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New Year’s Party Food for Joy and Prosperity
After the elaborate roasts and trays of appetizers you may have served over the holidays, it can be challenging to come up with more recipes for a New Year’s celebration, particularly if you’re entertaining many of the same guests. Aside from champagne and charcuterie, which I know you already have covered, here are my recommendations of what to enjoy as you ring in the new year. Good Luck Foods From good health to good fortune, we each have our wishes for the days ahead. Turn to foods that symbolize these wishes as a way to share good luck with everyone around you, such as pork for progress and prosperity, extra-long…
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Gingerbread Loaf
If you’re going to make a gingerbread loaf, I say use the fresh version of the namesake ingredient instead of the ground. Finely grated ginger and its juices wend their way throughout the batter, imparting a bit more warmth without overpowering the overall flavor. As the oven heats up the spices and molasses too, your house will smell more and more like the holidays. Ingredients 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon nutmeg ½ cup milk ⅓ cup unsulphured molasses (not blackstrap) 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger ¼ cup canola oil 6 tablespoons unsalted butter…
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Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
With a scarlet cranberry filling and a golden top studded with coconut and chunks of chocolate, these layered cookies are as pretty as they are delicious. Bake them like cookie bars then use cookie cutters to create shapes of various sizes. On the plate this gives the same effect as ornaments on the Christmas tree. As everyone plucks their favorite from the tray, replace them one by one for a dessert plate that flickers before everyone’s eyes. Ingredients Cranberry Filling 1 ½ cups cranberries ¾ cup granulated sugar ¾ cup water 2 tablespoons Cointreau 2 tablespoons cornstarch Cookie Bar Base 1 cup all-purpose flour ½ cup unsweetened flake coconut ⅓…
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Maple Sesame Brussels Sprouts and Apples
When roasted in the oven with maple syrup and sesame oil in addition to traditional olive oil, brussels sprouts become caramelized and develop a rich toasty flavor. Add wedges of caramelized apples in the mix for bits of added sweetness, and you have a side dish that makes a festive gathering or plant-based dinner all the tastier. Best of all, the entire dish comes together on a sheet pan, with the brussels sprouts and apples roasting together. Ingredients 1 pound Brussels sprouts1 baking apple such as Honeycrisp or Pink Lady2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil1 tablespoon sesame oil2 tablespoons pure maple syrupSalt and freshly cracked black pepperOptional: Sesame seeds for topping…
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Tastier Thanksgiving Stuffing
Until you’ve had truly delicious bread stuffing, you might wonder why many of us consider it an essential layer of our Thanksgiving leftover sandwiches. When cooked just right, the stuffing on your holiday table will be so tasty that you’ll give it a prominent spot on your plate during dinner and beyond. A beautifully browned turkey may take center stage, but stuffing with crusty edges, plenty of aromatics, and a few choice add-ins will have everyone going back for more. Start with Good Bread Pieces of stuffing bread will soak up aromatics, butter, and all the other ingredients in your stuffing, but they also make up the bulk of the…
