1,520 cheery recipes

A showpiece Christmas coconut layer cake with tutti-frutti filling loaded with pecans, candied cherries, golden raisins, and coconut, then frosted with almond whipped cream. Holiday baking at its finest.

Marinated cold steak salad with seared sirloin cubes, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, and cherry tomatoes in a homemade herb-Dijon vinaigrette. Make it overnight for the boldest flavor.

The reputation of fruitcake has been tarnished but store bought and candied fruitcakes. Using dried instead of candied fruit demonstrates what fruitcake is supposed to be.

Seafood strata layered with crab meat, oyster crackers, water chestnuts, and peas in a lobster bisque custard. Assembled the night before and baked golden for an easy brunch or dinner.

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.

Lean ground beef simmered in a spiced no-salt tomato sauce, served in crispy baked tortilla bowls on a bed of shredded lettuce with cherry tomatoes, carrots, and Parmesan. A lighter taco salad that doesn't skimp on flavor.

Velvety chocolate cheesecake with spiced chocolate wafer crust, triple chocolate filling from cocoa, melted chocolate and whipped cream, garnished with chocolate curls.

Very tasty fruitcake, all kinds of candied fruits in the cake, looks great, great flavor! Family and friends enjoyed it

Traditional wedding fruitcake with candied cherries, pineapple, dates, raisins, currants, citron, and nuts in a spiced batter. Slow-baked at low heat for a dense, rich loaf.

Classic German Lebkuchen: spiced honey bars with almonds and candied citrus peel, glazed with lemon icing and dotted with cherries. Centuries-old Nuremberg Christmas tradition.

Wild pecan rice salad with chicken pairs nutty Louisiana wild pecan rice with cubed chicken, avocado, cherry tomatoes, and toasted pecans. Finished with a creamy chickpea-sesame vinaigrette.

Sweet-sour meatball kabobs with ground beef, pineapple, green peppers, cherry tomatoes, and green onions. Marinated in a pineapple-soy-vinegar sauce, then broiled with a glossy glaze.

This is a vibrant colourful dish that has Summer BBQ ‘written all over it”. Adding mint to the pesto brings in a classic flavour accompaniment to great Australian Lamb – fabulous with a glass of Banrock Station Shiraz Mataro, 2008, £5.99 at Sainsbury’s, Somerfield, Tesco, Waitrose and Thresher.

Pot Roast Caribe braises a 3-pound chuck roast in a mole-inspired sauce with cocoa, chili, cumin, cinnamon, ground almonds, and orange zest. Caribbean-style pot roast for 6-8.

A show-stopping zebra cheesecake with swirled dark and white chocolate batters on a chocolate wafer crust, finished with a semi-sweet chocolate ganache glaze. Pure drama on a plate.