Cookbooks

Holiday Baking: New and Traditional Recipes for Wintertime Holidays

by Sara Perry

Chronicle Books, 168 pp., $18.95

Sara Perry knows that people who don't bake during the other 10 months of the year are likely to bake during the holiday season, and she has put together an inviting and accessible collection of recipes to inspire them. Starting at Thanksgiving and ending at New Year's, she offers delightful suggestions for sweet and savory treats to delight the family at Hanukkah, Christmas, Boxing Day, and Kwanzaa. A majority of the recipes are simple and approachable, and the author provides tips for including kids for family holiday fun. Every mouthwatering section of this book made me want to get in the kitchen and bake.

Though I don't celebrate Hanukkah, I do make rugelach, and I really like Perry's Cardamom Pistachio variation with golden raisins. The "Two Please" Thanksgiving Dinner Orange Rolls may knock Sister Schubert off my holiday table for good, or maybe, instead, I'll substitute the "Without Thinking Twice" Perfect Popovers. The savory Stilton Pinwheels With Walnuts and Honey from the Boxing Day chapter are sure to delight wine lovers with an urge to nibble, and I'm eager for an eggnog occasion if only for an excuse to try the Amazing Left-Over Eggnog and Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding With Warm Jamberry Maple Syrup. And I'm officially conflicted about what to serve for New Year's: Should it be a big Dutch Baby Pancake or the Baked Mushroom Omelet with the boozy Bloody Mary Salsa? Share this book with someone who loves to bake, and reap the benefits when some of these delicious treats become part of the family holiday repertoire, regardless of what you celebrate.