Holidays recipes

Lemon roll-out cookies with sour cream in the dough for a tender crumb, brushed with lemon juice and sprinkled with sugar before baking. The bright citrusy cookie cutter staple for any holiday tray.

Green bean and mushroom casserole made from scratch with a homemade cream sauce enriched with egg yolk and fresh mushrooms, no canned soup. Topped with buttered bread crumbs and baked golden for the holidays.

Flourless chocolate cake spiked with Grand Marnier, baked low and slow for a dense, fudgy interior with a delicate soufflé-like crown. Naturally gluten-free dessert for holidays, dinner parties, or any chocolate-lover's celebration.

Mint iced brownies stack three layers: a fudgy pecan brownie, a cool green peppermint buttercream, and a glossy semisweet chocolate glaze. A chocolate-mint holiday favorite, with the brownie base baked fast in the microwave.

Spells & Bells are festive Christmas cookies cut into holiday shapes and deep fried until golden and puffed, then served plain, sugared or glazed. A cream-rich fried dough that's crisp outside and tender within.

Best homemade tourtiere, the French-Canadian meat pie: spiced ground pork bound with mashed potato, onion and garlic under a flaky double crust. Sage and nutmeg give this Quebec holiday classic its warm, cozy flavor.

Lady apple fruit wreath ringing a holiday roast with spiced crabapples frosted in tinted cream cheese and rolled in toasted pecans, set on a bed of parsley. A retro edible garnish for your festive platter.

Hazelnut butter balls: tender, melt-in-your-mouth cookies loaded with chopped toasted hazelnuts, rolled in powdered sugar while warm. A buttery, nutty riff on the classic snowball cookie that disappears off any holiday tray.

Deep-fried Hanukkah cookies with lemon zest, dusted in cinnamon sugar while still warm. Crispy on the outside and soft inside, these traditional fried dough balls celebrate the holiday's oil tradition in every golden bite.

Leftover turkey and smoked ham layered with egg noodles in a leek cream sauce scented with nutmeg, topped with bubbly Swiss cheese. This cozy casserole turns holiday leftovers into a golden, cheesy one-dish dinner.

Quick sherry pan gravy with currant jelly, orange juice, soy sauce, and a splash of sherry, thickened with cornstarch. A sweet-savory sauce ready in 15 minutes for roast game, duck, lamb, or holiday turkey.

Oysters in champagne sauce: plump shucked oysters cloaked in a silky butter-champagne sauce, broiled just until golden on a bed of rock salt. An elegant appetizer for New Year's Eve or any holiday table.

Torta: a rich, golden anise-scented yeast cake made with egg yolks and butter, brushed with melted butter and topped with grated cheese and sugar. An Old-World Mediterranean sweet bread for holidays and celebrations.

Christmas compote jam blends dried figs, dates, apricots, three nuts, and candied orange in a quince-juice base spiced with cinnamon, clove, cardamom, and star anise. A three-day European holiday preserve worth every step.

Mocha spice roll cake is a warmly spiced sponge rolled around billowy coffee-cocoa whipped cream, then frosted and fork-scored to look like a bark log. A holiday-ready bûche de Noël with cinnamon, clove, and allspice woven through.

Scalloped corn is a creamy, custardy baked corn casserole, the cozy Midwestern side that shows up at every holiday and potluck. Sweet corn bound in a rich custard and baked until set and golden. Comforting and crowd-pleasing.