443 late recipes

No Christmas feast in medieval times was complete without a 'grete pye'. In some recipes, it could contain many varied meats, but quite often only two or three different kinds were suggested; change the meats suggested here if you wish.

A fruit-packed quick bread loaded with dates, raisins, candied cherries, and walnuts, moistened with applesauce and oats for bakery-style loaves.

Gluten-free rice flour waffles lightened with whipped egg whites and folded with cooked rice for a crisp, hearty bite. Spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, then topped with a strawberry-yogurt sauce.

Linda's fruitcake: brandy-soaked dates, citrus peel, raisins, almonds, and cherries folded into a spiced batter with a pineapple jam layer. Wrapped in brandy-soaked cheesecloth to age.

Golden saffron bread made easy in a bread machine with whole wheat, oat flour, currants, and date sugar. A wholesome twist on Sweden's classic Lussekatter holiday loaf.

Spiced drop cookies loaded with raisins, candied fruit, dates, and walnuts, topped with a vanilla icing. A fruitcake-style cookie perfect for holiday gift giving.

Medieval-style meat cakes with pork shoulder, dates, raisins, pistachios, and saffron baked into a buttery pastry shell. Ancient sweet-savory tart that blends pork with dried fruits and warm spices.

Fruchtebrot (German fruit bread) packed with dried pears, apricots, dates, plums, raisins, and walnuts in a spiced yeast dough with cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom.

Pumpkin cookies with caramel frosting, they're so good it's hard to eat just one. Great to make in a advance and freeze.

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.

Vit Tiem Mia is a traditional Vietnamese braised duck wrapped in sugar cane, stuffed with peanuts, chestnuts, ginkgo nuts, and lotus seeds, simmered in coconut water until fork-tender.

Pumpkin spice bread with whole wheat flour, oats, dates, and maple syrup instead of refined sugar. Buttermilk keeps the crumb moist and tender with a triple-spice warmth.

Loaded homemade granola with oat, wheat, and barley flakes, popcorn, nuts, seeds, coconut, and dried fruit. Honey-baked with maple flavoring for crunchy, customizable clusters.

Old-school dark fruitcake soaked overnight in brandy and orange liqueur with figs, apricots, currants, walnuts, and pecans. Makes four loaves; ages beautifully.

Caloric, filling and tasty bars, these bars give a flavorful and filling treat along the trail.

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.