies and sprinkled with crushed peppermint candies.”

Joshua Weissman | Slim Palate | @joshuaweissman

Joshua Weissman is a cookbook author, professional cook, and online content producer. At age 17, he published his first cookbook after losing more than 100 pounds. Now, at 22, he currently works as lead cook in one of the best restaurants in America and produces online food and recipe content on his website, YouTube channel, and social media accounts. Joshua hopes to share what he’s learned with others, inspiring people to gain more interest in cooking.

Baker’s Pick: “Imagine biting into a rich and lightly salted buttery cookie, with a nicely balanced sweetness that hits all the right holiday cookie notes. To me, that cookie is my Salted Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies recipe.”

Thalia Ho | Butter and Brioche | @thaliaho

Thalia Ho is the creator of the award-winning food blog Butter and Brioche. She is known for her inspired flavor combinations, decadent recipes, and poetic prose. She believes in the power of sugar; in the peace that comes from slowing down, softening, and stirring batter; and in the therapeutic act of baking as a means to heal. Thalia currently resides in Australia but travels the world often in pursuit of sweetness.

Baker’s Pick: “The Frosted Cappuccino Cookie Bars. I bake them for the slightly salted Cappuccino Frosting alone.”

Laura Crandall | Hoffman Media

Laura Crandall is a food stylist and recipe developer at Hoffman Media who studied baking and pastry arts at Johnson & Wales University. She was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, and recently moved back home with her husband, who shares her passion for food, and their 1-year-old son after living in New York and Virginia. Laura loves to spend time taking her little one on new adventures and cooking for others, from breakfast feasts at home–her biscuit game is strong–to birthday celebrations and even weddings.

Baker’s Pick: “The Stollen Marzipan Shortbread. The holidays wouldn’t be the same without this crisp, crumbly cookie. The Rum Glaze and marzipan filling don’t hurt either!”

Rebecca Firth | DisplacedHousewife | @displacedhousewife

Rebecca Firth is a food writer, a photographer, and the creator of the blog DisplacedHousewife. Her first cookbook, The Cookie Book, released in September 2018. After spending many years in China, Rebecca moved to Santa Ynez Valley, California, bringing her family and new love of Chinese five-spice to the West Coast.

Baker’s Pick: “Go for the Spiced Chinese Almond Cookies. Instead of the crispy restaurant version, I went for a soft, chewy, perfectly spiced almond cookie that’s super easy to make at home.”

Becky Sue Wilberding | Baking the Goods | @bakingthegoods

After years spent hunched over a computer pushing pixels, Becky Sue Wilberding created her blog, Baking the Goods. It’s full of approachable recipes, vivid food photography, and relatable stories for hungry eyes and bellies. She’s a self-taught baker and photographer from the Pacific Northwest who captures every step in obsessive detail and with mouthwatering visuals. Becky Sue aims to punch her readers in the taste buds and inspire them to make her recipes part of their own little life adventures.

Baker’s Pick: “These Cardamom-Spiced Cookie Bars with Eggnog Cream Cheese Frosting will convert even the most devout eggnog haters into ’nogheads in a single soft and spicy bite.”