Vegetarian
Hot Chocolate Baked French Toast
Simply put: this is the most indulgent, decadent breakfast you can prep in advance for Christmas morning.
By Anna Stockwell
Leche Flan with Grapefruit
For the clearest caramel and smoothest custard, ceramic or glass baking dishes work best for cooking this Filipino-American–style dessert.
By Angela Dimayuga
Spiced Molasses Cookies
If you’d like an even more pronounced molasses flavor, use a robust instead of mild molasses. Just don’t use blackstrap in these cookies; not only will it be too strong and bitter, but it will overwhelm the spices.
By Claire Saffitz
Jam-Filled Challah Doughnuts
If your jam is too thick, a few pulses in a food processor will loosen it up—no need to add water.
By Michael Solomonov
Pistachio Thumbprints
You can find pistachio paste at specialty food stores and some grocery stores, but making your own is easy. Process 1/2 cup raw pistachios, 2 Tbsp. honey, and 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a food processor to a smooth paste.
By Claire Saffitz
Honey-Vanilla Linzer Cookies
You can roll out the dough and punch out other shapes, but the slice-and-bake method is fast, and you won’t have any scraps.
By Claire Saffitz
Honey-Vanilla Sablé Cookie Dough
This dough recipe produces a finely textured, surprisingly flavorful cookie that holds its shape well. Use it for our Honey-Vanilla Linzer Cookies and Pistachio Thumbprints.
By Claire Saffitz
Hazelnut Lace Sandwich Cookies
Make your dough balls as even as possible so the cookies match up when stacked.
By Claire Saffitz
Granola Cluster Cookies
These meringue-like cookies have all our favorite granola ingredients. You can swap in equal amounts of other nuts and seeds, such as hazelnuts, peanuts, or sunflower seeds.
By Claire Saffitz
Blood Orange and Poppy Polenta Shortbread
Make these delicate, citrusy, melt-in-your-mouth cookies and just try not to eat all of them in one sitting.
By Claire Saffitz
Bittersweet-Chocolate Truffles
Chef Jody Williams serves this truffle mixture family-style at holiday parties, with spoons, so guests can scrape off shavings of ganache and toss them through cocoa powder or sandwich between wedges of clementine.
By Jody Williams
Salted Buttered Pecans with Orange and Nutmeg
The orange zest and nutmeg say holiday, but you can switch up the spices as long as you keep the butter and salt.
By Vivian Howard
Coconut and Crispy Chickpea Trail Mix
The beauty of this mix is that it can be deployed lots of ways. Eat it out of hand as an upgrade to the usual cocktail nut or pretzel offering, or spoon it over plain yogurt as a savory topping. It can also be tossed into a bowl of salad greens or as a stir-in for a puréed soup.
By Andy Baraghani
Frosted Malt-Chocolate Cookies
Original malted milk powder can be found in the baking aisle. Look for the Nestlé Carnation brand.
By Claire Saffitz
Curried Lentil, Tomato, and Coconut Soup
Packed with flavor from curry powder and fresh ginger, this fragrant soup is wonderfully filling, but won’t weigh you down.
By Yotam Ottolenghi
Quinoa Bowl with Lentils and Mustard Vinaigrette
Yes, you can cook lentils and quinoa together. And now your life will become exponentially easier.
By Andy Baraghani
Seared Radicchio and Roasted Beets
Roasting beets over high heat yields charred skin—a nice balance with the sweet flesh.
By Angela Dimayuga
Polenta Bites With Wild Mushrooms and Fontina
Store-bought tubes of polenta are the ultimate appetizer shortcut: just slice and toast in the oven, top with wild mushrooms and Fontina, then bake until melty and irresistible.
By Anna Stockwell
Not-Quite-Bonnie's Rugelach
This version of the flaky holiday pastry is made with a cream cheese dough and filled with quince paste, walnuts, and demerara sugar. It’s simple to make—and perfectly buttery.
By Yotam Ottolenghi