Christmas

In the United States, mincemeat pies tend to be the size of regular pies, but this recipe yields the more diminutive British-style tartlets. If desired, top them with a dab of hard sauce, made by mixing softened butter with powdered sugar and a little brandy.

Port and orange juice accent this cranberry and dried fig sauce.

The creamy tequila-orange filling contrasts perfectly with the tart cranberry topping.

Serina Kaker "When a good friend went out of town, I volunteered to water the plants in her apartment, and my reward was helping myself to the Christmas cookies, all nicely stored in a tin," says Jane A. Van Pelt of Alexandria, Virginia. "Well, they were delicious and had completely disappeared by the time my friend returned. She told me that the recipe had come to her through her Norwegian roots and was a favorite in her family. Now these cookies are a holiday favorite in our family, and I hope they will be shared with many others."

Ask the butcher to bone, skin and butterfly the turkey breast. You will also need some cheesecloth (available in most supermarkets) for wrapping the roulade before cooking.

Packed in jars that are decorated with red ribbon and candy canes, this sweet makes a festive gift. To crush the peppermints coarsely, tap the wrapped candies firmly with the bottom edge of any unopened 15- to 16-ounce can.

Here, lamb chops are presented atop a salad that was inspired by the flavors of Sardinia. A perfect first course or a light main course.

Tiring of the ultra-refined nouvelle cuisine that epitomized eighties dining, cooks rediscovered the comforting humble cuts such as short ribs and shanks. Orecchiette pasta or mashed potatoes are great to catch the gravy.

Here is the perfect present for those who indulge in holiday eggnog — a mixture of spirit and spice to blend into the Christmas beverage. To make the gift complete, pour it into a beautiful bottle and tie a small nutmeg grater and some whole nutmegs around the neck with a festive ribbon.

This recipe is based on a delicious dish made by Laura DaMiano, a Quebecois chef. She loves the flavor of butternut squash paired with Oka cheese, a mild, semisoft cow's-milk cheese. Mild Cheddar can be used as a substitute. If you are making this entire menu in a single oven, and you are not making the scalloped squash ahead, you can bake the squash while the ham is standing after braising.

A beautiful dessert for the December entertaining season.

If you don't happen to have any day-old corn bread on hand, just follow our recipe — fresh regular corn bread may be too moist. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 2 hr (includes making corn bread)

These fudgy treats, also known as crinkles, get their name from the small wrinkles that develop on top as they bake.

Mascarpone cheese, with its slightly tart flavor, gets a sweet boost from honey. If you can't find mascarpone, top this with honey-sweetened sour cream or crème fraîche.