Chapter 1

Cut to the Cakes At Southern Living the white Christmas endures—our December cakes

THIS CHRISTMAS, SIT DOWN TO A DAZZLING DINNER DESIGNED TO PLEASE THE ENTIRE FAMILY—AND THE COOK. THESE CLASSIC HOLIDAY DISHES LOOK AND TASTE AMAZING BUT DON’T REQUIRE MUCH FUSS IN THE KITCHEN.

This five-ingredient appetizer packs a whole lot of flavor and texture into one bite from the buttery pastry, spicy pepper jelly, and creamy melted brie.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange pastry shells on a rimmed baking sheet. Cut Brie into 24 very small pieces. Spoon ¼ teaspoon jelly into each shell; top evenly with Brie pieces and pecans. Bake in preheated oven until cheese is melted, 7 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle with salt; serve immediately.

Stir together cranberry juice and pomegranate juice in a large serving bowl. Stir in prosecco, vodka, ginger ale, and Simple Syrup. Gently place ice ring in center; serve immediately.

SERVES 12 (serving size: 1 cup) ACTIVE 20 min. TOTAL 5 hours, 20 min., including 5 hours freezing

Bring 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium, stirring occasionally. Boil until sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, and cool 30 minutes. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.

Spread 3 cups pomegranate arils in an even layer in the bottom of a 12-cup Bundt pan. Pour 1 cup of ice-cold distilled water over arils. Place Bundt pan in freezer in a level position; freeze until frozen, about 1 hour. Add 7 more cups ice-cold distilled water; freeze until set, about 4 hours. Let stand at room temperature 10 minutes before removing Ice Ring from Bundt pan.

Red and green Belgian endive leaves make this edible “wreath” look even more festive for the holidays. Can’t find endive? Serve this tangy spread with crackers.

1. Stir together goat cheese, cream cheese, zest, juice, salt, pepper, 2 tablespoons of the chives, 1 tablespoon of the parsley, and 2 teaspoons of the tarragon in a bowl. Spoon mixture evenly into bottom halves of endive leaves.

2. Combine remaining ½ tablespoon each chives and parsley and ½ teaspoon tarragon. Sprinkle evenly over stuffed endive leaves. Serve immediately.

Prepare for “oohs” and “aahs” when you place this showstopping roast on your holiday table. Although it looks impressive, it’s simple to prepare—slather it with our special herbed butter the night before, then let your oven do all the work the next day.

RAISE A GLASS to the holidays with a Christmas dinner menu that’s impressive looking but so easy to make.

1. Stir together butter, pepper, salt, rosemary, sage, thyme, and oil in a small bowl. Spread evenly over roast. Chill, uncovered, 12 hours or up to 24 hours.

3. Preheat oven to 450°F. Place roast on a lightly greased rack in a roasting pan. Bake in preheated oven on lowest oven rack 45 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F; bake until a meat thermometer inserted in thickest portion registers 120°F to 130°F for medium-rare or 130°F to 135°F for medium, about 1 hour and 30 minutes.

4. Let stand 30 minutes. Transfer roast to a serving platter, reserving ½ cup drippings for gravy.

SERVES 10 (serving size: 1 slice roast) ACTIVE 10 min. TOTAL 15 hours, 55 min., including 12 hours chilling

Roasting the vegetables separate from the meat keeps them bright and colorful and from turning mushy.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss together all ingredients in a large bowl. Spread in a single layer in a 17- x 11-inch jelly-roll pan. Bake in preheated oven until tender, about 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Serve with roast.

A little bit of tangy sherry vinegar is the secret ingredient in this rich and flavorful gravy.

½ cup pan drippings from Peppercorn-Crusted Standing Rib Roast (recipe at left)

1. Heat pan drippings in a medium saucepan over medium. Add onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over onions, stirring constantly; cook, stirring constantly, until flour is golden brown, about 2 minutes.

2. Gradually whisk in 4 cups of the broth. Cook, stirring often, just until mixture comes to a boil and is smooth and thick, about 5 minutes. If mixture is too thick, add up to 1 cup broth, ¼ cup at a time, until mixture reaches desired consistency. Stir in sherry vinegar, salt, and pepper. Serve with roast and vegetables.

Here’s a fast and fresh take on the usual long-simmered greens. Swap out kale, collards, or turnip greens for the mustard greens if you prefer.

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium. Add garlic; cook, stirring often, until garlic is golden brown and crispy, about 1 minute. Stir in greens, in batches; cook until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes, before adding more greens. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender-crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper. Stir in an additional ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper, if desired. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Hasselback-style potatoes have thin, accordion-like slices that turn crisp in the oven. Blue cheese and bacon bring them over the top for the holidays.

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Slice each potato crosswise at ⅛-inch intervals, cutting to within ¼ inch of the bottom of the potato. (Do not cut all the way through potatoes.) Arrange potatoes, cut side up, on a lightly greased baking sheet.

2. Combine melted butter, rosemary, and 1 teaspoon of the salt in a small bowl. Spoon ⅓ cup of the melted butter mixture evenly over potatoes.

3. Bake in preheated oven on middle oven rack until tender, 45 to 50 minutes. Spoon remaining butter mixture evenly over potatoes. Sprinkle with blue cheese and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Bake until cheese is slightly melted and potatoes are golden brown, about 5 minutes.

A basket of light, fluffy popovers goes hand-in-hand with a standing rib roast. Be sure not to peek at them while they are baking—keeping the oven door shut will help them rise higher in the pan.

1. Place a 12-cup muffin pan in oven. Preheat oven to 450°F (do not remove pan while oven preheats).

2. Whisk together flour, cornmeal, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together milk and eggs in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk milk mixture into flour mixture until well blended.

3. Remove muffin pan from oven. Spoon 1 teaspoon melted butter into each cup of hot muffin pan; return muffin pan to oven for 2 minutes.

4. Carefully remove muffin pan. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Bake in preheated oven until popovers are puffed and golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. (Centers still will be moist.) Serve immediately.

Wine Pairings

A meal this special deserves the right bottle of wine. We asked Firstleaf, a new wine club, to select three bottles to pair with this menu. Sign up to get all three wines for $19.95; firstleaf.wine/southernwine

THE STORY BEHIND THE MOST BELOVED AND DELICIOUS CHRISTMAS TRADITION AT SOUTHERN LIVING: THE WHITE CAKES ON OUR DECEMBER COVERS

OUR OBSESSION WITH WHITE CAKES began more than twenty years ago in the soft rolling hills of Northern Kentucky. We traveled to Longfield Farm, the childhood home of Louisville chef Kathy Nash Cary, to photograph a Christmas bluegrass celebration: a bountiful farm-to-table dinner that ended with a lemon-filled coconut layer cake crowned with fresh cranberries and greenery. This snowy-white Christmas dream of a coconut cake was too picture-perfect not to make the cover.

The following year, the test kitchen created a special “gift box” cake for the 1996 issue of Southern Living Home for the Holidays: a triple layer white-on-white cake wrapped in buttercream frosting with miniature gingerbread men dancing merrily around the sides. A sparkling red Fruit by the Foot bow tied the whole thing together. At the request of then-Editor-in-Chief John Floyd the cake made a festive leap to our December cover, leaving Home for the Holidays cakeless (some stellar chocolate soufflés and a pink peppermint pie made up for the loss). The Gift Box Cake, like the Lemon-Coconut Cake, was such a huge hit that every year since we’ve featured a white cake on the December cover.

Around the Southern Living editorial offices the December cake is known simply as The Big White Cake. Not so much for its actual size (though one year we stacked up a head-turning six layers of red velvet), but for the months of prep and deliciously indecisive madness that go into choosing the perfect cover cake. Planning for next year’s cake starts soon after this year’s December issue hits the newsstands and usually winds down with a flurry of wintry photo shoots somewhere between the Fourth of July and Labor Day. (Yes, Virginia, it’s always a candy-sweet marshmallow world in the Southern Living Test Kitchens). Flour is sifted, sugar is measured, mixers whirl, and cakes tumble from pans. Forks in hand and a nostalgic Johnny Mathis Christmas CD set to replay, the test kitchen often taste-tests a half-dozen cakes each day.

Once we’ve baked our way through all the contenders and narrowed down the favorites, we break out the cake pans once again for the annual “Big White Cake Showing,” a high-glitz cake pageant with lots of bling (think: edible glitter, luster dust, pearl dragées). At the end of the showing, the cake that scores the highest for taste and presentation makes the cover, while the top alternates take center stage on the inside pages.

As with any bonafide Southern tradition, there are always more stories to tell. Like the summer of 2004, when we were photographing the cover cake in front of a roaring fire during a triple-digit heat wave. The homeowner’s neighbors, alarmed by the billowing clouds of smoke pouring from the roof, telephoned the fire department. But our favorite stories come from the countless readers who have baked the cover cakes and sent post-Christmas snapshots and selfies of their new holiday traditions in the making. We’d love to see yours this year! Tag us in your social media photos using hashtag #SLwhitecake

1. Prepare the Cheesecake Layers: Preheat oven to 325°F. Line bottom and sides of 2 (9-inch) round pans with aluminum foil, allowing 2 to 3 inches to extend over sides; lightly grease foil. Beat cream cheese and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed just until completely combined, about 1 minute. Add eggs, sour cream, buttermilk, cocoa, red food coloring, vanilla, and vinegar, beating on low speed just until fully combined, about 4 minutes. (Do not overbeat.) Pour batter into prepared pans.

