270 cheery recipes

Traditional English fruitcake loaded with raisins, candied orange and lemon peel, citron, candied cherries, and walnuts. Baked low and slow in a tube pan for over 2 hours.

Sirloin beef kabobs marinated in soy sauce, sherry, honey and ginger, then broiled with pineapple chunks, mushrooms and green onions. A glossy, sweet-savory skewer dinner the whole family will love.

Rotini pasta salad Nicoise-style with chicken, white beans, artichoke hearts, and a Dijon lemon vinaigrette. A hearty, protein-packed cold salad for summer.

Chewy oatmeal cookies loaded with white chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, candied cherries, and toasted almonds. A bakery-style drop cookie with almond extract for extra depth.

Lester's fruitcake is a heirloom holiday loaf: pounds of candied fruits, figs, dates, raisins, pecans, and walnuts bound in spiced molasses batter. Slow-baked, brandy-soaked, aged a month.

A vegan cornbread loaf studded with dried cherries, toasted pecans, and sesame seeds. Made with silken tofu, soy milk, and maple syrup instead of eggs and dairy. Hearty, naturally sweet, and completely plant-based.

A layered yeasted coffee cake with potato dough, cinnamon-sugar filling, and chopped almonds. Circles of soft dough are stacked and twisted into a show-stopping breakfast centerpiece glazed with powdered sugar icing.

Chocolate fruitcake with cocoa, candied cherries, pecans, golden raisins, and mixed dried fruit, topped with a semisweet chocolate-almond glaze and toasted almonds.

Easier to work with. The original recipe called for brandy or grape juice, but I found that if you substitute the orange juice concentrate, it has a nicer flavour.

Crisp grilled prawns glazed with lemongrass and ginger meet julienned green mango tossed in a tangy Thai dressing. Every bite balances bright lime, crunchy peanuts, and fresh herbs.

Old-fashioned Christmas Rocks cookies bursting with candied fruit, dates, figs, pecans, raisins, and currants in a cocoa-spiced batter with a hint of coffee. Dense, chewy, and built to last.

Old fashioned fruit cake with blackberry jam, fig preserves, watermelon rind preserves, candied cherries, pecans, and cocoa. Baked low and slow in a cast iron skillet.

This simple side dish is a good source of fiber. Increase the portion size and it doubles as a meatless main dish.

Traditional fruitcake studded with dates, figs, candied citron, pecans, and brandy-soaked fruits becomes a family heirloom recipe worth making.

Wild rice and black-eyed pea salad with yellow bell pepper, jicama, zucchini, and cherry tomatoes in a lemon-Dijon vinaigrette with rosemary. No oil, no cooking required.

Holiday mincemeat with chopped beef, suet, apples, sour cherries, dried fruit, and broken nuts simmered slowly with brandy and warming spices. A massive 48-serving batch for Christmas baking and gift-giving.