Make Ahead

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.

Fresh Dill Cucumbers with Lemon

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.

Using chilled butter and freezing the cookies before baking encourages clean, tidy edges.

The batter is divided into thirds and tinted with increased amounts of coloring to get the ombre effect. To make both red and green cookies, you'll need to double this recipe.

With apple cider, Aleppo pepper, and thyme, this pretty dish offers a lighter take on your usual Thanksgiving sweet potato casserole.

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

The slight bitterness of kale practically cries for sweetness to balance it out—persimmons are perfect and play well with the lime juice, prosciutto, and feta. Crisping the prosciutto adds a textural contrast.

Crunchy raw broccoli and brussels sprouts meet their match in a punchy triumvirate of olives, anchovies, and lemon juice.

Ground almonds and cocoa powder take the place of flour in this super moist, super simple chocolate cake.

Dark sweet cherries and apple cider lend sweetness and depth to this bourbon-and-black-pepper-spiked cranberry sauce.

White chocolate gives a rich, creamy finish to these deliciously spiced slice-and-bake cookies.

This hearty meatless loaf combines earthy wild mushrooms with classic falafel spices.

Brussels sprouts, apples, gouda, radishes, and hazelnuts turn this kale salad into something special enough to serve guests.