Christmas

Making Stollen is not for the faint of heart. Avoiding it altogether because excellent store-bought Stollen abounds is further abetted by the invention of Stollenkonfekt, bite-size chunks of spiced, tender Quark dough studded with almonds and raisins and thickly cloaked in vanilla-scented confectioners’ sugar. They may be a relatively recent development in the world of Christstollen, which dates back to the Middle Ages, but they more than make up for their youth. In other words, want the rich, buttery, spicy flavor of Stollen without the work of a yeasted dough and the weeks of impatiently waiting for the loaves to be ready? If so, Stollenkonfekt is the thing for you.

An earthy-yet-light spread that's great with crudité or on sandwiches and toast.

This pared-down mulled wine recipe is great for impromptu entertaining this weekend.

Look to Mexico, where turkey has been the big bird for centuries. Continue the theme by using the leftovers for tacos (corn tortillas, shredded meat, lime…). We promise you won't miss your sandwich.

You can use the same weight in regular apples for this gingerbread cake recipe, but don’t the little lady apples just look so awesome?!

To crush candies easily, minus any peppermint shrapnel, place them in a resealable plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin, meat mallet, or the back of a large spoon.

We combined the rich and indulgent cheesiness of Pommes Aligot and the beautifully swirled rosettes of Pommes Duchesse into one super-luxe casserole that looks fancy but is surprisingly simple to make.