2. Bake at 325°F for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 300°F, and bake until center is slightly jiggly, about 1 hour and 5 minutes. Turn oven off. Let cheesecake layers stand in oven 30 minutes. Remove cheesecake layers from oven; cool in pans on wire racks 1 hour. Cover and chill 8 hours.

3. Prepare the Vanilla Cake Layer: Preheat oven to 325°F. Beat butter with a heavy-duty stand mixer on medium speed until creamy; gradually add granulated sugar, beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

4. Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat on low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla.

5. Beat egg whites in a clean bowl with an electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment on high speed until stiff peaks form; fold about one-third of egg whites into batter. Gradually fold in remaining egg whites. Pour batter into 1 greased (with shortening) and floured 9-inch round cake pan.

6. Bake at 325°F until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 33 to 36 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan to wire rack; cool completely, about 30 minutes.

7. Prepare the Cream Cheese Frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy, about 5 minutes. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended after each addition; stir in vanilla. Increase speed to medium, and beat until light and fluffy.

8. Assemble Cake: Lift Cheesecake Layers from pans, using foil sides as handles. Place 1 Cheesecake Layer, bottom side up, on a cake plate. Place Vanilla Cake Layer on Cheesecake Layer. (This layer will be slightly taller than the Cheesecake Layers; trim the top of the layer, if desired). Top Vanilla Cake Layer with the remaining Cheesecake Layer, bottom side up. Spread a thin layer of Cream Cheese Frosting over top and sides of cake to seal in crumbs. Chill cake 20 minutes. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake.

MAKES 1 cake (serving size: 1 slice) ACTIVE 1 hour, 6 min. TOTAL 13 hours, 24 min., including 8 hours chilling

Garnish How-To

MAKE THE CHOCOLATE CURLS: Slightly soften an 8-oz. bar of white chocolate by heating it in the microwave at 50% power for 10 seconds. Shave the chocolate into large curls using a vegetable peeler. Pile the curls on top of the frosted cake.

1. Prepare the Cake Layers: Pulse shredded coconut in a food processor until finely chopped, about 20 times. Transfer to a small bowl. Heat heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium just until warm and beginning to release steam, about 5 minutes. Pour warmed cream over coconut, and cool completely, about 30 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat granulated sugar and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, and beat until blended after each addition. Add vanilla, and beat just until smooth. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Add flour mixture, in batches, alternately with cream mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat on low speed just until blended after each addition.

3. Beat egg whites in a clean bowl with an electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment on high speed until stiff peaks form. Stir about one-third of egg whites into batter; fold in remaining egg whites. Pour batter into 4 greased (with shortening) and floured 8-inch round cake pans.

4. Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pans on wire racks 20 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely, about 30 minutes.

5. Prepare the Filling: Stir together half-and-half, brown sugar, cornstarch, and egg yolks in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high, whisking constantly, just until mixture thickens and comes to a boil, 10 to 12 minutes. Immediately remove from heat, and whisk in butter and rum until smooth. Transfer to a glass bowl, and place plastic wrap directly on warm custard (to keep a film from forming). Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Chill until ready to use.

6. Prepare the Frosting: Whisk together granulated sugar, milk, flour, and salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. Immediately pour mixture into a medium-size metal bowl, and cool completely, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

7. Beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Slowly add cooled custard to butter mixture, ¼ cup at a time, and beat until smooth after each addition. Add coconut extract and vanilla, and beat until smooth. Spoon 1 cup of the Frosting into a zip-top plastic freezer bag with 1 corner snipped or a pastry bag.

8. Assemble Cake: Place 1 Cake Layer on a cake plate, and pipe a ½-inch-thick ring of Frosting around the outer edge of the layer. Spread about ⅔ cup of the Filling over the layer. Repeat with second and third Cake Layers. Place the final layer on top, and frost sides and top with remaining Frosting.

MAKES 1 cake (serving size: 1 slice) ACTIVE 1 hour, 22 min. TOTAL 3 hours, 51 min.

Garnish How-To

MAKE THE TREE COOKIES: Preheat oven to 350˚F. Roll out 1 (18-oz.) pkg. refrigerated sugar cookie dough to ⅛-inch-thickness. Use 1¾-inch and 2 ¾-inch tree-shaped cookie cutters to create about 18 small cookies. Use 2 ¾-inch, 4-inch, and 5 ½-inch tree-shaped cookie cutters to make about 5 large cookies. Bake the cookies at 350˚F for 7 to 9 minutes. Let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack.

DECORATE THE TREE COOKIES: To make Royal Icing, beat 16 oz. powdered sugar, 2 tsp. meringue powder, and 5 to 6 Tbsp. warm water with an electric mixer on high speed 5 minutes or until glossy. Pipe the icing onto the cooled cookies. Top with white coarse sanding sugar and white Disco Dust.

EMBELLISH THE CAKE: Drag a 1-inch-wide spatula up and down the sides of the frosted cake to create ridges. Arrange the large tree cookies on the top of the cake. Press the small tree cookies into the sides of the cake. Top the cake with ½ cup shredded sweetened coconut flakes for “snow.”

1. Prepare the Cake: Place white chocolate in a small bowl. Pour boiling water over chocolate, and let stand 1 minute. Stir mixture until chocolate is melted and smooth. Cool completely, about 20 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat granulated sugar and butter with a heavy-duty stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Gradually add egg whites, one-third at a time, beating well after each addition.

3. Sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with white chocolate mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat on low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla bean paste. Pour batter into 3 greased (with shortening) and floured 9-inch round cake pans.

4. Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 22 to 25 minutes. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely, about 30 minutes.

5. Prepare the Mousse Filling: Microwave white chocolate morsels and ¼ cup of the heavy cream in a small microwave-safe glass bowl on MEDIUM (50% power) until melted and smooth, 1½ to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Stir in crème de cacao. Cool 5 minutes.

6. Beat remaining 1 cup cream with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form; fold cream into white chocolate mixture. Chill while preparing frosting.

7. Prepare the Frosting: Microwave chopped chocolate and ⅓ cup heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl on MEDIUM (50% power) until melted and smooth, 1 to 1½ minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. (Do not overheat.) Cool completely, about 20 minutes.

8. Beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy; gradually add powdered sugar beating on low speed until blended after each addition. Add ¼ cup heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on low speed until blended after each addition. Add salt and white chocolate mixture, and beat on low speed until combined; increase speed to high, and beat until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla.

9. Assemble the Cake: Place 1 Cake Layer on a serving plate. Pipe a ½-inch-thick ring of Frosting around edge of Cake Layer. Spread half of White Chocolate Mousse Filling inside Frosting border; top with 1 Cake Layer. Pipe a ½-inch-thick ring of Frosting around edge of Cake Layer. Spread remaining White Chocolate Mousse Filling inside Frosting border. Place remaining Cake Layer on top, and spread top and sides of cake with remaining Frosting.

Garnish How-To

MAKE THE POINSETTIA COOKIES: Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Roll out 1 (18-oz.) pkg. refrigerated sugar cookie dough to ⅛-inch-thickness. Cut the dough into 12 petals using a 3-inch leaf cookie cutter. Cut 3 small petals from dough using a 2-inch leaf cutter and the center of the poinsettia using a 1½-inch flower cutter. Bake the cookies at 350˚F for 7 to 9 minutes.

DECORATE THE COOKIES: To make Royal Icing, beat 16 oz. powdered sugar, 2 tsp. meringue powder, and 5 to 6 Tbsp. warm water with an electric mixer at high speed 5 minutes. Pipe the icing onto the cooled cookies. Top the center poinsettia cookie with gold dragées, if desired. (Remove before eating.) Let the cookies dry. Use a paintbrush to paint the cookies with edible ivory luster dust and gold luster dust.

FROST THE CAKE: Make another batch of Frosting. Spoon it into a zip-top plastic bag, and snip 1 corner of the bag. Pipe a column of 4 (1-inch) dots of frosting down the side of the frosted cake. (The dots should touch.) Place a 1-inch-wide spatula on the center of the first dot, and drag the frosting outward, creating a petal-like shape. Repeat with the remaining 3 dots, wiping the spatula clean. Pipe a second column of dots on top of the swiped edges, and drag the frosting outward. Repeat, covering the cake, ending with 1 column of dots.

1. Prepare the Cake Layers: Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat granulated sugar and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, and beat just until combined after each addition. Add vanilla, and beat just until combined. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Add flour mixture, in batches, alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat on low speed just until blended after each addition. Pour batter into 2 greased (with shortening) and floured 9-inch round cake pans.

2. Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 28 to 30 minutes. Cool in pans on wire racks 20 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely, about 30 minutes.

