Hanukkah

If you go weak in the knees at the mere thought of crisp skin on a roast hen, your day just got a heck of a lot better.

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

These simple yet superlative little cakes are quite mind-blowing in their poundcake-like loveliness. Go on. See for yourself.

These unconventional latkes are gonna rock your world. They're lovely at all times of day and on all occasions.

It's not just about how lovely a turkey imbued with smoke would be. It's also about how lovely more space in the oven on Thanksgiving would be.

These lovely latkes are crisp without, creamy within, and sweet throughout. Entirely appropriate for Hanukkah as well as a random Tuesday night...

This heartachingly tender brisket draws on just four ingredients, including a can of Coca Cola. Tasting is, truly, understanding.

Sweet. Spicy. Earthy. And a touch puckery. When did anything--or anyone--at your table boast such character? Certain to compensate for your duller dinner invitees.

Airy and yet dough at the same time, these iconic, anytime-of-day New Orleans pastries come buried beneath mounds of sweet, sweet confectioners' sugar. All we have to say is, don't wear black.

These doughnuts are certain to conjure memories, real or imagined, of crisp autumns, roadside farmstands, and grease-stained paper bags full of similar piping hot beauties.

Like a chorus line of Rockettes, tender slices of brisket lean on each other in perfect symmetry and perfect doneness. Here's how to replicate this performance at home.

These spectacularly decorated cookie creations can be yours with your favorite roll-out cookie recipe, our royal icing, and our handy how-tos. Swear it's so much simpler than it looks.

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

How do you define a true New York-style cheesecake? A sweetly crunchy graham cracker crust cushioning a rich, creamy, moan-inducing filling with a slightly lemony lilt. In other words, this recipe.

So long, store-bought applesauce. Tuck into your own fuss-free, artisanal applesauce that's a little sweet, a little spicy, and as smooth or as chunky as you please.

This classic Portuguese dessert with its tender crumb and citrus smack tastes as stunning as it looks. Swear.

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

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.

Wanna outclass every other appetizer you know how to make? Try this little number. Deceptively simple. Impressive and infallible.

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