The Leftovers Are the Point

A post-Thanksgiving wrap-up, easy December baking, and what’s coming from The Bakehouse Texas.

Friends, hi!

I’ve come to realize I measure the success of Thanksgiving not by the turkey, not by the table, not even by the number of chairs we managed to wrangle from around the house… but by the volume of leftovers I can send people home with. Leftovers are the entire point. I simply cannot abide the thought of guests leaving my house with nothing more than the single plate they ate at the table when that first plate barely counts! It’s the post-Thanksgiving tiptoe to the fridge for a cold spoonful of mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce that really does the emotional heavy lifting. It’s the slice of sweet potato pie with Friday morning coffee. It’s the next-day ham sandwich that tastes like someone whispered “holiday magic” over the mayonnaise. That is the sweet spot.

So I’m pleased to report that everyone left our house with elite leftovers this year, and Will and I have spent the weekend making a heroic dent in what remained. Translation: I’ve been eating mashed potatoes for three straight days and I regret nothing.

The other best part of Thanksgiving? Soup season, baby! Turkey barley soup bubbling away from the carcass, split pea soup simmered from the last bits of ham. No recipes, just vibes and whispers. A few pints tucked into the freezer will feel like a blessing come late January.

Here are a few notes to mosey us into this first week of December nice and easy. She’s a sprint - so here we go.

What To Make This Early December

Let’s ease into holiday baking with the very easiest of cookies: Confetti Shortbread. These are an “emergency cookie” and come together with nothing more than a bowl, a spatula, and your favorite festive sprinkles. The trick is to roll the dough between two sheets of waxed paper before cutting, making them very low fuss. They bake up into poppable little buttons of joy, perfect for cookie tins, classroom parties, neighbor gifts, or any situation where children (or adults) will be inhaling sugar by the fistful.

On that note, I’m also making a batch of Vanilla Bean Confetti Cookies this weekend. A bit more of a lift since we’re dusting off the mixer, but worth every second for the tender, buttery crumb. These are the kind of cookies that quietly disappear from the cooling rack and I take it as a compliment.

• Headed to a holiday party? The Mini Burnt Chocolate Basque Cheesecake is your showstopper. Topped with soft whipped cream and a scatter of autumn fruit, it looks wildly impressive but is shockingly simple (and fully make-ahead!). Bring it once and you’ll be asked to bring it forever.

• Gingerbread cookie season is OPEN, and I’d like to state for the record that adding peanut butter to gingerbread yields the chewiest, most satisfying cookie imaginable. If we’re still keeping the cookie jar stocked (and we are), let these Peanut Butter Gingersnap Chews be the next addition.

• And finally - dinner. We need it, we need it to be hearty, and we need it to make leftovers, no exceptions. A big pot of Chicken and Sausage Cajun Jambalaya or Red Beans and Rice is exactly the kind of warm comfort to carry you through the week. Bowl after bowl, it just gets better.

Notes From The Bakehouse Texas

This week I’m putting the final flour-dusted touches on the December Bakehouse Texas Bakery Box, and let me tell you - she’s festive. Pre-orders open this Saturday, December 6th for December 20th’s bakery pickup, and we are going full holiday mode over here.

On the menu:
• Take-and-Bake Christmas Morning Orange Rolls (your new family tradition, I’m calling it now),
• a bakery box jam-packed with treats like the Texas Bakehouse Chocolate Chip Cookie, Fresh Cranberry Galettes, a flurry of Christmas cookies, and a savory focaccia so good you’ll be reaching for it in the car on the way home.

Seeing you pop by the pop-up bakery these past weeks has been such a joy. We’re still growing, still smoothing the edges, and still building this sweet little dream one bake at a time.

And mark your calendars for January 3rd — pickup day is going to be bagels and schmears. A very strong way to start the new year, if I do say so myself.

Links I Loved This Week

Just a few links to feel, glow-up, and keep reading!

This encapsulated a lot of feelings: Eulogy For My Estranged Sister, Who Lives Somewhere in Boston

I’m going to let this Gen Z girlie guide me towards Beating the Winter Uglies step-by-step, yesIam.

I’ve been in need of a book to read in the middle of the night (when I, for some reason, wake up at 3am) From the New York Times, Which Notable Book of 2025 Should We Read? I’m leaning heavy towards the immersive thrillers and absorbing memoirs.

Have a wonderful week, friends! More from me soon!

xo Joy