New year recipes

New Year's Eve clock cake: three airy white cake layers stacked with silky chocolate cream filling, wrapped in rich Hungarian chocolate frosting and decorated to look like a clock striking midnight.

Traditional Greek vasilopita, a fragrant New Year's bread scented with orange zest, cinnamon, and masticha. A golden, egg-glazed yeast loaf topped with almonds to ring in good luck.

New Year's Eve chocolate clock cake stacks three layers of egg-white sponge with stovetop chocolate cream filling and Hungarian chocolate frosting, then iced with a clock face for the midnight countdown.

Grapefruit, Campari, and pomegranate cocktail blends tart grapefruit juice with deep red pomegranate and ice into a foamy pale-pink base, then gets topped with bitter Italian Campari. A festive New Year's pitcher drink.

Citrus curried cashews toss raw cashews with lemon juice, warm curry powder, and kosher salt, then slow-roast to crisp. A salty-tart, spice-dusted cocktail nut for holiday parties and DIY gifting.

Ring in the New Year with this sparkling champagne pomegranate punch spiked with citrus vodka. Jewel-toned, fizzy, and ready in under 5 minutes. Just stir, pour over ice, and toast.

Pretzel and peanut butter truffles roll crunchy peanut butter and chopped salted pretzels into bites, freeze them firm, and dip in melted milk chocolate. Three ingredients and no baking required.

Fruity Mary punch simmers red wine with brown sugar, apple, orange, pineapple, and star anise, then finishes with a splash of orange curaçao. A warm holiday mulled wine served in heat-safe mugs.

Sweet cherry peppers stuffed with lemony tuna, capers, and optional anchovy, finished with a balsamic vinegar drizzle. These bite-sized Italian-style appetizers are the life of any New Year's Eve party and ready in under 30 minutes.

Spiced shrimp with broiled polenta stacks lemon-sage shrimp onto crisp-broiled polenta rounds, finished with crumbled prosciutto. An elegant, quick New Year's Eve appetizer or small-plate main.

Butterflied pork tenderloin stuffed with spinach, smoked cheddar, and chorizo, then seared and roasted until juicy. This show-stopping stuffed pork is ready in under an hour and worthy of any celebration.

Pomegranate and blood orange mimosas mix tart blood orange juice with ruby pomegranate, then top each flute with chilled sparkling wine. A jewel-toned New Year's Eve toast that takes minutes to pour.

New Year's Eve polenta squares crisp tube polenta under the broiler, then top each bite with a tangy sun-dried tomato, caper, and parsley pesto. A make-ahead cocktail-party appetizer that feeds a crowd.

Pan-seared beef tenderloin topped with melted blue cheese and sweet balsamic caramelized onions. A simple, elegant steak dinner that's ready in 40 minutes.

Spanish pan con tomate with Serrano ham slow-roasts plum tomatoes for a sweet, garlicky spread piled onto toasted baguette and topped with thin slices of jamón. A classic tapas party platter.

These stuffed jalapeno peppers are "fried" in the oven to cut the fat in a big way. A mixture of refried beans and cheese creates a warm and gooey inside with the cornmeal delivering a delicate crispy outside. Perfect for New Years or Superbowl gatherings.