Poppyseed and nut filling for hamantaschen blends ground poppy seeds with chopped nuts, raisins, citron, and milk into a thick, jewel-toned paste. The traditional mohn filling for Purim cookies.
Traditional Christmas fruitcake with brandy-soaked candied citrus peel, citron, currants, and raisins, deeply spiced and aged in a tin with periodic brandy basting before the holidays.
Vegan Christmas cake packed with candied pineapple, cherries, citrus peel, raisins, and currants, bound without eggs or dairy. A long-baking holiday fruitcake for slicing into thin festive servings.
Christmas memory fruitcake steams then bakes a bourbon-soaked, dense old-fashioned fruitcake loaded with Brazil nuts, raisins, candied fruit, figs, and warming spices. Heirloom holiday recipe.
At Christmas time for sugar and spice these pfeffernusse are extra nice: try them once and you'll be delighted And so will the guests whom you've invited.
Traditional mincemeat with real beef and suet, the way it was made for centuries before the meatless version took over. Currants, raisins, apples, brandy, and warming spices simmer into a deeply flavored pie filling. Yields 80 servings.
Fattigmands bakkelese are traditional Norwegian deep-fried pastry cookies with cardamom, citron, and lemon juice. Rich egg yolk dough rolled thin, cut into diamond shapes, and fried until golden and crisp.
Light-as-air meringue cookies with ground hazelnuts and candied citron, perched on crisp baking wafers. A classic European confection that melts on your tongue.
Holiday mincemeat with chopped beef, suet, apples, sour cherries, dried fruit, and broken nuts simmered slowly with brandy and warming spices. A massive 48-serving batch for Christmas baking and gift-giving.
Green tomato mincemeat made from scratch with suet, apples, raisins, citron, and warm spices. A traditional preserve for holiday pies, sealed with a splash of brandy.
Canned green tomato pie filling with Granny Smith apples, dark and white raisins, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. A boiling-water canner recipe for preserving the fall harvest.
Traditional wedding fruitcake with candied cherries, pineapple, dates, raisins, currants, citron, and nuts in a spiced batter. Slow-baked at low heat for a dense, rich loaf.
Pfeffernuesse are traditional German spice cookies made with cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, black pepper, rum, and candied lemon peel, finished with a white icing.
Great cake is an old-fashioned colonial American pound cake loaded with currants, candied citron, and rosewater. A Martha Washington-era recipe that's dense, buttery, and built for special occasions.
Classic English trifle with raspberry-jam-soaked sponge cake, brandy, sherry, silky vanilla custard, and whipped cream. A showstopping layered dessert served in a glass bowl for maximum visual drama.
Election Day Loaf is a traditional spiced yeast bread loaded with raisins, walnuts, and candied citron, baked in a tube pan and glazed with orange icing. A historic New England celebration bread.
Fruit pockets are tender biscuit-style pastries folded around a spiced filling of raisins, currants, citron, and nuts. A vintage British-style hand pie with warm cinnamon and clove.
It is a delicious ricotta pie recipe that works in any occasion.
Special Easter bread made with whole wheat breadcrumbs, candied citron, and orange zest in a bread machine. This sweet, fruit-studded loaf has Old World charm.
Berkshire fruit cake packed with raisins, currants, and citron in a spiced molasses batter with cinnamon, cloves, and mace. Baked low and slow for 4.5 hours.
Election Day cake, a historic New England yeast-raised spice cake studded with raisins, citron and nuts, warmed with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and mace, and glazed with confectioners' sugar. A colonial American tradition.
Lizzies are bourbon-soaked fruitcake cookies with golden raisins, candied cherries, citron, and pecans. A classic Southern holiday cookie that freezes beautifully.
Mocha cake is a spiced coffee loaf studded with raisins, currants, and citron. Brewed coffee, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice create a warmly spiced fruitcake for any occasion.
Julekage, the traditional Norwegian Christmas bread scented with cardamom and studded with dark raisins and candied citron. Made fast with a food processor instead of hours of hand-kneading.
Dense fruitcake layered with applesauce batter, citron, and nuts. Molasses and warm spices add depth. This slow-baked cake takes 2 hours at low heat for proper moisture and texture. A holiday classic.