3. Prepare the Peppermint Buttercream: Beat powdered sugar and butter with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add crushed peppermints, vanilla, and salt; beat until blended. Beat in 1 teaspoon of the milk. Beat in up to 1 more teaspoon of milk, ¼ teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Beat in food coloring, 1 drop at a time, until desired color is reached.

4. Prepare the Seven-Minute Frosting: Pour water to a depth of 2 inches into bottom of a saucepan or double boiler; bring to a simmer over medium. Stir together egg whites, granulated sugar, corn syrup, and salt in a heatproof bowl or top of double boiler. Place bowl over simmering water, and whisk constantly until sugar dissolves and mixture is hot, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat, and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high until stiff peaks form and mixture is completely cooled, about 10 minutes. Beat in peppermint extract.

5. Assemble Cake: Place 1 Cake Layer on a cake plate. Spread Peppermint Buttercream in an even layer, about ½-inch thick, to within ½ inch of cake edge. Top with remaining Cake Layer.

MAKES 1 cake (serving size: 1 slice) ACTIVE 1 hour, 20 min. TOTAL 2 hours, 40 min.

Garnish How-To

PREPARE THE CANDY: Roughly crush 1 cup hard peppermint candies into small pieces. Crush an additional ¼ cup candies into fine pieces and set aside. Add 1 tsp. white Disco Dust (white edible glitter) to 1 cup crushed candy, and stir to combine.

DECORATE THE CAKE: Spoon the remaining Seven-Minute Frosting into a zip-top plastic bag. Snip 1 corner of the bag to make a ½-inch-wide hole. Pipe swirls of frosting on the top of the cake. Lightly press the Disco Dust-coated crushed candy into the sides of the frosted cake until the sides of the cake are coated. Sprinkle the piped swirls with the finely crushed candy and an additional ½ tsp. Disco Dust.

THE PAST AND PRESENT INTERTWINE DELICIOUSLY ON NORTH CAROLINA CHEF VIVIAN HOWARD’S HOLIDAY TABLE

Home for the Holidays Vivian Howard in her modern farmhouse kitchen in Deep Run, NC.

FROM THE VINTAGE TREE TOPPER to the special dinner blessing the whole family knows by heart, Christmas is about tradition—unless you’re Vivian Howard. At her two Kinston, North Carolina, restaurants, Chef & the Farmer and Boiler Room, and on her award-winning PBS show “A Chef’s Life,” Howard has made a name for herself by putting her own stamp on the classic dishes of her native eastern North Carolina. And the holidays are no different.

Throughout her childhood in Deep Run, a tiny farming community near Kinston, Christmas morning meant a hearty breakfast cooked by her mother, Scarlett: grilled sausage on biscuits with muscadine preserves and mustard, a baked egg casserole, creamy grits, and pecan pie, a carryover from Christmas Eve dinner. “It’s the least exciting of all the pies my mom made, so we would save it for breakfast,” Howard explains.

Now Howard is the one cooking her family’s Christmas meal (winning a James Beard Award will do that for you). It’s still breakfast—but with a few unexpected twists. She shares several of these recipes in her new cookbook, Deep Run Roots, including baked eggs with crispy ham chips and tangy stewed tomatoes, and grits and greens topped with a simple but delicious brown butter-hot sauce vinaigrette.

These updated family favorites have gone over well with her crowd. She’s kept the pecan pie and the sausage biscuits to satisfy the traditionalists, but she can’t help making the biscuits from scratch rather than from a can, the way her mother did. “Now that I do the cooking, I make a lot in advance so I can throw it in the oven and spend more time with everyone that morning,” Howard says.

The Christmas meal may be breakfast, but the holiday fun doesn’t start there. Howard’s five-year-old twins, Theo and Flo, ensure that she and her husband, artist Ben Knight, are up very early to exchange gifts around the tree. Then it’s time to load up the presents and head out for the traveling gift exchange at “Howardville,” as the family calls it. First, they head next door to Howard’s parents’ house. Next stop is Howard’s sister’s house up the road, then across the street to her childhood home, where out-of-town family stays. When everyone’s ready to eat, the festivities wind their way back to Howard’s modern farmhouse, a symbol of her ability to merge the past with the present.

Having a tight-knit family is something Howard appreciates all year long but especially at Christmastime. “I love that we’re able to hop from house to house,” she says. “I hope my kids understand how lucky they are to live somewhere where they have their whole family around them. I hope they feel the warmth of their family and how special it is.” It’s one tradition she has no desire to change.

You can substitute any hearty winter green you like but don’t skip the hot and tangy vinaigrette—it makes the dish.

1. Prepare the Grits and Greens: Stir together milk and grits in a double boiler. Using a small wire-mesh strainer, skim any hulls that float to the top of the milk. (This ensures there will be no hard bits in your creamy finished product.) Cook over medium-high, whisking often to ensure grits don’t stick to sides and bottom of pan, until milk is completely absorbed and grits are thickened and tender, 25 to 40 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the butter and 1½ teaspoons of the salt. Remove from heat.

2. Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut and discard tough ends from turnip greens, and slice stems and leaves into 1½-inch pieces. Heat oil and remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet until butter melts. Add garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, just until garlic starts to sizzle. (Be careful garlic does not start to turn brown and burn.) Add greens, crushed red pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Using tongs, toss greens until they are just wilted. Add greens mixture and any accumulated liquids to grits in double boiler. Add cheese, stock, and black pepper; stir to combine.

3. Spoon grits mixture into the same skillet (do not wipe skillet clean). Bake in preheated oven, uncovered, until set, about 30 minutes.

4. Prepare the Hot Sauce: Melt butter in an 8-inch skillet over medium until it starts to foam and turn slightly brown. Stir butter to distribute evenly on bottom of skillet, and cook, undisturbed, until butter browns and smells nutty. Stir in lemon juice, Tabasco, and salt. Cook, undisturbed, until bubbly, about 15 seconds. Spoon hot vinaigrette over baked grits.

“Ambrosia is the cranberry sauce of the Christmas table,” Howard says. “We always have a ton of citrus at Christmas because the high schools sell boxes of oranges around this time.”

1. Prepare the Peanut Crumble: Preheat oven to 300°F. Stir together peanuts, oats, and shredded coconut in a large bowl. Whisk egg white in a separate bowl until frothy. Add sugar, coconut oil, curry powder, coriander, cayenne, and salt to egg white; whisk until combined. Pour egg white mixture over peanut mixture; stir well to combine. Spread in a thin layer on a large rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, fragrant, and caramelized on bottom, about 50 minutes. Let cool completely; crumble into pieces. (This is by no means just for breakfast. It’s a go-to snack and is delicious sprinkled on salads.)

2. Prepare the Yogurt and Fruit: Stir together the yogurt, cream of coconut, and zest in a bowl; set aside. Cut a ¼-inch-thick slice from each end of oranges, tangerine, and grapefruit using a serrated paring knife. Place fruit, cut side down, on a cutting board. Peel fruit; cut away bitter white pith. Slice each fruit between membranes, and gently remove whole segments, holding fruit over a bowl to collect juices. Discard membranes and seeds. Stir up to ½ cup citrus juice into yogurt mixture until mixture reaches desired consistency.

3. Divide yogurt mixture evenly among 6 bowls, and top evenly with citrus segments, peanut crumble, and pomegranate arils.

SERVES 6 (serving size: ⅔ cup yogurt, ½ cup crumble, ⅓ cup fruit) ACTIVE 18 min. TOTAL 1 hour, 8 min.

Ambrosia Breakfast: Citrus and Pomegranate with Coconut Yogurt and Peanut Crumble

1. Prepare the Crust and Streusel: Preheat oven to 350°F. Stir together flour and granulated sugar in a medium bowl. Using a fork or pastry cutter, cut 4 tablespoons of the butter into flour mixture until it resembles small pebbles. Stir in pecans, water, and egg until mixture is damp. Grease 2 (9-inch) pie pans with remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Divide pecan mixture into thirds. Place ⅓ mixture into each prepared pie pan, pressing to cover bottom and sides of pans. Set aside remaining ⅓ mixture. Bake crusts on middle rack of oven until the edges are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Cool 10 minutes.

2. Prepare the Filling: Melt white chocolate morsels and butter in a double boiler over low. (It’s OK if mixture separates.) Whisk together brown sugar and egg yolks in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined. Pour white chocolate mixture into brown sugar mixture; whisk to combine. Whisk in heavy cream. Stir together pecans, flour, and salt in a small bowl. Fold pecan mixture into white chocolate mixture just until incorporated.

3. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Divide filling mixture evenly between 2 piecrusts. Sprinkle remaining ⅓ cup streusel mixture evenly over pies. Bake until golden brown and set, about 35 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream. Pies will keep 3 days covered with plastic wrap.

