Padma Lakshmi's Holiday Baking Go-To Is "Easy" and "Forgiving" (Kid Friendly, Too)

You've seen what Christmas cookies look like when they come out of Padma Lakshmi's kitchen — and they look colorful, delicious, and made with love. But, cookies aren't the only treat the Bravo's Top Chef judge whips up this time of year. And if gooey, marshmallow-flecked desserts make you nostalgic, you're going to want in on this tip. 

The Feast caught up with Padma at Kellogg’s Holiday Baking Challenge in New York City, and she filled us in on her rediscovered affection for Rice Krispie Treats. With a spicy twist, that is. "I haven’t made them for a long time but we recently made Rice Krispies treats again, just a classic recipe," she told us. "And just to add a different taste to it you can add like cardamom or cinnamon."

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And, that's not all she's whipping up. "I love making crumbles… It’s a great activity for kids because you can pre-cut all the food and what I do is just, on a dining table or a kitchen table, just have all different kind of fruits and different things to add as toppings. I add cereal to the topping ... and crumbles are very forgiving so it’s easy to do with kids," she said. 

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Padma also gave us the most festive — and indulgent — breakfast recipe idea of all time. "I love eggnog but I try to drink it sparingly," she shared. "I will say one time we were very decadent and added egg nog to our cereal, which is not something I recommend doing on a regular basis. But it’s a very decadent dessert."

— Reporting by Laura Rosenfeld