Old-fashioned mince meat with calf tongue, suet, dried fruit, candied citrus, brandy and whiskey. The traditional pie filling, aged in a crock for at least 7 weeks for deep holiday flavor.
Lots of fruit bread, a yeasted holiday loaf packed with prunes, figs, dates, raisins, candied peel, and almonds. The European-style fruit bread for Christmas mornings.
Golden fruitcake with dried apricots, raisins, candied cherries, orange peel, citron, and shaved almonds in a light cake flour batter. Baked low and slow for 4 gorgeous holiday loaves.
Old-fashioned raisin pastries: flaky pie-dough half-moons stuffed with ground raisins, nuts, and citron in a honey-cinnamon-jelly filling. Hand pies for the holiday cookie box.
Lester's fruitcake is a heirloom holiday loaf: pounds of candied fruits, figs, dates, raisins, pecans, and walnuts bound in spiced molasses batter. Slow-baked, brandy-soaked, aged a month.
Old-fashioned bourbon fruitcake packed with golden raisins, candied cherries, pineapple, citron, pecans, and coconut. Baked low and slow in a tube pan for rich, dense results.
Traditional Sicilian cannoli with wine-spiked fried shells and a chilled ricotta filling scented with cinnamon, vanilla, and candied citrus peel. Topped with glace cherries and powdered sugar.
A brown sugar loaf cake studded with candied citron and chopped nuts, topped with a nutmeg cream frosting. Warmly spiced with nutmeg throughout, this vintage gem belongs on every holiday baking list.
Sweet potato pie with warm brandy, fresh lemon zest, and a sprinkle of chopped citron over the top. The brandy-citrus brightness lifts the spiced filling into something more sophisticated than typical sweet potato pie.
Traditional holiday fruitcake loaded with raisins, currants, citron, and pecans, enriched with sherry, honey, and orange marmalade. Baked low and slow, best after aging.
Old-fashioned molasses cookies with candied citron, chopped nuts, cloves, and cinnamon. Rolled thin, cut out, and baked crisp. A heritage holiday cookie.
Traditional mincemeat filling with beef, suet, green tomatoes, tart apples, raisins, and warm spices. Canned with brandy for holiday pies, makes 3 quarts.
Traditional German lebkuchen: honey-and-molasses spice cookies studded with citron and nuts, finished with a brushed sugar glaze. A heritage Christmas cookie that gets better as it ages.
Bath buns: lemon-scented English tea buns dotted with raisins and candied citron, brushed with sugared cream for a sweet, glossy crust. A traditional cousin to the rock cake.
Homemade Italian cream rolls with cinnamon-spiced fried shells, sweet ricotta filling with candied citron and chocolate, finished with blanched pistachios and powdered sugar. Makes 16 to 18 cannoli.
Traditional English fruitcake loaded with raisins, candied orange and lemon peel, citron, candied cherries, and walnuts. Baked low and slow in a tube pan for over 2 hours.
Traditional Panforte di Siena with toasted almonds, hazelnuts, candied orange peel, citron, cocoa, and honey syrup cooked to soft ball stage. A dense Italian Christmas confection.
Homemade mincemeat with raisins, currants, apples, almonds, candied peel, and brandy. No suet needed. Ground twice, baked, and aged for rich, spiced holiday filling.
Lebkuchen (German honey cakes) blend honey, brown sugar, lemon, almonds, citron, and warm spices into a chewy spice cookie cut into fancy holiday shapes. Traditional Christmas cookie from Nuremberg.
Old-fashioned Pennsylvania steamed pudding with mashed carrots, suet, molasses, raisins, currants, and warm spices. Three hours of steaming yields a dense, spiced holiday treat.
Homemade cannoli from scratch with Marsala wine shells and sweet ricotta filling studded with chocolate chips and candied citron. Crispy, creamy, and worth every minute of effort.
Quick Indian apple chutney made in the microwave with raisins, curry powder, ginger, and brown sugar. Ready in under 10 minutes of cook time.
Old-fashioned Christmas Rocks cookies bursting with candied fruit, dates, figs, pecans, raisins, and currants in a cocoa-spiced batter with a hint of coffee. Dense, chewy, and built to last.