winter dessert recipes

Gingerbread Cake, Cranberry and Zabaione Trifle

Gingerbread Cake, Cranberry and Zabaione Trifle

Gingerbread Cake, Cranberry and Zabaione Trifle excerpted from The Christmas Companion: Simple Recipes and Creative Ideas for a Magical Festive Season. Used with the permission of the publisher, Bloomsbury. Text copyright © 2025 by Skye McAlpine, Photography copyright © 2025 by Skye McAlpine.

The Christmas Companion: Simple Recipes and Creative Ideas for a Magical Festive Season by Skye McAlpine

From beloved author Skye McAlpine, an all-things-Christmas cookbook and gifty guide to the perfect holiday, from hosting to roasting-and everything you need to spread cheer with the people you love.

From inimitable author Skye McAlpine, The Christmas Companion is a gorgeous wall-to-wall guide to an unfussy yet elegant Christmas to remember. With recipes both celebratory and deeply comforting that skew Italian, the book includes Christmas canon favorites like Ginger and Apricot Glazed Ham and Panettone Woodland Cake, edible gifts like Marzipan Fruits and Chocolate Salami, and fool­proof menus for every event-from two­-person romantic dinners to blowout cocktail parties or Christmas lunch for twenty. But like any holiday devotee, Skye knows the preparation is half the fun. In The Christmas Companion, she also gives her best tips for creating the perfect holiday space: guides to making Candy Cane Heart Ornaments and “playing Santa,” how to make your own Christmas crackers, and the most beautiful ways to decorate the Christmas table.

A highly giftable holiday treat, The Christmas Companion is sure to perennially spread Christmas cheer.

The Christmas Companion: Simple Recipes and Creative Ideas for a Magical Festive Season by Skye McAlpine is available at Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and Indigo.ca.

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Miso Caramel Apple & Pear Crumble

Miso Caramel Apple & Pear Crumble

Miso Caramel Apple & Pear Crumble excerpted from Comfort Food: with Spencer Watts by Spencer Watts. Photography by Steph Brown.

Comfort Food: with Spencer Watts by Spencer WattsChef Spencer Watts takes the very best of classic comfort food dishes and adds globally influenced flavours to make each dish new again. Chicken noodle soup becomes jerk rubbed duck noodle soup; mac and cheese becomes transformed with a rye crumble topping and chicken wings are dusted with dill pickle chips.

This new approach to comfort foods includes something for every kind of cook — some recipes are easy to follow, some more ambitious — all are delicious! Using readily available ingredients, Spencer Watts takes an imaginative approach to appetizers, bowls, main dishes, desserts and more! Recipes include Ham Hock and Pea Risotto, Wild Mushroom Soup, Caramel Popcorn Cake, Greek Style White Bean Ragu and more!

  • Table of Contents
  • Introduction
  • Chapter One: Forkless
  • Chapter Two: Fowl Language
  • Chapter Three: Bowls
  • Chapter Four: Carbaholic
  • Chapter Five: Any Given Sunday
  • Chapter Six: Sugar Coated

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