Make these now: Juniper shortbread trees + booze-laced truffles

A Christmas Eve duo of delights

For all you last-minute Larrys, I have the perfect Christmas Eve project. Over the past few years I’ve made the same cookies. I decided with the launch of my book, to wipe the slate clean and brought a few elements from those pages here - tweaking them a little for a different destiny, of course. In a serendipitous move, I added festive juniper into my holiday treats, to incorporate some wild-foraged delights. Juniper can be bracing, but when used in proper proportion, the fragrant, blue-hued berries from female trees (which are actually tiny cones) impart an enlivening, brightening flavor that is absolutely perfect for the holidays.