Holidays recipes

Italian Christmas cookies (Patina di Natale) studded with toasted pine nuts and brightened by lemon zest. A buttery, golden-glazed cookie-cutter classic from the holiday tables of southern Italy.

Maple glazed ham for the smoker: a 7-pound cooked ham basted in spiced maple syrup, studded with cloves, and smoked slow with pineapple and cherries for a holiday showstopper.

A diabetic-friendly pumpkin cheese pie with a tangy cream cheese layer under spiced pumpkin custard. No added sugar, sweetened naturally for holiday tables that need a lighter dessert option.

Handmade liqueur-filled chocolates with a kirsch or Chambord fondant center coated in semi-sweet chocolate. These molded truffles make a sophisticated homemade candy gift for holidays and special occasions.

Bachelor's Buttons are old-fashioned drop cookies with a buttery vanilla dough topped with half a cherry before baking. Crisp edges, soft centers, and adorable enough for a cookie tray or holiday tin.

Mocha nut rounds are slice-and-bake icebox cookies flavored with instant coffee and semi-sweet chocolate. Edges dipped in milk chocolate, then rolled in chopped pistachios for a striking holiday cookie tray finish.

Green bean and turkey casserole bakes leftover turkey, green beans, cream of mushroom soup, and cheddar under a layer of mashed potatoes, finished with crispy fried onions. Holiday leftover one-dish dinner.

Buttery rolled sugar cookies with lemon zest and vanilla, made with cake flour for a melt-in-your-mouth tender crumb. A classic cut-out cookie recipe that's ideal for decorating and holiday baking.

Frozen Christmas wreath ice ring built in layers with cranberries, lemon slices, and mint that mimic holly leaves and berries. A stunning floating centerpiece for holiday punch bowls that keeps drinks cold without dilution.

Butter-almond cookies shaped and colored into tiny fruit miniatures like strawberries, bananas, pears, and oranges. A showstopper holiday cookie project using simple dough with food coloring and clever shaping techniques.

Orange butter cakes are petite tartlet-tin cakes perfumed with Grand Marnier and candied orange peel, then dipped in orange liqueur glaze. Elegant 36-cake batch for gifts or a holiday tray.

Candied spicy pecans coated in cinnamon sugar and egg white, slow-baked at low heat for one hour until crisp and caramelized. An addictive sweet-spiced nut snack or holiday gift.

Cornish hens roasted over a toasted long-grain rice stuffing studded with pecans, raisins and orange juice. An elegant holiday-worthy dinner with juicy birds and aromatic fruit-and-nut rice.

Pfeffernüsse-style German spice cookies with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, mace, and allspice, finished with a drop of brandy before baking. A traditional holiday cookie that keeps for weeks in a tin.

Raspberry meringue bars layer a buttery shortbread crust, raspberry pie filling, and a crisp coconut-almond meringue top. Cuts into 48 elegant bars for a crowd. Cookie-tin-worthy holiday classic.

Eggnog cheesecake flavored with rum and nutmeg, baked in a crumb crust with a high-low oven method for a silky, crack-free top. A festive holiday cheesecake for rum-lovers.