Carrot cake layered with grated carrots, crushed pineapple, walnuts, coconut, and raisins, topped with orange-scented cream cheese frosting. Three layers of moist, spiced cake that gets better overnight.
Old-fashioned soft molasses cookies spiced with cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg, topped with a shiny boiled gelatin frosting. Makes 4 dozen from an overnight chilled dough.
Barbadians make Black Cake for weddings, birthdays and at Christimas time. Indeed, no Christmas holiday is felt to be complete without black Cake. People from many of the islands make a similar cake. This Black Cake derived from the British Plum Pudding which is a must on their Christmas menu.
Traditional Cumberland sausage made with pork shoulder, back fat, nutmeg, mace, and a touch of smoked bacon. Hand-mixed, stuffed into casings, and baked until golden and snappy.
Old-fashioned sour milk jumbles cut with a doughnut cutter and sprinkled with sugar straight from the oven. Buttermilk and nutmeg give these ring-shaped cookies a tender crumb and warm spice.
Emily Dickinson's black cake, a dense Victorian fruitcake with brandy, molasses, raisins, currants, and citron spiced with cloves, mace, and cinnamon. Baked low and slow.
Sauce Aurore (Aurora sauce) made from a silky bechamel base with tomato paste stirred in for a blush-pink French classic. Seven ingredients, one saucepan, about 15 minutes.
Grandma's meatloaf with a sweet ketchup glaze, ground beef, Rice Krispies binder, and a pinch of nutmeg. Old-fashioned Sunday dinner that slices clean and tastes like home.
Apple banana crunch pie pairs chunked apples and bananas under a buttery cinnamon-nutmeg crumb topping. An unexpected fruit combination that bakes up tender beneath a streusel crust.
Hot wassail made with apple juice, pineapple juice, and cranberry juice simmered with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and lemon. A non-alcoholic holiday punch ready in 15 minutes.
Apple raisin sour cream crumb pie nestles sliced apples and plump raisins under a tangy sour cream custard and a buttery cinnamon crumb topping. A Dutch-style fall pie with three textures in one slice.
Homemade ground beef summer sausage cured with liquid smoke, mustard seeds, and coriander. Mix, roll, refrigerate overnight, and bake for smoky, sliceable sausage logs ready for snacking.
Persimmon chocolate chip cookies: ripe Hachiya persimmon pulp folded into a spiced cookie dough with chocolate chips, walnuts, and dates. Soft, cake-like cookies with autumn-spice warmth in every bite.
Old-fashioned mincemeat pie filling made with real ground beef, apples, raisins, cider, and warm baking spices. A blue-ribbon recipe that freezes in batches so you're always ready for pie season.
Mini meatloaves with a sweet-savory glaze of brown sugar, ketchup, ginger, and soy sauce. Seasoned with sage, thyme, and nutmeg, these cook in just 35 minutes for a fast weeknight dinner.
Rich West Indian Christmas cake soaked in rum and sherry with dried fruits, warm spices, and browning for deep color. Start the fruit a month ahead for a dense, boozy holiday cake worth the wait.