Holidays recipes

Piped kiss-shaped meringues dried overnight in the oven, then dipped in melted semisweet chocolate. Light as a snowflake and stunning on a holiday cookie tray.

Roast duck with a port wine cranberry sauce made from the pan drippings, orange juice, and brown sugar. Lemon-rubbed and roasted until the skin is shatteringly crisp.

New Year's Eve clock cake: three airy white cake layers stacked with silky chocolate cream filling, wrapped in rich Hungarian chocolate frosting and decorated to look like a clock striking midnight.

Pumpkin bars built on a spice cake mix shortcut: a press-in crust topped with a pumpkin custard layer, finished with chopped pecans. Thirty-two festive holiday bars from one box of mix.

What makes this appetizer stand out are the grains of glutinous rice (also called sweet or sticky rice), which turn a pearly color when cooked.

Chocolate and cherries - always a great combo - are enhanced in this winning shaped-cookie recipe by a coating of cocoa and powdered sugar. It was submitted by Lois A. Hernandez of West Allis.

Crispy chocolate snap cookies topped with frosting and piped spiderweb designs in melted chocolate. The ultimate Halloween cookie that freezes beautifully for make-ahead party prep.

Black and white marbled puddings made in the microwave. Vanilla and chocolate buttermilk puddings swirled together in dessert bowls for a striking two-tone dessert. Ready to chill in 30 minutes.

These bars have been a family favorite for Mary Wilhelm of Sparta for decades.

Wormy baked apples: cinnamon-brown sugar baked apples stuffed with raisins and walnuts, served with gummy worms wriggling out the top. A Halloween dessert that's actually good to eat.

Three-layer butter pecan cake filled with rich, from-scratch burnt-sugar caramel, frosted in buttercream and crusted with pecans. A classic Southern caramel cake worth the fuss.

Frozen cranberry souffle with Italian meringue and whipped cream, garnished with spun sugar cranberries. A showstopping holiday dessert that's made ahead and served frozen.

These delicious and melted in your mouth cookies don't last long.

Mama Stamberg's cranberry relish with raw cranberries, onion, sour cream, and horseradish. The famous NPR Thanksgiving recipe that's frozen then thawed for a shocking pink, tangy condiment.

Celebrate next Thanksgiving with this rich and decadent pie made with corn syrup, pumpkin and pecan halves.

Five pound fudge made with chocolate chips, chocolate bars, marshmallow cream, evaporated milk, and pecans. A big-batch holiday candy recipe cooked to the soft ball stage.