1. Prepare the Stewed Tomatoes: Melt butter in a 3- to 6-quart heavy saucepan or Dutch oven over medium. Add onions and salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly caramelized, about 10 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, chopped basil, brown sugar, vinegar, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Cover and increase heat to medium-high; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 30 minutes. Uncover and cook 10 minutes. Stir in breadcrumbs, and cook until tomato mixture is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Proceed with recipe as directed, or chill overnight in an airtight container. (Stewed Tomatoes are best the next day.) If chilling overnight, bring to a simmer before proceeding with recipe.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place ham slices in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet; top with another piece of parchment paper. Place a second baking sheet on top of parchment to weigh it down. Bake on middle rack in preheated oven until ham is crisp and brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature. (Ham will continue to crisp as it cools.) Remove and discard parchment; store ham chips in an airtight container up to 2 days.

3. Spoon simmering Stewed Tomatoes into a greased large shallow baking dish or ovenproof 12-inch skillet. Using the back of a spoon, press 6 evenly spaced indentations in Stewed Tomatoes. Crack eggs, and slide 1 egg into each indentation. Sprinkle eggs evenly with salt and black pepper. Bake at 350°F on middle rack until whites are a little jiggly and yolks are barely set, 12 to 15 minutes.

4. Divide eggs and Stewed Tomatoes evenly among 4 bowls. Top evenly with herbs. Stand ham chips upright in bowls. Serve with crusty bread, if desired.

SERVES 4 (serving size: 1½ cups tomato mixture, 1½ eggs, 2 prosciutto slices) ACTIVE 41 min. TOTAL 1 hour, 36 min.

1. Prepare the Honey Glaze: Melt butter in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan over medium. Stir in honey, corn syrup, granulated sugar, orange zest, orange juice, and thyme. Increase heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat, and set aside. (Glaze may be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 week.)

2. Prepare the Sausage Filling: Cook sausage in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium, stirring to crumble, until browned and done. Remove from heat; drain well. Beat butter, honey, and brown sugar with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed until incorporated. Add sausage, and beat until incorporated. Set aside. (Filling may be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before proceeding with recipe.)

3. Prepare the Bun Dough: Heat milk in a 3-quart saucepan over medium until bubbles begin to form around the edge of pan. Remove from heat. Combine warm water and yeast in a 1-cup measuring cup. Let stand 10 minutes. Add yeast mixture, salt, 2 cups of the flour, and 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar to warm milk; stir until relatively smooth. Place mixture in a warm place (85°F) until bubbly, 10 to 15 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, beat shortening with a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until fluffy. Add remaining ⅔ cup granulated sugar; beat until combined. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. With mixer on low, gradually add bubbly yeast mixture to shortening mixture until fully incorporated. Add remaining 3 cups flour, in 4 batches, beating just until blended after each addition. Replace the paddle attachment with the dough hook; beat dough on medium speed until smooth, 10 to 12 minutes.

5. Turn dough out onto a floured work surface; knead until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl; cover with plastic wrap. Let stand in a warm place (85°F) until dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.

6. Place 2½ cups of the Honey Glaze in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet. Place dough on a lightly floured surface; punch dough down, and divide in half. Roll 1 dough half out into a 10- x 8-inch rectangle. Spread half of the Sausage Filling over dough rectangle, leaving a 1-inch border. Starting from 1 long side, roll dough up to enclose filling. Place dough cylinder seam side down; cut off and discard 2 short ends to create smooth ends. Cut cylinder crosswise into 4 to 5 (1½-inch-thick) rounds. Starting in center of skillet and working outward, place rounds, cut side down, on Honey Glaze in skillet. Repeat process. Place skillet in a warm place (85°F); let stand until dough rounds have plumped up and press against each other, 20 to 30 minutes.

7. Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake honey buns on middle oven rack until golden brown on top, 55 minutes to 1 hour. (If buns are getting too brown, cover with aluminum foil after baking 30 minutes.)

8. Carefully invert honey buns onto a serving platter. Serve warm or at room temperature, drizzled with remaining Honey Glaze.

SERVES 10 (serving size: 1 honey bun) ACTIVE 1 hour, 8 min. TOTAL 3 hours, 3 min.

BREAK OUT THE COOKIE TINS! WE’VE GOT 30 DELIGHTFULLY DELICIOUS CHRISTMAS COOKIES TO SHARE WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY—AND SANTA, OF COURSE. TAKE YOUR PICK FROM SLICE-AND-BAKE, CUTOUTS, SANDWICH COOKIES, AND MORE

THEY SAY THE WAY TO A MAN’S HEART is through his stomach, and Saint Nick is no exception to the rule … he just happens to have a sweet tooth. But it’s not a slice of coconut cake or buttermilk pie we leave out in his honor; when Christmas Eve rolls around, only a cookie will do. And what better gift for the elf who has it all? Cookies are small but mighty, encompassing a range of flavors and traditions as diverse as the South.

Whether thick and chewy or thin and crisp, Christmas cookies are something Southerners do particularly well. Maybe it’s our appreciation for White Lily flour or our steadfast refusal to skimp on fresh butter; maybe it’s because we keep a bag of fat pecans at the ready or that we’ve got the best sorghum and molasses in the world. Then again, maybe it’s the wild blackberries and scuppernongs we turn into jam or that we count cookie cutters and rolling pins among our most precious family heirlooms.

In my family, Christmas cookies were a herald of the season, appearing in my Kentucky home as soon as we’d recovered from Thanksgiving. I can remember being small enough to sit on the kitchen counter, dunking spoonfuls of sticky dough into a dish of cane sugar, then graduating to jammy thumbprint cookies, frosted gingerbread men, and ever more elaborate creations from year to year.

The recipes my brother and I tackled invariably came from Southern Living and the infinite back issues Momma kept in wicker baskets by her reading chair. She made no effort to protect them from our messy hands, and today they’re a batter-stained, cinnamon-scented, chocolate- splattered testament to holidays spent together in the kitchen.

Which is why I’m so excited to find myself within these very pages to introduce this year’s Christmas cookie feature—a collection of memories in the making. With six categories of treats, from laid-back bars to frosted cutouts with a decidedly artistic flair, these recipes offer something for every baker.

We gave the classic blondie a Christmas makeover with peppermints and minty icing.

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 13- x 9-inch baking pan with butter. Line pan with parchment paper, allowing parchment to extend over sides of pan. Grease paper.

2. Prepare the Blondies: Combine butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until combined after each addition. Beat in vanilla and salt. Add flour; beat on low speed just until combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in white chocolate morsels and ½ cup of the crushed peppermints, reserving remaining crushed peppermints to sprinkle on top.

3. Spread batter in prepared pan; smooth top with a spatula. Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 22 minutes. Cool completely in pan. Lift blondies from pan using parchment paper as handles. Remove and discard paper; trim browned edges.

4. Prepare the Icing: Combine powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, and peppermint extract in a medium bowl; beat on medium speed until smooth. Beat in 2 tablespoons of the cream. Add up to 1 additional tablespoon cream, if necessary, until Icing reaches a spreadable consistency. Spread Icing over top of Blondies. Sprinkle with reserved crushed peppermints. Cut into 3-inch squares; cut squares into triangles.

MAKES about 4 ½ dozen (serving size: 1 triangle) ACTIVE 20 min. TOTAL 1 hour, 40 min.

These rich and gooey bars will be your new favorite no-bake cookie this holiday season and beyond.

2 (1.4-oz.) chocolate-covered toffee candy bars (such as Heath), coarsely chopped

1. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, allowing parchment to extend over sides of pan. Grease paper with butter.

2. Combine heavy cream and powdered sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-low, stirring occasionally. (Do not bring to a boil.) Place chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Pour cream mixture over chocolate; let stand 1 minute. Gently stir mixture until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Stir in vanilla.

3. Combine caramels and evaporated milk in a medium saucepan over medium-low. Cook, stirring often, until caramels melt and mixture is smooth, 9 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes.

4. Place 1 layer of graham cracker sheets in bottom of prepared pan, breaking crackers to fit as needed. Pour one-third of the caramel mixture over crackers. Using an offset spatula, smooth caramel to edges of pan. Pour one-third chocolate mixture over caramel; smooth chocolate to edges of pan. Repeat layers 2 times with remaining graham cracker sheets, caramel mixture, and chocolate mixture, ending with chocolate. Sprinkle chopped toffee candy bars over top. Chill, uncovered, 4 hours or overnight.

5. Lift toffee bar mixture from pan using parchment as handles. Trim edges if necessary. Cut into 16 pieces. Serve chilled.

SERVES 16 (serving size: 1 piece) ACTIVE 30 min. TOTAL 4 hours, 30 min., including 4 hours chilling

Lemon bars are always a crowd-pleaser, and they’ll be even more popular when topped with a sweet oat crumble.

10 Tbsp. (5 oz.) cold salted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces, plus more for greasing pan

1. Prepare the Cookie Base: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan with butter. Line pan with parchment paper, allowing paper to extend past edges of pan. Grease parchment. Pulse flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined, about 3 times. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse sand, 6 to 7 times. Press flour mixture into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven 15 minutes.

