Christmas

The cranberries add tartness, color and texture. Serve the pie with vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream, if you like.

The fudge can be cut into three wide bars. Wrap each in cellophane and tie with ribbon, adding a butter knife to the bow.

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 4 hr

What to drink: Offer robust French roast coffee, but also a vintage or ruby Port.

Multi-grain breads can vary widely in density. As a result, the 10 cups diced bread called for below may weigh a little more or less than 1 pound. We preferred a light-textured seven-grain bread for this stuffing.

"I love cooking with the new recipes every month when Bon Appétit arrives," writes Gabriella Hughes of Windham, Maine. "One dish I'd really like to make is the gingerbread with lemon icing from Standard Baking Co. in Portland, Maine. Could you request it?" Serve these tender gingerbread muffins with whipped cream for teatime or dessert.

Lightly sweetened whipped cream is a nice addition to this delicious dessert.

Pastel de tres leches is a traditional Nicaraguan Celebration Cake usually reserved for the holiday season. In this recipe we preserve the traditional presentation, and add some typical American holiday flavors. The cake is composed of four components: Sponge Cake, Rum Milk Syrup, Meringue, and Cranberry Compote.

Offer a hearty Cabernet Sauvignon with this impressive prime rib.

A simply spectacular main-course. Ask the butcher to grind any pork trimmings to use in the stuffing. Either hard cider or Pinot Noir would be delicious alongside.

Watch how to prepare and carve your bird with our streaming video demonstration.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Chef Kenny, of the Crookedwood House, in Mullingar, Ireland, prepares this entrée in the winter with fresh cranberries. We call for canned cranberry sauce, which is available year-round. The chef likes sautéed currants as a garnish, and braised cabbage and baked potatoes as side dishes.

Little polenta "tarts" are filled with tomatoes, pine nuts, and blue cheese, then popped into the oven until the cheese melts.