So last evening I sat in my car at the Starbucks drive-thru for 25 minutes (yes, I’m that lazy stereotype) to get a peppermint mocha that I ultimately only drank half of because I don’t really like coffee. And the whole time I could only think about one thing: cookies.

It’s definitely cookie season!

I firmly believe you should never show up anywhere empty-handed. During the holidays, homemade tins or trays of cookies are always the biggest hit. My grandmother, Mother Lovett, used to bake constantly; even when her chocolate walnut fudge bore her fingerprints, people still loved it. Sometimes we pair a little cookie tray with a bottle of wine, but these days wine is almost expected and can feel overdone. (Full disclosure: I don’t think wine can ever really be overdone—if you visit me, bring boatloads.)

Is there any other time of year when it’s appropriate to arrive with a huge snowman plate piled high with a dozen different kinds of cookies? I don’t think so. Sure, I’d be thrilled if someone showed up like that in August, but it just doesn’t happen.

I bake. A lot. Baking cookies for the holidays is therapeutic for me—it’s not work. I don’t need to stage everything in perfect light or spend half an hour trying to stack three cookies for a photo. Holiday baking is for early mornings, late nights, rainy days, and is camera-free. I blast Christmas music while I bake. I learned alongside Mother Lovett for years, and baking now feels like a tribute to her.

Below is what I plan to bake this season—or at least what I desperately want to bake if time allows. I’ve shared this list every year, and last year I made a little more than half the recipes. I’m a bit ambitious, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

What are you baking? Tell me! Share recipes, links, and ideas—overshare, if you like. I love seeing new inspiration and holiday creativity.

[Clearly I have too much time on my hands. Oye.]

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Grilled shishito peppers are one of our favorite summer snacks! This easy appetizer is perfect for warm evenings, ideal for happy hour, and ready in minutes.

It’s summer snack time!

These grilled shishito peppers are a go-to summer snack that take only minutes to prepare. They’re simple, fresh, and addictive—great to toss on the grill before the main course or to serve as a quick patio snack during happy hour.

There’s almost no prep and very little cleanup, and the flavor is bright and satisfying. Most shishitos are mild; while you might hear that one in ten peppers is spicy, in my experience spicy ones are rare—after eating hundreds, I’ve only encountered a couple.

This is how I make them

I typically use a grill pan to keep things easy—placing the pan directly on a hot grill gives great char and blistering without losing peppers through the grates. Toss the peppers with a little olive or avocado oil so they’re evenly coated, then spread them on the grill pan.

Place the pan on a hot grill, close the lid, and let the peppers char and blister, turning every few minutes until they’re evenly blistered. Once off the heat, finish immediately with flaky salt, a squeeze of fresh lemon, and crumbled cotija cheese. The warm peppers soften the cheese slightly and everything comes together as a fresh, bright, and flavorful plate.

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