Hanukkah

Nothing’s better than warm oliebollen, or Dutch doughnuts, thanks to their crisp nooks and crannies and their pillowy centers hidden beneath a dusting of confectioners’ sugar.

Shame we didn’t have these little lovelies on our plates when we were being admonished by our parents to “eat your veggies!”

Whether your knack for cookie-decorating leans toward fancy schmancy or basic buttons on gingerbread people, you need a foolproof royal icing. Look no more.

A holiday cookie if we ever saw one! So buttery, so nutty, so delicate, so mind-bendingly charming, these traditional Viennese cookies rival the city’s fancier pastries as our fave.

Kalamata olives lend this no-knead bread ample flavor while a long, slow rise brings it a bakery-quality crumb.

It’s time to melt some chocolate, toast some nuts, and cross some names off your holiday gift list.

A startlingly spectacular made-from-scratch cheese Danish that is going to forever change your notion of what a cheese Danish ought to be.

This is not the sweet, gooey tzimmes of your childhood. Nope. So don’t be surprised when that old familiar flavor pales in comparison.

These butter and cream cheese pastries are filled with cinnamon-sugared nuts, a slick of jam, currants, and a handful of chopped chocolate.

Don’t let the name mislead you. These doughnuts are cause for celebration in and of themselves, regardless of one’s occasion or denomination.