2. Prepare the Filling: Combine granulated sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium-high. (Do not bring to a boil.) Lightly beat eggs and yolks in a medium bowl. Add ½ cup of the hot sugar mixture to eggs, whisking constantly. Gradually add egg mixture to remaining sugar mixture in saucepan; whisking constantly. Cook, whisking constantly, until thick and bubbly, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in butter until melted and combined. Spread hot filling evenly over prepared cookie base.

3. Prepare the Topping: Pulse flour, powdered sugar, lemon zest, and salt in a food processor until combined, 5 to 6 times. Add butter, pulse until mixture forms pea-sized pieces, 4 to 5 times. Add oats; pulse until combined, 2 to 3 times. Using your hands, press mixture together into small clumps. Sprinkle clumps evenly over filling, pressing lightly to adhere. Bake at 350°F until top is lightly browned, 35 to 40 minutes.

4. Cool completely in pan. Lift Lemon Crumble from pan using parchment as handles. Trim edges, if necessary, and cut into 16 bars.

Freeze the shortbread dough, then grate it in a food processor for the lightest, most tender crust.

1. Bring cranberries, water, and ¼ cup of the sugar to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high. Cook, stirring and smashing berries occasionally, until mixture thickens, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat, and cool completely.

2. Beat butter, salt, and remaining ¾ cup sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add egg yolks and vanilla; beat on low speed until combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Add flour to butter mixture; beat on low speed just until combined.

3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface; knead until dough comes together, 3 to 4 times. Shape dough into a 14-inch-long log. Cover with plastic wrap, and freeze at least 1 hour or overnight.

4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, allowing paper to extend past edges of pan. Grease parchment.

5. Remove plastic wrap from dough; cut dough log in half crosswise, and cut each piece in half lengthwise. Feed dough log quarters through the food chute of a food processor fitted with a shredding blade. Lightly press half of grated dough into the bottom of prepared pan. Spread cranberry mixture evenly over dough, leaving a ½-inch border. Top with remaining half of grated dough, pressing lightly to seal edges.

6. Bake in preheated oven until firm and golden brown, 33 to 35 minutes. Cool completely in pan. Lift cranberry shortbread from pan using parchment as handles. Cut into rectangles; then cut into triangles.

We gave the traditional gingerbread cookies a kick with warm spices, orange and lemon zests, and the deep flavor of molasses. The icing is made with meringue powder, which can be found at craft or baking supply stores.

1. Prepare the Cookies: Whisk together molasses, egg, and egg yolk in a small bowl.

2. Process flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, ginger, lemon zest, orange zest, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and baking soda in a food processor until well combined, about 1 minute. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse sand, 5 to 6 times. Add molasses mixture; pulse until mixture begins to clump, 5 to 6 times.

3. Turn mixture out onto a lightly floured work surface, and knead until mixture comes together, 5 to 6 times. Divide dough in half; shape each half into a 4-inch disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap, and chill 1 hour or up to 2 days.

4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Unwrap 1 dough disk, and roll to ¼-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut with a 5- x 3-inch cookie cutter, rerolling scraps once. Place 1 inch apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

5. Bake in preheated oven until set, 11 to 12 minutes, switching pans top rack to bottom rack halfway through baking. Cool on pans 2 minutes; remove cookies to wire racks, and cool completely, about 30 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough disk.

6. Prepare the Icing: Beat powdered sugar, meringue powder, and 4 teaspoons of the water on medium speed in a medium bowl until well combined, 4 to 5 minutes. Add up to 2 teaspoons water, ¼ teaspoon at a time, and beat until desired consistency is reached. Spread icing on cookies, and decorate as desired.

MAKES about 2½ dozen cookies (serving size: 1 cookie) ACTIVE 30 min. TOTAL 2 hours, 10 min.

These tender cookies are even better when topped with cream cheese frosting. The dough can be made up to 2 days ahead and will be easier to roll out when it is very cold.

1. Prepare the Cookies: Beat butter with an electric mixer on medium-low speed until creamy. Add powdered sugar, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla; beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Add flour mixture to butter mixture; beat on low speed until combined, about 2 minutes. (Dough will be very soft and sticky.)

3. Transfer half of dough onto plastic wrap, and wrap tightly, shaping into a 4-inch disk. Repeat process with remaining half of dough. Chill 2 to 12 hours.

4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Unwrap 1 dough disk, and roll to ¼-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut with a 5- x 3 ½-inch tree-shaped cutter, rerolling scraps once. Place cookies, 2 inches apart, on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

5. Bake in preheated oven until set, 8 to 9 minutes, switching pans top rack to bottom rack halfway through baking. (Cookies should not brown.) Cool on pans 2 minutes. Remove cookies to wire racks, and cool completely, about 30 minutes. Repeat process with remaining dough disk.

6. Prepare the Icing: Beat cream cheese and butter on medium speed until well combined and smooth, about 2 minutes. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt; beat on medium-low speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add sour cream, and beat until incorporated.

MAKES about 1½ dozen cookies (serving size: 1 cookie) ACTIVE 30 min. TOTAL 3 hours

Cutout cookies don’t have to be vanilla! Try a dark chocolate version this year. Be sure to dust your cutting board with cocoa powder.

1. Prepare the Cookies: Combine butter, bittersweet chocolate, and unsweetened chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on HIGH until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth, about 1 minute, stirring every 15 seconds.

2. Beat chocolate mixture, granulated sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla, and beat until incorporated.

3. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and ¾ cup of the cocoa in a bowl. Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture; beat on low speed until well combined, about 2 minutes. (Dough will be very soft.) Transfer half of dough onto plastic wrap, and wrap tightly, shaping into a disk. Repeat process with remaining half of dough. Chill dough 2 hours.

4. Preheat oven to 325°F. Let 1 dough disk stand at room temperature 10 minutes. Sprinkle work surface with 2 tablespoons of the cocoa. Unwrap dough disk, and roll to ¼-inch thickness on cocoa. Cut with a 2½-inch round cutter, rerolling scraps once. Place cookies 2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

5. Bake in preheated oven until just set, about 8 minutes, switching pans top rack to bottom rack halfway through baking. Cool on pans 5 minutes; remove cookies to wire racks, and cool completely, about 30 minutes. Repeat process with remaining dough disk and 2 tablespoons cocoa.

6. Prepare the Icing: Beat powdered sugar, meringue powder, and 4 teaspoons of the water on medium speed until well combined, 3 to 4 minutes. Add up to 1 teaspoon more water, ¼ teaspoon at a time, and beat until desired consistency is reached. Divide icing between 2 bowls. Stir in food coloring, 1 drop at a time, until icing reaches desired shades of green and red. Place icing into piping bags and pipe trees onto tops of cookies.Sprinkle with sparkling sugar.

Adults will love these elegant blue and white cookies made with a touch of brandy and topped with sparkling sugar.

1. Prepare the Cookies: Pulse flour, granulated sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined, 3 to 4 times. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse sand, 5 to 6 times. Add egg yolks and brandy; process until clumps begin to form, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Turn mixture out onto a lightly floured work surface; knead until dough comes together, 3 to 4 times. Divide dough in half; shape each half into a 6-inch disk. Wrap each disk with plastic wrap, and chill 1 hour.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Let 1 dough disk stand at room temperature 10 minutes. Unwrap dough disk, and roll to ¼-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut with a 3 ½-inch snowflake-shaped cutter, rerolling scraps once. Place cookies 2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

3. Bake in preheated oven until set and beginning to brown on edges, 9 to 10 minutes, switching pans top rack to bottom rack halfway through baking. Cool on pans 2 minutes; remove cookies to wire racks, and cool completely, about 20 minutes. Repeat process with remaining dough disk.

4. Prepare the Icing: Beat powdered sugar, meringue powder, and 2 tablespoons of the water on medium speed in a medium bowl until well combined, 3 to 4 minutes. Add up to 1 tablespoon water, ¼ teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Add food coloring, 1 drop at a time, and beat until frosting is desired color. Spread icing on cookies, and sprinkle with sparkling sugars.

MAKES about 3 ½ dozen cookies (serving size: 1 cookie) ACTIVE 30 min. TOTAL 2 hours, 10 min.

These flavorful cookies are made with almond flour (look for it in the gluten-free section of your supermarket) and almond paste (found in the baking aisle). Boxed or canned almond paste is softer and easier to work with.

1. Prepare the Cookies: Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread almond flour in an even layer on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven until lightly toasted, about 10 minutes.

2. Beat butter, almond paste, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium-low speed until well combined and smooth, about 4 minutes. Add powdered sugar; beat on low speed until well combined, about 2 minutes.

3. Whisk together all-purpose flour, toasted almond flour, and salt in a bowl. Add flour mixture to butter mixture; beat on low speed until just combined. Turn dough out onto a work surface; knead until dough comes together, 4 to 5 times. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a 6-inch disk, and wrap each disk in plastic wrap. Chill 1 hour.

4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Let 1 dough disk stand at room temperature 10 minutes. Unwrap dough disk, and roll to ¼-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut with a 3 ½-inch star-shaped cookie cutter, rerolling scraps once. Place cookies 2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

5. Bake in preheated oven until edges are golden brown, 9 to 10 minutes, switching pans top rack to bottom rack halfway through baking. Cool on pans 2 minutes. Remove cookies to wire racks, and cool completely, about 20 minutes. Repeat process with remaining dough disk.

