491 holiday recipes

Sweet potato whip blended with carrots, chicken broth, nonfat yogurt, and cinnamon for a lighter, less sugary take on mashed sweet potatoes. A great make-ahead holiday side.

Spiced cranberry relish caramelizes sugar, then cooks fresh cranberries with diced orange, lime, raisins, ginger, cinnamon, and vanilla bean for a complex holiday relish that improves with time.

Cranberry star mold: a retro raspberry gelatin dessert folded with whipped cream, pineapple, and orange sections, chilled in a star mold. A classic holiday side or light dessert.

Pickled red beets in a sweet brown sugar and vinegar brine. Old-school canning recipe that yields jewel-toned jars perfect for sandwiches, salads, and holiday relish trays.

Fortune Christmas Cookies, tiny marble-sized dough balls baked into bite-sized holiday treats. A simple, quick-baking variation of the Mysticandy cookie dough for the Christmas tin.

Chestnut meringues with chopped marrons glaces folded through crisp, snowy French meringue, dusted with cocoa. A delicate, old-world European cookie for tea trays and holiday gift tins.

Rum-scented candy logs made with powdered sugar and cherries, coated in melted caramel and rolled in crunchy pecans. A vintage holiday confection that makes half a dozen logs.

Light and earthy wild rice dressing with brown rice, fresh mushrooms, celery, and watercress simmered in thyme-scented broth. A wholesome holiday side dish that won't weigh you down.

Golden fruitcake with dried apricots, raisins, candied cherries, orange peel, citron, and shaved almonds in a light cake flour batter. Baked low and slow for 4 gorgeous holiday loaves.

Deep dish cranapple pie with sliced apples and whole berry cranberry sauce under decorative pastry cutouts. Spiced with apple pie spice and orange zest for a festive holiday dessert.

Cranberry raisin squares with a double pastry crust and fruity filling baked until golden. A slab-style hand pie cut into bars, great for holiday dessert trays and potlucks.

Sweet potato and parsnip puree spiked with toasty ground cumin. A 3-ingredient, dairy-free side dish with natural sweetness and earthy spice for holiday tables or weeknight roasts.

Little snow people cookies: holiday snowman cookies shaped from festive dough with three stacked balls, decorated with mini chocolate chip eyes, cinnamon candy buttons, and peanut butter cup hats.

A simple mashed butternut squash and carrot side, brightened with butter and a whisper of ginger. A naturally sweet, gluten-free vegetable mash for the holiday or weeknight table.

Christmas gift-box cake decorated with homemade red ribbon and holly leaves made from melted vanilla chips and corn syrup, dusted with edible glitter. A centerpiece-worthy holiday showstopper.

Cranberry-apple Stilton bites on Melba toast with port-braised fruit, creamy blue cheese, and chopped walnuts. A make-ahead holiday appetizer that balances sweet, salty, and funky in one bite.