If there’s ever a time to really flex your baking skills and resist the urge to buy pre-made cookie dough, it’s the holiday season.

It’s tough to beat a spicy gingerbread or a classic chocolate chip this time of year, but if you’re looking to add something different to the dessert spread at your holiday celebration—or impress friends and co-workers at your annual cookie exchange—these recipes from local pastry chefs are great alternatives.

Before rolling up your sleeves, make sure all ingredients are pre-measured, advises LaTosha Williams, the former owner of Dessert Fantasies in Locust Point. Another pro tip? “Parchment paper is your friend,” Williams says. “It keeps cookies from over-spreading and makes clean up easy.”

After letting your fresh-baked beauties cool, Williams suggests storing them in an air-tight container at room temperature. If you’re baking in advance of a party, consider sugar, butter, and gingerbread cookies—which she estimates typically keep for about three weeks.

Now crank up the Christmas tunes, roll up your sleeves, and get baking with these festive favorites.

The Corner Pantry’s Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

If the thought of baking treats from scratch seems daunting, this recipe from The Corner Pantry in Mt. Washington is great for getting your feet wet.

“It’s pretty full proof, even for a novice baker,” says The Corner Pantry’s pastry manager Lisa Hillring. “The added powdered sugar gives a nice finished touch without having to refine any skills or invest in any unique tools or ingredients. Plus, they melt in your mouth so win, win.”

Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 oz. butter
4 oz. chocolate
1.5 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
granulated and powdered sugar, for rolling

Instructions:
1. Combine dry ingredients in large mixing bowl.
2. Melt butter, remove from heat and add chocolate. Return to low heat if it does not melt all of the way, stir continuously until melted. Set aside to cool.
3. In mixing bowl with whisk attachment combine brown sugar, eggs, vanilla and mix on medium speed for one minute.
4. With mixer running slowly, add melted chocolate.
5. Carefully fold wet and dry ingredients together.
6. Scoop dough to desired size, roll in granulated sugar, then powdered sugar.
7. Bake at 325 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

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Crust by Mack’s Almond Raspberry Shortbread Wreath Cookies

When it comes to holiday baking, local pastry chef Amanda Mack has one motto: “Go big or go home.” Mack says that her Almond Raspberry Shortbread Wreaths are perfect for swaps and gifting. “They’re beautiful, buttery, and over the top with holiday cheer,” she adds.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup (170 grams) Irish butter, salted and softened
1/2 cup (60 grams) confectioners’ sugar
1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) vanilla extract
1 ½ cups + 2 tbsp (214 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) almond extract
2 tablespoons (24 grams) granulated sugar
1 egg white lightly beaten
2 oz. sliced almonds
1/2 cup of frozen raspberries
sparkling sugar for decoration

Instructions:
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla at medium speed until creamy, three to four minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl.
2. Sift flour in a medium bowl. Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating until combined. Divide dough in half, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for two hours up to overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a three-inch fluted round cutter, cut dough into 12 cookies, rerolling scraps only once. Repeat with remaining dough.
5. Using a one-inch fluted round cutter, cut centers from cookies. Place cookies one-inch apart on prepared pans.
6. Using a pastry brush, lightly spread egg wash on cookies to decorate. Place sliced almonds and raspberries on cookies to simulate a wreath. Sprinkle generously with sparkling sugar.
7. Place baking sheets in the freezer to chill 10 minutes. This allows the butter and decorations to set and prevents over-spreading.
8. Bake 12 to 14 minutes until just lightly golden. Let cool completely on pans. Serve or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days.

Flavor Tip: Sprinkle dried rosemary over cookies after decorating (before baking) for a beautiful flavor and scent. Yields one dozen.

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Johnny’s Ginger Molasses Cookies

Roland Park mainstay Johnny’s typically transforms its cafe bar into a full-blown winter wonderland for the holiday season. Among the themed sweets that diners can look forward to in the decked-out space are the restaurant’s famous Ginger Molasses cookies.