6. Prepare the Icing: Beat powdered sugar, meringue powder, and 6 teaspoons of the water on medium speed until well combined, 3 to 4 minutes. Add up to 1 teaspoon water, ¼ teaspoon at a time, and beat until desired consistency is reached. Spread icing over cookies, and top with toasted almonds.

MAKES about 2 dozen cookies (serving size: 1 cookie) ACTIVE 30 min. TOTAL 2 hours, 10 min.

Mint lovers will fall head over heels for these rich, brownie-like cookies filled with chopped mint candies and topped with minty icing.

1. Preheat oven to 375°F with oven racks in the top third and bottom third of oven. Combine chocolate morsels and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on MEDIUM (50% power) until melted and smooth, about 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Whisk in sugar, eggs, vanilla, and ¼ teaspoon of the mint extract until smooth. Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir flour mixture into chocolate mixture; fold in chopped mints. Drop cookies by 2 tablespoonfuls inches apart onto 2 parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

2. Bake in preheated oven until cookies are just set on top, about 10 minutes, switching pans top rack to bottom rack halfway through baking. Remove pans to wire racks, and immediately flatten domed cookie tops with the bottom of a heatproof dry measuring cup. Cool cookies on pans 5 minutes; transfer cookies to wire racks, and cool completely, about 30 minutes.

3. Whisk together powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons of the milk, and remaining ¼ teaspoon mint extract in a small bowl. Stir in up to 1 more tablespoon of milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Transfer 2 tablespoons of the icing to a separate small bowl, and stir in desired amount of food coloring.

4. Spoon remaining white icing into a zip-top plastic freezer bag with 1 corner snipped or a piping bag. Pipe circles of white icing over cooled cookies. Drop 4 to 5 drops of green icing onto white icing circles, and swirl with a wooden pick to create a marbled effect. Let stand at room temperature until set, about 1 hour.

1. Place chopped toasted pecans and milk in a small bowl, and let stand at room temperature until milk is mostly absorbed, about 30 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 375°F with oven racks in the top third and bottom third of oven. Beat butter and ¾ cup of the sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla, and beat on low speed just until combined. Add flour and chopped toasted pecans alternately to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Beat on low speed just until incorporated after each addition. Drop by tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Press 1 pecan half into top of each cookie. Brush pecans lightly with egg white, and sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.

3. Bake in preheated oven until cookies are just set, about 10 minutes, switching pans top rack to bottom rack halfway through baking. Cool on pans on wire rack 5 minutes; transfer cookies to wire rack, and cool completely, about 30 minutes.

You’ve never had spice cookies like these. A secret ingredient—black pepper—adds a hint of heat.

1. Preheat oven to 375°F with oven racks in top third and bottom third of oven. Beat butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add molasses and vanilla, and beat on low speed just until combined. Add egg, and beat on medium speed until mixture thickens slightly, about 30 seconds. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and pepper in a medium bowl. Gradually add to butter mixture, and beat on low speed just until combined after each addition.

2. Place sanding sugar in a shallow dish or bowl, and drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls into sugar, rolling to coat. Place half of coated dough balls about 2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

3. Bake in preheated oven until cookies are just set, 8 to 9 minutes, switching pans top third to bottom rack halfway through baking. Cool on pans 5 minutes; remove cookies to wire racks, and cool completely, about 30 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough.

You can make the dough for all three thumbprint cookies a day in advance; store in the refrigerator.

1. Preheat oven to 375°F with oven racks in the top third and bottom third of oven. Beat butter and both sugars with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add egg yolk and vanilla, and beat on low speed just until incorporated. Whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder in a small bowl, and gradually add to butter mixture, beating on low speed just until incorporated after each addition.

2. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 1 inch apart onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Press thumb or end of a wooden spoon into each ball, forming an indentation.

3. Bake in preheated oven until cookies are set and beginning to brown, about 12 minutes, switching pans top rack to bottom rack halfway through baking. Cool on pans on wire racks 5 minutes; remove cookies to wire racks, and cool completely, about 30 minutes.

4. Fill each indentation with about ½ teaspoon jam, and let stand at room temperature 15 minutes.

5. Combine white chocolate and cream in a small heatproof bowl. Bring a small saucepan filled with 1 inch of water to a simmer over medium, and place bowl with chocolate mixture over simmering water. Cook, stirring often, until chocolate is melted and smooth, about 2 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Spoon chocolate mixture into a zip-top plastic freezer bag with 1 corner snipped or a piping bag, and pipe mixture over cookies.

Don’t forget to top these cookies with a pinch of flaky salt—it balances the luscious caramel filling and sweet toasted coconut.

1. Preheat oven to 375°F with oven racks in the top third and bottom third of oven. Pulse coconut in a food processor until finely chopped, about 10 times. Transfer to a shallow dish or bowl.

2. Beat butter and both sugars with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add egg yolk and vanilla, and beat on low speed just until incorporated. Whisk together flour, kosher salt, and baking powder in a small bowl, and add to butter mixture, beating on low speed just until incorporated.

3. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls into chopped coconut, and roll lightly to coat. Place cookies 1 inch apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Press thumb or end of a wooden spoon into each ball, forming an indentation.

4. Bake in preheated oven until cookies are set and coconut is browned, about 11 minutes, switching pans top rack to bottom rack halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheets to wire racks, and immediately reshape indentations by pressing again with your thumb. Cool cookies completely, about 30 minutes.

5. Fill each indentation with about ½ teaspoon of the dulce de leche. Sprinkle cookies evenly with sea salt.

This chocolate ganache is impossibly rich and incredibly easy to make in the microwave.

2. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 1 inch apart onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Press thumb or end of a wooden spoon into each ball, forming an indentation.

4. Combine chocolate morsels and cream in a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on MEDIUM (50% power) until melted and smooth, about 1½ minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Cool 5 minutes. Fill each indentation with about ½ teaspoon of the ganache. Sprinkle cookies evenly with crushed peppermints, and let stand 15 minutes before serving.

All the flavors of red velvet cake in a cute little package! A small trigger-handled ice cream scoop makes the work of getting uniform cookies a breeze.

1. Preheat oven to 375°F with oven racks in the top third and bottom third of oven. Melt chocolate and butter in a large microwave-safe glass bowl on MEDIUM (50% power) until melted and smooth, about 1½ minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Whisk in granulated sugar, eggs, and food coloring until smooth.

2. Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and add to butter mixture, stirring gently just to combine.

3. Place 1 cup of the powdered sugar in a small bowl. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls into powdered sugar, rolling to coat, and place 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Using the heal of your hand, gently flatten domed tops of dough. Bake in preheated oven until cookies are almost set and outsides are crackled, 10 to 11 minutes. Transfer pans to wire racks, and cool cookies completely, about 30 minutes.

4. Beat cream cheese and remaining 1 cup powdered sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Spread 1½ teaspoons cream cheese filling onto flat side of half of the cookies. Cover with remaining half of cookies, flat side down, and gently press.

1. Preheat oven to 375°F with oven racks in the top third and bottom third of oven. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and peanut butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add egg yolk and vanilla, and beat on low speed just until incorporated. Whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder, and gradually add to butter mixture, beating on low speed just until incorporated.

2. Place dough on a well-floured surface, and roll to ¼-inch thickness. Cut dough with a 2½-inch round cutter. Gently reroll scraps once, and repeat process with round cutter. Place half of the dough rounds on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Using a 1-inch star-shaped cutter, cut out and remove dough star shapes from the center of the remaining half of dough rounds. (Reserve and bake dough star cutouts for later, if desired.) Transfer dough rounds with star cutouts removed to lined baking sheets.

3. Bake cookies in preheated oven until cookies are set and beginning to brown, 12 to 13 minutes, switching pans top rack to bottom rack halfway through baking. Transfer pans to wire racks, and cool cookies completely, about 30 minutes.

4. Sift powdered sugar over cookies with star cutouts. Spread 1½ teaspoons jam on 1 side of remaining cookies. Place a star cutout cookie, powdered sugar side up, over each jam covered cookie, and gently press.

Sweet, creamy cookie butter (also called speculoos spread) tastes even better when sandwiched between two ultra-thin spice cookies. Don’t roll the dough more than twice; it will make the cookies a bit tough.

1. Preheat oven to 375°F with oven racks in the top third and bottom third of oven. Beat butter and sugars with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and beat on low speed just until combined and mixture thickens slightly, about 1 minute. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and add to butter mixture, beating on low speed until combined.

2. Place dough on a well-floured surface, and roll to ⅛-inch thickness. Cut dough using a 2-inch star-shaped cutter. Gently reroll scraps once, and repeat process. Place star dough cookies about 2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake in preheated oven until just set, about 8 minutes, switching pans top rack to bottom rack halfway through baking. Transfer to wire racks, and cool cookies on pans 5 minutes. Remove cookies from pans to wire racks, and cool completely, about 30 minutes.

