Holidays recipes

Peanuts are a symbol of longevity in Chinese culture. Feel free to vary the basic recipe by experimenting with different combinations of spices.

Stuffed butternut squash filled with wild rice, torn whole wheat bread, red onion, sage, thyme, and fresh orange juice. A hearty vegetarian main dish.

Really wonderful flavor on this pizza. Light and fresh tasting. I had never used Fontina cheese before, and it was excellent. This pizza was incredible, and I didn't change a thing.

Kolachki: tender, flaky Eastern European cream cheese cookies wrapped around a sweet ground walnut filling and rolled in sugar. A buttery, melt-in-your-mouth holiday tradition.

Christopsomo: a traditional Greek Christmas bread with semolina, citrus zest from oranges and tangerines, currants, golden raisins, and a warming blend of cinnamon, anise, coriander, and cloves.

Sweet potato ginger rolls with fresh ginger, orange zest, and nutmeg in a soft yeast dough, egg-washed and topped with sesame seeds. Tender dinner rolls with warm, spiced flavor.

These muffins are great. They are not too sweet, have just the right amount of cream cheese, and are nice and filling.

Sage-scented bread cubes loaded with chicken apple sausage, smoky bacon, tart green apples, and buttery chestnuts make this crowd-feeding holiday stuffing a Thanksgiving must.

German potato salad tosses tender sliced potatoes and onion in a tangy-sweet apple cider vinegar dressing with just a touch of mayo. A lighter, Oktoberfest-style side that's even better after it rests.

Individual chocolate cheesecake tarts in a buttery macadamia nut crust, spiked with creme de cacao, and plated over silky vanilla custard sauce. Dinner party worthy.

No-bake cheesecake sets on a graham cracker crust, then gets decorated with star-shaped cutouts filled with warm strawberry jam and a border of fresh blueberries for easy July 4th entertaining.

Crustless pumpkin pie spiced with cinnamon, ginger, and allspice, lightened with egg whites and evaporated milk. All the creamy custard you love while skipping the heavy crust. A lighter holiday favorite.

A bread machine Swedish limpa rye with orange zest, caraway seeds, and fennel. Slightly sweet from brown sugar with a fragrant, earthy crumb. Just load the machine and let it do the work.

New Year's Eve polenta squares crisp tube polenta under the broiler, then top each bite with a tangy sun-dried tomato, caper, and parsley pesto. A make-ahead cocktail-party appetizer that feeds a crowd.

Try this crockpot rendition of hot cocoa that is perfect for a large group of people!

These rich chocolate-toffee bars from Mary Lueke of Menasha were our top pick in the bar category.