Christmas

Bake some of these for the holidays, too.

An impressive centerpiece dish. This looks beautiful when surrounded with sautéed baby vegetables. Start marinating the meat one day ahead. Serve homemade or purchased horseradish alongside.

There's an extra hit of flavor from crystallized ginger in this scrumptious layer cake.

The components of this recipe-purchased ham or turkey, the relish and dinner rolls- can be combined by your guests to make little sandwiches.

Root vegetables became a mainstay of the New England diet. The crops grew well during the summer and could be stored in barrels of sand or in root cellars to keep through the long winter. This spectacular casserole has potatoes, parsnips, turnips and carrots, and is sweetened with just a hint of pear. The pureed vegetables are swirled together in the baking dish to create a pretty marbled effect.

The roulade is particularly stunning when accompanied by a glistening array of the Glacéed Fruits .

This warming and satisfying winter soup is a delicious starter, and the vegetables add color and sweetness.

If you think novelists do research only in libraries, think again. Culinary mystery writer Diane Mott Davidson has a different approach: She caters. Far-fetched? Not when your perennial protagonist is one Goldy Schulz, a caterer who has cooked her way through such delicious mysteries as Dying for Chocolate and Killer Pancake, stories that include the author's own enticing recipes and mentions of cranberry and orange, both significant flavors in her comfort-dessert memory file. "My husband was in the Navy and was often away at sea, so there was little opportunity to cook," she says. "One day I was with some Navy wives, and somebody set out a cranberry-orange bread. I raved about it. Not long after that, I drove to Norfolk to meet my husband's ship, and stayed with the woman who had baked the bread. While I was there, she slipped another loaf of it into my suitcase. It was the nicest thing anybody could have done." Prepare the cranberry glaze for this lovely orange layer cake a day ahead to allow it to firm up and chill. And consider presenting the finished cake as a gift; you're sure to make someone's day.

Dijon mustard, brown sugar, marjoram, garlic and orange juice make a flavorful coating for this simple-to-prepare ham. The pan juices become a delicious sauce. Pour a Merlot with the meal.

We've combined two holiday heavy hitters — chestnut stuffing and sausage stuffing — into one delicious dish. We call for bacon in addition to fresh pork to bring in a bit of smokiness.

Mulled wine is also known as vin chaud and glühwein. In the past, the drink was usually served in a pewter mug and often heated with a red-hot poker.

A wonderful cookie to bake with kids. Have them cut out their own snowflake stencils, then let the powdered sugar fly. Lace doilies also work well as stencils.

For this recipe you will need a pastry bag and a 1/2-inch plain tip.