Holidays recipes

Traditional British Christmas plum pudding with cognac-soaked dried fruit, walnuts, suet, and warm spices, steamed in a mold and served with brandy butter sauce. A Victorian holiday classic.

Soft spiced raisin drop cookies made with cookie mix, molasses, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, topped with a smooth vanilla butter frosting. A semi-homemade shortcut for holiday cookie trays.

Big-batch Christmas hermit cookies loaded with raisins, currants, chopped nuts, and orange zest, spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. A chewy, old-fashioned holiday drop cookie that makes 10 dozen.

Soft chocolate drop cookies packed with maraschino cherries and topped with a glossy chocolate frosting. Buttermilk keeps them tender. Makes 4 to 5 dozen in about 30 minutes, so they're built for holiday cookie trays and bake sales.

Leftover turkey shepherd's pie with carrots, tomatoes, thyme, and rosemary in a whole wheat flour gravy, topped with mashed potatoes and baked golden. The best way to use holiday turkey leftovers.

German honey spice cookies rolled into bite-sized balls with cinnamon, cloves, allspice, mace, and black pepper, then dipped in a sweet vanilla glaze. A traditional Pfeffernusse-style holiday cookie.

Easy cranberry cheesecake with tart cranberries and bright orange zest folded into a creamy filling and baked in a graham-dusted pie plate. A festive, holiday-ready dessert with a sweet-tart balance.

Nesselrode pudding pie with a rum-spiked custard, whipped egg whites, and Nesselrode mix set in a pie shell and topped with chocolate shavings. A classic, elegant chilled holiday dessert.

No-bake chocolate nutty bites with cornflakes, hazelnuts, and raisins in a buttery cocoa mixture. Just six ingredients, ready after an hour in the fridge. Great for kids and holiday treat trays.

Leftover mashed potato pancakes crisp up golden on the griddle, then get topped with a fried egg and a skillet hash of shredded turkey, gravy, corn, and sweet red pepper. One plate that turns holiday leftovers into brunch.

Classic Swedish spritz cookies made with a cookie press from a rich butter dough. Decorate with candied fruits or colored sugar for a festive holiday cookie tin that yields 3-4 dozen.

Creamy vegan eggnog blended from silken tofu, vanilla soy milk, brandy, and brown sugar with a pinch of turmeric for that classic golden hue. Ten minutes, no cooking, no eggs. Holiday sipping without the dairy.

Greek kourabiedes wedding shortbread, buttery powdered-sugar cookies scented with brandy or ouzo and topped with a single clove. A snowy holiday and wedding classic that melts in the mouth.

Old-fashioned coconut meringue kisses with shredded coconut, vanilla, almond extract, and a cherry half on top. A naturally gluten-free holiday cookie with a crisp exterior and chewy center.

Gingerbread pancakes turn weekend breakfast into the holidays: molasses, cinnamon, and ginger fold into a fluffy buttermilk-style batter with raisins. Ready in under twenty minutes from bowl to griddle.

Goose with apples is the classic Danish Christmas roast, stuffed with apples, prunes, and onion to perfume the meat as it slowly renders. A 3-hour holiday centerpiece for 15.