Cheeziest Biscotti
For a cheesy New Year’s Eve
As I get older, New Year’s Eve holds less and less importance for me. When I was younger, it was VERY important to have some kind of plan for NYE. I’ll spare you the story of what I did when I was in high school and was distraught over the lack of plans. Maybe some other time! In my 20s and 30s, I pretty much always went out, or even better, stayed in and had a party. The kind of party where the food was pretzels and potato chips. That turned out to be my favorite kind of New Year’s Eve plan. I get to stay home, but still be with people to ring in the new year by having everyone come to me! People always seem grateful for an invitation because it means they can stop stressing about it too.
Last year, we were displaced from our house because of the fire, but we were in a larger house that was perfect for entertaining and guests. We invited two of our favorite couples to come for dinner and a sleepover, which was really nice. First we had fondue hour, followed by seafood stew at the table. That was a menu worth repeating.
This year, Steve is away on a (silent) meditation retreat (I know!), and I didn’t make any effort to make plans and invite myself anywhere. I did invite a singleton friend to come hang out with me, but she wanted to cook for friends in the city, and won’t come until the next day. And you know what? I’m fine with it. Maybe even looking forward to it. It’s just another night, right?
If you are entertaining or going to a party though, here are some cheese-centric bites that are perfect with champagne. One year, I made the Stress-less Cheese Soufflé you’ll find below, which was perfect for a light supper after we had some blini and caviar. Before you get all scared about making a soufflé, don’t! It’s easy and make-ahead. You keep it in the fridge until it’s time to bake.
The main event today is my friend Jessie Sheehan’s Cheeziest Biscotti from her book Snackable Bakes, which I have been dying to make. By all accounts, they are as delicious as you’d expect, and in my mind the perfect thing to serve with drinks. They are also a great thing to bring if you are going elsewhere, and perfect if, like me, you haven’t tired of making cookies. Think of them as savory cookies. Yum!
Here’s to a safe and fun New Year’s Eve and a happy and healthy 2026. Thank you all for being here!
More cheesy recipes for NYE
Straight-Up Gruyère Gougères
In case you are not familiar with gougères, aka cheese puffs, they are truly one of the easiest things you can whip up in your kitchen, usually with everything you’ve got on hand. This recipe (also from Snackable Bakes) is a great one, and I particularly like Jessie’s suggestion to use an ice cream scoop to portion out the dough—much easier than piping!
My Stress-Less Cheese Soufflé
This is probably my number one dish for wowing an intimate crowd. Making a soufflé isn’t as tricky as you might think—and in fact, you can assemble it many hours ahead of time. Your guests will think you are a real genius pulling this thing out of the oven and serving them scoops of piping hot cheese heaven.
Smoky Cheddar Crackers
I think it’s nice to have a little something to nibble on before a big festive feast, and few things are better for this than a cheesy, salty, buttery (homemade!) cracker, which will pair perfectly with that glass of Champagne.
Cheeziest Biscotti
Reprinted with permission from Snackable Bakes by Jessie Sheehan.