With the holiday season in full swing, there’s no better way to celebrate the holidays than sharing the love with your awesome baking skills. Here are some simple but sweet holiday bakes you can use to impress your family, bless your friends with, and enjoy over winter break!

1. Santa’s Cookies.

I mean, this one is really a no brainer. Whether its chocolate chip or sugar cookies, there is definitely no way you can go wrong with choosing to bake some cookies. They are simple, easy to bake, and super delicious!! Some ideas are: chocolate chip/m&m, sugar (with icing or jam), snickerdoodle, gingerbread, chocolate crinkle, butter, mint chocolate chip and gingersnap cookies. If you want to be extra festive, you can try adding some peppermint bark, nutmeg or cinnamon to your choice of cookie to spruce up the winter-holiday spirit.

2. Got ginger?

Along with the nostalgic gingerbread house staple, there are so many other ways that you can put that ginger to work. Some ideas are gingerbread loaves, gingerbread cookies, gingerbread truffles, gingerbread fudge, gingerbread cheesecake, gingerbread blondies; really, there are so many options and these are just a few! The best part about baking it instead of buying it is you know exactly how much ginger you add, and how strong or light you want the flavor to be, allowing you to make what tastes best for you.

3. Ooh, Minty!

Can’t forget the Candy Canes! It’s the Holidays so of course you have to have something mint related on your baking bucket list. The most popular bake that comes to mind when in the Christmas spirit is Peppermint Bark, but other possible future winter-break-bakes could include Peppermint Meringues, Mint Chocolate Chip Pies, Peppermint Bark Brownies or old-fashioned 1940s Peppermint Patties. No matter what you try, it’s bound to make your holidays much more festive.

4. Are apples still in season?

Everyone seems to forget about how amazing a freshly baked apple pie with vanilla icecream can taste. Of course, it doesn’t have to stop there. You can make Apple Cobbler, Apple Crepes, Apple Glazed Donuts (or donut bites), Apple Fritters or one of my favorites, Apple Pecan Bread Pudding. Maybe you can even venture out into the land of veggies, and try baking some Carrot Cake.

5. Stop the cake hate.

Although I am biased to cheesecakes, there are so many different cakes you can make that can also give you the opportunity to show off your expert cake decorating skills over a base of deliciousness, and it is something that is not very common to see at the dinner table during the holidays . Some ideas for cakes include: Red Velvet Cake, Peppermint Poke Cake, Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake, Cream Cheese Apple Spice Cake, Chocolate Bundt Cake, Gingerbread Cake, Fruitcake or even a funny cake like a Ugly Sweater Cake, Milk ‘N’ Cookies Icebox Cake or a Christmas Tree Cake. Let your imagination free!

6. Oh so, you’re up for a challenge

I know there has to be someone reading this thinking “when is she going to get to the good stuff?” And if that’s you, look no further. For my baking enthusiasts, you could try some recipes that are found around the world. The first is super well known: Crème Brûlée. French, creamy, sweet and simple; with only a few ingredients you can ease your sweet tooth and it also takes a little skill to get right. Another is Tres Leches Cake, a Latin American sponge cake that is syrupy and tasty. You can try making Sufganiyot, a Hanukkah and Jewish novelty, or other recipes can include Gelt, lemony Loukoumades, Sweet Noodle Kugel, Rugelach, or Chocolate Babka. These baked goods will leave your kitchen smelling like a fresh christmas bakery, and have mouths salivating this holiday break.