3. Spread 1 teaspoon cookie spread onto flat side of half of star cookies. Cover with remaining half of star cookies, flat side down, and gently press.

1. Preheat oven to 375°F with oven racks in the top third and bottom third of oven. Beat granulated sugar and ½ cup of the butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg, egg yolk, vanilla, food coloring gel, and 1 tablespoon of the lemon zest, and beat on low speed until just combined. Add flour to butter mixture, beating on low speed just until flour is incorporated. Place sanding sugar in a shallow dish. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls into sugar, rolling to coat, and place 2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

2. Bake in preheated oven until cookies are just set, about 8 minutes, switching pans top rack to bottom rack halfway through baking. Transfer to wire racks, and cool cookies on pans 5 minutes. Remove cookies from pans to wire racks, and cool completely, about 30 minutes.

3. Beat powdered sugar, milk, lemon juice, and remaining ¼ cup butter and 1 tablespoon lemon zest on medium speed until light and fluffy. Pipe 2 teaspoons lemon filling onto flat side of half of the cookies. Cover with remaining half of cookies, flat side down, and gently press.

The rich, creamy filling can be made ahead up to 3 days then piped onto fresh, cooled cookies. The bourbon makes these cookies truly over-the-top, but you can omit the booze to make them kid-friendly.

1. Preheat oven to 375°F with oven racks in the top third and bottom third of oven. Beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed just until incorporated. Add 1 teaspoon of the vanilla, and beat just until combined. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and ¾ teaspoon of the salt, and add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating on low speed just until each is incorporated.

2. Using a 1-inch cookie scoop, drop dough about 3 inches apart onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake in preheated oven until cookies are just set and beginning to brown, 9 to 11 minutes, switching pans top rack to bottom rack halfway through baking. Transfer to wire racks, and cool cookies on pans 5 minutes. Remove cookies from pans to wire racks, and cool completely, about 30 minutes.

3. Beat cream cheese on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed. Add bourbon, nutmeg, 1 cup of the powdered sugar, and remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla and ¼ teaspoon salt; beat until smooth. Beat heavy cream in a small bowl until stiff peaks form; fold into cream cheese mixture. Pipe 1 tablespoon cream cheese filling onto flat side of half of the cookies. Cover with remaining half of cookies, flat side down, and gently press. Sift with remaining ⅓ cup powdered sugar.

These richly colored cookies are perfect for little hands—the more sprinkles, the better!

1. Beat butter and sugar with a heavy-duty stand mixer on medium speed until creamy; add vanilla and almond extract, and beat until incorporated. Gradually add flour, and beat on low speed until incorporated after each addition.

2. Divide dough into 4 equal portions, and place each portion in a small bowl. Add desired amount of food coloring gel to each bowl, and stir with a fork until food coloring is incorporated. Cover bowls, and chill 1 hour.

3. Preheat oven to 250°F. Shape 1 dough portion into about 12 (1½-inch) balls, and roll in sparkling sugar or sanding sugar. Press sprinkles, sugar pearls, or silver dragées into dough balls. Place decorated balls about 2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough portions.

4. Bake in preheated oven until lightly browned on bottom, 25 to 30 minutes, switching pans top rack to bottom rack halfway through baking. Cool on pans 5 minutes. Remove cookies to wire racks, and cool completely, about 30 minutes.

MAKES about 4 dozen (serving size: 1 cookie) ACTIVE 30 min. TOTAL 2 hours, 30 min.

These delicate cookies are soft and tender on the inside, with delectable nutty flavor from browned butter and toasted walnuts.

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Beat butter with a heavy-duty stand mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add sugar and vanilla, and beat until well incorporated; add flour, and beat until blended. Stir in walnuts.

2. Shape into 16 (1-inch) balls, and roll each ball into a 3-inch rope. Place ropes 2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets, and curve into crescents.

3. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, 9 to 10 minutes, switching pans top rack to bottom rack halfway through baking. Cool on pans 1 minute. Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar, and cool completely, about 30 minutes. Dust with additional powdered sugar, if desired.

Not only are these mini tarts irresistibly good, they are truly make-ahead: The tart shells can be made and frozen up to a month in advance and the Key lime curd can be made up to 5 days ahead and stored, covered, in the refrigerator.

1 cup bottled Key lime juice (such as Nellie & Joe’s Famous Key West Lime Juice), at room temperature

1. Prepare the Curd: Beat 2 cups granulated sugar and ½ cup butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Gradually add Key lime juice to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended after each addition. (Mixture may separate at this stage, but will emulsify as it is heated and whisked.)

2. Transfer mixture to a heavy 4-quart saucepan. Cook over medium-low, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens and just begins to bubble, 14 to 16 minutes. Remove from heat, and cool 30 minutes. Place heavy-duty plastic wrap directly on surface of warm curd (to prevent a film from forming), and chill until firm, about 4 hours. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.

3. Prepare the Cream Cheese Pastry: Beat cream cheese, 1 cup butter, and ¼ cup granulated sugar with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer on medium speed until creamy. Gradually add flour to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended after each addition. Shape dough into 60 (1-inch) balls, and place on a baking sheet; cover and chill 1 hour.

4. Preheat oven to 400°F. Place 1 chilled dough ball into each cup of lightly greased miniature muffin pans; press dough into bottoms and up sides of cups, forming shells.

5. Bake in preheated oven until lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove shells from pans to wire racks, and cool completely, about 20 minutes.

6. Spoon about 1½ teaspoons of the Curd into each pastry shell. Cover filled shells, and chill until ready to serve. Just before serving, sprinkle filled shells with powdered sugar and, if desired, garnish with lime zest.

Note: You will have leftover curd. It is great to use on warm biscuits or scones, as a topping for pound cake, or a dip for fresh fruit.

These spice cookies have an ooey-gooey caramel center and are best served warm, either straight from the oven or reheated in the microwave.

1. Beat brown sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla with a heavy-duty stand mixer on medium speed until mixture is blended and smooth.

2. Process flour, ginger, baking powder, and salt in a food processor until ginger is very finely chopped and mixture is well blended, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add flour mixture to sugar mixture, and beat on low speed just until blended after each addition. Shape dough into a disk, and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill 4 to 24 hours.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Shape dough into about 32 (1½-inch) balls. Flatten each dough ball in the palm of your hand, and place 1 caramel half in center of dough. Wrap dough around caramel, and reshape into a ball by rolling in hand, completely covering caramel. Place dough balls 2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Sprinkle each cookie lightly with Demerara sugar. (Chill assembled balls until ready to bake.)

4. Bake in preheated oven until flattened and lightly browned on the bottom, 11 to 12 minutes, switching pans top rack to bottom rack halfway through baking. Cool on pans 8 minutes. Serve warm.

MAKES about 32 cookies (serving size: 1 cookie) ACTIVE 30 min. TOTAL 5 hours, 45 min.

These delightfully tipsy (and no bake!) treats will be a hit at all your holiday parties. You can make the mixture up to 2 days in advance and the actual balls can be stored in the refrigerator up to 5 days in an airtight container.

1 (5.3-oz.) pkg. pure butter shortbread cookies (such as Walkers), finely crushed

1. Combine bittersweet chocolate, semisweet chocolate, and butter in a large glass bowl. Cook cream and bourbon in a small saucepan over medium until mixture is hot but not boiling, 3 to 4 minutes. (Bubbles will form around the edge.) Pour mixture over chocolate. Let stand 1 minute.

2. Stir chocolate mixture until melted and smooth. (If mixture doesn’t melt completely, microwave on HIGH 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds.) Stir in vanilla. Stir in crushed cookies. Cover and chill 3 hours or until firm. (Mixture can be prepared and chilled up to 2 days ahead.)

3. Shape mixture into about 40 (1-inch) balls. Sprinkle each ball with a very small amount of sea salt, and coat balls in chopped pecans. Place on wax paper-lined baking sheets, and chill 1 hour. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 5 days.

MAKES about 40 cookies (serving size: 1 cookie) ACTIVE 25 min. TOTAL 4 hours, 25 min.

With its fun stripes and unusually tasty flavor combination of peach preserves and salted pistachios, this cookie will stand out in any cookie tin.

1. Cut parchment paper into 8 (12- x 6-inch) rectangles. Beat butter with a heavy-duty stand mixer on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes; add sugar, and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla, and beat until combined.

2. Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating on low speed just until blended.

3. Transfer dough to work surface, and divide into 4 equal portions. Place 1 dough portion between 2 parchment rectangles. Roll out dough to a 9- x 3 ½- inch rectangle about ¼-inch thick. Repeat with remaining dough portions and prepared parchment paper rectangles. Place dough rectangles (still between parchment paper) on a baking sheet, and freeze 30 minutes.

4. Pulse peach preserves in a food processor just until large pieces are broken apart, 2 to 3 times.

5. Remove dough from freezer. Remove top pieces of parchment from dough rectangles. Spread about 2½ tablespoons of the preserves over 1 dough rectangle. Sprinkle with about 8 teaspoons of the finely chopped pistachios. Top with 1 dough rectangle. Repeat layers with remaining preserves, pistachios, and dough rectangles, leaving the top rectangle uncoated. Trim dough stack to an 8½- x 3¼-inch brick. Wrap dough in plastic wrap, and freeze 1 hour.

6. Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove dough from freezer, and slice into ¼-inch-thick rectangles; place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

7. Bake in preheated oven until lightly browned around edges, 13 to 15 minutes. Cool on baking sheets 5 minutes. Transfer to wire racks, and cool completely, about 20 minutes.

You’d never guess these impressive-looking cookies are made with just four ingredients. Demerara sugar is a coarse brown sugar; look for it in the baking aisle at the supermarket.

1. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle ¼ cup sugar mixture over a 12-inch square on a work surface. Unfold 1 pastry sheet on top of sugar, and roll sheet into a 12- x 9-inch rectangle. Spread ⅓ cup marmalade over dough, leaving a ½-inch border around edges. Starting with 1 long side, roll up pastry, jelly-roll fashion, to center of pastry sheet. Roll opposite side to center. (The shape will resemble a scroll.) Wrap in plastic wrap, and freeze 20 minutes. Repeat procedure with ¼ cup of the sugar mixture and remaining pastry sheet and ⅓ cup marmalade.

2. Preheat oven to 375°F. Remove 1 pastry roll from freezer, and cut into ½-inch-thick slices; place 2 inches apart on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle each slice with a small amount of the remaining sugar mixture.

3. Bake in preheated oven until light golden brown on the bottom, 14 to 16 minutes. Remove from oven, and carefully turn each cookie over. Return to oven, and bake until crisp and golden brown, 8 to 10 more minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack, and cool completely, about 30 minutes. Repeat procedure with remaining pastry roll.

MAKES about 3 ½ dozen (serving size: 2 cookies) ACTIVE 20 min. TOTAL 1 hour, 25 min.

1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl. Beat sugar, eggs, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed until thick and pale, about 2 minutes. Stir in flour mixture, coconut, cherries, and orange zest. (Dough will be very sticky.)

2. Turn dough out onto a heavily floured surface; knead lightly 8 or 9 times. Shape dough into a 15- x 3-inch loaf, and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet; pat to ¾-inch thickness.

3. Bake in preheated oven until loaf is golden brown, about 40 minutes. Cool on pan on a wire rack 5 minutes. Cut loaf diagonally into 22 (½-inch-thick) slices. Place slices in a single layer on same parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and bake 20 minutes, turning slices over halfway through baking. Remove from baking sheet; cool completely on wire rack, about 20 minutes.

Kids will love baking—and eating—these swirly, not-too-minty cookies. Feel free to swap out the red food coloring for green, if you prefer.

1. Beat butter with a heavy-duty stand mixer on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add egg, peppermint extract, and vanilla, beating until combined.

2. Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Gradually add to butter mixture, beating on low speed just until blended.

3. Divide dough in half; add desired amount of red food coloring to 1 portion, and knead until color is distributed. Shape dough halves into disks; wrap in plastic wrap, and chill until firm, about 1 hour.

4. Divide each half of dough into 2 equal portions. Roll out each portion on floured wax paper into an 8-inch square, trimming edges if necessary.

5. Invert 1 white dough square onto 1 red dough square; peel wax paper from white dough. Tightly roll up dough, jelly-roll fashion, peeling wax paper from red dough as you roll. Repeat with remaining dough squares. Wrap rolls in plastic wrap, and chill 2 hours. (Dough can be tightly wrapped and frozen for up to 1 month.)

6. Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove dough from refrigerator, and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices; place slices 2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. (Keep unbaked dough chilled while baking cookies.)

7. Bake, in batches, in preheated oven until bottoms are lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove cookies from pans to wire racks, and cool completely, about 20 minutes.

These French sugar cookies have a slightly crumbly texture (“sablé” means “sand”) and loads of chocolate flavor. The recipe makes a lot of cookies—ideal for gifts or a cookie exchange.

1. Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy; add vanilla, and beat until combined. Stir together flour, cocoa, and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating at low speed until combined after each addition. Finely chop 1 of the bittersweet chocolate baking bars; stir into cookie dough until well incorporated.

2. Divide dough in half; shape each into an 8-inch-long log. Wrap each log tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes. (Dough may be frozen up to 1 month.)

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut dough into ¼-inch-thick slices, and place 2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. (Keep dough logs refrigerated while cookies bake.)

4. Bake in preheated oven until bottoms are lightly browned, 11 to 13 minutes. Cool on pans 5 minutes; remove cookies to wire racks, and cool completely, about 20 minutes.

5. Chop remaining 1½ bittersweet chocolate baking bars, and place in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH until chocolate is melted and smooth, 1 to 1½ minutes, stirring every 30 seconds.

6. Dip half of top side of each cookie in melted chocolate. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt or chopped toasted pecans, if desired. Place cookies on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and chill just until chocolate sets, about 15 minutes. Layer cookies between wax paper, and store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days.

ON TABLES THROUGHOUT THE COASTAL SOUTH, IT WOULDN’T BE CHRISTMAS WITHOUT THIS RICH AND CREAMY DISH. WE CAME UP WITH THE ULTIMATE RECIPE USING PLUMP, BRINY OYSTERS, BUTTERY BREADCRUMBS, AND A VELVETY SAUCE

1. Preheat broiler. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Add onion, bell pepper, celery, scallions, and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables soften, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in oysters and mushrooms. Bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring often, 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

2. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a small saucepan over medium. Whisk in flour, and cook, whisking constantly, until smooth, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Whisk in cream, and cook, whisking constantly, until very thick and just beginning to bubble. Whisk in Parmesan, and cook, whisking constantly, until cheese is melted. Remove from heat.

3. Using a fine wire-mesh strainer, strain oyster mixture; discard liquid. Add oyster mixture to cheese sauce; stir until fully incorporated. Stir in salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Spread mixture in a lightly greased (with cooking spray) 11- x 7-inch baking dish. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter; toss breadcrumbs with melted butter. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over oyster mixture.

4. Broil on middle rack of oven until breadcrumbs are deep golden brown and mixture is bubbly, 4 to 5 minutes.

Shuck Like a Pro

Let your fishmonger do the dirty work, or grab an oyster knife and dig in. Here’s how:

1 Place the oyster, curved-side down, on a clean kitchen towel. The hinge (where the two shells meet) should be facing out. Carefully wiggle an oyster knife into the hinge until you feel the seal between the two shells pop.

2 Use the tip of your knife to cut along the perimeter, severing the muscle that connects the top shell to the oyster. Remove and discard the top shell, being careful not to spill the liquid inside.

3 Wipe your knife clean, then slide it under the oyster to sever the muscle that connects it to the bottom shell. Remove any stray bits of shell or debris.

VANILLA, COCOA POWDER, AND BUTTER ARE IN HEAVY ROTATION THIS TIME OF YEAR. MAKE SURE YOU’RE USING THE RIGHT KIND FOR ALL YOUR HOLIDAY BAKING PROJECTS.

1 Real vanilla extract: Use this expensive extract in recipes that don’t require high heat, which can degrade the delicate flavor.

Imitation vanilla extract: For recipes that have strong flavors like chocolate or spice, it’s perfectly fine to use imitation vanilla. Made from vanillin, a vanilla by-product, imitation vanilla has a stronger scent than the real stuff.

2 Vanilla beans: Use vanilla beans for their rich, concentrated flavor and beautiful black seeds. One vanilla bean is roughly equal to three teaspoons of extract.

3 Vanilla bean paste: This syrupy liquid gives you strong vanilla flavor and seeds without having to scrape any pods. If a recipe calls for one vanilla bean pod, use one tablespoon of paste. If the recipe calls for extract, use the same amount.

4 Dutch process cocoa powder: Dutch process cocoa offers richer chocolate flavor with less bitterness. You can’t always use it in place of natural cocoa. Because Dutch cocoa isn’t acidic, it won’t react with baking soda alone, so make sure your recipe also calls for baking powder.

5 Natural cocoa: Natural cocoa hasn’t been treated and is, as a result, more acidic. It has a lighter, almost reddish color and sharper chocolate flavor. Most recipes call for natural cocoa.

6 Unsalted butter allows you to control the amount of salt and, since salt is a preservative, it may also be sweeter and more fresh than its salted counterpart. If a recipe calls for unsalted butter but you have only salted, simply omit half of the salt in the recipe.

1 What’s the difference between a baking sheet and a cookie sheet, anyway? Baking sheets have higher edges to keep liquid from rolling out of the pan.

2 Choose aluminum. A basic aluminum cookie sheet is affordable and conducts heat evenly. A rimless baking sheet makes it easier to transfer cookies to cooling racks.

3 Keep it cool. When you’re baking several batches of cookies at once, it’s tempting to put raw cookie dough on a hot cookie sheet. Keep your cookies from spreading by letting the sheets cool down in between batches or by running tepid water over the sheets to bring the temperature down.

“Don’t reroll cookie dough scraps more than twice. The dough will get overworked and turn out tough.”