An impressive (and blissfully last-minute!) nosh with an incredibly satisfying salty sweet thing happening. And spectacularly simple to make. Decorate as much or as little as you like.
Chocolate-Bourbon Banana Bread
This life-changer of a recipe isn’t your mom’s banana bread. It’s better. And we’ve got no qualms saying that.
Vanilla Syrup
You’re going to want to drizzle, douse, and dribble this fragrant homemade vanilla syrup over and into and onto just about everything.
Apple Coffee Cake
Elegant enough for company, simple enough for every day, and versatile enough for breakfast and midnight snack and pretty much every moment in between.
Cranberry Orange Pecan Bread
This cranberry orange pecan bread is an enticing balance of tart and sweet in a fetching cake-like delivery system. Quite tempting at all times, though especially come November.
Nutella Brownies
And, on the eighth day, there was gianduia (zhahn-doo-yah). Namely, hazelnuts harmoniously cozying up to chocolate. Aka Nutella. And the world has been a more glorious place ever since.
Banana Bread by Cook’s Illustrated
A superlative version of the classic American quick bread that everyone loves. And that everyone pretty much always has the ingredients for on hand.
Chocolate Babka
Babkalicious! Best babka ever! Holy Cow! Holy Babka! Those are just some of the responses we’re hearing ’bout this indulgent loaf of buttery, chocolatey, Jewishy goodness.
Stollen
Few things would be lovelier to receive at the holidays than a loaf of this traditional sweet yeast bread studded with fruit and nuts.
Classic English Toffee
Almonds and dark chocolate or peanuts and milk chocolate? Can’t go wrong either way with this classic candy.
Cashew Caramel Cracker Bars
This cashew caramel cracker bars recipe is made with saltines, sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, and chocolate. An easy crowd-pleaser.
Smoked Cheddar Cheese
Remember those wee rounds of shrink-wrapped smoked Cheddar from holidays past? This rendition is unspeakably better.
Bourbon Balls
Chocolatey, boozy goodness in a charming and irresistible and seemingly innocent presentation. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
Champagne Truffles
Got leftover Champange? Or simply seeking an excuse to open a bottle of bubbly? Good. We’ve got the most splurge-worthy use for it ever thanks to these creamy, fudgy, boozy, ganache-gilded little orbs.
Fruitcake Brownies
Fruitcake brownies? Yup. But not those lurid dried fruits of your childhood. Think dried figs, cranberries, cherries made tipsy with rum or brandy and baked into a brownie pan. Ridiculously inventive.
Candied Pecans
“Irresistible.” “The perfect combination of sweet, salt, spice, and crunch.” “We. Can. NOT. Stop. Eating. Them.” “Absolutely perfect.” That’s what we’re hearing about these candied pecans.
Pumpkin Spice Toffee
All that familiar autumnal spice loveliness in perhaps the only pumpkin spice incarnation you’ve yet to try.
Molasses Spice Cookies
Not your ordinary molasses spice cookies, these owe their nice hit of savory to a hit of black pepper. Once you’ve tried these, you may never go back.
Candied Spiced Nuts
These candied nuts are sweet and spicy and the sorta thing that friends demolish in minutes at cocktail parties and holiday gatherings yet talk about for months afterward.
Chocolate Bourbon Truffles
Chocolate bourbon truffles. A brilliant and boozy gift for the chocolate lover who has everything.