“They have a wonderful holiday flavor, thanks to the ginger and a touch of pepper, but it’s really the texture that takes these to the next level,” says pastry chef Clara Wesson. “They are unbelievably chewy and the cinnamon-sugar we roll them in is the finishing touch.”

Ingredients:
8 oz. soft butter (two sticks)
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon black pepper (optional)

Instructions:
1. Cream the butter sugar and molasses together until light and fluffy.
2. Add eggs and vanilla until fully incorporated. Scrape down bowl after.
3. Add in dry ingredients in two additions.
4. Scrape down bowl again and mix until fully incorporated.
5. Scoop onto tray and roll in cinnamon sugar before baking.

Yields two to three dozen.

Power Plant Live and pickle party promoters The Big Dill have teamed up to bring a massive festival celebrating the beloved brined snack to Charm City.

Whether you already relish pickles, or are just pickle curious, the inaugural event is sure to satisfy all odd cravings. Attendees will enjoy pickle vendors, bars offering requisite pickleback shots, and 40 food trucks peddling their pickle-inspired creations. The festivities will take over Power Plant Live on September 22 from 1-6 p.m. (VIP guests will be granted early entry at noon.)

There are three levels of pickle passes—some of which range all the way up to VIP (very important pickle)—which grant admission to attractions like a pickle-eating contest, live country music, carnival games, and even a class on the art of pickling.

Inspired by the growing pickling trend, the event is bringing together an array of local vendors offering everything from themed barbecue to desserts. (If you are feeling bold, Dessert Fantasies will be celebrating with pickle cupcakes.) Josh White, head chef at Wayward Smokehouse, says he’s looking forward to getting in on the fun.

“Pickling has absolutely become more popular in recent years,” White says. “There are some great Southern chefs [such as] Sean Brock and Edward Lee who have really pushed the envelope on pickling and infusing different flavors and ingredients into pickling. They appear on white tablecloth menus and old school barbecue joints alike.”

Specifically for the festival, White is planning to put an entirely new spin on the classic chicken wings that he serves at Wayward.

“We were asked to participate and make wings, which just so happens to be one of my specialities,” he says. “I’ve done pickle-brined fried chicken in the past and it was always a hit, so I figured, why not? I may or may not be working on a pickle barbecue sauce to pair with them, as well.”

There will also be plenty of pickle-infused drinks to wash down all of the eats. Whiteford-based Slate Farm Brewery has partnered with the event to provide pickle, cucumber, and strawberry-flavored beer. If you’d rather down a shot, the creators behind The Original Pickle Shot—bottled in Ocean City—will be mixing a variety of pickle brines with small-batch vodka to create an excellent hangover cure.

What some might not know is that Baltimore has a hidden history with pickles. It dates back to 1881 when pickle and kraut manufacturing company C.C. Lang & Son was founded at 725 North Haven Street, according to the Baltimore Museum of Industry. Though it’s now closed, it once rivaled Pittsburgh-based H.J. Heinz Company in size.

Originally using cucumbers grown on the Lang family farm in Glen Arm, Maryland, the company eventually expanded to open factories in Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, New York, and Michigan. Lang’s also held a patent on a machine that could slice cucumbers longitudinally for more efficient packing.

Organizers and vendors are looking forward to celebrating the local roots of the acidic snack at the first-of-its-kind festival next month.

“I’ve cooked for a lot of different events, but never a pickle festival,” White says. “I always get excited for people to try our food, but I’m really excited to try what everyone else is making. I’m a huge pickle fan.”

There are so many things to love about the annual Baltimore Seafood Festival at Canton Waterfront Park. The end-of-summer tradition, which returns on Saturday, September 15 from 12-7 p.m., offers a blend of live music (this year’s headliners include local favorites The Scotch Bonnets and Honey Extractor), cooking demonstrations, crafters, and family-fun activities against the backdrop of the sparkling harbor. But, at the heart of the five-year-old fête is its wide array of seafood specialties.

With more than 35 area restaurants and food trucks participating this year, the event will have plenty of diverse dishes paying homage to the bounty of the Chesapeake Bay. Among the purveyors returning is The London Chippy—a can’t-miss food truck (just look out for the massive Union Jack logo) that specializes in authentic fish and chips. Owner Anthony Robinson, who was born and raised in London, says that he was pleasantly surprised by the adventurous palates at the Seafood Fest last year.

