Claire Saffitz

Try this drizzled over roasted potatoes or as a sub for mayo in chicken salad.

Try this with white beans on toast, in salads, or puréed and spread on pita.

Try this schmeared on toast, tossed with pasta, or dolloped on a baked potato.

Of all the quirky, inexplicable, reindeer-embellished holiday traditions out there, making your own Yule log might take the cake. Why would anyone in their right mind create a dessert that is supposed to look like something cut from the forest? Because it will be exponentially more impressive—and downright delicious—than any cake, pie, or sugar cookie on the table. Besides, we're not encouraging you to make just any old Bûche de Noël: Our updated, streamlined version resembles a slender birch branch, adorned with funghi-inspired meringues. So who knows? This might just become your new weird Christmas tradition.

Brushing the sponge cake for the Bûche de Noël with this flavored syrup hydrates it and keeps it moist.

The intensity of this ganache balances out the other sweeter components in our Bûche de Noël. If you prefer rounder, less sharp flavors, use semisweet or milk chocolate instead of bittersweet.

Be careful not to overbeat or your filling will curdle. This is perfect for our Bûche de Noël.

Our slice-and-bake technique is easier to manage than shaping a crescent version—a touch of sanity during holiday baking madness.

This recipe calls for red currant jelly, but you can use any kind of jelly you like.

Want a show-stopping centerpiece roast to feed a holiday dinner crowd? Crown roast is the answer.

When simmering the cream, make sure it's over gentle heat (if it over-reduces, it will break).

Once you’ve got the two racks tied together (and the lady apples halved), making this crown pork recipe is as simple as any other roast.

Be careful not to overbeat or your filling will curdle. This is perfect for our Bûche de Noël.

Caramelized white chocolate forms the base of this rich ganache confection; the snowballs are more like truffles than cookies.

Yes, a press-in crust is easier to make and handle than a buttery dough that you have to roll out, but there's still some technique to doing it correctly.

Use the largest skillet you have (a straight-sided 12" is ideal) and a fish spatula.the thin angled edge is just right for helping potatoes release from the skillet.

We transformed the regular hands-on skillet method to a very hands-off oven technique.

Also known as the one-hour turkey, this spatchcocked bird (ask your butcher, or go to bonappetit.com/spatchcock) will free up your oven.

Two words: Crispy! Bacon! In this recipe, turkey breasts get rubbed with spices and herbs before being wrapped in bacon for a second roast in the oven.

A little soy sauce in the glaze ensures the burnished mahogany skin that holiday memories are made of. But it's not just for looks; this brined and buttered bird is seasoned inside and out.