“Typically, we get a lot of customers who stick with fried catfish or trout, but at the festival last year people were like, ‘No we want the cod and the traditional fish and chips,’” Robinson remembers. “It was a great feeling knowing that people really understood who we are and what we do.”

Despite potential cloudy skies, Robinson is looking forward to serving up his authentic delicacies to festival-goers rain or shine: “Fish and chips in the rain is very London,” he says with a laugh. “We welcome every single drop.”

Whether you prefer fish, crab, oysters, shrimp, lobster or a sampling of them all, here are a few highlights on the menu this weekend.

CRAB

Flash Crabcake Co.: This mobile crab company prides itself on peddling its signature six-oz. cakes at an affordable price ($10 with saltines and $11 as a sandwich on a potato roll). Flash will also be selling its classic cream of crab soup—an ideal snack to warm your soul in the potentially soggy weather.

Jimmy’s Famous Seafood: No Bawlmer seafood event is complete without hard-shell crabs. This Dundalk favorite—which has been particularly vocal about its love of crabs in response to the controversial PETA billboards that recently sprouted up in the city—will be slinging half-dozen orders of premium males while supplies last. Jimmy’s will also feature steamed shrimp and crabby fries for attendees who are down to get their hands dirty.

FISH

The London Chippy: The regional food truck, which makes stops everywhere from Northern Virginia to North Baltimore, will be frying up its signature cod and haddock and serving it alongside crispy “chips” and creamy coleslaw. Specials for the day will include mini lobster rolls, crab fries, and hush puppies.

RA Sushi: Harbor East diners are probably familiar with the colorful rolls at this dimly lit sushi spot. Catch RA at the festival to sample the Rainbow Roll (a classic California roll topped with tuna, yellowtail, shrimp, and salmon) and the Tootsy Maki, which mixes crab, shrimp, cucumber, and crunchy tempura bits and tops it in a sweet eel sauce.

OYSTERS

The Local Oyster: Head to the red, white, and black tent to slurp oysters from this fan-favorite seafood spot headquartered at Mount Vernon Marketplace. The Local Oyster will be shucking Skinny Dippers on the half shell from partner True Chesapeake Oyster Co. farmed in Southern Maryland.

The Urban Oyster: Swing by this local pop-up to visit chef Jasmine Norton, who will be hawking her oysters prepared three ways. Sample them raw, chargrilled, or fried and tucked into a taco with cilantro and lime.

SHRIMP

Nick’s Fish House: At this Port Covington staple, regulars typically start their meals off with an order of the chef’s famous “Boom Boom Shrimp”—crispy fried shrimp in a spicy Sriracha aioli. Try it at the festival alongside Nick’s crab balls and soft shell crab bites.

Southern Provisions: This Canton Square bar will be showcasing its Lowcountry influences with a warm shrimp gumbo over rice. Get your barbecue fix by pairing the gumbo with SoPro’s one-bite pulled pork sliders.

LOBSTER:

Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls: Chow down on mounds of Maine meat from this Annapolis favorite, which is widening its Baltimore footprint with a new stall in Belvedere Square and a yet-to-open Inner Harbor location. The brand will feature its classic rolls (chilled lobster salad with mayo and lemon), warm Connecticut-style rolls with butter, New England clam chowder, and signature “lobstah” bisque.

SNACKS

Alexander’s Tavern: Crab tots are an essential part of the Seafood Fest experience, and Alexander’s has some of the best in town. Dig in to the orders of crispy tots smothered in cheesy crab dip, or go handheld with a classic crab pretzel from the Fells Point pub.

Dessert Fantasies: If you happen to save room for dessert, local baker Tosha Williams will have plenty of cupcakes to satisfy sweet tooth cravings. Her Locust Point bakeshop highlights flavors ranging from to classic strawberry shortcake to chocolate fudge cakes topped with Berger cookie bits.